Learning outside the classroom vs inside the classroom

Consider something you learned outside of school with little or no help from a teacher (programming your DVR, gaming, sports, knitting, etc.). What was it? What distinguished this learning from your learning inside school? What might school teachers learn from this?

Gaining my inspiration from the random picture of the game World of Warcraft (WoW) on Blaw-blog, I will say that I learned a bit about playing 2v2 arena PVP (player vs. player) on WoW from my boyfriend a few days ago. The best way that I learn to do something is by observing a person doing whatever it is I want to learn, and then playing copy-kat (pun intended).

So Jesse (the boyfriend) shows me how to sign up and make a 2v2 arena team. Then we dive right in and face two other players from another team. These players already know what they are doing, so we are promptly beat. But as Jesse leads me through another round he offers strategies for winning.

The best part about Jesse teaching me is that he is never pushy or condescending: He is patient and gives help, as opposed to yelling and telling me what to do.

I think this translates to teaching in the classroom because when it comes to something difficult and new a teacher should be more of a guide than a dictator.