“Just listening to a teacher doesn't work as a learning method”: Grace’s Journey into STEM
Team Repair was lucky enough to sit down with Grace, a 16-year-old sixth form student passionate about STEM, particularly engineering and physics.
Grace came to Team Repair on a work experience placement and is exploring different career paths for her future. In this interview she shares insights into her personal journey with hands-on learning, sustainability, and her thoughts on repair skills. Here's what she had to say:
Z: When did you first know you were interested in STEM/engineering, what inspired you?
G: I have always liked breaking stuff apart but also building stuff. So, when I was younger, I used to find the YouTube tutorials of like how to build a cardboard coin sorter and things like that. I like making things practically and I think a lot of that comes from breaking stuff apart as well and then fixing it.
Learning about space was always kind of my favourite thing. Around GCSE time, I started reading books about it and I started thinking, building rockets, that sounds really cool. I read this one book about Voyager 1, and that's when physics started shifting into engineering. I realised that engineering was always there in the background... it's the application of physics. My first love was always space... I think that's where a lot of kids start because everyone loves the stars!
I also loved arts and crafts, and I did art GCSE as well.
Z: Do you feel like your education, especially in school, has provided you with enough hands-on experiences? And do you think there could be more opportunities for this kind of learning?
G: Before GCSE level, I did very few practical experiments in science and it was just kind of boring. It was just kind of learning and memorising, which I think is terrible because you can't engage with things when they're just speaking at you, or at least I can't, I just don't work that way.
I think art was probably the only place where I really did hands-on stuff. Other than that, I don't think I really got anything and I think it should be improved. I know so many people around me who would be way more affected by it. Sitting still and just listening to a teacher doesn't work as a learning method a lot of the time. It doesn't for me really. I need to be doing something at the same time and I think that's so important. Being able to do practical things. When you're just hearing about something, you can't fully understand it until you see it and I think the best way to see it is to do it.
“Sitting still and just listening to a teacher doesn't work as a learning method a lot of the time… When you're just hearing about something, you can't fully understand it until you see it and I think the best way to see it is to do it.”
Z: When you were younger, do you think you would have enjoyed a Team Repair kit?
G: Simple answer. Yes, I would have loved it. It’s fun. I loved these kind of STEM things ... Even if I was at home, if I got one of the home kits, I would have absolutely loved it. ... I was looking at the RC car one, designing a net. That would have been super fun, making the car your own and all of that. I just know I would have loved it!
The sense of accomplishment is great. Like when I did the repair kit and the console turned on, I almost jumped for joy. I was thinking, "This is incredible! I have succeeded at life!" I also really like the extension activities, it's just expanding skills but in a fun way!
Z: Do you think the skill of repair is important? And do you think it’s one that is important to learn young?
G: I think there's a bit of a throwaway culture of something doesn't work, just get rid of it, replace it. A lot of the time it's cheaper to do that as well, which is so annoying. It's also just about enabling people to be self-sufficient. You need to be able to repair things instead of just going, "Oh yeah, I'm gonna get a new one." Most people can't afford a new everything whenever it breaks. So I think it's just an important skill to be able to do something and to be able to fix your things because there's not much you can do otherwise.
Even in school, I think there's very little opportunity to learn these sorts of skills. Like there's no one really teaching them. If you don't learn it young, and I think most people learn it from their parents probably. But if your parents aren't teaching you, then I don't see how you can actually learn it. I learned how to fix clothes from my grandma. I would have no idea if I didn't have her. You have to learn repair as a child because there's no other opportunity unless someone makes one. Teach the kids young!
Z: Why do you think circular and sustainable business models are important for the future?
G: As someone in my generation, 50% of what I see on social media at the moment is the climate disaster, and it just puts into perspective how my lifetime is going to be, and all of our lifetimes. It’s the tipping point showing we need to change. Circular and sustainable business models are the only way forward... it reduces resource use, and we all know that we're running out of resources…I need to think about what I can do in my life to improve that and to do something... supporting businesses that have these models and encouraging them is my way to do my bit.
A big thank-you to Grace for her insights!
We would love interview more young people, teachers or green and STEM professionals about all things repair, sustainability, STEM education, so if you would like to feature on our blog, please contact zoe@team.repair.
