Learners v. Downloaders v. Work Producers

Dear colleague,

I often realize that I'm just a glorified reminder guy. My books and courses and talks are less about teaching teachers new things than they are reminding colleagues (and myself) about the old and simple things that reliably work to cultivate care in the hearts of learners.

In that spirit, then, let's take a moment or two to think on the answer to a basic question: What is a student? We all have an operational answer to this question, deep in our hearts, that shapes how we experience and plan and enact our work.

One answer is student as downloader. Their job is to get stuff into their head and our job is to facilitate that process. And while this isn't the worst idea — I'd rather this definition than one that neglects the importance of students building actual knowledge (see Chapter 3 of These 6 Things for the criticality of knowledge to the learning process) — it's certainly not a full answer. And also, the language of this mental model for students (“downloaders”) speaks to the reality of how over-simplifying what human beings are is definitionally dehumanizing. Lots of times, in our efforts to produce better learning outcomes, we unintentionally abandon the humanity of the folks involved. (This is why The Will to Learn starts with a treatment of what I call Drucker's Balance.)

Another answer is student as work producer. Do this assignment. Complete this problem set. Submit this essay. Again — it's not totally wrong! (The trickiest mental models to dislodge are never 100% wrong.) Producing work IS central to the process of learning. You don't learn just by taking in knowledge, nor do you learn just by making knowledge or work products. The trouble is that “student as work producer” has become thoroughly embedded in how we approach secondary education.

It's like we've forgotten that Mr. Miyagi's “wax-on, wax-off” had a purpose. Miyagi gave Daniel that assignment from a place of deep understanding. He knew, intimately, how the learning process works and what it meant for Daniel to be a learner. It was never about being a waxer.

But we've lost Mr. Miyagi's awareness and his depth of clarity. And it is killing our students' love for learning.

So then, what in the world are you saying, Dave? It sounds like you're saying students NEED to take in knowledge, but we have to avoid thinking of them as downloaders. And students NEED to produce things like essays and practice sets and so on, but we have to avoid thinking of them as work producers. What are we to do?

Well, very simply, we're to think of them as souls that can benefit from learning, as all souls can. Working toward mastery of the things we teach in schools — math, science, art, literature, writing, physical education, etc. — is the (extremely reliable) means through which we advance the long-term flourishing of young people. It is our lane (p. 4 of The Will to Learn). As we grow in mastery of a subject — that is, as we learn — our souls expand. Our perspectives widen. Our eyesights improve and we become better able to see the magnificent and wonderful scope of the cosmos in which we find ourselves. That's what's going on in the average effective lesson — nothing less.

Students are learners. Or…you could just call them students. And all of the knowledge-building (“downloading”) and work-producing that we have them do must be aimed relentlessly at that one precious and noble and beautiful outcome: growth toward mastery. That is, we aim all that we do at learning.

I currently teach two preps, in both of which I have absolutely no say in what's on the tests or what concepts the units cover. But nonetheless, as I repetitively contemplate (i.e., meditate, chew on, mull over) the idea of student as learner, I start to become the kind of teacher who takes a lifeless curriculum — as truly most curricula are — and breathes life into it with the way I teach.

If what I'm describing sounds a bit magical and mystical…well, that makes sense. There is a certain and inescapable amount of the magical in the work of learning; classrooms are certainly good places for folks with a mystical bent to find a rewarding career.

And at the same time, there's a blue-collar directness to this work and an analytical seriousness to it. Certain kinds of work and certain ways of guiding students to work with material just DO work better. (This is basically what the Principles of Learning Course is for, as well as These 6 Things; these are journeys into the kinds of ideas and research and concepts that help a teacher get clear on the right work, the right methods.) What I'm describing isn't a license for “do what feels right” but is rather a license to approach teaching as learners ourselves — that is, as whole-soul beings comprised of intellects and emotions and relationships and volitions and bodies.

So, that's a lot. Thanks for letting me work on my thinking here on the blog.

Mulling it all over right beside you,

DSJR

P.S. Thank you to Suzanne W. from the Rise Up 2025 conference for inspiring me to write this article.