Genius and Drill

CRR

In class, we have been analyzing Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Education."  The essay talks about the way kids learn now, and how they should be learning. He discusses nature, and how it is patient. He talks about how we should let the children learn the way nature evolves. Nature takes the time it needs to grow, Emerson felt the same way about children learning. Emerson repeats in his essay "Respect the child" to indicate that we need to respect the way they learn, and let them evolve on their own time. 

One of Emerson's main focuses in this essay was Genius and Drill. When I first read about genius and drill, I had absolutely no clue what he was talking about. But, we discussed it in class and it was made very clear exactly what it was. Genius is the intelligence of an individual. A genius is looking for new ways to learn, they are enthusiastic genius is when you are willing to learn new things in order to better yourself. Drill is when you apply what you learned as a genius, and you seek answers. You practice what you know as a drill. 

I believe that genius and drill can apply to our everyday lives. For example, imagine you're in school sitting in math class and you find out you have a test tomorrow. You immediately get super nervous because you don't understand what you are doing in the class. Then you race home after school because you know that you need to study. You use your genius, and you look for new ways to learn. You apply yourself and you are willing to learn about math. You spend hours studying and you come into school the next day as confident as ever to take your math test. You get to your class and you use drill to apply everything that you learned. That math test ends up being the easiest test you have ever taken because you were willing to learn new things and apply them. 

In the essay, Emerson says "Alas for the cripple Practice when it seeks to come up with the bird Theory, which flies before it." This quote can mean that the theory of practice sounds great, and it should be easy. But in reality, sadly it is not always easy. This can also apply to genius and drill. The process of learning new things and then putting them to use and practicing them is definitely not easy all the time. Every single person is going to be different in what they do. Some people may find it easy while others find it to be the hardest thing in the world. Clearly, Emerson did not just think of all of this randomly one day as he was sitting in a chair reading. It would have taken a lot of time and effort and learning and thinking to even find the idea of genius and drill. So if you think about it, the man who thought of genius and drill, even had to go through the genius and drill process before it existed, in order to come up with the idea of genius and drill. He had to learn all of his life, he had to want to learn, and better himself in order to think of genius and drill. Then he had to apply what he learned throughout his life in order to fully come up with this idea.

When I first read this essay, I did not understand one bit of it. But then I read it again and we had a class discussion on it, and I found it to be very interesting. The whole concept of genius and drill is really clever and it really made me think. And what Emerson said about nature was very interesting too. I know that it would be very hard to do, but it would be extremely nice to have kids learn and grow at their own pace just like nature. It could be a very natural and relaxing process, but instead we are rushed through school and we get information thrown at us because there are so many topics that we are required to learn. But that's the way things need to be because it is a process that works. After reading his essay, I know that I will think more about genius and drill, and what they can do to help me improve my life. Do you think genius and drill can help you in your daily life? Do you agree with Emerson when he states that children should learn at their own pace?