My Teaching and Learning Philosophy

Whether in the kindergarten classroom, corporate training room or boardroom, creating and maintaining a learning environment, which fosters and nurtures the minds of learners who are intrinsically motivated and those not yet hooked is an art form. A place is needed where both students and facilitators learn together by exploring. Each opportunity to be together should be as exciting as the first day of school, minus the butterflies. Neither the classroom nor the boardroom should be frightening or boring experiences.

The desire to provide this opportunity is paramount. I believe with the right people in place that the educational process is facilitated in part by using the Socratic Method in conjunction with facets from Piaget and Dewey. I do not think we are encouraged to ask the “right” questions. I do not think we are encouraged to do what we know is the proper way to proceed. Instead, many face uphill battles because their approach is contrary to the standards in place.

Unfortunately, schools and corporations allow the clock to be their supreme ruler. For them, time is money and there is never enough money. They do not allow the opportunity to delve into a topic beyond scratching the surface or truly conducting market research to justify an effective product launch. Instead, plans from years past are rehashed for a new class or new supervisor. Careful planning is an exception to the rule and not the standard.

The scars from “baptism by fire” training are the shields we use to protect ourselves. We are told to hit the ground running and when you question authority and remove this armor, you risk school performance on the “end of grade test” or you are held responsible for the misallocation of sacred resources in the corporate sector. Perhaps, schools, parents, and corporations need to learn that effective learning must be understood as a lifelong pursuit and instilling this takes time and effort. However, this investment yields a phenomenal payoff whether you measure it intellectually or financially.

Once students/employees are interested in learning, they will learn. This stake provides students with a desire to learn. Going to school is not a drag or chore. It is at this level of ownership, which allows employees to do the best they can do rather than watching the clock and collecting a paycheck. When a person is doing what they enjoy, quality and performance increase. Literacy rates increase, reading comprehension increases and the production of higher quality goods and services are available. Today, satisfied students and employees are rare. I believe we need to apply what we know to change this.

Once a desire to learn is nurtured, then learning styles are identified, individual education plans are written, portfolios are used to keep best work, cross-functional teams are integrated across curriculum/business units and mentors provide critical feedback and self-reflection is shared. Collectively, cooperatively and individually the “learning by doing” spirit is allowed to flourish. As such, a place where professionals share a common vision at an excellent level to promote positive experiences for learners is achieved. This is rooted in the behaviors of the group who share the same principles and behavior. I believe this is the new frontier for us to cultivate.

And how fortunate we are to have a global learning environment and economy with access on the World Wide Web. This wonderful electronic tool allows people from various corners of the world to come together and bring different perspectives of the world they have experienced with them. It is from this sumptuous feast of delicacies from around the world, the best of the best, sitting down together to share their gifts and talents we have enabling us collectively to make a difference.