Does the Future of Education Begin with “Understanding”?

How important is it for each student in the educational setting to feel “understood”? Kirsten Johansen, a special education teacher from Poland, is known for providing such reassurance to her students. If this trend continues, how will our future education change?

1. Today’s News

Source:
https://www.centralmaine.com/2025/11/26/poland-special-ed-teacher-kirsten-johansen-makes-students-feel-understood/

Summary:

• Kirsten Johansen has gained deep trust from her students as a special education teacher.
• She practices education that allows her students to feel “understood”.
• As a result, students can learn in a safe environment, improving their grades and confidence.

2. Considering the Background

In the educational field, it is required to understand and respond to the needs of individual students. However, as the education system and class sizes increase, individualized attention becomes difficult. This issue is a common challenge in many countries due to constraints in education budgets and increases in the number of students per teacher. The growing attention to teachers like Kirsten may be due to this background.

3. What Will the Future Bring?

Hypothesis 1 (Neutral): A Future Where Feeling Understood Becomes Normal

In the educational setting, it may become standard for each student to feel “understood.” Directly, the curriculum will be personalized, allowing teachers to dedicate more time to individual students. This will enable students to learn confidently, and in the future, their self-expression and problem-solving skills may improve. The educational values will shift from “knowledge accumulation” to “supporting individual growth.”

Hypothesis 2 (Optimistic): A Future Where Special Education Flourishes

As the importance of special education becomes widely recognized, the entire educational system may evolve. Schools may become more flexible learning environments, with digital technology-facilitated individualized support becoming commonplace. As a result, an educational environment that caters to diverse learning needs will be established, dramatically improving educational quality. Society will likely embrace and prioritize values of “diversity” and coexistence.

Hypothesis 3 (Pessimistic): A Future Where Individual Attention is Lost

There is a risk that individualized attention in education may become difficult, leading to a resurgence of standardized education. If budget cuts in education and teacher shortages continue, there may be less room to focus on each student. Consequently, students might feel “misunderstood” and lose their motivation to learn. Society could revert to prioritizing the value of “efficiency,” leaving individual needs neglected.

4. Tips on What We Can Do

Thinking Tips

• Let’s reaffirm the importance of considering the perspective of students.
• Shift the perspective of the educational purpose from “knowledge transmission” to “supporting human growth.”

Small Practice Tips

• Value an attitude of “listening” in daily life and strive to understand the feelings of others.
• Create opportunities to share and discuss educational topics with family and friends.

5. What Would You Do?

• Would you think of new ideas to advance the individualization of education using technology?
• Would you explore ways to extend the “feeling understood” experience in education to other fields?
• Would you challenge yourself to propose a more flexible system by re-evaluating the current education system?

What kind of future do you envision? Please let us know through SNS posts or comments.