Most of my students have only heard four or five of the words and rarely or never use them in everyday conversation. They devote precious time to memorizing the definitions and learning to pronounce them correctly. At the end of the week 90 percent or so will pass the test, which asks them to match the word with the definition.
Seems great, huh?
Sure, until I change the format. If I give them sentences where only one each of the words will fit and they have to choose a word based on the context of the sentence, 50 percent will fail.
But they know the definition. So, what's the dilemma?
The conundrum my students face is the same one that stumps many of us daily, the disparity between recognition and metacognition.
Recognition is what my students have when they can see a word and recall the definition or even ideas associated with the word. As adults we have words that we can read, pronounce, define, and connect to similar ideas. Words like faith, peace, justice, fear, guilt, acceptance, forgiveness, and love are part of our lexicon. Unlike some of my students and their words, we can even use these in conversation in ways that sound good and make sense. We can recognize the patterns and associations common to these words. Yet, we still can not understand them.
Understanding takes metacognition. "Metacognition is, put simply, thinking about one’s thinking. More precisely, it refers to the processes used to plan, monitor, and assess one’s understanding and performance. Metacognition includes a critical awareness of a) one’s thinking and learning and b) oneself as a thinker and learner." (Chick, 2017) "Metacognitive practices increase students’ abilities to transfer or adapt their learning to new contexts and tasks (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, p. 12; Palincsar & Brown, 1984; Scardamalia et al., 1984; Schoenfeld, 1983, 1985, 1991). They do this by gaining a level of awareness above the subject matter: they also think about the tasks and contexts of different learning situations and themselves as learners in these different contexts." (Chick, 2017)
My students have difficulty with metacognition. They will memorize a definition, but not stop to ask themselves if they understand the definition. When presented with situations that force them to think beyond the definition, or put the definition into practice, a lack of understanding becomes painfully obvious. The frustrating part for me is teasing the students into thinking. Many students think they are thinking, when they are just repeating information drilled into them through various drill and kill activities. Thinking takes time, energy, and offers substantial risk for failure.
How often do we as adults repeat conditioned responses without stopping to ask ourselves anything?
Be honest...how often do you think about the words you use that define who you are or are part of what you say you believe?
Do you truly understand the definition of the words you use? Can you apply the words to situations outside of your normal everyday experience? Do you stop to think, am I living, doing, and expressing what the words mean so that people not familiar with the word could learn what it means from me?
I am reflecting on this because I want to challenge myself to live more deliberately. I want the words I use, attitudes I show, and behaviors I display to match what I say I believe and understand.
Everyone can benefit from thinking about their thinking no matter their beliefs.
As a Christian, I believe it is crucial for my growth and imperative to my witness. In a recent post of mine, Ruined, I realized that I had been hurting people through my narrow understanding of some key Christian principles, including love, atonement, grace (although not stated as grace), hope, and forgiveness. When I honestly analyzed my own beliefs, I discovered a deeply internalized thought process that dictated so much of my daily interactions. Somehow, in my education and experience as a Christian I had "learned" I had to be perfect. Perfection meant rules. Rules I tried, but could never follow and thus developed fear and shame. Rules no one else could follow and thus developed self-righteous judgment. This erroneous thought process totally skewed my understanding and application of the principles I said that I believed in, stunted my growth, and ruined my witness.
It was on my knees begging for restoration of myself, my marriage, my family that God seemed to prompt me to verbalize my no holds barred feelings about my faith, him, myself, and others. I seemed to be hearing myself for the first time. Like a reporter conducting an interview. Why? How does that match who God is? How does that show (fill in the blank)? How can this thought and this one exist at the same time?
The glaring disparities between my understanding of God's love and my memorized teaching of God's love broke me. Broke me free from shackles that I didn't even know were keeping me prisoner.
Your story will be different from mine. But, have you stopped lately, or ever, to think about your thinking - Your thinking about God, yourself, others? The results will lead you to better understanding and might even lead you to breakthroughs of your own.
I challenge you to consider your own memorized faith. Because, in the end, faith is not a vocabulary test.
Citations
