Learning and the Need for Fun.

My daughter is in her junior year of high school.  Up until high school, her school experiences have been filled with many different types of teachers, most of which enhanced her learning.  I believe that they did so by making learning fun for their students, for her.  So, she would enjoy going to school, and learning ended up being a sure fire way for her to meet her need for fun.  And, the learning would always stick as well, because when we enjoy our process of learning, we tend to remember it better because it is more meaningful to us.

Well, now that she is in high school, my daughter's learning has become a different experience, because for many of her instructors, teaching, and their student's learning, is not fun.  There is memorization, seriousness, a regimented order of doing things, and little room for creativity and inventiveness.  So, as a result, she is having much less fun than she has in the past.  And, the teachers that she does have, that are creative in how they teach, those are her favorites and the ones that stick out the most for her, and the classes that she excels in.

I always remember that Bill Glasser made a point of stating that our learning is enhanced when we are having fun.  We are open to information when we enjoy the process.  This can be applied in any type of context, but today, I am thinking about it in particular, about the process of teaching people about cultural awareness.  When persons are "required" to learn or attend trainings about diversity or cultural awareness, the ability for them to learn and have it stick is largely reduced, because more likely than not, the experience will not be a fun one for them.  When we don't make what we have to offer others purposeful, meaningful and symbolic for them in some way, it won't be fun.  It won't be well received.

The best option, in my mind, is to always see opportunities to teach, and to learn from others.  When we are open, we are more likely to take in new information, especially if we can see how it applies to us.  And, we can even have fun while we are learning or teaching others, rather than having it be a painful experience for all.  I think that when we all take small steps to open to and grow with one another, that we can make great strides in understanding and embracing our differences.