Learning is an innate and effortless process that is integral to our lives. However, school systems have made it difficult and unnatural for students to learn. In an ideal world, education would be enjoyable and exciting, leading to a new culture of learning based on passion, imagination, and constraint. Passion is the joy and curiosity for learning that ignites a student's desire to learn and explore new things. Imagination allows us to see things differently and creatively. It is the ability to see beyond what is visible and envision what could be. Constraint is an obstacle that inspires students to think creatively and find solutions to overcome it.
Play combines these three components of the new culture of learning. It is an essential part of a child's learning process and should not be neglected. Play facilitates the development of creativity, imagination, and passion. However, public schools have slowly stripped away the emphasis on play. Instead, the focus has shifted to standardized testing, which is like surveillance and restricts teachers' ability to teach creatively and imaginatively.
Teachers are expected to teach the core curriculum and ensure that students perform well on standardized tests. This leaves little room for creativity, imagination, and play. The use of play in the classroom is discouraged, and teachers face backlash from administrators when they try to incorporate it into their curriculum. The emphasis on standardized testing has created a paradox in education. Teachers are encouraged to remember why they teach, but they may not express their love and care for teaching students by using their imaginative and creative minds.
As a teacher, I have personally experienced the challenges that come with incorporating play into the classroom. Our team of math teachers was reprimanded for not following the exact lesson templates in the designed curriculum and for using arts and crafts unless it was pre-approved in the set curriculum. It is essential to realize that education is a dynamic and evolving process. We need to focus on creating a new culture of learning that encourages creativity, imagination, and play to help students develop a love for learning that lasts a lifetime.
Reference
TEDx Talks. (2012, September 12). A new culture of learning, Douglas Thomas at TEDxUFM [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/lM80GXlyX0U?si=_Udm3-sAh5vHqv56
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