What?

I’ve considered where I am in my career and education, and I recently thought about my children and their learning paths on the ride home from vacation.  I remembered the turning point for me in my educational journey.  It happened for me as an adult learner, which is why I think it’s relevant for this blog. It was the moment I learned how to study. Many probably believe we inherently know how to learn, but learning how to study-to-learn is a bit different. Understanding how to evaluate the act of learning is the critical component to studying and learning effectively. It’s relevant not only to adults, but also to children. I want sharing my experience here, to be useful to my children and anyone reading this.  

We even learn on vacation! Spanish architecture in St. Augustine, Florida.

So What?

Dr. Malcolm Knowles was an educator whose theory included that adults have individual learning styles and methods that work best for them. Studying his concepts made me realize how important it is to teach them to my children early in their education.  Intrinsic motivation isn’t easy to muster in adulthood. I often catch myself admiring my children from a distance as they eagerly explore their many curiosities. It’s critical to step in when appropriate to make sure they are brave to learn new things but also pause to absorb what they’re learning.  Still, my readings have taught me that child and adult learning differ somewhat, and motivations and experiences are two factors that cause this.

As a child, I loved school and was proficient in all subjects. I was very quiet and kept to myself, although I often felt bored. I rarely studied for tests, just memorized enough to pass, and had little homework. I didn’t ask questions about why I was learning these subjects, I wanted to follow the rules and please my teachers. I believed I was checking a box that everyone had to check in life. In my early teens, classmates were selected for Governor’s School and later tapped for the National Honor Society, but I never understood the paths to these achievements. It truly felt like a secret society. I didn’t know the code and I couldn’t even find the door.

It wasn’t until the Fall of 1998 that I realized what I had been missing.

After I graduated high school, I had only a few ideas about what I wanted to do.  My dad was a machinist, and my mom was a nurse, both graduates of vocational programs who had no absolute requirement for me to go to college. I enrolled in community college and took a course called “Study Skills for the College Student”.  It left a profound impression on me because I realized as a young adult that no one had ever taught me these skills before.  I wonder how much more I could have achieved if I had learned to study in middle school or high school the way I eventually did in college.  When I consider how workplaces teach and how working adults learn, I wonder if I would have the same interest in learning I do today if I hadn’t taken that study skills course early in my adulthood. It also makes me think harder about other adults at work and how they are motivated.

Now What?

Understanding how to study and how to evaluate learning has come to be so valuable to me.  As an HR professional, I apply the concept at work through talent development programs to align efforts with organizational goals. I even joke about reflection in our house, when appropriate.  If one of the children are being silly, falls down and isn’t injured, we giggle and I ask, “and what did you learn?”  I plan to emphasize learning in every experience and I realize how important parental involvement is, to shaping children. 

As I reflect on the concepts I’m learning now, I recognize that in my education and career, I need to make evaluation of learning opportunities a key component. Although experiential learning is my favorite method, I need to take the time to reflect on every learning experience I’m afforded with the same lens.  In doing so, I hope to rub off on my colleagues, children, and anyone I hope to teach in the future.