Here is an excerpt from the Education Advice that went out to Members today: Socrates said, “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” I cannot disagree, not in any way. Once you get that spark for learning, feed it, let it carry you, because it can. I have lived my life always looking to learn more and see the world through a different lens. My parents fed this eagerness in me, subscribing to National Geographic when I was young, and I could not help but be excited whenever the cover had a picture of one of the planets. Then, in fourth grade, I was shocked when my teacher was teaching about the planets and kept telling us the wrong number of moons for the planets. I thought teachers were supposed to know everything. So I annoyed my teacher by repeatedly correcting him. (Note: this teacher was later the janitor at my school when I was in eighth grade.) What this experience taught me was that, if I wanted to learn, I would have to work, because teachers are imperfect and might be teaching a subject that they are not passionate about. In the words of William Crawford, “Being a student is easy. Learning requires actual work.” At 10 years old, I learned that I had to change my attitude if I wanted to learn: learning was my responsibility, no one else’s. After teaching college for 25 years, it’s surprising to see students who are adults, who have not learned this same lesson. If you're interested in receiving information like this, etc., go to www.Kilpack.net and click on Membership.