Encouraging the Love of Learning
Recently, The San Diego Union-Tribune ran an interesting op-ed by a former teacher who pined for discussions about education that included the goal of instilling in students a “love of learning.”
“The purpose of education is to develop and sustain a student's love of learning for school and for life, long after school doors close,” wrote the author, Dorothy Rich. She continued: “Studies about 21st century needs report that the desire to learn, the ability to function creatively, the capacity to concentrate, the motivation to do well and, above all, the self-discipline to keep on learning are the attributes our children will need most. These are the true new basics.”
On paper, few would disagree about the importance of such goals. After all, what employer wouldn’t want schools to help students develop into future employees who can concentrate, can be self-starters, and are willing to continue learning on the job?
Yet in reality, such basic goals are frequently pushed to the side. Somewhere between the multiple hours of homework that students face—beginning as early as in first and second grades—and the overzealous emphasis on standardized test scores, the goal of teaching children to love learning has gotten buried.
The importance of instilling students with a joy of learning is clear, especially in the fields of math and science. Teachers and parents have a small window of time in which to grab students’ attention and turn them on to these fields before constant testing and dry textbook lessons turn them off.
Passing on the joy of learning takes time and conscious effort. It takes observant parents who see an interest in their child and look for ways to encourage it—parents Sally Ride’s who supported their daughter’s early penchant for stargazing. “I was lucky because my parents never discouraged me,” she said. On the contrary, they gave her simple telescopes as a young girl that allowed her to explore, perhaps launching the career that would later land Ride in the history books.
It takes teachers who make science engaging and relevant to their students’ lives. And it takes school administrations and administrators who support them.
It also takes organizations like GlaxoSmithKline, which pays for employees to go into schools and attend events to get students fired up about science by showing them how fun it can be. For example, they have lessons on forensics that a CSI screenwriter would envy, complete with hands-on experiments in gel electrophoresis, powder analysis and fingerprinting.
In the high-paced, high-pressured educational climate that exists today, it’s not always easy to help students enjoy what they are learning. But as a parent, I’ve seen how parents, teachers and the scientific community can work together to help students see beyond homework assignments and tests by giving them the time and resources they need to explore, to make connections and to enjoy the experience of science for themselves.
When that happens, a love of learning can’t help but follow.