Unit 11 On Becoming a Better Student课文翻译综合教程三

Unit11OnBecomingaBetterStudent(abridged)DonnaFarhiSchuster1Asstudentsweexpectagreatdealfromourteachers.Weexpectthemtobeenthusiastic.Weexpectthemreliable.Wemayevenhaveexpectationsthattheybeendlessrepositoriesofskillandknowledgefromwhichwemaypartakeatwill.2AsateacherIhavecometofeelweightedbytheseexpectationsandhavebeguntoseethatitisreallynotpossibletoteach.Allthewordsandtheoriesandtechniquesareofnousetostudentswhohaveyettoopenthemselveswithreceptivityandtotakeituponthemselvestopractice.SoinasenseIhavegivenuptryingto“teach,”forI’vecometobelievethatthegreatestthingIcanoffermystudentsistohelpthemlearnhowtofindthemselvesthroughtheirowninvestigation.3Manyfactorscometogethertomakeafinestudent.Findsomeoneyouthinkisextraordinary,andyouwillfindmany,ifnotall,ofthefollowingqualities.Peoplewholearnagreatdealinwhatseemslikeaveryshorttimeembodythesequalities.4CuriositySuchpeoplearetremendouslycurious.Thewholeworldisofinteresttothem,andtheyobservewhatothersdonot.NobelPrize-winnerphysicianAlbert-Gyorgyiputitwellwhenhesaid,“Discoveryconsistsoflookingatthesamethingaseveryoneelseandthinkingsomethingdifferent.”Withthiscuriositycomesan“investigativespirit”;thelearningisnotsomuchtheacquisitionofinformationasitisaninvestigation—aquestioning,aturningoveroftheobjectofstudytoseeallsidesandfacets.Itisnotknowinginthesenseofhavingarigidopinion,buttheabilitytolookagainatanothertime,inadifferentlight,asGyorgyisuggests,andtoformanewunderstandingbasedonthatobservation.5DisciplineAnydiscipline—butespeciallythosewithgreatsubtletyandcomplexity,likeyogaort’aichi—canbealifelongpursuit.Persistence,consistency,anddisciplinearerequired.Withoutthese,ourlearningisbutforthwithoutsubstance.Therearenoshortcuts.Thefruitoftheseseeminglydryqualities(whichweprefertoadmireinothers)isthesatisfactionofhavingtastedthefullnessofcompletion,orthethrillofmeetingadifficultchallengewithsuccess.Perhaps,though,ourcultureisinneedofredefiningwhatitmeanstostudy.Ifwecanlookatourchosendisciplineorcraftasanongoingprocessratherthanasadiscreteaccomplishment,thepotentialforlearningcanbeinfinite.Withthisattitudewemayfindourselvestreatingeventhemostmundanediscoverywithwide-eyedwonderandjoy.6Risk-TakingWhyisit,then,thatsofewpeopleliveuptotheirtruepotential?Beyondthewell-pavedroadsandsecurestructuresweusuallybuildforourselvesliedemons,unsurefooting—andunfeltpleasures.Tobeastudentistotakerisks.Yetmosteducationdiscouragespeoplefromventuringfarenoughtotakeriskstomakemistakes.“Childrenenterschoolasquestionmarksandleaveasperiods,”observeseducatorNeilPostman.Whatkindofpunctuationmarkdoyourepresent?Doyoufindyourselflookingfortidyanswersthatgiveyouafeelingofsecurity?Bylearningtofindtheonerightanswer,wemayhaverelinquishedourabilitytofindotheranswersandsolutions.Welearn,then,nottoputourselvesintosituationswherewemightfail,becausefailurehastremendoussocialstigma.Whenwetrydifferentapproachesanddothingsthathavenoprecedenceinourexperience,wewillsurelymakemistakes.Acreativepersonusesthese“failure”assteppingstones.7InitiativeCanwebegin,then,toseethatourteachersareguidesonourjourney,butthatthejourneyitselfisourownresponsibility?Thereisnothingquitesosatisfyingasundergoingadifficultprocessandafterlonghardworkdiscoveringthetruenatureofthatprocess.Itcouldbeassimpleasthrowingaperfectpot,orascomplexasformulatinganewtheoryofphysics.Thesatisfactionwefeelwillbedirectlyproportionaltoamountofworkwedobyourselvestoachieveourgoal.Successfulstudentsdonotexpecttobespoon-fed,buttaketheirowninitiative.Wantinganswersfrommyteacherhasoftenbeenawayformetoavoidtakingtheinitiativetodiscovermyownanswersthroughmyownpractice.8EnthusiasmTolearn,then,istoopenoneself.JimSpira,directoroftheInstituteforEducationalTherapyinBerkeley,California,askshisstudentstopreparethemselvestolearninthisway:“Dropyourpriorknowledge…[and]attempttograspthenewframeworkinitsowncontext.Thestudentcomplains,‘ButIknowwhatisimportant.’Ifwhatyouknowisimportant,thenitshouldbetherewhenyoufinishthecourse.Ifyoucontinually‘holdontoit,’thenyou’llonlyseewhatispresentedintermsoftheoldknowledge/frameworkandneverreallygrowinnewways.”9Finally,asweeachadvanceonourownuniquejourney,letusliveeachdayasbeginners.Being“advanced”hasitsownpitfalls—amongthemcomplacencyandpushingorforcing.Togodeepermaymeantobestill,toprogressmorepatiently,ortodevotemoretimetootherareasofourlivesasyetgreenandimmature.AsF.M.Alexander,oftheAlexandertechnique,oncesaidtohisstudentsastheystrainedandlabored,“Giveuptryingtoohard,butnevergiveup.”10TIPSFORTHEASPIRINGSTUDENTTheinformationthatfollowsisdesignedasaguide.Theauthorwelcomescorrespondencefromthosewhocanaddtoit.Beattentive.Teacherswillusuallygooutoftheirwaytohelpaself-motivatedandinterestedstudent.Beseen.Ifyouwanttheteachertoknowthatyouareserious,sitorstandinthefrontoftheclass.Makeeyecontactandintroduceyourself,eitherbeforeorafterclass.Beontime.Consistentlatenessisasignofdisrespect.Ifyoutakeyourteacher’sskillsolightly,whyshouldheorshetakeyouseriously?Missingthebeginningofclasscanalsobephysicallydangerousifyouhavemissedexplanationsandworkmeantto