I love learning new things, I always have. But sometimes, in the midst of the stress of college and adulthood, I sometimes forget how awesome it feels to learn new information. Sometimes, I forget how much I love learning. But this past week, I was reminded in such a subtle way how learning literally changes lives.
Having an education, no matter what level or how prestigious, is single-handily the greatest possession anyone can own. And education doesn’t just happen within the walls of the classroom: I see learning happening everywhere and anywhere. I see small children learning their colors as they walk with their parents in the store, I see teenagers learning at their first jobs, I see college-age kids learning from those around them in every conversation.
Growing up, I was quite the School House Rock fanatic. Meaning, I still own Grammar and Multiplication Rock. My mom also grew up with these same little medleys to teach kids quick ways to remember vital information. For as long as I can remember, she has always told me that “knowledge is power.” (Which is the motto of SHR for those who are not familiar with this life-changing children’s cartoon. Seriously, watch it now.)
But what is knowledge? Is knowledge how well one can score on a standardized test? Is it being able to receive a high school diploma? A master’s degree? Is it being able to answer every question on Jeopardy? To me, knowledge is anything and everything. An abstract concept I do not think even the smartest human on Earth could write down and describe to others. But, if I had to, I would describe knowledge as something I witnessed in my clinical classroom recently.
My clinical students are working through a pretty tricky novel right now, with a lot of heavy thematic elements. When I was teaching the lesson, there was a portion where my students were working in small groups to create a document to present to their classmates. When it came to for my students to present their paper to the class, one student of mine, who usually remains silent throughout class, stood in front of everybody and so confidently hit so many points that were expected of the assignment. Knowledge was watching my student be so brave, and spread the wealth of their knowledge and personal ideas to their classmates.
Perhaps I am just delirious with adoration for all of the students I have encountered during my times in the classroom, or just delirious from college. But either way, knowledge is just…so freaking cool. Learning is so cool. Talking to people about educational topics is cool. But supporting one another through this life, and encouraging one another to grow as learners, is the coolest.
