Education Heuristics
Part II: Perspective & Attitude
Chapters
Part 1: Knowing Oneself
Part 2: Perspective & Attitude
Part 3: Learning vs Studying
Part 4: Going Beyond
Part 5: Start Teaching
We find what we are looking for in life
Perspective is key; it can either make or break your learning journey.
Perspective is simply the way we see or understand things. It's our point of view or attitude about something, which can be influenced by our beliefs, experiences, and values.
If you view learning as a tedious chore, you’ve already set yourself up for failure before even beginning. Constantly telling yourself that a subject like math is difficult will likely lead to discouragement, and in turn, poor performance or even giving up altogether. This phenomenon, known as a self-fulfilling prophecy, is a common occurrence in the academic realm.
WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
Adopting a perspective is a personal choice. While a positive outlook can be beneficial, it’s easy to succumb to negativity, especially in the digital era. Social media platforms can often exacerbate this negativity. For instance, after working hard for an exam, you may feel disappointed with your results. Seeing classmates who performed well share their successes on Facebook can lead many students to view themselves negatively, thinking they might be incapable in that subject. This negative thinking can trigger a downward spiral, which is not beneficial.
However, this doesn’t mean you should avoid useful social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram. The key to successful learning and improving your abilities is to maintain a positive attitude. If maintaining positivity seems challenging, particularly during tough times, take heart. You may be surprised to learn that you don’t need to add more positivity. According to 2021 research by Professor Leidy Klotz from the University of Virginia, being ‘less negative’ can create a ripple effect that exceeds the effort of infusing positivity into your life, leading to increased health and productivity.
Here are some tips to promote positivity and reduce negativity:
A) Knowing Yourself & Reframing Your Thoughts
Understanding yourself is important, as explained in “Knowing Oneself“. It enables you to invest time and effort in leveraging your strengths and making constructive life choices. Additionally, knowing your strengths and capabilities builds resilience against negativity.
B) IDENTIFYING YOUR SWOT
Maintain a record of your mistakes by documenting them in a book, referred to as the Book of Mistakes. Review this record to identify patterns and understand your weaknesses.
C) Seek Regular Feedback
We don’t always know ourselves the best. Therefore, regularly checking in with a teacher or mentor for feedback is crucial. This is a primary channel that helps us better identify our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT).
D) Plan Ahead
Planning ahead can lower your chances of missing golden opportunities. Knowing your desired outcomes and the steps needed to get there, whether for short or long-term goals, will enable you to identify and seize opportunities when they arise.
MANAGING YOUR SWOT
Simply identifying your SWOT is not enough. It is crucial to manage them effectively to ensure that this information is not rendered useless.
Build on Your Strengths. Challenge yourself to enhance your strengths. There might be a more efficient or quicker way to solve a problem, so never settle for the status quo.
Learn from Mistakes. The ‘[Book of Mistakes]‘ serves as a constant reminder to prevent repeating errors. This is particularly helpful for exam preparation.
Use Post-it Reminders. Keep your goals visible by leaving small post-it notes around your study area. Label opportunities in green and threats in red.
OUR "SECRET"
EDUCATION HEURISTIC is a methodology used by Berleaf Education educators. It helps students realize their potential and achieve academic excellence. The complete methodology is detailed in a five-part series:
[Check out Part 2 Here]
