Learning is born from our experiences and our mistakes, to learn one must be able to reflect on their actions and build off their past exposures. I am a person who strongly values education, and I consider myself extremely lucky to have access to a safe learning environment such as this school. I know I can take full advantage of this privilege by educating myself on and utilizing First People’s principles of learning to help drive my education. In my life, I have made many mistakes, none of which I regret as I know I have grown as a person and have become a better student because of them.
One example that resonates with me is how I used to approach school, particularly mathematics. I had pre-calculus during my first semester of grade 10, and the rise in difficulty between the 9th and 10th grades surprised me. I tried approaching that level of math as if it were grade 9, and my grades quickly dropped. I neglected the homework and didn’t understand the proper approach to studying; I still remember trying to memorize entire lessons the morning before a test. This entire situation damaging my self-confidence, and at 61%, halfway through the semester, I decided to make a conscious change. I started to realize mistakes and began to study harder and focus more on the math I was doing. I stopped procrastinating and shifted my approach to the subject; instead of attempting to recall when to use a formula or rule, I focused on understanding why we use the rules and formulas. My grades improved dramatically by aiming for a greater understanding of the subject matter I was learning and genuinely putting in the effort. Looking back, I do wish I had taken the subject more seriously from the get-go, but I don’t regret the lesson I learned because I now enjoy math and use that method of thinking to all of my other studies.
I also strive to learn from and build on events in media or history. NASA and other space agencies have certainly demonstrated their ability to learn from past failures. Space exploration is inherently dangerous, yet it is admirable that NASA can still improve mission safety through significant changes implemented after catastrophes such as Challenger or Colombia. When an organization of NASA’s magnitude can emerge from a disaster armed with more knowledge and techniques then before, it’s inspiring and it helps promote that kind of thinking and approach in our own lives.
Image sourses:
Why Mistakes Are Brilliant (featured image)
Canadian Indigenous Flag (second image)