Learning about learning systems

If you asked a child why they go to school, they may likely reply, "To learn." That phrase connotes an active role, which is top stuff, however, how much closer to truth would it be for many children if they replied, "To be taught"?

Now please forgive me if this is all old hat for you, but I'm at the beginning of my journey and have yet to wrap my head around it all (and I suspect this will never happen!) It just excites me to understand more and can't help but put it out there.

This year, I've had the fortune of stepping back and seeing my school from a K - 6 perspective. Early intervention is something I've only perceived from a disability and prevention standpoint. But from being involved in Kindy this year, I am now utterly convinced also about the need to set up good behaviours for learning right there in ES1 and grow from there as a culture within a school. We know this is a process that needs to be redone every year with every grade, but it is even more critical to establish this when a child enters school as it shapes his or her perception of themselves learning and of what learning (at school) means to them.

Whatever it is that we do in this regard, children are learning something, and whether this something is to their benefit or detriment is up to us. In this sense they are being taught. Let's teach 'em right!