Learn & Grow, Baby

My Notebook Cover, 26 August 2015

The last two days of my teacher training I've been working on designing a cover for my notebook while I listened to our lectures about how students learn to read. It didn't occur to me until yesterday that I listen much better if I'm engaged in some form of constant stimulation (i.e. doodling while the speaker goes over large chunks of detailed information). You would think that at forty-six I would have known this about myself by now, but honestly it's so second nature I don't even think about it...kind of like blinking. It's interesting I had this epiphany while getting an involved lesson on how our brains process the act of learning to read, the science behind it, and what information is coded per various sections of our brain. It is also not lost on me that many of my students over the years have their own set of quirks when it comes to learning. Talk about an important "ah ha" moment!

I think it's too easy for us to just assume learning is a one-size-fits-all (...or most) kind of process, when the reality is that we all see, grow, and process the world around us through our own unique lens. Sure, we frequently find similarities, but those don't negate that we all look specifically through OUR eyes and see a vision no one else can see but us. This complete individuality is so totally applicable to many things beyond just reading, or an academic way of learning. The mental list I can conjure up of other areas where this relates is vast!

So, to all of the students back in school I say---don't get discouraged if it takes you longer to do stuff than others or if you are dealing with a learning disability that makes learning much more of a challenge (...NASA actively seeks out employees who are dyslexic because they are much more adept at spacial concepts and other applicable skills needed to be successful in that field). Find a pace that works for you and stick with it. For us parents and teachers...be sure to encourage students and help them find ways to enhance the gifts each of them possess. As for me, I like going at learning from a snail's pace standpoint...that way stuff has time to really sink in. I like to be able to play with, color-coordinate, and categorize new information in ways that make sense to me (...which usually include a visual). It's not always very convenient in this crazy, fast-paced world we live in, but it remains my "go to" way of doing things.