The ancient classroom was surrounded by pillars and open space. The lecturer was an advanced teacher in some field. Often, the students stood or sat around this lecturer, who would guide the attentive students along a journey of knowledge to reach some realization. Dialogue was heavily emphasized. Students learned concepts by engaging the world and each other.
The contemporary classroom is a space filled with desks and a central location where students focus. A board tends to be positioned behind the teacher. The teacher is given a desk much larger than her fellow students. Knowledge is bestowed upon the students through multiple media formats and textbooks. Students receive work to complete at their homes and expected to return back to the classroom with all completed.
The self-directed classroom combines these two environments. They blend and, for the learner, become an open space, expansive like the universe. Infinite in possibilities.
And this classroom can be made anywhere.
Why?
Because so long as the learner has a functioning mind and body, any environment can be transformed into a learning space. The world becomes the classroom, life becomes the main course and humanity becomes fellow classmates.
You create your world classroom by changing your perspective about experiences. Know that each moment you’re in a state of change, constant movement. Nothing remains the same. So that means your experiences have a purpose. Every last one of them. So it’s in the learner’s interest to make the best of the experiences had. Your body and mind learn from each.
The key is to become conscious of your learning while keeping your instinct. If you over-analyze your experiences, they lose flavor, novelty. And if you barely analyze you’ll hardly grasp the lessons in them. Then you don’t grow. This is how people make the same mistakes repeatedly.
So the learner must strive to be childlike in wonder and mature with wisdom. Then you capture the knowledge made clear in life choices and retain the mystery that is life.
