Why Teach A Fish To Climb A Tree?
Education is a right and a privilege. The whole purpose of education is to nurture a child to be knowledgeable and discerning. But this doesn’t mean that today’s education system is perfect. Rather, it is in a desperate need of calibration; particularly in the area of teaching approach.
The challenge is the modern education system is formed on a generalized teaching approach. Every classroom is following the same curriculum which is taught in a monotonous rhythm that isn’t always suitable for everyone. If a student cannot conform to this method, he/she will be left behind. This is a fundamental flaw in the current education system.
To visualize this, imagine being the only kinesthetic learner, in a class full of auditory learners. You find out that your class’ learning method isn’t compatible with your own, and this difference could become a hindrance to your progress. The issue is evident, the modern learning approach isn’t suitable for every learner. And this incompatibility is causing children to lose interest in learning. The solution is, we should allow a learner to develop and practice their own learning methodology, instead of imposing them to adapt to a mismatched one. This is important, because a school shouldn’t be a mass-production factory of likeminded-humans, rather it should be a place where children’s diversified talents are transpired.
By giving children the opportunity to apply/practice their preferred learning styles in class, we can increase their productivity and cultivate their potential. We must encourage children to detach themselves from a conformed method while motivating them to introspect. Because, why teach a fish to climb a tree, when it can explore the limitless oceans?
Sources:
Zins, Joseph, et al. Building Academic Success on Social and Emotional Learning: What Does the Research Say? (The Series on Social Emotional Learning). Teachers College Press, 2004.
