Something worth contemplating, during the rush of “back to school” that August inevitably ushers in.
“A fundamental psychological principle is that anxiety inhibits learning. Learning occurs best in a playful state, and anxiety inhibits playfulness. The forced nature of schooling turns learning into work. Teachers even call it work: ‘You must do your work before you can play.’ So learning, which children biologically crave, becomes toil–something to be avoided whenever possible.”
Peter Gray, a research professor of psychology at Boston College, is a specialist in developmental and evolutionary psychology and author of an introductory textbook, Psychology.
Go ahead, read the rest of the article. Plenty to chew on here.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/200909/seven-sins-our-system-forced-education
