Are We Struggling Because School Never Taught Us How To Learn

attended this masterclass by Jim Qwik, founder of Kwik Learning and a world expert in speed-reading, memory improvement, brain performance, and accelerated learning.

He talks about how traditional schools do not talk about how to learn. They just expect students to know how to do it. And that is a big problem because learning is a skill that needs to be developed.

He says something interesting about why kids can learn fast. When you give a child a new toy, they will spend hours playing with it and exploring all its features. They are not afraid of making mistakes or looking stupid.

But as we grow older, we become more risk-averse. We don't want to make mistakes or look foolish, so we become more reluctant to try new things. We become less curious and more close-minded. On the other hand, children are

-Curious and open-minded

-No limits

-They have time

-They get to play with their ideas

But in most schools, these qualities are taken away from kids

• Curiosity is taken over by rigid curriculums
• Their learning is limited to what is being taught in class
• They have no time to play with their ideas because they have to finish their home works.- he emphasizes that we learn through play because play helps create new connections in the brain
• They have limited time to explore and experiment
  

This is a big problem because it means we stop learning and growing. We need to find ways to overcome this so that we can continue learning throughout our lives.

Jim Kwick says that somehow we all believe that our learning capacity is fixed. We think that we are either good at learning or we are not. But that is not true. Our learning capacity is not fixed. It can be improved.

Three main things prevent us from learning effectively:

1) We don't know how to learn

2) We don't believe that we can improve

3) We don't know what to do to get better

So how can we overcome these obstacles and become better learners?

1) Learn how to learn

This may sound obvious, but it is surprising how few people know how to learn effectively. Certain techniques can help us learn more effectively, such as speed-reading, memory improvement, and accelerated learning.

2) Believe that you can improve

If you don't believe that you can improve, then you won't even try. But if you believe that you can get better at learning, then you will be more motivated to learn effectively.

3) Know what to do to get better

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to becoming a better learner. But certain things can help, such as finding a good learning method, setting goals, and practicing regularly.

He talks about the importance of creating good habits, and how most people never do this. He says that a good habit is something that you do automatically, without thinking about it. It is something that becomes part of your daily routine.

Jim Kwik's morning routine

1. Starting the day by spending some time trying to remember his dream- Helps in improving his memory
2. Making the bed- It sets the tone for the day and makes him feel good about himself. He says, "How we do anything is how we do everything."
3. Brushing teeth - he uses this time to think about what he wants to achieve for the day
4. Drinking Water- because it is good for health as our brain cannot think better if we are dehydrated
5. Taking a cold shower- This resets our nervous system and makes us feel more awake and alert. So we are in the theta state where we are more receptive to learning, and this is the state where we get most of our creative ideas.
6. Journaling- Writing down his thoughts help him process them better, He believes reflecting is a great activity. He also adds a "not to do list" that includes cutting down on distractions, and not using the phone first thing in the morning. He advises to write down three things you are looking to accomplish that day.
7. Reading- He reads something inspiring or educational every day because he wants to learn something new everyday. He suggests reading a book a week or spending at least an hour a day on reading books.
8. Exercise- Because it is good for our health and brain. He says,  though people choose to work out any time of the day, Research has shown that moving the body in the morning helps us think better for the rest of the day. He says, "Body that moves has a mind that grooves"
9. Meditation- He spends 20 minutes everyday meditating because it helps him focus better and be more present.
10. A good diet - Avoid any fried or processed food for better brain health, include Avocados, blueberries, and walnuts in your diet.

Kwik emphasises that when learning is combined with emotions it becomes more effective. 

According to him, we learn better when:

1) We are in a positive mood- We should try and be happy and excited about what we are learning. He suggests finding a way to make the task fun or interesting.

2) We feel challenged but not overwhelmed- If a tasks overwhelms us, then we are less likely to learn effectively. So we need to find a balance between feeling challenged and feeling overwhelmed. The brain needs to exercise just like the body.

3) We are focused and engaged- This means that we need to find a way to keep our attention focused on the task at hand. One way to do this is to break the task into smaller, more manageable pieces.

4) We are supported and encouraged- This means that we need to find a learning environment that is supportive and positive. Find a tutor or mentor who can offer guidance and encouragement.

5) When we are in a good emotional state- We should try to avoid learning when we are feeling stressed, anxious, or angry. These emotions can interfere with our ability to learn effectively. For example, reading when we are tired and bored won't help us understand or remember the material as well as if we read when we are fresh and alert.

6) Learning is driven by novelty- We learn best when we are exposed to new information. So find ways to keep the material interesting and engaging.

7) Learning happens in the active state of mind- This means that we learn best when we actively involve in the learning process. When students can ask questions, talk, discuss, and debate, they are more likely to learn effectively.

8) We learn best when we teach others- This means that we understand the material better when we try to explain it to someone else. When we teach others, we are forced to think about the material differently and this can help us learn it more effectively.

He says learning is belief-driven activity, if we don't believe in ourselves we won't be able to learn anything. Focus and a good memory are something we can acquire if we want to. That's why we need to monitor what we say to ourselves because that becomes our reality.

We should always remind ourselves that we are capable of learning anything we want to.

He says that all learning is state-dependent, We learn best when we are in the right state of mind.

This made me think this is exactly the opposite of what happens in school. We were mostly in a stressed state in school and we were never taught how to learn in a way that we could remember or implement what we learned.

School learning was driven by fear for most of us, be it of exams or teachers. We were in a constant state of stress and anxiety which made us forget what we studied as soon as the exam was over. And we never really learned how to learn efficiently.

It is no wonder that most people dread going back to school or learning something new because it brings back all those stressed-out memories of school.

But it doesn't have to be that way. Learning can be fun, easy and something that we look forward to if we know how to do it efficiently.

Here are some learning strategies that Kwik shares in the Master class:

LOCI method - a memory technique used by Ancient Greeks. It is an acronym for "Location and Imagination". The basic idea is to associate the things you want to remember with specific locations in your mind, and then recall those items by mentally walking through the location in your mind.

The four main steps in LOCI are:

1) Choose a familiar location, such as your home or office.

2) Visualize the location in your mind, and notice the various landmarks and features in the environment.

3) Associate each item you want to remember with a specific landmark or feature in the location.

4) To recall the items, mentally walk through the location in your mind and notice the various landmarks and features. The items you want to remember will be associated with those landmarks and features.

POMODORO technique- It is a time management technique for breaking down work into intervals, usually 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks.

The three steps in the Pomodoro technique are:

1) Choose a task to be accomplished

2) Set the Pomodoro timer (traditionally to 25 minutes)

3) Work on the task until the timer expires; then take a short break (5 minutes is typical)

The four main benefits of the Pomodoro technique are:

1) It helps you to use your time more efficiently

2) It helps you to stay focused on a task

3) It helps you to avoid burnout

4) It helps you to improve your concentration

Three key things we need to be successful in learning

Right Motivation - Why we are motivated to learn a particular thing, and what is the inspiration behind it?

Consistency - How often are we willing to put in the effort to learn something new?

Challenges- The level of difficulty we are willing to take on to learn something.

In schools we were asked to gain knowledge, and memorize but were never taught the importance of learning, forgetting, and relearning. Learning is a process that we need to go through our entire life. The talk has inspired me to change my learning methods and strategies. I will be more mindful of my motivation behind why I want to learn something. I will also try to be more consistent in my efforts and take on more challenging tasks.