Let the Learning begin...

Ok, so after the first couple of days of school the focus has been on how to study- as an old gal I am grateful that they are teaching us this!!!
There was a moment in class where he showed us just a little hand drawn chart on the board about how we learn as humans.  As children we learn at a rapid pace.  We've all seen it, children are sponges!  What they learn in the first few years of life is amazing! How to walk, talk, eat, understand, communicate, and of course, ask, 'why?why?why?'  Children are naturally inquisitive and want to know everything, how it works, and Why?!  Until the age of 5 children are growing and learning at at an accelerated rate.  But then at the age of 5 something happens and their learning curve starts to slow and plateau out to a regular rate.  What generally happens at the age of 5?  We start school!  This is when we learn 'sit down, shut up, don't ask  questions, knock that off, settle down, shhh, shhhhhh....'  something roused in my spirit when he said this.  My heart sank- but at the same time I felt a spark of  hope.  I knew, that I knew that this had happened to me.  In more than one avenue of my life with teachers and leaders I had been encouraged to just...stop. So, it's not that I didn't like school, but I never tried to excel. I was actually discouraged by more than one teacher regarding the areas I actually could have excelled in- and something in me just decided to quit.  I did what I had to, but not much more.  I remember clearly being put in an advanced class for Biology that was waaaay above me.  I sincerely decided to give it my very best- took notes, studied, and when I got an F on a test I had invested so much in, I was devastated.  A boy in class attacked me verbally for my grade in the class and I just shriveled inside.
I knew that I wasn't going to college.  My family couldn't afford it and I came from manual laborers.  No one ever spoke to me about scholarships or applying myself.  I actually remember my high school counselor just giving up on me during a conversation regarding college.  I saw it come across her face and thought, 'yeah, well... welcome to the club, lady.'
I became a really hard worker... at work.  It served me well for many years.
But now here I am... at school.  Stepping out in more ways than I have words for, and I know that God is going to meet me here...but I am overwhelmed.  These young people take notes on their computers and whip things out like it's nothing!  I brought my laptop for notes, but I confess I have only ever taken the traditional pen in hand notes, so I am learning on every little level.  It will come.
But back to class... so when the teacher was talking about learning- before he moved on I felt the Spirit so strongly... "Bryan?" I interrupted..."I'm sorry to interrupt but can I just pray for us real quick?"  "Sure!"  He said, "do you want the microphone?"  UM, NO.  Loud, I can be!  so I prayed... Coming against the Spirit of 'sit down and shut up.'  Asking the Holy Spirit to break the agreements that we have made in our minds that we are not good students or that we can't learn well.  Asking God to restore in us all that has been stolen regarding education and learning.  Coming against all of the claims that have been made on us regarding growing in this way and asking Him to  help us, restoring the desire to know 'why?!' the desire to seek answers and ask questions.
We are learning a lot... in and out of the class room.