A Personal Philosophy of Teaching: To Teach is to Learn

When I consider the inquiry, what is my doctrine of learning I would state it was summed up in five words – To learn is to larn. Get downing from the point of the definition of the verb to learn, as â€Å" to leave cognition or accomplishments † ( Dictionary.com, 2010 ) and larning as â€Å" to get cognition of or skill by survey, direction or experience † ( Dictionary.com, 2010 ) I would reason that although we may larn by a assortment of agencies, but to be able to learn we must all first be scholars. In my hubris, I would hold liked this to hold been a statement of a completely original thought, but this is non the instance! â€Å" Docendo Discimus † ( by learning we learn ) is ascribed to Seneca the Younger ( in Stone, 2004 ) . I believe that going a good instructor requires one first to be a good scholar and this is an reverberation of the words of Josef Joubert – to learn is to larn twice. ( Answers.com, 2010 ) I have arrived at this belief, because of my personal experience. To go a good instructor, I would speculate that one time we are ready to learn, we have achieved a grade of apprehension by larning, which enables us to pass on this to another individual. My experience has been that whenever I have taught another individual, I have ever been clear in my ain head that I must truly understand the topic that I am learning beforehand. This thought is borne out and demonstrated in some of the modern methods of learning including clinical accomplishments, such as that described by Lake and Hamdorf ( 2004 ) when they describe an effectual method of learning clinical accomplishments integrating observation, contemplation and feedback in add-on to stairss whereby cognition or accomplishments held by the instructor are demonstrated and hopefully transferred to a pupil. However, this method begins with an premise and incorporates the concept that the instructor has already learnt a procedure or cognition and is able to show their apprehension to another – who can so continue to perpetuate the cognition to another scholar if they are an able adequate instructor! For the interest of statement, we could see that it may be possible to prosecute in the procedure of learning without cognition. Whilst Ramsden ( 2003 ) may be able propose rules in effectual instruction, albeit in a University scene, without consideration of the proviso of cognition to a pupil, in pattern when learning for illustration utilizing a technique such as the five-step â€Å" microskills † theoretical account described by Nehar et Al ( 1992:419-424 ) , this procedure still requires the instructor to hold cognition to learn general regulations and recognise and right errors. Removing these facets from the technique though and we are left with a theoretical account that has some similarities to procedures within independent larning. This gives consideration to the thought that acquisition is improved by counsel by a knowing instructor.Personal Experience – Self Directed Autonomous LearningWhen I was a 13 twelvemonth old male child, I stopped go toing mainstream schooling. This was a consequence of household circumstance, but besides to some extent a consequence of my male parent ‘s positions of instruction, which included thoughts about experiential and independent acquisition, shying off from the pedagogi c behavioral theoretical accounts of larning and his belief I could larn in a different manner. I was now in a state of affairs where instructors were no longer present teaching me, although I remember a conversation with my male parent, when I expressed my anxiousnesss I would non be able to larn, that he would â€Å" happen person † who had sufficient cognition or experience to assist me, for illustration in analyzing Gallic rather simplistically, he would inquire a friend who spoke French to learn me although with the caution I would learn them English! At the clip this seemed to me to be unjust, but now in hindsight whether he knew it or non, it would look my male parent ascribed to Social Development Theory as described by Vygotsky ( 1978 ) , with the engagement of a â€Å" More Knowing Other † to steer me through my independent acquisition as required, with a rule of reciprocality between instructor and pupil. Consequently, non merely was this a different manner of acquisition, this became my first experience of instruction, where I as an stripling was the m ore knowledgable, with regard to talk English than my big pupil! However, this seldom arose and I was basically in a place to larn what and when I wanted, holding duty for my ain surveies, which could be described as ego directed, which as described by Malcolm Knowles ( 1975: 18 ) is a procedure: ‘ †¦ in which persons take the enterprise, with or without the aid of others ‘ †¦ ‘identifying human and material resources for larning ‘ .Reflection – Adult Learning PrinciplesThis experience highlighted for me that a differentiation between larning as a kid or an grownup is slightly arbitrary. I understand now that at this clip I was successful, non because I was intelligent, clever or resourceful, but because to be able to larn at this clip I held some personal properties which are frequently described within grownup larning rules including a preparedness to larn, motive to larn, increasing liberty and autonomy. How I came to hold these properties is ill-defined to myself, but I think it would be improbable to be the consequence of instructional instruction, but more likely to be a procedure happening during growing and development with the acquisition of experiences. I would reason that the amount of my experiential acquisition to this poi nt contributed to these properties. In rule hence if these properties were apparent or could be encouraged in an person, it could be argued that we could wholly be self directed scholars, taking duty for our ain acquisition and independently could draw a bead on to so pass on our cognition or accomplishments to others i.e. Teach. I would reason that through the procedure of larning we are able to go more cognizant of our ain ability – as described by Kolb ( 1984 ) , the rhythm of larning through experience, includes contemplation and I would propose that during this phase of an person ‘s acquisition there is the possible to recognize their ain competences, including whether they could pass on their competency to another individual.Why is learning larning?To depict the phases of learning with an person, I would state this includes measuring what they already know, theoretical account by illustration and show what they should cognize or be able to make, research what they have begun to larn and begun to inqu iry, usher to back up them geting more cognition or show apprehension of what they already know and disputing them to prove that cognition has non merely been learnt but can be applied. Within the procedure of learning there is non merely an chance to show competency in our cognition and apprehension of a topic, but besides to go on to larn. The features of grownup larning describes procedures by which we may larn through experience and contemplation. In relation to learning another individual, we have an chance to prosecute in a rhythm of larning through the experience with the potency for contemplation which enables the instructor to go a scholar besides. To show apprehension and that acquisition has been achieved, I believe the procedure of instruction can play an of import function in showing an person ‘s competency. Returning to the subject earlier in the debut sing the instruction of clinical accomplishments, there is a focal point within these learning methods that for the acquisition of accomplishments, the function of the instructor is to ease motion through phases or a rhythm of larning from unconscious incompetency to unconscious competency. ( Lake and Hamford 2004 ) . This clearly follows on from the work of George Miller ( 1990 ) who proposed appraisal models for measuring competency within a clinical scene. It should be noted that within some learning methods there is the incorporation of contemplation and feedback which enables an chance for a duologue between the instructor and the student and would organize the footing of a learning experience for both parties. Feedback and contemplation are clearly distinguishable concepts. I see contemplation as a procedure of internal duologue with oneself, which occurs for everyone following any interaction within our environment. With Kolb ‘s theoretical account of experiential acquisition, brooding observation is an indispensable constituent, enabling processing and integrating of thoughts. Feedback is the reception of societal interaction from another, which enables us to measure ourselves, in footings of our public presentation, functions and effectivity and supports and enables internal contemplation. I think feedback has an of import function in lending to us separately being able to measure our personal development and provides us with an indicant as to our degree of competency. The thoughts within the theoretical account of four phases of larning from incompetency to competence appear inexplicably enmeshed with rules from grownup acquisition and experiential acquisition, including constructs of self-awareness, motive and that without contemplation there can be no patterned advance through the phases. For a pupil, I feel that the procedure within feedback facilitates persons to travel from a place of unconscious incompetency to witting competency. Ultimately, the ability to consciously concentrate on our ain pattern enables us to larn and accommodate to new state of affairss and challenges within our environment. When this is extrapolated to the function of instructor, to be in a place to learn another individual would hold begun with a journey from unconscious incompetency, and through acquisition and contemplation have become consciously competent. I would propose though that as a instructor, due to the mutual nature of the interaction with person acquisition and as a effect of brooding observation of the results of instruction, passage between the competence phases would happen, as the instructor learnt farther accomplishments in communicating with their pupils and would ensue in unconscious competency. Hence, the procedure of learning itself can ease continued larning for an person who is engaged in learning. An person to whom this procedure applies would go competent over clip. This poses a inquiry though that one time an person has learnt something and besides can show or pass on this to another individual ( Teach ) , has the acquisition of this province of understanding resulted in the surcease of experiential acquisition? Would at that place be any farther motive for an person who was unconsciously competent to go on to larn accomplishments or knowledge? Whereas the theoretical account of four phases of larning includes a measure of loss of competency, it does non turn to the continued possible experiential acquisition of an person who is unconsciously competent. Logically, we can ne'er be to the full cognizant and knowing about everything and therefore we will ever be unconsciously unqualified to some grade, so at that place will ever be the chance to larn more. An consciousne ss of our ain restrictions, through a procedure of contemplation, could be thought of as a farther phase in the phases of larning – brooding incompetency, whereby we can place shortages in our apprehension or abilities which require us to return to a province of witting incompetency. I would propose that this is a procedure which finally drives our continued acquisition, that realization thrust us, fuel us to go on to larn.DrumheadI have described that my doctrine of instruction is that to learn is to larn. I have described how single acquisition may be self directed, but besides benefits from counsel from others and that the procedure of trying to learn is rooted in foremost larning. I have described that rules of experiential acquisition may be experienced by a instructor and impact upon their ain acquisition, with procedures of contemplation and feedback. I have described how these mechanisms may enable the development of increasing competence. In decision, I would depict a good instructor as an person who has learnt, synthesised and integrated cognition and skill into apprehension, which they may convey to another, whilst being cognizant they themselves have shortages within their cognition base, a province of brooding incompetency, which does non suppress them from researching further their ain acquisition. We can merely learn when we have learnt and we can merely learn what we have learnt.