Learning To Read And Write By Frederick Douglass: An Analysis

Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, once claimed, “Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world,” which means, obviously, that education is crucial. There is no better teacher than the student’s will to learn. Due to the potential and possibility of education, students who are willing to study and learn should be provided with a better environment for learning as much as they possible. Ideally, this environment should function to assist independent learning. I have found that this develops values such as responsibility, an experimental mind, and intellectual initiative. These qualities led me to decide that my ideal learning environment is a balance of home education, private tutoring, and studying

abroad.
Good home education allows me to learn at my own pace, rather than having to learn at the class’s pace.

Also, I develop independence and responsibility through education. This means, it is more effective for me to learn at my own pace rather than to follow the class’s schedule. In “Learning to Read and Write” by Frederick Douglass, the story about how Douglass earned to read and write, the author states that Douglass cannot go to school or another institute, so he should have learn him, he learned to read and write by himself. Paradoxically, his independent learning without any educational institute, led him to be enlightened, to run away from slavery, and to be an abolitionist. Also, learning is a responsible job since students should learn by themselves, and manage subjects, content, and progress. In my opinion, learning is like a business management. Students pay for the expense, which is a hard labor, and gain profit, such as a degree, employment, and knowledge. Good home education results in more profit. Looking back to Douglass’s experience, he was reading a book whenever he could. This independent learning helped him to be eligible to make his own decisions and put them into real

actions.
In addition to education at home, private tutoring is way helpful for me to look at a subject in a more complex way and enables communication between the teacher and me.

People might think it is costly, but that is not always true. There are a lot of free tutoring services in many schools and states. Private tutoring allows me to learn a specific subject more thoroughly because it does not depend on time or place. For instance, “Struggle for smarts: How Eastern and Western Cultures Tackle Learning,” an NPR broadcast, tells the story of Japanese students struggling with a math problem which they cannot solve. This is the correct way to study math because studying math is not just about getting the correct answers but deriving there from critical thinking. Therefore, private tutoring is a good opportunity to struggle with difficult problems in a complex way. School lectures mostly cover basic concepts, which are suitable for all students. Thus, it is hard to challenge students with difficult concepts. Moreover, tutoring makes communication much easier between the student and teacher because it involves fewer students than school lectures. Mutual communication leads to the satisfaction of students’ curiosity and making up for their weaknesses. Students can ask teachers questions and get feedback from them immediately. In my experience, I have studied Calculus 1 (which usually takes 3-4months in school lecture) in a month. At the time, I was preparing for the subject with my

tutor before the semester started. Thus, I could understand the concepts much more easily than the other students, and I got a good outcome. Based on this experience, I conclude that the private tutoring is an ideal environment that helps students to remedy their shortcomings and to satisfy their intellectual interests.
Furthermore, studying abroad is an ideal way to gain diverse experiences from various unique cultures and to easily learn the languages of different countries. This is the fastest way to learn a language and to understand a culture. I am the living proof of the effectiveness of studying abroad. If I had tried to learn English in Korea, I would not be able to write an academic essay like this. My study abroad period was not long, but my English greatly improved. Likewise, I could learn a language and a culture at the same time. Learning a language involves learning a culture, and vice versa. However, studying abroad can be risky. Students who study abroad run the risk of danger, decadence, and being out of control. I could find examples of students from all over the world and how they achieved their goals and how they failed. International students who have successfully completed their studies inevitably have strong self-control and purpose. In turn, students who manage themselves and aim for their goals can finish studies successfully. This teaches me with confidence that if I have a self-discipline and keep trying, then I will reach my goal.
Students who are passionate about learning and are provided with a good home education, private tutoring, and the opportunity to study abroad will achieve their ultimate goals. Good home education leads students to be responsible and independent, private tutoring helps students with a good assistant, and studying abroad leads students to have better foreign language skills and understand cultural values. In any case, it is an environment which helps students rather than changes them dramatically. As long as students have a willingness to study, they should be respected and provided with a decent environment. No one knows the little student’s potential to change society, the nation, and the world.
In the past, I thought that the ideal learning dealt with success or failure. A successful output was the only ideal learning to me. Now I see that learning involves being willing, working, and then knowing with better environments.