the art of teaching

The Art of TeachingThe Art of Teaching

I like a teacher who gives you something to I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides take home to think about besides homework. homework.

~Lily Tomlin as "Edith Ann"~Lily Tomlin as "Edith Ann"

The dream begins with a teacher who The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called "truth." poking you with a sharp stick called "truth."

~Dan Rather~Dan Rather

In teaching you cannot see the fruit of a In teaching you cannot see the fruit of a day's work. It is invisible and remains so, day's work. It is invisible and remains so, maybe for twenty years. maybe for twenty years.

~Jacques Barzun ~Jacques Barzun 

Teaching is the profession that teaches all Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions. the other professions.

~Author Unknown~Author Unknown

If a doctor, lawyer, or dentist had 40 people in If a doctor, lawyer, or dentist had 40 people in his office at one time, all of whom had different his office at one time, all of whom had different needs, and some of whom didn't want to be needs, and some of whom didn't want to be there and were causing trouble, and the there and were causing trouble, and the doctor, lawyer, or dentist, without assistance, doctor, lawyer, or dentist, without assistance, had to treat them all with professional had to treat them all with professional excellence for nine months, then he might excellence for nine months, then he might have some conception of the classroom have some conception of the classroom teacher's job.teacher's job.

~Donald D. Quinn~Donald D. Quinn

Modern cynics and skeptics... see no harm Modern cynics and skeptics... see no harm in paying those to whom they entrust the in paying those to whom they entrust the minds of their children a smaller wage minds of their children a smaller wage than is paid to those to whom they entrust than is paid to those to whom they entrust the care of their plumbing. the care of their plumbing.

~John F. Kennedy~John F. Kennedy

A teacher who is attempting to teach without A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on cold iron. hammering on cold iron.

~Horace Mann ~Horace Mann 

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. where his influence stops.

~Henry Brooks Adams ~Henry Brooks Adams 

A good teacher is like a candle - it A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others. consumes itself to light the way for others.

~Author Unknown ~Author Unknown 

The true teacher defends his pupils against The true teacher defends his pupils against his own personal influence. He inspires his own personal influence. He inspires self-distrust. He guides their eyes from self-distrust. He guides their eyes from himself to the spirit that quickens him. He himself to the spirit that quickens him. He will have no disciple. will have no disciple.

~Amos Bronson Alcott ~Amos Bronson Alcott 

A good teacher is a master of simplification A good teacher is a master of simplification and an enemy of simplism. and an enemy of simplism.

~Louis A. Berman ~Louis A. Berman 

We expect teachers to handle teenage We expect teachers to handle teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, and the pregnancy, substance abuse, and the failings of the family. Then we expect them failings of the family. Then we expect them to educate our children.to educate our children.

~John Sculley~John Sculley

Good teachers are costly, but bad teachers Good teachers are costly, but bad teachers cost more. cost more.

~Bob Talbert ~Bob Talbert 

The mediocre teacher tells. The good The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.

~William Arthur Ward~William Arthur Ward

The best teacher is the one who suggests The best teacher is the one who suggests rather than dogmatizes, and inspires his rather than dogmatizes, and inspires his listener with the wish to teach himself. listener with the wish to teach himself.

~Edward Bulwer-Lytton ~Edward Bulwer-Lytton 

A teacher's purpose is not to create students A teacher's purpose is not to create students in his own image, but to develop students in his own image, but to develop students who can create their own image. who can create their own image.

~Author Unknown~Author Unknown

What the teacher is, is more important than What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches. what he teaches.

~Karl Menninger~Karl Menninger

Teaching should be full of ideas instead of Teaching should be full of ideas instead of stuffed with facts. stuffed with facts.

~Author Unknown~Author Unknown

Teaching is leaving a vestige of one self in Teaching is leaving a vestige of one self in the development of another. And surely the development of another. And surely the student is a bank where you can the student is a bank where you can deposit your most precious treasures. deposit your most precious treasures.

~Eugene P. Bertin~Eugene P. Bertin

Teachers who inspire know that teaching is Teachers who inspire know that teaching is like cultivating a garden, and those who like cultivating a garden, and those who would have nothing to do with thorns must would have nothing to do with thorns must never attempt to gather flowers. never attempt to gather flowers.

~Author Unknown~Author Unknown

Teachers who inspire realize there will Teachers who inspire realize there will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping They will be stumbling blocks or stepping stones; it all depends on how we use stones; it all depends on how we use them.them.

~Author Unknown ~Author Unknown 

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man how to fish and you feed day; teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.him for a lifetime.

Teaching is not a lost art, but the regard for Teaching is not a lost art, but the regard for it is a lost tradition.it is a lost tradition.

~Jacques Barzun ~Jacques Barzun 

One looks back with appreciation to the One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of for the growing plant and for the soul of the child. the child.

~Carl Jung~Carl Jung

The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.mind.

~Kahlil Gibran ~Kahlil Gibran 

The task of the excellent teacher is to The task of the excellent teacher is to stimulate "apparently ordinary" people to stimulate "apparently ordinary" people to unusual effort. The tough problem is not in unusual effort. The tough problem is not in identifying winners: it is in making winners identifying winners: it is in making winners out of ordinary people. out of ordinary people.

~ K. Patricia Cross~ K. Patricia Cross

When you teach your son, you teach your When you teach your son, you teach your son's son. son's son.

~The Talmud~The Talmud

The best teachers teach from the heart, not The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book. from the book.

~Author Unknown  ~Author Unknown  

Often, when I am reading a good book, I Often, when I am reading a good book, I stop and thank my teacher. That is, I used stop and thank my teacher. That is, I used to, until she got an unlisted number. to, until she got an unlisted number.

~Author Unknown~Author Unknown

Who dares to teach must never cease to Who dares to teach must never cease to learn. learn.

~John Cotton Dana~John Cotton Dana

There are three good reasons to be a There are three good reasons to be a teacher - June, July, and August. teacher - June, July, and August.

~Author Unknown~Author Unknown

A teacher should have maximal authority, A teacher should have maximal authority, and minimal power. and minimal power.

~Thomas Szaz~Thomas Szaz

To teach is to learn twice. To teach is to learn twice.

~Joseph Joubert, Pensées, 1842~Joseph Joubert, Pensées, 1842

The secret of teaching is to appear to have The secret of teaching is to appear to have known all your life what you just learned known all your life what you just learned this morning. this morning.

~Author Unknown~Author Unknown

The object of teaching a child is to enable The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without his teacher. him to get along without his teacher.

~Elbert Hubbard~Elbert Hubbard

Teaching is the only major occupation of Teaching is the only major occupation of man for which we have not yet developed man for which we have not yet developed tools that make an average person tools that make an average person capable of competence and performance. capable of competence and performance. In teaching we rely on the "naturals," the In teaching we rely on the "naturals," the ones who somehow know how to teach. ones who somehow know how to teach.

~Peter Drucker~Peter Drucker

Teachers are expected to reach Teachers are expected to reach unattainable goals with inadequate tools. unattainable goals with inadequate tools. The miracle is that at times they The miracle is that at times they accomplish this impossible task. accomplish this impossible task.

~Haim G. Ginott~Haim G. Ginott

The art of teaching is the art of assisting The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery. discovery.

~Mark Van Doren~Mark Van Doren