Human Education
There is a miracle in being human. We are a species unique and special beyond reckoning. It is the taking for granted of that miracle which allows some to take a nonchalant approach to the undertaking of education. It is a part of overlooking that perspective of how extraordinary people are which allows us to focus on education as a set of methods, teaching as an argument of art or science, the evaluation of the educational process as a quantification. Children, who have not yet entered school, not received any formalized training, development and formulate a set of rules for a language and actively speak it. They learn to walk, run, skip, - pose and explore scientific questions, actively solve algebraic concepts (four pieces of candy, two kids, how many do I get?), reach out to form relationships, to care for others, to give solace to any who appear to be in distress.
It is important that we relish the miracle of being human.

We count upon that recognition. It is also important to give new credence to the student as learner, as self-educator, and as being already in possession of crucial tools for learning which teacher and parents will hone rather than ignore, discount or override. Children possess a fundamental humanity that deserves to be recognized and educated further. That manifestation of human nature is something many have been unable to address in education. As pointed out earlier, it consists of the "process", the relationships, those things that science has not yet learned to measure, and we have thus chosen to ignore.
Unlike many creatures in the animal kingdom human beings are able to or can choose to feel as others feel, intend to treat others as we wish to be treated, work to mature beyond simple physical development, wish to develop morally, strive for a relationship of peace and joy in the company of others. We are a species with “will” and that sets us apart.

Children as Natural Learners
It is valuable to momentarily revisit a sense of awe in little human things, in whistling a tune, doing somersaults, laughter. There is an extravagance in skipping, in friendship, in 96 Crayon colors, in finger painting and cutting paper dolls. There is a joyous excess in having the time in childhood for playing tag, swinging, writing a poem for the first time. There is magic in standing in the dusk and reciting, "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight." Even the student as disruptive agent and social leader in the classroom is an incredulous notion. Certainly the child as responsible initiator of learning could spark a sense of wonder if we would allow ourselves the time to revisit our own childhood and recall the thrill of discovery, the delight in new understanding.

From this moment of recalling the marvel of human learning, we rekindle a recognition of how important it is to educate rather than train the human being. In recognizing the status of the child comes a desire to dedicate our educational lives beyond "do no harm". It is a request that we reevaluate current practice. Teachers know what kinds of things are exciting for students. We know what activities are so meaningful that our class doesn’t know the bell is about to ring, doesn't want to stop the learning of the moment, calls out for repetition of an activity and permission to continue. We know well the frustration and ultimate futility of trying to teach something beyond a student's developmental ability.
We can discover, if unsure, that students have a work ethic, though it may not have the same dimensions as the adult ability to maintain task commitment. We know that youth need a sense of accomplishment, that they revel in a job well done and that they will stick relentlessly to those things which are developmentally appropriate; taking first steps, riding a bicycle, shooting hoops, practicing cheers, pumping iron. These are examples of developmentally appropriate tasks in the physical domain. They are ways students push themselves to the edge of endurance.

We seldom address these particular areas of expertise in the educational system. The physical domain is not often attended to beyond kindergarten or outside of Physical Education, though it is a useful vehicle for learning especially for those with kinesthetic learning styles and psychomotor intelligence. The important point here is the willingness of youth to push and be pushed when the internal timing and task orientation coincide.
It also presses for recognition of the other domains in the PEPSI model as areas for teaching, perhaps areas which are more valuable for preparing students to be educated than some of the tasks we are currently demanding; tasks which youth love to do, fleeting information which teens acquire, but with no recognition of a measured change in the education of the person.

This next illustration shows a Picasso called First Steps

. Something about this representation distills the notion of child as capable and responsible learner. At the same time the role of the teacher, a nanny in this particular case, is also aptly shown.

The child -

• all angles and lines pulling toward the child - egocentric, self focused child
• the child, not aware of egocentrism, focused on an unseen outward point
• holding on, without thinking about the need for comfort, just expecting it
• foot poised, unaware or unconcerned about the floor, the future, the risks
• on a path to adulthood, trusting others to protect and guide

The adult -

• protective yet open stance, literally "wrapped around" the child
• the gaze - intent on the child and the child's task
• the hands - present and supportive, yet open to allow progress
• the position in the portrayal - ground rather than figure, present, almost like the air, the
  floor, or the future, structures which the child can takes for granted
• the countenance - the emotions are there to see
• on a path of nurturing, depending on an internal sense to make good choices

We can develop secondary education with the same excitement, joy, uncertainty, tenderness as a mother faces those first steps, cherishes those first words. -- protection and exhilaration, --- mother protects, smoothes the way, but celebrates each progression -- good mother continues to pave a safe path, to cringe at the bumps and bruises, but to also press for challenges, for getting beyond the hard times. The press or motivation is internalized for the child and the reasonable parent does not interfere. Even when we cheer, it does not significantly change the child's push.

If a parent tries to stop the child's explorations, it is usually met with renewed efforts to succeed and an unstoppable press forward. If the parent tries to pattern the child's moves, the child resists inherently, through some internalized message, seeming to know the next steps and to work incessantly at the drill and practice of perfecting the moves necessary to move from crawler to toddler, to walker, and then to the joy of mastery of our body as runner.

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