A Humanistic Approach to Education

Those of you who attended my webinar in April,

could have likely guessed this about me…

I do  hereby, solemnly affirm that I believe:

•Students can be trusted to find their own goals and should be given choices as to what and how to learn. 
     I am not suggesting we let them learn how to shop on eBay, when the course is in foreign language. However, if shopping on eBay is a student’s passion, and he or she wishes to describe that passion to his or her peers in Spanish. I am all about it! Let’s engage and inspire, before we educate.

•Helping students feel good about themselves is just as important as the academic skills they are taught.
     Imparted knowledge is worthless if the student has little to no self-esteem.  How can we expect them to demonstrate the acquired skills effectively, much less prosper and flourish in society without a foundation of self-worth. Let’s educate confident people.

•School learning should involve the total development of the person.
     We can overload a database with information, but in the end, all we have is a full computer. Let’s educate people instead of filling vessels.
•Fostering social and emotional development is just as important as the development of academic skills.
     Fostering social and emotional development is MORE IMPORTANT than the development of academic skills!!! I have friends who are academic geniuses, but take them out of the formal learning environment and they behave like awkward children. Let’s educate whole people, okay people?
 
•Significant learning only takes place when the subject matter is perceived by the student as having relevance in his/her life and when personal meaning can be attributed to it.

     YES! Of all the learning I have participated in thus far, ONLY that which was relevant that affected me, or I could apply, personally remains with me today. Of a lifetime, I only recall two rote memorizations: The 50 U.S. states in alphabetical order, and my ABC’s. Want to know the only reason I remember those two? It is because I sang them. End of story. Let us make it personal, make it relevant, and then we can "Engage, Inspire, and Educate."

Are you Engaging, Inspiring, and Educating  in all that you do?

Please share your thoughts, tips, and experiences, because I value your point of view.