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Philosophical Development of Learning
Learning is essential to growth and development. Occasionally students will declare that they will be glad when they get out of school and do not have to learn anymore. Such a declaration makes me smile, because I know that their learning is just about to begin. It is gratifying when a student who was very ready to graduate and get out of school comes back a few years later for graduate work—with a much more positive attitude toward education.
I have loved learning since I was very little. Once I learned how to read, I read everything that I could get my hands on. My parents had to supplement the elementary school library, because I had read almost all of the books in it. Thankfully there was a good public library not too far away! Both of my daughters have developed the same type of love for reading—which is a joy to behold!
A liberal education is based on a widespread, diverse knowledge base. To be a good college professor, I believe that it is necessary to continue to learn about many different things. One of the "tar pits" of modern education comes from overspecialization—learning more and more about less and less. If we allow ourselves to fall into this tar pit, then we tend to drag our students down with us. We feed them isolated bits of knowledge, and then wonder why they have trouble putting them all together.
Perhaps that is one of the reasons that I love teaching the capstone course in business, Strategic Management. It is the course that draws on all of the knowledge learned in the functional areas of business, and makes students put all of the pieces together.
I was blessed to have a solid general education in my undergraduate work, which was broadened by my choosing a double-major in two quite different fields: theology and business. In my adult life, I have continued to learn about many different subjects, such as psychology, counseling, communication, leadership, marriage and family and parenting, electronics, home maintenance, landscaping, history, government, etc. I believe that the God we serve is an efficient God, who will find some way to use the things that we learn and experience (Romans 8:28). Therefore, I believe that all Christians should develop a positive attitude toward lifelong learning.
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