5 Rules Why Teachers Should Stop Spoon-Feeding
A teacher who is fully qualified and has extensive expertise. The majority of my teaching experience has been with kids between the ages of 16 and 19. Even though I was constantly acknowledged as an outstanding teacher, when the 9 o’clock bell rang, signaling that it was time to begin teaching, my colleagues used to joke about it and say, “let’s go and facilitate.” Was this a joke, or was it a legitimate observation? Which approach should we take: that of a teacher or that of a facilitator?
Many individuals [1] do not associate the words “learning,” “lifelong learning,” and “learning for life” with anything particularly exciting. However, one essential characteristic that distinguishes us as human beings and enables us to be the most advanced species is our extraordinary capacity for learning [1]. In addition, as teachers, we cannot force pupils to learn; rather, we can only control their learning process by either encouraging them to study or discouraging them from learning [1].
So, why have some individuals come to despise the process of learning? What causes some adults to disregard their education? What causes some adults to turn their noses up at learning and declare that it is simply not for them? However, this is not typical, and it is also not natural! This blog is about the insights and thoughts that I had when reading some good literature on adult education and reflecting on my own experiences as a teacher. I hope you will find it interesting and informative.
Here are five rules for learning that I’ve developed:
Rule 1: In and of itself, knowledge is worthless.
The majority of the information “taught” at schools and universities is quickly forgotten following the exam [1]. If we can’t remember what we’re learning, what’s the point of studying in the first place?
Some teachers have a classic perspective in which they see the students’ heads as empty vessels into which they will pour information from the teachers. These facts, on the other hand, enter one ear and exit the other (in time). Today’s lesson will be forgotten tomorrow. Is this a story that you’ve heard before in your educational career? Furthermore, facts are meaningless for a living unless you have learned how to use them and how to collect further information as and when you require them [1].
2nd Rule: The most important thing that students should be taught in school is the art of learning.
The sooner a pupil can learn on their own, without the assistance of an instructor, the better. It is only when a student has learned to learn for themselves and gained confidence in their abilities that they can begin to appreciate the learning process. For the simple reason that they have never learned how to learn, students who have relied on “holding their hands” and “spoon-feeding” throughout their educational experience are less likely to develop the skills necessary to become independent lifelong learners.
3. Leave the youngsters alone, but provide them with guidance to assist them in determining their course.
In contrast to this, the correct perspective provided by Rolf Arnold [1] is to regard the instructor as more of a learning counselor – someone who leads and directs pupils to study on their own.
Rule 4: There are three areas of learning in which learning to learn takes place.
There are three primary domains in which students can increase their learning confidence and learning competence. We must help children increase their learning capacities in all of these areas. Learning can occur in three separate domains, according to Bloom and colleagues [3]. They are as follows:
Cognitive abilities are those that are possessed by the mind (knowledge)
Affective development: development of feelings or emotional areas (attitude or self)
Manual or bodily movement are examples of psychomotor activity (skills)
Based on my observations, it is obvious that students frequently get early or natural confidence in one of these categories and that this is beneficial. As a result, students frequently demonstrate a preference for one area of learning over another, leaving behind confidence and ability in another area. As a result, it is vital for students to be self-reflective and to recognize their areas of development. The teachers can work towards becoming counselors once more as the pupils mature, encouraging the students to take responsibility for their learning once more. Learning confidence and competence are thus developed in a variety of fields by students… Teachers can only encourage or inhibit [1] the growth of a student’s ability to learn how to learn in each of these three domains, depending on their own beliefs about learning.
The fifth rule is that adults are very skilled autonomous learners, and we can learn a lot from how they learn.
Children may be exceptionally capable of learning, but they must be taught how to be independent learners to succeed. As adults, we may be shocked by how quickly youngsters absorb information, almost as if they were sponges. As a result, the teacher is the primary focus of attention. As a result, the instructor or parent must demonstrate to a young child what to do and how to do it correctly. Knowing the importance of this type of learning in the early years of childhood development is acknowledged by Knowles and colleagues [4] as well as other notable researchers. However, as children grow older and progress toward adulthood, it becomes necessary to learn to shift away from this strategy (i.e., to stop serving as an educator or feeder).
Instead, as Rolf Arnold [1] explains, teachers must gradually assume the role of “learning counselor,” helping students through the process of learning how to learn, becoming autonomous learners, increasing confidence in learning, and developing a passion for learning.