Episode 43: Student vs Learner
Engaging, challenging, and empowering parents in raising well-rounded children through combining educational research to everyday life.
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on today’s episode…
You have two options: A) live a mundane work-life, where you clock in at 8am and clock out at 5pm daily… or B) love what you do and the impact you get to make every day through your work. Correct?
If you were to think of “school” as your child’s “job,” would you say they’re current job experience is described by option A or B?
Make sure you don’t miss this episode to ensure your child lives a learning adventure of a lifetime!
insights
I’m currently a spectator in a study, where we hold monthly check-in Zoom meetings. We recently had our first meeting, and in my breakout sessions I talked to 4 teachers: from Mexico, Columbia, South Africa, and India. The best part?? I could sense their hope in equipping kids to be more than just students. They’re more concerned with raising well-rounded civilians.
How can parents partner with educators in this area?
Let’s discuss the difference between learners and students.
Students:
A role kids play when they’re in school.
They have tasks, assignments, and tests as assessments to measure success.
During school breaks and holidays, they disconnect because they’re not in learning mode.
Learning requires a teacher and textbook.
Learners:
A role kids play every single day, regardless of their location.
They have chores, various responsibilities with mom or dad, and conversations to measure how successful they are with learning new information.
During school breaks and holidays, they’re still learning– because they learn everywhere they go!
Learning requires anyone: a parent, grandparent, pastor, aunt, coach, etc
If parents only focus on raising students that succeed in school, kids will focus on learning the system to accomplish just that: be good students.
Which is amazing! Who doesn’t want great students?!
However, there’s much more to life than just school. So learning also has to be expanded beyond just school walls.
What do I mean by that?
Don’t limit your child to believing they’re students. Holistically, they’re learners.
Why? Because here’s where learning can take place:
At the gas station filling up your car– Lessons on gas prices, inflation, budgeting, and how to fill up a car.
At the coffee shop– Lessons on coffee prices (at home vs at the coffee shop), sugar and caffeine, the socialization and business deals that happen at coffee shops, and how coffee is made.
In the garage– Lessons on tool names, how to use various tools, how to measure, and persistence (because no job is ever simple, at least in our house! Ask Josh haha).
In the kitchen– Lessons on gadgets, reading recipes, flavors and spices, different types of oils and purposes/benefits of each, cleaning up, and how to make cooking and baking a partnership.
While fishing– Lessons on creation, how to slow down, types of fish and trees, patience.
Literally, learning takes place ANYWHERE when you let it.
As my new friends deeply wish to teach kids to be well-rounded civilians as they grow up in drug-operated cities and villages that don’t always have access to water.
Let’s have the same goal and do our part in raising lifelong learners.
