The ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius expressed his belief in the importance of learning from experience when he wrote: "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

Our high schoolers not only learned about phospholipids in order to regurgitate the information for the test on Friday, they learned it on a much more permanent basis. Now here is the really great thing about being a “whole school.” When you are learning something new and as exciting as phospholipids (not my idea of excitement but overheard from Ms. Presgraves’ Anatomy and Physiology students), it can be a challenge to remember all the ins and outs of that physiology.

So, enter Confucius’ “learning curve equation” – not only do you have to know it yourself, you must come up with a creative way to explain the process to a group of non-medically-inclined and fidgety first through third graders! Therein lies the challenge AND the positive learning curve.

But you had better believe it – when upper-classman Nestor (the tall one with orange balloon hat) finds himself in Advanced Biology in college, he will remember phospholipids and the fun he, along with his ballooned classmates, had teaching them to the young students at MSA. In this case, “I do (and teach) and I understand.” And have a good memory to laugh about to boot!