The nature of learners
How what we believe about who people are, at heart, influences motivation.
Hello, and welcome to On Learning, a newsletter of explorations and wonderings, sometimes whimsical and other times rigorous, about what it takes for learning matter.
It’s nice to have you here.
Before we get started, if you have time and have had thoughts, I’d love to read what you have to say in response to the last post about ‘Birds, dogs and unrushed moments’. The discussion is open to everyone.
Today, something to provoke, inspired by the book Human Kind by Rutger Bregman. Let’s get on with it :)
What do you believe about the nature of who your learners are? If we leave them to their own devices, are they …
OPTION A
Unmotivated, lazy, ne’er-do-wells who will only do things if there’s something in it for them, and therefore need constant haranguing, pushing and monitoring?
OPTION B
Keen, curious and open to the world and its possibilities, wanting to make a positive contribution to the world they’re in, and therefore we need to recognise and encourage their uniqueness and trust them?
(There is no Option C - don’t even try to fudge your way through this one.)
Which one is your nature?1
I ask because I think when it all comes down to it this is the essential question to ask. The answer frames how we believe learning happens and thus how we teach.
