“So, you think that the first step is to be fully committed to developing these qualities in ourselves. What other steps would you recommend to take?” I asked, a little sarcastically.
“I think one of the most important qualities that inspire students and children to learn is to see their teachers and parents as learners and to witness them going through the difficult, iterative, and complex process of learning themselves.” He said. I remained silent anticipating him to continue. After a few moments of silence, he added, “You see, witnessing our teachers and parents going through this tough and complex learning process, transforms our relationship with them – from teachers and parents, whom we are made to believe to be infallible and ‘perfect,’ we become peers and partners in learning. It develops a kind of a collegial relationship with them…”
As soon as he stopped to take a breath, I said, “But why do you think it is even desirable to develop a collegial relationship between parents and their children, and between teachers and their students? Don’t you think that developing such a relationship will reduce the control that the elders can exercise over the young ones?” I asked.
“So, before I continue talking about any subsequent steps that I recommend, let me very briefly say that learning flourishes in an environment of freedom. Control is a hindrance, rather than a support to the learning process.” He said, and then added, “Memorization of facts, regurgitation of these memorized facts, giving quick, un-deliberated answers to such questions that have a single correct answer, which is already known to the elder, and getting high grades in standardized tests should not be confused with learning. Learning requires a safe and supportive environment in which the learner can take time to deliberate, can take risks, can make mistakes and learn from them, can form theories and test them, can revise and refine them, and can remain relaxed, comfortable, and confident in this whole process. As you can imagine, an environment of strict and unrelenting control will miserably fail in providing such a safe and supportive atmosphere.”
January 21, 2020
Sargodha, Pakistan