Knowledge is power. Wouldn't you say so? With knowledge we have the ability to critically think about what action/reaction is best in the situations we encounter. We gain this knowledge through the years of our life. In social occasions we learn to speak with others. In classrooms we learn about history and potential. In the world we learn about experience and "reality".
You see, I have made choices in life not to attend college. My knowledge about college is that why would I start if I wasn't going to go all the way through to a PhD. And I did not want a 12 year commitment to do what I love. I also did not want the potential $40k + debt that accompanies this commitment. So, I found a way to teach with out these pieces of paper. I found something to teach that has had a direct effect on who I am today. I have studied thoroughly the mind and the body and explore more of this knowledge everyday, I love yoga and I love exercising the mind.
In the society that I am in now, this is not enough. Passion does not say that you are smart or an avid student. A degree does though, a degree says you are a higher class, that you have more to offer. I have heard rumors as we finish up our TESOL course that my options will most likely be minimal for employment because of my "lacking" education, or that others with a degree should/will earn more money than me because they have a BA.
I have over 4 years teaching experience. For those 4 years I have been explaining the body in depth to people who know a lot about it or have zero knowledge of it and its abilities. Communicating over 1,000 hours in front of a class on how to safely achieve a goal, guiding them and creating connection and trust, building programs and plans, standing by people as they accomplished these goals and being an assistant in their accomplishment.
In Thai culture I hear that experience may not be enough, or it may, depending on the context of what they want in their school. All for because I do not have a BA, which if it really came down to it I could go buy on Khao San road in Bangkok. So, how important is it really?
All this rambling leads to a reminder that we often judge a book by it's cover. With tendencies to define a person by what visible accomplishments they have. Devastatingly, we forget they have something better than a piece of paper that states their greatness... they have experience and knowledge. Whether we choose to study in a school or on the street, no one choice trumps the other. After all it is about using the knowledge and skills we have?
Chances are, I will land a great job because I have teaching experience and experience with kids. But I get the feeling that the BA will hover over my head for as long as we are here, and because I am stubborn about proving a point I will most likely choose not to follow this path of organized learning and adjust my life accordingly. Being in that position of street experience I would ask of you, the readers, to consider the impact of your personal regulations on education.
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