Curiosity And Love Of Learning Posted on October 23, 2024 by john Dear Friends, It seems to me, the role of kindergarten and first grade should be to instill curiosity, and a love of learning in the children. If that’s done, the entire rest of their lives will be happier, healthier and more prosperous. Because a child that’s curious will be more intelligent, learn faster, and be able to apply that knowledge. A kid that loves to learn will know more than one who hates learning. More even than lazy geniuses. That additional knowledge gives perspective to opinions, depth to thoughts and nuance to perception. Don’t claim that some are too dumb. Ask an apparent moron what pitcher won the world series in 1978. It’s astonishing how much people know about trivia. While getting right to the ABCs is important, I think giving the students the tools to learn for the rest of their lives, is more important. Everyone’s curious. Whether or not they’re curious about math, sports, history, war, philosophy, science, religion, etc… is culturally dependent. People from incurious families, tend not to be curious, and then display lower IQ as a result. Because the brain is like a muscle. If it’s never used it becomes weak. Though, thought can be exercised to get a strong mind… or connived to get a big head. Curiosity is the incentive to use the brain. Since curiosity is culturally dependent, a culture of curiosity can be created. The earlier the better. Not only because its easier, but the sooner a kid becomes curious, the sooner that curiosity will of benefit them, and therefore, humanity. Moreover, there may be a Piagetian stage that we’re most open to becoming curious? That would be the time to strike. A love of learning is a treasure to those who have it. Like a goose that lays golden eggs. It produces treasure daily. Being a want that can be fulfilled at any time in any place. Even the supermarket has opportunities to learn. For those that want to. Moreover, knowledge is a treasure that can’t be taken away. Even at gunpoint. A love of learning isn’t like a dragon’s hoard though. It’s the love of a process. Almost Taoist. Those that love the process of learning then, amass a dragon’s hoard of treasure in the form of knowledge… not for the piles of wealth, but for the love of gaining it. That’s in fact how the richest people become the richest people. They don’t love the money… they love earning it. Like Elon Musk. Children taught to love learning then can only become rich in knowledge. I believe the brain is like any other muscle, the more its used the stronger it becomes, even as the less it’s used the weaker it becomes. I’ve seen teenagers unable to think their way out of an open door, upon being thrust into life and having to use their brain, becoming quite smart. Because they weren’t taught to be curious or to love learning. So their brains weren’t used for anything but getting laid. Then upon use, those weak minds became strong. Had they been inculcated with a culture of curiosity and a love of learning, and exercised those brains, imagine how much further ahead those kids would be? Setting in a chair half asleep isn’t mental exercise. It’s the opposite. It stultifies the brain. The student must be curious. Because curiosity is motivation to exercise the mind. I think IQ is a function of nature, nurture… and culture. I’ve heard of studies of identical twins raised in different cultures and their IQs can vary widely because of it. If we can inculcate a culture of curiosity those children exposed to it will be smarter. Smarter kids will have better lives. Their better lives will make the world better. A love of learning dovetails into a culture of curiosity to make strong minds. This is why I say, the first priority of any education should be to instill a culture of curiosity and love of learning, to facilitate strong minds. A nation of strong minded citizens with agency and freedom will create prosperity, peace and eliminate suffering, as a quotidian matter. Such a nation, as the US once was, would be the envy of oligarchies the world over. Curious kids should be everyone’s goal. Sincerely, John Pepin
Thinking back to my first day of secondary school (UK Ed sys), there was this perception I had developed that had me thinking that, not only, the way I would be treated would reflect me having the status of "adult in development" but that the other students would also behave according to this principle understanding. This concept was put to bed early during my first classroom sessio, in the first moments to be precise. I had just entered into the classroom and was sat back among my new classmates, our new teacher stood at the front and suggesting, as all do, that we go around the room and introduce ourselves. Happenstance or design had the teacher first call upon a student who stood notably shorter than the rest of the class and was, with appropriate reasoning, not only concerned about the prospect of being bullied but noticeably shy as a consequence. Having noticed this, and under the preconception that the purpose of our being at the school was a collaborative effort in maturing our minds and skills, I spoke up in encouragement. Was this the right move? My classroom fell silent, my classmate's expressions suddenly shifting from that of trepidation at having to speak up in a room of strangers to that of shock, in some small amount, that one of us would so casually offer a word to help, as if the concept of it being a conversational setting was entirely foreign and that this was a "speak when spoken to" only situation. Naturally I spent that moment with a big dumb smile on my face, looking back and forth between the teacher and student for recognition of my expectations, finding a half confused look on the student's face and a look of "oh no, is this one of those kids?" on the teacher's. As you might expect, this moment augmented my expectations for the new school experience and I settled back into the status quo of teachers running through the script of information and students as children to be taught a base cariculum. Looking back on that moment, at that fleeting version of myself, I was in an ideal state of mind to learn, to develop, to share the experience and grow as part of a collaborative effort. It seemed to be the classroom environment itself that wasn't ready to harness the enthusiasm, not because it isn't an effective method of presenting and dissemination information but because it is designed to be a one sided production line of education. The book "Education: A very short introduction" by Gary Thomas explores the notion that the best way to teach and to learn is to, as a teacher, hold the reigns just enough to keep students safe and to set a goal for them to achieve, giving them the tools they need to achieve and allowing them the time and experience necessary to essentially teach themselves. The book then goes on to note that this is difficult to achieve in a school, to create a template that produces a standard outcome when the method is so free form, and to ensure that individual students aren't falling behind and concealing this by hiding in the groups that the method encourages be formed. Reading that book sent a flash of recognition through me, to that bright eyed kid ready to learn how to be grown up, wondering who I turn into on the other side of my time in secondary school, what kind of career I would find myself gravitating toward, and how much fun it was going to be to explore the paths of education that the school had to offer. I wonder what it would be like if every student in my class had the same perspective as me in that moment and if the teacher knew how to respond to the enthusiasm, maybe talking through what the school had to offer, what the basics were on the cariculum while encouraging students to explore their own interests within the limitations of what the school can provide. It's often so easily forgotten that we created the world around us and that we're obliged to improve it, to seek out and solve the problems standing between us and whatever comes. Education is a good starting point, if nothing else.