A lifelong learner is hooked to the sensational experience of newness. He is drawn to process over product, to transformation and creation. Every experience can be a learning experience (Kolb) if they are reflected upon and translated into new ones. I grew up in College Station, TX, and attended university there at Texas A&M. Despite being nestled up in my safe, familiar hometown throughout adolescence and early adulthood, I experienced profound cognitive dissonance and transformation as many of my systems of belief and understanding unraveled and reformed. These experiences solidified my childhood dream of becoming a teacher. Before, it was fun to play school. Later, I was inspired by an incredible teacher, Mrs. Ruthie Shultz. Finally, I was drawn to the power, the thrill, and what some might even call the danger, of knowledge. Further still, as I read about critical pedagogy and learning ecosystems, I find passion in educational research and psychology—in learning about learning.
“...I was drawn to the power, the thrill, and what some might even call the danger, of knowledge.”
I believe the overarching goal of education is to instill the passion of lifelong learning in young people, to teach them how to make sense of the others, the world, and themselves in it. Learning is innate, but it is also a honable skill. It looks different as young people progress through cognitive stages. I believe students have the right to access authentic, experiential learning that caters to their individual needs, respects their cultures, and builds upon their educational interests. I believe students have the right to time and space for self-directed educational pursuits driven by personal inquiries.