Learning To Be Self-Directed

I must admit that I have never liked the term self-directed learning. It is not a helpful term for describing the lives of children outside school. For one thing, it leads people to imagine uniquely self motivated children learning under their own steam the things less exceptional children have to be compelled to learn. This is certainly not what we mean when we use the term. On the other hand, it is also common for proponents of self-directed learning to talk about the learning that occurs throughout the course of any child’s ordinary, self chosen activities, as though what is important is not that a child enjoys what they are doing but that it is an engine for learning. 

So how should we describe what kids do at the Macomber Center? Recently, an outdoor educator came to visit our Center as part of his research into more self-directed learning environments. He told me that he had never seen anything quite like this before. He said it looked less like an educational environment and more like a place people come to enjoy themselves. He did not mean this as a criticism. On the contrary, he seemed to find it refreshing and inspiring.

A place where people come to enjoy themselves? Yes, but it’s not as simple as it sounds. The ability to enjoy your life in a community where no one is telling you what to do with yourself or how to engage with others, requires a lot of practice and a whole set of skills that need to be developed over time. This is clear to see when a kid comes from a traditional educational environment, where they have never had to take responsibility for their own time, where their interactions with adults and other kids have been circumscribed by the rigid, artificial structure of school, and where they have never had the time or space to figure out who they are, what is important to them, and how they want to live their lives. It can sometimes take a whole year, or even several years, before they start to get the hang of it. And it can be hard for parents to bear with this process. But consider what is taking place. They are beginning to find out what motivates them, what makes life really worth living for them. This is not something any child can be taught. And it is the foundation of a happy, satisfying life. So rather than saying these kids' primary task is self-directed learning, we could say they are learning to be self-directed. 

This was really brought home to me this past week when a group of former Macomber Center members, who still get together when they are on break from college, decided to stop in for a visit. We were eager to hear how things have been for them since leaving the Center. And they were eager to report on their success! They all reported enjoying the college experience. But several of them voiced frustration with the attitudes of their fellow students. They said that while they felt like they themselves were there to learn, they were often having to work alongside students who were focused on getting through college as quickly and painlessly as possible, often trying to take shortcuts and avoid work while still maintaining good grades, as though they were sick and tired of school but felt forced to stay in the race til the end. In contrast, these former members of ours said that they do not really pay much attention to their grades. What matters to them is that they are able to learn and absorb the material. One of them told us that if he gets a good grade, but does not feel he understands the material deeply enough to satisfy him, he will follow up with his teacher and try to gain a better understanding through in-depth one-on-one conversations. On the other hand, if he gets a bad grade, but feels that he got what he wanted from the class and understands the material enough to feel secure in his knowledge, he does not worry about the grade. 

When we asked them why they thought this was, that they are focused on learning, while many of their peers seem preoccupied with grades, they said it is because going to the Macomber Center gave them the time and space to figure out who they are, what they really want, and how to go about getting it. So entering college they were clear in their own minds about why they were there and what they wanted to get out of it. Instead of going to college because that’s what they were expected to do, college for them was a means of forming a foundation of knowledge and skills that would help them move in the direction they wanted to go in their lives. One of them said that he felt like many of his peers in college were just treading a path plotted for them by someone else, and that their main goal was to make enough money so that it would all be worth it in the end. He said the orientation of most students he met seemed to be less about creating a meaningful life with fulfilling work and more about collecting the academic credentials that would enable them to demand a high salary. 

These kids are prime examples of self-directed learning. All five of them went on to higher education because they had clear ideas of what they wanted to pursue, not because they thought they should. College was a necessary and important part of this path for each of them. They are not passively going through the motions but actively constructing their education as part of actively constructing their lives. And yet, while they were at the Center much of what they spent their time doing looked more like goofing off than learning. They played a lot of capture the flag, football, tag and other outdoor games. And of course, they spent a lot of time hanging out, talking and joking around. But while it may not have been evident to an observer who has more conventional ideas about how kids should be spending their time, they were learning to take responsibility for their own lives. They were experimenting with who they wanted to be, how they wanted to relate to others, how to spend their time, and how to derive meaning and satisfaction from life. Ultimately, they absorbed and internalized the messages from the adults in their lives that they are responsible for their own happiness. It’s their life and they are learning how to take charge of it. What better outcome could we wish for our members?