Apprenticeship Patterns

CHAPTER FIVE

Perpetual Learning

If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavourable. Favourable conditions never come.

C.S. Lewis, “Learning in War-Time”, The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses

Andy Hunt, a highly respected software craftsman, has asserted numerous times that software development is composed of two primary activities: learning and communication (Pragmatic Thinking and Learning, p. 3). We would build on that idea and assert that the core theme of an apprenticeship is learning and the dominant trait of a successful apprentice is a demonstration of her learning abilities. Apprentices are thirsty for opportunities to replace their ignorance with skill. This is no small feat when faced with the complexities of our work and the seemingly overwhelming amount of information that an apprentice must deal with. Beyond the fundamental act of learning Concrete Skills, an apprentice must also learn how to learn, for the transition to journeyman will certainly not remove the need for learning. One trait of a master craftsman is a willingness to set aside hard-won expertise in a specific domain in order to learn something new. Learning is a perpetual activity for those on The ...