Rediscovering the Beauty & Aesthetics of Learning
As an educator, I’ve always approached teaching and learning with a commitment to honoring its inherent beauty. The word “aesthetics” stems from the Greek aisthenesthai, meaning “the ability to perceive” — a reminder that aesthetics invites us to sense and experience the world on a profound level.
Teaching and learning should be rich, beautiful, and life-giving. Metaphorically speaking, it’s a process of creative unfolding… rather than something that’s dry or joyless. Learning environments aren’t just places for rules and abstract ideas; they’re spaces where real courage, open hearts, and vulnerability come alive.
Yet too often, we lose sight of this. Instead of honoring the beauty of learning, we reduce the process to dry “systems” that ignore the depth that makes a process meaningful. We forget that both teaching and learning are inherently creative acts, filled with the potential to transform and inspire.
It’s time to step back and see learning for what it truly is — a profoundly aesthetic experience that invites us into the beauty of growth and discovery.
My article on “aesthetic space” in teaching and learning:
https://www.kimhermanson.com/2017/09/05/what-is-aesthetic-space-and-why-is-it-important/
