ENC1101
How Can You Teach Yourself
I. Introduction
There are a variety of ways to teach oneself. Some individuals are aware of it, but others are more conscious on how they teach themselves because they have learned at an early age how exactly to do it much more efficaciously. Some of these people have techniques, methods or strategies to teach themselves at their own pace. They learned to teach themselves based on their previous experiences and encounters with other people, such as family members, playmates, friends, classmates, and even strangers. Not only that, they also learned many things from the media (e.g., television, smartphones, Internet, print materials, etc.). For my part, the best way on how to teach myself is to motivate myself first (that is, unlike a horse that is led to a river by his owner but did not drink even when forced to because he is not thirsty); or in the case a person, he does not have the drive to teach himself to quench his thirst for knowledge and worthwhile experiences.
II. Body
After having the motivation to teach myself, it does not end there. I should also know the reason behind, purpose or goal of how I teach myself. Using my previous knowledge and experiences, I have come to realize my motives or intention for doing things. In other words, I teach myself not just for the sake of some external rewards but for the sake of attaining a greater reward. For me, then, there is a great difference between self-teaching out of external incentives and teaching myself because I have something better in mind (that is, I want to transfer my learning to something more worthwhile).
Beside motivation and goal-setting, I have to apply the methods, strategies and techniques on how I should teach myself. I need to rely on credible or reputable authorities on how I should teach myself to become a better learner. Some of these things that come to my mind include how the brain works. There are many free online courses about neuroscience as applied to teaching. There are also strategies on how to teach oneself, such as in the use of mnemonics, speed reading with outstanding comprehension, and other strategies. Likewise, the best practice on how to teach myself is to know how I learn best in a personalized way. What I mean by that is, for instance, whether I learn best independently or collectively.
Aside from motivation, goal-setting, and application of self-teaching strategies, I also have to be aware of how I gradually affect myself with the kind of habit that I have acquired through the years. It is a known fact that habits create the kind of self-teacher that I am. If I have taught myself the wrong way and the bad practice becomes a second nature to me, I might as well encounter numerous related problems that I should have disposed of at the onset because of their negative repercussions. To undo my bad habit in order to teach myself more effectively then, I need to perform gradually each day efficacious measures to get rid of anything that cause me to become a lagged learner. I cannot continue to become a much better self-teacher should I have not removed from my decisions and actions unprofitable habits.
Further, even when I have the motivation, goals, and strategies, I need to regularly monitor or evaluate my own self-teaching approaches. I have to always come up with my own best practices that would propel me to become a better self-teacher each time I teach myself on how to learn best. To have that sense of self-guiding understanding, I also need to always strive to become what I intend to be as a master self-teacher. I should self-assess myself if what I am learning through these years really helped me transform my potentials into something profitable or beneficial for me in the long run.
Lastly on how can I teach myself, I need regular professional help (such as from my professors and more capable peers). At the start, I want to do things on my own, but without the guidance of those that are near me, I might as well lose the opportunities to improve myself as a self-teacher. I have to be an independent learner, but I also need scaffolding from others within those proximal developmental levels. I cannot simply rely on myself all the time. Even geniuses, savants and other above average intelligent individuals also need the help of teaching specialists.
III. Conclusion
I have narrated above how I can teach myself. My thesis was to first have the inner motivation to learn followed by goal setting, application of self-teaching techniques, self-monitoring and motivation, as well as, seeking professional assistance. Then, I have expounded on each of the ways on how I might teach myself. I also tried to elaborate on self-teaching by mentioning how I should change my negative mindset or habits. Then, I also offered specific examples of teaching strategies (such as the use of evidence-based research on how people learn better). Generally, all that I have shared come from self-realization, experiences, and knowledge that self-teaching is a worthwhile endeavor in life as long as I love what I do best.
