Recently I have been thinking of the importance of learning teach ourselves. Whatever it is we are trying to learn, be it a foreign language, a skill, or a craft, our progress or lack thereof does not rests soley in our teacher’s hands. The onus for our learning does not rest with our teachers, it lies with us, it is our responsibility.
What do I mean? Well, even if you have the best teacher in the world, that teacher cannot teach you everything there is to know about whatever it is you are studying. More importantly, if you rely only on what you are taught in class without taking the initiative to seek extra knowledge on your own, then your understanding of the subject will be limited to your teacher’s understanding of the subject, and how quickly you progress will depend on how much scope the teacher gives you to do so. Added to that is the fact that you will be missing an opportunity to fully immerse yourself in your topic by moving beyond the theoretical and more into the practical and vice versa you may be doing the practical in class but lack the theory.
Teaching yourself allows you to progress at a faster than average pace. It deepens your understanding and helps you to ask more meaning questions in class about different aspects of your topic.
In part 2 I will share some ideas and techniques that I have found useful in teaching myself tea ceremony. Please do tune in.
