Humanist Theory

How do you learn best? If you haven’t thought about it, perhaps your teacher has thought about it for you. One thing you can be sure of is that we have different ways of learning. You learn differently from the person sitting next to you in class. You learn differently from your brother or sister.

Each one of us has individual needs, emotions and experiences. And that’s where humanist learning theory comes in. Check the word: hu-man-ist. The first five letters spell human–us.

Humanist learning theory believes that everyone has the power to learn and grow. By the way, a theory is a belief, not a set of facts. Theories need to be tested before you believe them.

How do you test humanist theory? Ask some questions:

Are you and your classmates the stars of your classroom show?

Does your school motto (the message on the signboard at your school’s front fence) say something like: We make everyone welcome?

Does your teacher let you choose projects or topics that matter to you?

If you answered ‘yes’ to those questions, you’re part of a humanist learning environment. You can help yourself learn by setting goals for yourself. Try this. Today, I’m going to practice my [insert the skill here: reading, writing, soccer kick, tennis serve, number facts].