There is so much to take in that we divide up our task subject by subject, rarely allowing something we’ve learned in one class (or other environment) to leak over into another. This is not, in general, a good thing.
As we progress in school, the lessons get more difficult and complicated. Sometimes they’re difficult because we have to unlearn things.
A mathematics teacher is not much like a nineteenth-century railroad worker–but there are parallels. Our consultant who tutors High School math and science continues to learn from it; sometimes, his students do also.
One of our consultants has an interesting device for camping or possibly a disaster situation. On closer examination it appeared to us that it hadn’t been quite thought through. Then we examined it more closely still.
A recent comment on one of our posts raises the question of what teachers are trying to achieve in school. The answer varies.
High School chemistry rests on a base of sophisticated quantum mechanics. Fortunately, it’s not necessary to master the advanced subject in order to use its results.
Even simple daily tasks can involve very sophisticated thinking.
Textbooks are to learn from, of course. But who is doing the learning, and when?
One of our consultants has begun tutoring, which has brought him into contact with the world of standardized tests after many years away.