On Being a Good Student

There have been many changes in modern schooling since the industrial revolution. Most notably, access to free education through the public system has become a supposed great equalizer. School is available to all…if they so choose. Yet, I think most of us notice a general deterioration in the learned nature of our society. What is not working? Where is the system failing?

So much focus has been given to the availability of information and pedagogical delivery methods that we often ignore the students responsibility. As cliche as in may sound, learning how to learn is the beginning, middle and end of any teaching process. I would argue that in reality…the process of any learner is essentially autodidactic. Therefore, there is a fundamental need in the development of learning for the learner to refine their own cognitive mechanisms. As a teacher myself, I often question how I actually function in the learning process. After 23 years, at my best I can humbly save a student some time in mundane mechanics of imitation and shed some wisdom in the area of discrimination…more on that later. Alas, like a person specializing in politics the teacher becomes a slave to methodology and theories that try to create advancement through better distribution of knowledge. Just like the politicians who speak of resources and policies with no social change. If the willingness and ability to learn/change is not present…you are essentially watering the shinny leaves of a plastic plant. Currently, the school systems are investing millions in technology in the classroom to provide students with more powerful tools to engage with information. Yet, education outcomes are on the decline. Access to information is clearly not the problem.

So what makes a good student? If the teacher mostly assists in the absorption of information and promotes integrity in the information given…what are the responsibilities of the learner? Jazz musician Clark Terry often stated a terse but powerful axiom on the action of learning. Mr. Terry’s statement: Imitate-Assimilate-Innovate shows a meaningful framework for the learner to learn how they learn. This statement was used to guide jazz musicians toward becoming better improvisers. Like the improvisor, the learner must develop his learning muscles through the practice of manipulating ideas. Our mind, in its most actualized expression is capable of playing with ideas in a creative way. This can eventually progress to the truly individual expressions of the learners ideas. The following discussion will show a way to observe and check the process of using Mr. Terry’s concept. The process will be described first and then, even more importantly the way the process is most effectively implemented will be discussed.

Imitate

The simple analysis of language acquisition presents a perfect case for the power of imitation. A baby hears their parents speaking and through the imitation of sounds and patterns is able to develop the ability to communicate. The way we first learn most things is observing someone skilled at a thing and copying them. This is of course an oversimplification but, the example is relatable.

More importantly, to be a good student we must learn how to discriminate what we copy. The following principle is essential to observe when imitating: Seek knowledge not personality. The imitator must develop some objectivity when imitating. This far reaching concept encompasses the qualities of information and the personality carrying the information. I am often subjected to professional development it my workplace given the name “faculty meeting”. In recent years, many of the presentations have been on how we emotionally support the students. The catch phrase “They won’t remember what you taught them but they will remember how you made them feel” is a sweet and meaningful statement. Positively supporting your students as they navigate their learning process is essential. It is a slippery slope though to only support through positive reinforcement. I would argue that being overly positive is sometimes a tool to not engage with the student. The teacher wanting to be “liked” presents an obstacle in objectively assessing their students. If a teacher can learn to wield chastisement correctly, in a balanced way the effects can be profound. As Oscar Wilde said: “A true friend stabs you in the front” I can tell you from anecdotal experience, the students crave honesty. It’s a bitter pill to swallow at first but, given with underling care it is incredibly effective. Charismatic teachers are wonderful to inspire us but also can take us down a path of wasted efforts if they are not grounded to something more than wanting you to feel good. Knowledge should always be give with tested integrity. This by definition means the knowledge has been handed down and not modified. A knowledge giver motivated by personality is susceptible to speculation. They may change information to assert their personality. It is at times difficult for a novice learner to not be swept away by sentimental motivation. The best teacher will prove what they know by always giving credit to the ones that gave them information. The teacher does his best to objectively transmit what they have been given. This way the learner can feel they are part of a lineage of ideas.

Assimilate

Once we are able to store information through imitative repetition we begin to use it. Through patterning and categorizing we take our imitative knowledge and start to develop the ability to manipulate ideas. Ideas become experiments with information and we practice them in application. The generative mechanism for the practice of application is questioning. We will call this inquiry based assimilation.

My friend and public intellectual/Mystic Jaya Jagannath Das has a remarkable principle of learning summed up in the following: The evolution of inquiry proceeds the evolution of being. It is in the potency of the questioning that we begin to absorb knowledge for personal use. The questions lead our mind in a direction. Our ideas are a manifestation of prerecorded information through the categorical filter of practical use moving in the direction of our questioning. Good answers produce better questions. There is an infinitely regressive quality to this process. Questions can become a burden at the point that they keep inspiring other questions. Not everything can be know to us in our finite reality. We can develop and refine the questioning process. Eventually we start to move it a direction of focus or directions of focus. The best teachers can inspire better questions. As this process matures, it leads us to the final stage in Mr. Terry’s process.

Innovate

There’s a story from the India Mahabharata. The great martial arts teacher Drona was training his students in archery. He placed a wooden owl on top of the tree and had the students try to shoot at its eye. The first student came up set his bow and Drona asked him what he saw. “I see the tree, you, the branch and the owl.” Drona told the student to relax his bow. The next student came up…Drona said: “What do you see?” “I see the branch and the owl…Drona said: “ease your bow.” The great warrior Arjuna came up…Drona said: “What do you see?” “I only see the eye of the owl” “You don’t see me?” “No” “You don’t see the tree?” “No” “Shoot your arrow.

As the imitated information starts to crystalize in ones being through assimilation ideally, an informed flavor of ideas is cultivated through deeper questioning. This ever evolving focus is called taste. It is at this point, the ever-present individuality of the learner starts to shine. When we are able to focus our attention, like the mighty Arjuna on singular ideas and we start to develop strong connections to singular concepts. We hold some of these ideas as points of reference…a pallet of connected beautiful musings that feel like intellectual home. Our taste becomes a way for us to curated a self. We can then communicate and collaborate with others in a creative yet grounded way. A well focused taste in a person becomes a joy to interact with. When taste comes from the diligent intellectual work of an individual even in debate and disagreement it inspires. The great innovators have not created anything new as much as they have shared a love of their personal organization of concepts.

Mr. Terry’s process, like all processes is not a linear progression. The three categories of ownership of ideas are all developing simultaneously. The mind constantly Imitating-assimilating-innovating. If we try to recognize the trajectory of our ideas both practical and abstract I feel we can take more responsibility in there development. We in one sense are creating the world we want to see. The next big question to be discussed is: How do our individual learning mechanisms interact with one another best? To be continued…

*I’m working all this out…playing with these ideas. I would love to hear what you think! What did I miss? What would you add? What would you discard? I hope we can start a conversation.

Bless🙏🏻

Madhava