Trey Tipton

EN 101

Definition Essay

5 November 2020

Learning How to Learn

Learning is an art; it is subjective and can be done in many different ways. Learning is

something that everyone does from a young age; people first learn how to read and write, but

teachers often forget that there are many different ways to learn. The problem is that when

students and teachers ignore the different ways to learn, teachers inadvertently neglect students

who struggle to learn in the way they are being taught. If students and teachers learn to better

communicate, express their struggles, and look for solutions, learning could be much easier. In

the essay from James Miller titled “Rule Maker, Rule Breaker: Looking at Learning,” he presents

many different environments and ways students are taught (328-331). Learning is subjective;

there is no “right” way to teach and there are many different ways to teach new things, so

students and teachers should work together to see what works best for them.

Learning is a process that many have to figure out themselves. People’s minds work

differently and therefore require different processes to learn new things. Reid Stephens is a math

teacher at the Grand River Technical School who has lots of experience in the teaching and

learning process. In an interview with Mr. Stephens, he explains, “Individuals learn differently

and they may learn differently in a variety of situations. Therefore, having one way to teach or

learn does not allow individuals to have maximum learning.” Mr. Stephens goes on to say that

there are four ways that students can learn new things: students can learn visually, auditorily,
kinesthetically, or by reading. One thing that can help students learn best is to communicate with

their teachers which process works best for them; many teachers do not know if their students are

struggling with the material, so the best way for students to receive help--or a different

explanation of a subject--is to ask. Because all students learn differently, it is good for teachers to

adopt many teaching strategies, or experiment with new ones.

Teaching can be done in a variety of ways because there are many ways to teach students,

and more teachers should start incorporating different teaching techniques to foster learning

types. Students can be very different in the ways they learn. Some require hands-on learning or

need to write things down, but this does not mean that teachers should offer four separate classes

for the different ways people learn. Instead, teachers should attempt to teach in a way that

incorporates all types of learning in their lessons. For example, a teacher can incorporate all four

forms of learning when they have slides with text and pictures on them, discussion about the

lesson while the slides are presented, and an activity where students have a chance to interact

with what they are learning. However, it is hard for students and teachers to know what form of

learning is best for them if they do not communicate or work together.

When students and teachers are actively helping each other, they both can learn a lot. A

big problem I had last year when I was in National Government was that my teacher just gave

assignments and lectured. He offered little to no resources regarding the quizzes and tests being

assigned and simply told us that this is what college would be like. As a result, National

Government ended up being one of my hardest classes and the only help I received was what I

asked from my friends and learned from the internet. Stephens said this about teachers who offer

no help beyond the classroom: “​It would be difficult for me to believe that a teacher who offers
no help beyond the classroom has the student’s best interest at heart, nor do they have a true

desire to have their student understand the material or care whether they achieve.”​ Students

should not have to depend on themselves for learning something they know nothing about.

Teachers should be there for their students and help them when they are struggling.

Learning is different for everyone; there is no correct way to teach, but there are a variety

of ways to teach new concepts. Additionally, students and teachers should help each other and

see what works best for everyone. Both students and teachers have a responsibility to

communicate what their strengths and weaknesses are when it comes to learning and teaching. It

is up to them to work out solutions and figure out the best way to help each other. Having a

one-sided relationship when it comes to school can be very difficult. Students can learn a lot

more when they are actively communicating with their teachers and figuring out what kind of

learning works best for them.

 Works Cited

Miller, James S. “Scenes and Un-Scenes: Looking at Learning.” ​Acting Out Culture: Readings

for Critical Inquiry​, Bedford/St. Martin's, 2018, pp. 328-331.

Stephens, Reid. Personal interview. Oct. 27, 2020.