Experience is the Best Teacher - Essay Example

Social proverb due: Proverb of interest I choose to discuss the proverb that says: ‘experience is the best teacher. I agree with the proverb. According to Apperson (2006), experience is the best intervention through which one can learn almost everything under the sun (p.184). An ounce of practice equals a great deal of theory. Practice makes perfect. It is always said that book knowledge should be accompanied by practical knowledge. However, if it is said in the opposite way, it is better if practical knowledge is linked by good knowledge from books. The absence of theoretical knowledge is not so great a lame as the absence of practical knowledge (Apperson, 2006). For instance, one may warn his or her children so many times a day against playing with sharp objects. However, they do not believe or rather listen until they cut themselves and bleed. Therefore, this clearly explains the proverb ‘experience is the best teacher. In addition, experience sets us to face hard lessons and severely punishes one unintentionally, but what it teaches is thorough; that makes people never forget its lessons. Most of the times we tend to learn our lessons when it is too late. For instance, a person who breaks all the rules of health or rather doesn’t take concern regarding his or her health in his or her youth learns at last when his or her health is in danger. It is then by suffering that he or she learns the sympathy and by mistake he or she reaches his or her perfection (Apperson, 2006). The proverb encourages the fact that it is necessary for an individual to learn from his or her experiences. Individual experiences leave a remunerable impression on one’s minds that are more lasting and invaluable. This is because they are always the best to learn from. However, if one chooses not to follow them to the latter it one their risk. These experiences could be both good and bad. For instance; helping a person in need, or losing money in an investment. Nevertheless, what is imperative is that one learns from the mistakes or good deeds he or she does. Therefore, we learn more efficiently and precisely from individual experiences rather than from the advice from other people or from reading about them from various books. Analysis of two studies Two studies will be analyzed based on the proverb ‘experience is the best teacher’. The two studies give as an overview of whether to believe on the proverb or not to believe in it. In the first study conducted by Thomas & Cheese (2005) shows that the proverb has some truth. The hypothesis was experience is the best teacher. The independent variable discussed in the first study is that, writers present an experience founded on an approach posing a broad and new way of developing leaders. The dependent variable is that the experience-based approach connects both practice and performance of information and communication technology. The findings of the study puts together the work experience, life knowledge, or specific skill development, rather than presenting employees with an unorganized collection or mixture of various things of classes and programs that are remotely linked to career development, succession planning, or business objectives According to Thomas & Cheese (2005), developments in learning representations, information technology, and leadership research highly suggests that a new approach like knowledge based learning holds a promise into making and helping companies get to their great performance. This experience can be adopted to develop needs and opportunities of potential at all stages in their profession, and also can help in changing needs of the organizations operating in complex and inexact fields (Thomas & Cheese, 2005). The second study conducted by Gallego (2001), partially agrees with the proverb. The hypothesis in this particular study disagrees with the proverb ‘experience is the best teacher’. The dependent variables are seen that individual experiences in schools are critical to education from teachers and other students. Independent variable is that all experiences are not necessarily educative and that one cannot learn from all their experiences. The findings reveal that individual experiences in schools are serious to the education of teachers, additionally; it is argued that all experiences are not necessarily educative. This study examines the potential of book knowledge approach to providing prospective teachers with experiences of children. This article describes the benefits of teacher education student’s participation in concurrent field placements. This perspective reflects on the experiences that contrast the setting of learning where the understanding of the other sources influences the both opportunities and constraints to the teaching and learning at each site. Conclusion about the proverb The two studies suggest that the proverb; ‘experience is the best teacher’ is both true and false. This is because in the first study, the article states that it is necessary for everyone to have at least an experience at everything one does; while in the second study, it shows that it is not necessarily that we learn from our experience or the experience of others. However, in the second study, the article shows that it is not necessary that we learn from experience. It emphasises that we could learn from teachers, parents and elderly people. The shortcoming and weakness of the social psychological literature that was examined in the second study is that all experiences are not necessarily educative (Gallego, 2001). The shortcoming and weakness of the social psychological literature that was examined in the first study is that personal experience is the best, but sometimes comes too late also a wise man is who learns from other people experiences (Thomas & Cheese, 2005). The strengths that I found compelling in both studies are the fact that one learns from everything they do, whether mistakes or good experiences. In fact, one can say that life is a great journey of learning through experience. The differences between the studies and how they account for the different findings is that they show a deep conflict with each other. This illustrates how one can learn to be patient and tolerant when he or she is faced with adversity, and should portray bravery in the face of danger and wisdom from our mistakes. It is unfortunate that some of us or rather most of us learn this lesson when it is too late, and they cannot undo the harm done. Thus, one can still find many people ignoring this simple dictum of ‘experience is the best teacher’, to later regret it when their life becomes a wretch. All in all, the profile of great people in the society, adhere to proverbs are an absolute gain of knowledge, with which one can enrich him or herself. It is indeed disastrous to find out that people mostly learn from their mistakes in their practical life more than they learn from their good experiences. Once an individual has learned from his or her mistakes it is always very unlikely for them to repeat the same errors in their lives again. Getting one’s individual experience is the best in our day to day lifestyle but at times it comes too late. References Apperson, G. L., Manser, M. H., & Curtis, S. J. (2006). The Wordsworth dictionary of proverbs. Ware: Wordsworth Editions. Thomas, R. J., & Cheese, P. (2005). Leadership: Experience is the best teacher. Strategy & Leadership, 33(3), 24-29. Gallego, M. A. (2001). Is experience the best teacher? The potential of coupling classroom and community-based field experiences. Journal of teacher education, 52(4), 312-325. Read More