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more satisfying it could be to learn, I gained a much greater desire to participate in my own education. For the most part, students do not have a great desire for learning. And it should be no great surprise that they don’t possess desire. We have not trained them to desire true learning. We have trained them to achieve progression. They simply look to move forward through the various grades. Regrettably, they have learned that progression is almost automatic. One can be distinguished at progressing or not so distinguished, but nearly everyone seems to progress as long as they conform to minimal standards. As a college professor, I feel at once as though I have discovered something wonderful and yet also as if I have happened upon a giant nothing. Desire is the secret sauce in learning. I don’t think there is any question about it. That is why young men do so well in playing complex video games. They want to learn how to compete well. But how do I create desire in my students? How do I even convince them that they should desire real learning when they have long been trained to settle happily for mere progression?
I had an interesting moment with my little girl. We drove past a cemetery. She said, “Daddy, there are some big statues out there. Are those for some of the people who died?” “Yes,” I replied. “I think everybody deserves one of those statues,” she said. “Are they at least for the really good people?” “No, sweetie. Some of them may have been really good, but mostly it means they were people with money,” I said. I could tell she was disappointed. Wish I had a better answer, baby.
Hunter Baker serves as Dean of Instruction and a ssociate professor of political science at Union University . He is the author of two books, The End of Sec ularism and Political Thought: A Student ’s Guide. You can read more at his website, endofsecularism.com . 103