Why "Easy" Classes Often Teach More Than "Hard" Classes
A lot of teachers talk as if you necessarily learn more material in "hard" classes than "easy" ones. But my own life experience has proven repeatedly that I retain more material from classes that felt easy at the time, whereas the hardest classes I often retain little material from.
In this video I tell my personal story and explore why things have played out this way for me: often if a class seems hard, it's a sign that the teaching is less effective, the textbook is less well-written, or the material is presented at too high a level. Also, hard classes can create a sense of inadequacy and promote frustration and anxiety, poor motivators for learning.
Classes that seem "easy" often are so because the teaching is better quality, the textbook is better-written, and the class is taught at the appropriate level for the students. Futhermore, it may seem "easy" because the teacher is effective at instilling self-confidence in the students, leading them to believe they are smart and capable. All of these factors lead students to play with the material more deeply and master it more thoroughly, which leads to better retention.
I want to call on us to question and throw out the idea that classes need to be extremely hard to the point of frustration, in order to optimally teach.