Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

A learning environment is one where people can learn. It may not be a teaching environment as that focuses on the teachers instead of the learner.

Several years back, author and consultant Jerry Weinberg told me a story about learning. The story telling was years ago, so my memory will fail me and I will have some of the facts wrong, but I hope the point comes through.

Jerry was teaching a five-day seminar. During the first session of the first morning, Jerry told the attendees that participation was voluntary. Anyone could not participate in any session as they wished. The attendees were adults and were free to take care of themselves.

After an hour or so, the seminar had a break. A man approached Jerry to check if Jerry really meant it about the voluntary nature of the seminar. Assured that Jerry did mean it, the man left the seminar and headed for the golf course.

Three days later, the man returned to the seminar. He approached Jerry again with the following:

I spent the last three days playing golf. I learned that I get bored with golf. I didn’t think I would, but I did. I had planned to retire in a couple of years, buy a home on a golf course, and play golf everyday for the rest of my life. I have changed my plans.

Thank you for helping me learn what I will do for the rest of my life.

Jerry didn’t “teach” the man about his life plans. Instead, he created an environment where the man could learn a life-changing lesson.

Teachers work in all sorts of different situations with different constraints. As a teacher, understand your constraints. Don’t assume you know the constraints until you test them. Do what you can to create a learning environment.