The Tao of Teaching: Part 3
This article is part of a series of writings on Greta Nagel’s book The Tao of Teaching: The Ageless Wisdom of Taoism and the Art of Teaching. The goal of this series is to promote discourse on topics related to teaching, classroom management, student-centered learning and other progressive educational methods. Utilizing the enlightenment and wisdom offered in this book as an impetus and guide, I will critically reflect on my own teaching practices and connect my own experiences to the anecdotes and examples provided by Nagel. You can read Part 2 of this series here.
Check out The Tao of Teaching here.
Learn more about Greta Nagel here.
Application Breeds Learning: Dig Deeply
Always be able to answer (or, better yet, demonstrate): “Why are we doing this?” — The Tao of Teaching
As mentioned in previous installments, I am currently a teacher of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) in South Korea. I often have students ask me for advice on things they can do outside of class and homework to improve their skills, most often this is related to improved speaking skills. As a language learner myself (I’ve studied both Spanish and Korean) and based on the experiences of others, I’ve learned that the most effective way to learn a language (or, I would argue, any skill) is to find a way to connect to it personally and apply it to your daily life.
I have a good friend in Costa Rica who learned to speak English by studying the lyrics of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ songs. He loves the band. He wanted to understand what Anthony Kiedis was singing. He speaks English extremely well now.
So my response to this type of question usually begins with, “What are you interested in?” or “What is your hobby?”. I advise learners of English to find a way to connect their language learning to something they enjoy. So you love soccer (football in most places around the world). Find a video blog about soccer. Start a discussion group focused on soccer. Watch a game in English and talk about it with your friends (in English of course). This can be applied to almost any interest or hobby. Music, movies, cooking, travel.
Why does a person study a language? I’d say they are hoping to use it. Typically we use a language to connect to other people. I’d say that we most often connect to other people based on common goals or interests. So, by connecting our language study initially to our own interests, we are empowering ourselves to use the language in a meaningful way. When learning becomes meaningful to the learner, it increases retention. The role of the facilitator of learning is to assist the learner in finding the bridge that helps him or her to connect to the learning.
This may be more difficult to apply in some other areas of study, say rocket science for example. However, if we consider why a person studies rocket science (probably to be a rocket scientist), it may not be too far a jump to assume that they would have a vested interest and personal connection to the study. I know that in all of my science classes, I learned more from actually conducting experiments than from reading about them in a textbook.
According to Nagel (and I completely agree), learning through experience, experimentation and hands on learning is beneficial and effective because it increases interest and promotes greater retention. Through the use of everyday models, educators and facilitators of learning can encourage active participation which promotes more meaningful and longer lasting learning. Nagel states:
When interest is high, the substance, the “stuff”, is easily retained. Positive motivation is critical in promoting deep and lasting learning.
So, by asking a learner to consider why they want to learn something and how they plan to use it, we can assist them in finding greater motivation to learn and a more effective way to practice that skill or bit of knowledge. Our goal as educators is to help learners find their own path to success. The path is as, if not more, important than the goal. When we are led or taken down a path, we miss out on a lot of really meaningful experiences. When we choose and find our own way, we learn more along the way. Nagel sums it up this way:
The substance must be understood by the students in terms of its usefulness. It must be accompanied by the active participation of students in experiencing some aspects of the information and in gathering, using, and sharing the details.
As learning is a path, a process, it is important to consider all elements of the timeline: past, present and future. Learners enter a classroom or learning environment with a trove of past experiences to be shared and utilized for learning. Engaged learners who can actively participate in the present will continue to add to their store of knowledge and experiences. If educators can relate learning to personal experience, we can make it more powerful and useful for the future.
I implement a learning contract into my freshman English program at my university as portion of the course. Students choose a goal for a skill they want to improve and decide on their own way to practice it as a means to achieve their learning goal. I have been amazed at the processes and outcomes that some of them have designed, implemented and achieved (far more interesting and meaningful than some of the activities and projects I have developed) when they are free to direct themselves and their learning. The ultimate goal is that they will continue this practice long after the semester has ended. Learning has no end. The process is continuous until we choose to stop it. By making meaningful connections to our learning, we can increase the chances that we will want to continue doing it.
When the Tao is applied, its depths have no end.
— The Tao of Teaching
…next time in The Tao of Teaching: Do NOT Be Authoritarian
