My Experiential Learning…

Many of our teaching occasions should be framed in such a way that children should get the limelight.  Learning processes that stimulates the kids to actively involve ultimately helps them to embrace accountability to the task assigned.  Moreover, the pleasure and hardship that they draw from such challenges have greater tendency to inculcate the values of appreciating their own ability to persevere, initiate, and to have that genuine sense of ownership to given challenges.  Such approach to teaching is must especially when the learners tend to shy away from their learning and also when you have learners who emanate illusive and shy characteristic.  However, without crystal –clear instructions accompanied with rigorous monitoring and follow-up, such approach can look too casual. Moreover, positive supplementary commentaries and timely guidance must be ensured to enhance experiential learning.

During the course of my teaching, I have lately come to realize that teachers should fade away amid the session- he/she should always brainstorming himself/herself constantly how to create a mood or situation where children can get ample room to exhibit and realize his/her potentials.  I believe, now, it’s quite old fashion for teachers to act like invincible-supreme wisdom holder- transmitting his/her realization to his learners with a stern physical presence.  Today, a teacher should be rather more animated to check whether learners share the same realization as his/her own or not –opinions should be shared amicably and valued.  Imposition of one’s ideas and philosophy is outrages and- out of question. 

When I talk of experiential learning, it cannot be narrowed down to field trips-study tours; in fact, I have this firm believe that any task that arouse the sense of achievements-realization and sense of belonging through his/her internal exploration and discovery can be a part of experiential learning.  Experiential learning need not have to go beyond our classrooms-such misconception can lead to complacency and monotonous teaching where children end up being passive listener and teachers as divine giver.

Numerous probing-brainstorming strategies and creating a situation where learners are bound to be inquisitive, critical and creative can imply that it is an experiential learning.  However, simply making kids to stack facts and figures-and deriving false sense of achievement as the kids admirably regurgitate exactly from test can be a piteous moment in the life of a teacher.  In any learning situation, teacher has to evoke the kids and quietly fade away amid their exploration so that his/her learners can find a way to glow ceaselessly-after all-lets accept it- it’s their show and it’s their stage- and all we can do is sit behind the curtain and relish their awesome performance.  

Hats off to John Dewey for evoking and making teachers like us educationally conscious about experiential learning-the soul searching continues...