VALUING WAYS OF KNOWING: Ways of Learning

By Ali Pavlich

Life-long Learner

My mom always told me that I could be in school forever because I love learning so much. I quickly agreed with her but after thinking about it, I realized school was sometimes frustrating because I didn’t learn in the styles that my teachers taught and I was not a good test taker. It wasn’t until I was in my late twenties that I truly felt the most natural learning experience.

I was working part-time as a hand model (I still laugh every time I say I was a hand model) for a food cinematography company. Naturally, I was asking questions and soaking up all the new information. After working with them for a few months, they approached me about training to become a full-time cinematographer. I shared my concern, as I had never touched a camera before. That thought quickly vanished as my bosses shared they were self-taught. Knowing that, I immediately felt a sense of trust and patience with them. Having already worked with them for a few months, there was a mutual understanding of communication methods after seeing their various styles of teaching. 

Learning a New Way

Throughout the training process, there were many times where I couldn’t comprehend what I was being taught through conversation alone. This was never met with frustration from my bosses, they quickly found a different way to communicate. We watched countless videos, analyzed photos, experimented first hand with the equipment, and drew out examples. I felt empowered to ask more questions because my bosses were determined to help me learn in the best way for me. I was fortunate enough that they valued the learning process enough to sometimes stop production to make sure I felt confident in the skill we were focusing on developing. There was always space to have abstract conversations that allowed me to feel confident not only to produce great work as a cinematographer but to also learn how to teach others well. 

Collaborative Creation

I experienced learning in an environment that encouraged growth from mistakes, not immediate failure. Abstract conversations and opposing thoughts were met with energizing conversation, not shut down because I was new to the field. I was able to share what I had learned in various methods, not just a written test. This experience was the most influential to mold how I share my knowledge and expertise with others.

I am most comfortable sharing my knowledge of dance because that’s the one topic I have studied practically my whole life. Recently, I naturally fell into a position to share my knowledge of building an online community through a membership platform with my nutritionist. This isn’t a topic I would’ve instinctively called myself an expert on but in this situation, I had a year of firsthand successes and failures to share. As I have reflected on our conversations and assisted in creating this membership, I noticed that I share what I know in a collaborative manner. I was mindful as I shared my knowledge and experiences, to ask questions and best learn how to support them in this new endeavor. 

Knowing that starting something new brings a lot of insecurities, especially when you are asking people to monetarily support you, I prioritized empowering their ideas and offered my thoughts or opinions in a way that enhanced the concept, not take it and make it my own. I thrive in conversations that are collaborative and everyone has the opportunity to share their knowledge to enhance the group as a whole. Thankfully my nutritionist also benefits from learning in this capacity. 

As I continue to learn from others and share my knowledge in various ways, I want to invite others into the process. I believe that I can gain something from hearing how others experience new information or perspectives for the first time, while also knowing I have something valuable to share. I’m looking forward to a life of learning, just maybe not in the classroom environment like I thought.