A teacher sets a good example and helps others to follow his ideal. I agree with ancient philosophers, such as Plato and Confucius, that the primary goal of education is the cultivation of virtue in the individual and the ultimate betterment of society. A teacher, who is not himself virtuous, displays the inadequacy of his own education. In fact, Confucius defines a teacher as one who “brings out the good in students while remedying their weaknesses”. A teacher cannot do this if he shares those weaknesses and remains ignorant of good. Many times I have seen those who attempt to instill values in their children that they themselves do not exemplify. A parent who smokes or has unhealthy eating habits should not expect their child to avoid these vices. Hypocrisy should be removed from education at all costs. Respect for a teacher extends to respect for the subject they teach and respect for learning in general.
Similarly, a teacher must exhibit a profound knowledge of the content he teaches. Forming effective lesson plans requires an extensive familiarity with the difficulties lurking inside one’s subject. A teacher should be prepared to allow plenty of time for complex ideas to sink in. If a teacher moves too quickly or assigns too much difficult work, then discouraged students will feel overwhelmed and lose interest. A teacher is like a navigator leading an expedition. Connecting new concepts to content that students previously learned requires a detailed map of the terrain. Possession of a broad spectrum of information shows that the teacher loves his subject and enjoys learning himself. This infectious enthusiasm will be passed on to the student. In high school, many of my teachers seemed to lack interest in the subjects they taught and this translated to a lack of interest from their pupils.
Experience is the ultimate teacher and students learn new things best by doing them. This teaching belief has its foundations in my physics education. Empiricism certainly underlies the philosophy of science. As a scientist, I’ve always believed that the truth exists objectively “out there” in the world, waiting to be discovered and experienced. Science’s greatest strength, repeatability, urges students to perform experiments and see the results for themselves. Over the years, the best teachers I’ve had placed an emphasis on learning by doing. For example, I learned to solve calculus problems not by reading through multiple solved examples in the textbook, but by working through problems up on the chalkboard myself during class. A formidable gulf lies between direct and indirect knowledge. For example, when I was young I read many stories and books that took place on the ocean. The authors described in vivid detail the sounds, smells, and sights of the sea and I often imagined myself standing on the shore. However, all my reading paled in comparison with the actual experience. When finally I travelled to the ocean, I was ill prepared for the actual feel of the sand between my toes and the thunderous roar on windy days. Indeed, one cannot write poetry without having experienced emotion, nor create art without knowing beauty.
Learning through experience allows students to take ideas and extend them beyond the classroom. It bridges the gap between memorization and understanding. Requiring students to apply information while they learn, promotes critical thinking and avoids the folly having them blandly regurgitate facts to pass tests. Knowledge gained in an active way outlasts knowledge gained passively. A toddler is less likely to touch a hot stove if he has been burned by it in the past, then he is if mom simply tells him, “Don’t touch the stove, its hot”.
Teachers should show an interest in their students as individuals. People learn and think in a variety of ways and at different rates. A good educator must realize this and present information to students in a suitable fashion. Education should cater to the interests and inclinations of the individual learner. Familiar concepts should be entwined with new information. This promotes understanding by allowing the student to perceive the connectedness of ideas, as opposed to just memorizing a bunch of seemingly unrelated facts. Modern education takes more of a cookie cutter approach to teaching. Children are lumped into large classrooms and fed information in the exact same packaging at the exact same rate. Although this method of teaching works for the hypothetical average student, many real students are either left behind, bored, or frustrated by the classroom pace. I was often labeled as a slow student who struggled with mathematics by many of my teachers in both primary and secondary school. In truth, I was often bored with the rate and manner in which the material was presented. I frequently resorted to daydreaming and doodling for entertainment and often didn’t finish homework assignments because I considered them to be mindless busy work. It wasn’t until later in my college education, when I started taking classes with sizes of eight to ten students, that I received some individual attention and began to improve my math grades. Admittedly, the downside to an individualized education is that it necessitates fairly small class sizes and numerous qualified instructors. However, unparalleled advantages await for those who receive individualized teaching. Smaller class sizes let students get to know their teacher and each other better. This helps them enjoy school and acquire a conviction in ideas resulting in a desire to continue learning once their formal education is complete. A small circle of fellow interested students cultivates good character.
