Push and Pull
One of my favorite quotes comes from Galileo, who once said, "You cannot teach a man anything...you can only help him find it within himself." For instructional teaching, this maxim probably doesn't apply. I don't imagine any of us are born with the knowledge of how a car works...hence, the manual in driver's ed. Where it does hold true is for inspirational teaching, or the teaching of general truths about the world.
I actually don't think that the quote itself is directed at teachers. Sure, it's good advice for a teacher who is looking to reach an audience of adults; you generally cannot just jam knowledge into peoples' heads and have them accept it. And you can't inspire by fiat. What you have to do is more subtle. You have to, as Galileo suggests, help a man reach the conclusion for himself.
I think the advice is better for students to heed. When we sit down to learn, it would make it a whole lot easier if we opened ourselves up and accept things that don't necessarily come from within, but from without as well. It's a good limitation of the human mind to be well aware of.
At one end of the spectrum, teachers are pushers. They make an effort to push knowledge onto their students. Galileo suggests that it's much more effective (and I agree) to try and pull such life lessons out of students, and let them discover them for themselves.
I try to remain at the other end of the spectrum, where I (as a student) attempt to pull lessons from the outside world, without them having to be pushed upon me. It amounts to little more than curiosity, but it helps me keep myself in check.
I actually don't think that the quote itself is directed at teachers. Sure, it's good advice for a teacher who is looking to reach an audience of adults; you generally cannot just jam knowledge into peoples' heads and have them accept it. And you can't inspire by fiat. What you have to do is more subtle. You have to, as Galileo suggests, help a man reach the conclusion for himself.
I think the advice is better for students to heed. When we sit down to learn, it would make it a whole lot easier if we opened ourselves up and accept things that don't necessarily come from within, but from without as well. It's a good limitation of the human mind to be well aware of.
At one end of the spectrum, teachers are pushers. They make an effort to push knowledge onto their students. Galileo suggests that it's much more effective (and I agree) to try and pull such life lessons out of students, and let them discover them for themselves.
I try to remain at the other end of the spectrum, where I (as a student) attempt to pull lessons from the outside world, without them having to be pushed upon me. It amounts to little more than curiosity, but it helps me keep myself in check.