June 22, 2020

To Create a Better Education System, Teachers Must Become Learners

By Kayla Morse Higgs on June 22, 2020

As we all anxiously await a return to normal, the worst thing that could happen for schools is just that—return to normal. If we do not emerge from the situation COVID-19 has placed us in with lessons learned in how to think, teach and learn differently, we have failed.

ONE OF THE REALITIES OF BEING FORCED INTO A REMOTE ENVIRONMENT IS THAT WE ALL HAVE A LEARNING CURVE—NEARLY EVERY EDUCATOR HAS HAD TO BECOME A LEARNER AGAIN.This is a vulnerable time for anyone, especially for those who are struggling to adjust the way they do a job that has always been understood as a face-to-face interaction. One of the realities of being forced into a remote environment is that we all have a learning curve—nearly every educator has had to become a learner again. It is also a powerful opportunity to learn and unlearn who gets to provide knowledge and who gets to gain knowledge.

The structure of our traditional classrooms heavily relies on the teacher as the giver of knowledge and our students as the recipients. A virtual environment quickly taught us the difficulty of replicating that structure. There is not the same level of engagement, and students have an element of choice. Where the teacher becomes the learner is whether or not we are paying attention to the choices our students are making, and why.