Education

11/17/2013

Education is what others give to you so that you may learn from their experience.

What education should I pursue? Not all education is good. Society may provide you an education so that you have the basic building blocks to contribute. Unfortunately, it often becomes about spewing back the "right" answers rather than pursuing the truth. If you pursue the truth and ask the right questions, you won't have to worry about finding the best educational institution. They will find you.

Before you seek an education from others, be sure to ask yourself what the answer is. It doesn't mean that you're always right, but if you don't already believe in something you're more likely to fall for anything. If what they are offering doesn't sound right, keep asking questions. The universe is full of half truths. Education may broaden your perspective or it may narrow it. Education may open doors and bring you wealth and social status, but leave you feeling empty and questioning your choices.

I remember one day before school you were tired and frustrated. You said "Why do I have to learn all of this stuff anyway? It's not like it's useful information." You were right. But rather than tell you so, I began giving one of my pep talks about how your education is what you make of it. "Your education can be a dull drudgery, or the best experience of your life. Choose fantastic!" I exclaimed. This was not a lie, but a half truth at best.

I want you to remember to pursue an education from those who are succeeding in your eyes. Take all the education that is offered to you, and then some, But never forget that it's the truth that really matters. Your best education, and the rewards that come with it, will always come from pursing the truth and helping others.

2 Comments

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My name is David. I created FathersWeek.com as a place I could leave a written record for my children - not to provide answers, but to encourage the pursuit of the right questions.

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Anonymous

12/02/2013 7:06pm

Something that I think is of utmost importance when speaking about children and learning is teaching a child to want to learn. It is very difficult to motivate a kid to learn if he is not interested. The evidence to this is obvious if you just look into a classroom and speak to the kids. Very often, the kids who do poorly are just as smart as the kids who do well; what makes the upper group do well is the fact that they are truly interested in the material. The way to foster this in a child is to avoid stifling his imagination as he grows up. Our entire education system revolves around: "Sit down, shut up, and accept what the teacher tells you as fact." We leave no room for creativity in children any time after nursery school. There is no opportunity for children to be creative and to think through problems. This is terribly damaging to children, as it prevents their creativity from developing. To fight this, I think that it is crucially important for parents to go the extra mile to stimulate creativity in their children. This is not difficult- a child's brain is WIRED for creativity. Just look at babies- they are the most curios people in the world! They will touch, smell, and taste anything that they can get their hands on! This is the absolute peak in the creativity of a person. What parents need to do is to allow this to occur. One of the most positive parts of my development, I believe, was my obsession with Lego. They seem like a simple toy, but in truth they were my most incredible expression of my creativity. They allowed me to think for myself and to solve problems in a creative fashion. This is very important for a child. If your kid wants to take an art class, let him take that art class, because if you don't you will stifle his creativity only more than the school does. If he wants to get a model airplane kit, get it for him. Build it with him. Let him think through it on his own but be there to guide him. This is how children grow up to be creative, independent thinkers who solve the world's problems. This is what we need out of children. By letting them be creative, we allow their curiosity to continue to abound, and this will keep them interested and motivated to learn. The goal, I believe, in education, is to get the child to a point where he will WANT to learn, where he will stay after the bell rings to discuss the lesson with his teacher, where he abandons Harry Potter books for science and history books, where he will spend his free time not watching not action movies, but documentaries. A true educational success is child who is so motivated to learn that he will do it one his own. This is what we need to try to foster in children.

David

01/10/2014 2:28pm

I was thinking about your comment today. I wholeheartedly agree. I believe children will rise (or fall) to meet the expectations of those they love and respect. Hopefully, that will be their parents.

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