I'm always a little apprehensive when it a new class starts. What will the class be like? Will they be excited about learning? Will they like me? (Yep, even college professors feel like this!). More than that even, I wonder this about a new group of students: Will they be active or passive learners? You see, I've noticed something very significant since I've become an educator. There are those who act, and those who wait to be acted upon. The whole mindset of "look at all this coursework I have to do" or "do I have to do all this" is baffling to me. If knowledge is truly the only thing we can take with us, then why on earth would we want to cheat ourselves out of any learning experience? When we pay top dollar for a car, or a house, or anything that is considered valuable, we want the best right? Would you pay top dollar for a Mercedes then choose to have no engine in it? Yet some mindsets are like that for education. Some pay top dollar for an education, then never crack open the text book, skip classes, or even sleep through class. Some get by only doing the bare minimum course work then baulk when they receive a less than desirable assessment. Some have had straight A's but have never really risked anything for the sake of learning. And for what? A Mercedes without an engine?
Oh class--please be an agent of action in your learning. Ask yourself "what more can I do to better learn" instead of "what more do I have to do to get an A." I promise you it will be worth it.
p.s. Your Comm 150 teacher is nuts.
I've actually found that this is really true...there have been some classes that i just decided i didn't like enough to put forth any effort so i didn't gain anything from it when i wish that i really could have now.
ReplyDeleteI personally am really excited for this class. I have enjoyed all our classes so far, and enjoy the uniqueness as well. I think its one of the classes that will be useful for all our lives.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking the very thing you talked about in this blog. Why do I have all this work. I am glad I just read this. -Gabe
ReplyDeleteI Wholeheartedly agree. Its important to try to get the best out of our classes. Its just hard to do that when you have a billion classes and only so many hours in the day to get the most out of every class.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this. I think that you have to want to learn. You have to want to know something otherwise you are wasting your own time and the time of the teachers and professors that try to help you.
ReplyDeleteI agree. President Hinckley said that we should gain as much education as possible. Learning is the way that we become like our Heavenly Father. I personally want to become like my heavenly Father.
ReplyDeleteI can tell you that a wasted education is no education at all. If you don't put any effort into learning and really taking it all in then all puking it out when you don't need to take the quiz or test. I know there have been times where I have been guilty of not fully indulging but I have every intention of changing that.
ReplyDeleteI wish they would have taught us this in high school. It seemed everyone including the teachers were just concered that you got a good grade and got out of there. Thinking back I remember about ten percent of what I should have. I can attest that you learn better when you make yourself actively engaged.
ReplyDeleteLuckily my mom was crazy about making me do my school work. I am really lazy and dont want to do it but i ended up doing it anyways. I hope i can keep it up in college.
ReplyDeleteKeith Drake Comm 150
ReplyDeleteSis E. Your class is the best one of my day because we are doing things that i already know and have been doing but yet we are still learning new things and it is a blast to be apart of.
The way you teach, Sister Embree, is such an effective way to learn for all types of learning styles. Your hands-on approach allows us to learn and apply it immediately. I appreciate your concern for your students and your great effort in trying to teach us effectively. I love your class. You can bet that we'll be agents in our learning.
ReplyDeleteFirst I want to tell you Sister Embree that I love the way you teach. I am really enjoying this class about communication. I looke foward to coming to your class to learn.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned that knowledge is the only thing that we will take with us into Heaven. I really like how that is the only thing we are going to take with us and i live life trying to obtain as much education as possible. Also thanks for giving us all the challenge to Ask ourselves what more we can do to better learn instead of asking ourselve what more we should do to get an A. I am willing and excited to do this and i know i will be blessed by doing it.
I've noticed I lot of times that I can be one of those people who feels like "ugh why do I have to do all this work?" Luckily in this class, even though I don't particularly enjoy the homework, I'm fascinated by what we're learning, so that makes a huge difference.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I have let many many classes go to waste, and probably will still let many go to waste. But I need to go into them trying to gain more out of them, not just think of it as busy work. Kalen
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for this semester. I like the approach the class takes about taking risks, thats how we progress.
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