Feeling the wind of learning in your hair
Some of us have positive associations with learning, because we have had mostly positive experiences associated with it.
And some of us have had mostly negative experiences around learning, leading to negative associations.
Who we are today as learners is the result of all of these experiences. It’s understandable that those of us who have had mostly negative experiences are hesitant to trust and engage. But there’s hope.
To feel better, we have to slowly and gently build positive experiences on top of the negative ones.
We have to do this deliberately and explicitly — it doesn’t necessarily just happen as a result of having a nice teacher. In fact, a well-meaning teacher can continue to create and reinforce unpleasant learning experiences even when trying not to [raises hand].
Here is a list of some positive feelings and associated experiences that some students may never have had:
The thrill of finding a solution after contemplating a problem for several minutes (or even hours, days, months, or years).
The pleasure of receiving unexpected, specific praise on a piece of work.
The sense of uplift that comes from getting an assignment turned in on time.
Peace of mind as a result of being caught up on everything.
The delight of seeing yesterday’s practice pay off today in greater ease, speed, or precision when executing a new skill.
The sense of anticipation when you can’t wait to get back to a project.
The satisfaction of knowing you have done something correctly and can repeat it at will.
Trust in your teacher, coach, or supervisor that he or she believes in you and has your best interests at heart.
A sense of camaraderie among classmates or colleagues that you’re all in it together and you can count on each other.
Pride in looking back on achievements.
Individually, these are valuable. Two or more of them, when combined, create a powerful momentum that can allow the student to sail along confidently where previously, they had stalled out. In fact, when you have momentum on your side, you’ll find yourself seeking out new challenges in order to test your knowledge and hone your skills.
How do we help to create this for learners? My answer is always the same: First, meet them where they are. Slowly build from there to create a win like the ones listed above.
Wins built upon wins, however small at first, can transform a learner and a life.