Education has regrets

Author: Xue Nongji
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: There is a saying in the West, "Experience is a comb sent by God after you have lost all your hair," meaning that gaining experience is not an easy task—it requires long-term practice. And once you have gained experience, the road of life is also complete. This saying has a slightly pessimistic tone. In reality, we are constantly practicing and accumulating experience and wisdom in our work and life. Perhaps by the time we are at the peak of our strength, still enjoying the beauty of youth, and before our temples are graying, we have already become rich in experience and a true wise person. The presence or absence, and the amount, of experience and wisdom are not necessarily proportional to age. However, experience and wisdom are definitely positively correlated with a person's learning, practice, thinking, and especially reflection. The emphasis on "reflection" is because reflection is looking back at the path we have taken: if the path is on the right track, it naturally gives us the courage to continue forward in the right direction; if the path has gone slightly astray, it is okay to stop and think about the reasons for the deviation and how to correct it in the next step. "The past cannot be admonished, but the future can still be pursued." This does not mean "the past cannot be 'learned from'." If we do not "learn from the past," our pursuit of the "future" is often blind, and we may likely fall into danger and suffer defeat. Reflection is the shortcut to gaining lessons, and lessons are often the mother of experience. We can often explore the depths of experience through the "detour" of lessons. "Reflection—Lessons—Experience" is truly an excellent step in refining wisdom, especially when we have just embarked on the journey of education; especially when we encounter unprecedented educational phenomena that frequently arise during social transformation. Educating with Regret is such a work of reflection. Frankly, it appeals to readers with the lessons of facing setbacks and failures rather than the experiences of winning victories and creating brilliance. This does not mean you cannot derive rational wisdom and nourishment from it, because at least it can tell you what educational attitudes need to be corrected, what educational behaviors need to be overcome, and what educational concepts need to be turned around. If we compare education to Edison's invention of the light bulb, are not these articles and cases just like the copper wires, iron wires, and other materials he used before inventing the tungsten filament? We cannot say that copper wires are useless or that iron wires have no value. Similarly, we cannot say that these mistakes and shortcomings cannot become the forerunners of the correct path, or that they lack the significance of a "living pedagogy." Of course, education is best when it is without regret, but this is only a theoretical assumption. The occurrence of regrettable aspects in the actual practice of education, regardless of the situation, is always because we are practicing and taking action. In a sense, all practice and action carry the possibility of "trial and error." Therefore, to make education "without regret," there are only two scenarios: either stay away from practice and refuse action—by not doing anything, there is naturally no possibility of making mistakes or having regrets; or unwillingness to experience, admit, and understand this sense of "regret." The former is at most a lazy person, while the latter is a true, unyielding stubborn person. Either way, both are harmful to education itself. From this perspective, the "regret" in education actually reflects the valuable sense of responsibility and initiative of the educator. Regarding the numerous real, vivid, and specific examples provided in Educating with Regret, we can naturally treat them as lessons, warning ourselves "this path is not viable, take a detour." On the other hand, we can also view them as valuable experiences (especially the positive "correction" behaviors taken by the individuals later, which are even more meaningful as examples of experience). This need not be elaborated further. If we consider it an experience, I believe it is a very good "wake-up comb." The greatest function and value of this "comb" may lie in keeping you alert and refreshed in your educational career, making you aware of what education should do and how it should be done. Knowing what education should do and how it should be done can infinitely push you closer to the realm of "without regret" in education. In other words, the purpose of writing or publishing these articles and this book is to achieve "without regret" through "with regret." Thus, the originally "harsh" "intention" becomes more beautiful. Teacher's Digest organized a writing competition with the same theme last year, and nearly half of the nearly 100 works included in this book were excellent essays published in the magazine. Can we say that the "intention" of the editors, the ( is a Chinese term for editor-in-chief), and the publisher of this book and this series of books, without prior consultation, perfectly illustrates that education is not only "with regret" but also that education needs and calls for clear, heart-to-heart self-discipline and reflection; it needs and calls for clear, soul-searching "regret spirit." In short: education needs a very good "wake-up comb!" Giving you a "wake-up comb" is precisely the original intention of editing this book!