Chapter 3 - The Learning Environment

The purpose of this chapter is to expand on the definitions of “The Learning Environment” identified in chapter 1.

1. The Family

The Family is the first and primary unit of our civilization. The mother and father with a child complete the family unit and form the environment in which humankind has progressed throughout history. Both parents are the initial teachers of the child therefore are the major influence in the early life of a child. The influence can be positive or negative. The child is always a child of parents and the learning process never ends. The parents may continue to influence their child throughout their life even if the meaningful relationship changes. The duty of the parents is to establish the positive environment for the child to learn the ways to live to its full potential. It’s the duty of the child to listen and follow the leadership of the parents. The parent is the first level of leadership.

2. Friends and Fun

Friends and Fun starts on the playground. This playground could be with your own family such as vacations, birthday parties and just living with brothers and sisters. The neighborhood or school ball team as well as school activities outside the classroom are but a few places where interaction with other people, primarily of your own age group will form your personality away from the family unit. The friends and fun activities will contribute heavily to how you act and react to other people and may conflict with those being taught by the family. “Peer pressure” is a real challenge to many young impressionable boys and girls and will impact your relationship with the family’s code of conduct being taught at home. Who to believe and learn from becomes important to your future and your ability to be a leader. Friends and Fun is the second level of leadership skills training.

3. Your Community

Your Community is the next level of our society where learning continues to progress. The community by its nature includes more people, different types of religions, color, creeds, and ethnicities. As a future leader, it is important to live and interact with other people in order to learn essential skills necessary to be a leader. Your involvement in your community, or any community, will enhance your capabilities to communicate with others in such a way that allows your leadership skills to take its desired affect. There are many community groups such as churches, community centers, fund raisers, charity drives, etc that all require someone to be a leader that plans and organizes and followers that carries out the activities. The community is the third level of leadership skills training.

4. The Classroom

The Classroom is another form of “Your Community” but with a different purpose. The differences are specific to the learning process. The classroom’s purpose, unlike the community, has been planned in advance with an agenda that imparts knowledge from a teacher to students of the classroom. The classroom usually has specific written materials to study and exercise in order for the student to grasp for the purpose of advancing skill level. The classroom is typically provided by a learning center or school and usually conducted inside a building but is not necessary. Many times the classroom is an outside activity and conducted only in an outside environment. Testing skill level is another major difference between the community and the classroom. Testing your knowledge can be written, oral and physical and determines the degree to which you have learned the required knowledge before progressing to another higher level. The classroom is the more familiar setting used to teach and is the forum this training course will use both for inside and outside environments. The classroom is the fourth level of leadership skills training.

5. Working

Working is the environment most people find themselves throughout their lifetime. The workplace involves a constant change in people, places and things. As you become older your responsibilities will become more complex and will challenge your knowledge and skills to cope with life in general. The more prepared you are the more effective you become at understanding changes and you will learn the skills needed to keep improving your life and way of living. Taking on more responsibility becomes a measure of your leadership skills during this process. The workplace is the fifth level of leadership skills training.