My personal philosophy of education

◊ To transfer cultural knowledge from one generation to the next is a sublime and supremely important art mastered by few. Do not expect the public to know this.

◊ Teaching is a highly subversive activity. Do not expect the public to know this, either.

◊ Children are irrational, needy, and dependent. Sometimes adult learners are, too. Accept this.

◊ Teachers cannot do the learning for the students. Learners arrive at their own rate, in their own time, for their own reasons.

◊ An exam captures a moment. An education informs a lifetime. The two should not be confused.

◊ The only blank slate in the classroom is mounted on the wall.

◊ Students believe what they want to believe. To challenge their beliefs is to stimulate their growth, but remember that the only mind you can change is your own.

◊ If it’s not working, try something else.

◊ We find our way as educators when we stop teaching subjects and start teaching students.

◊ Telling is not teaching.

◊ Students will take away only what they value from their classroom experience. What they take may not be what you intended. It might not even be what you taught.

◊ Students confuse "fun" with "easy." They must be taught otherwise.

◊ As for grade entitlement -- this is not "A-Mart." The only grade anyone is entitled to without effort is an "F."

◊ The needs of the body supersede the needs of the mind. This is true for teachers as well as students.

◊ At the end of the day, shut the door. Go home.

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