The life-changing skill of knowing how to learn

I recently had a long conversation with my husband.
We were talking about our kids and reminiscing about our own school experiences. We swapped stories to determine which of us was more into math, like our youngest, and which was more into writing and storytelling, like our eldest.

We also discussed how we did in high school. Physics, chemistry, advanced math . . . Neither of us had been particularly good at those subjects. That got us thinking:

As it turns out, the answer is pretty simple: we’ll learn right along with them!
If my 30 years on this planet have taught me anything, it’s that it’s never too late to learn something new! But to do it successfully, you first need to figure out how to learn.

I first heard about this concept in high school.
The expression made me laugh—learn to learn?—but otherwise, I didn’t give it much thought. It wasn’t until I became an adult that I understood its importance.

Say one of my sons hits a snag while working on a science project. Since I know how to learn, I  can show him how to do the following:

• Look up information at the library and online while making sure to choose reliable sources
• Find easy-to-understand videos that break down more complicated topics 
• Seek external help, if necessary, through homework support services (like Alloprof!).

My goal above all is for my kids to see that they shouldn’t give up when faced with adversity.
That there’s a way to make even the most difficult subjects easier to understand.
That they can always ask for help and should never feel ashamed of doing so.
That they should try to go beyond what they’re taught at school using whatever learning methods work best for them.

Knowing how to find information and how to learn doesn’t mean you become good at everything.
It means you know who you are.
You’re aware of your strengths and weaknesses and how you learn best.
It also means you know what resources to use when you need help—and that’s a valuable skill at any stage in life!