When it comes to advice about education, the old Hebrew saying “there is nothing new under the sun” seems to be true. Take a look at this advice from some of these teacher peeps who have long gone on to to that great classroom in the sky. It may be old advice, but it is as true today as when it was first uttered in knowing voices by the wise and revered ones!
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think. Socrates
We think Socrates would approve of 21st Century skills. With today’s easy access to computers to look up facts, we know we need to focus on higher level thinking- -analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and creative problem solving. When thinking happens, the learning takes care of itself.
When the mind is thinking, it is talking to itself. Plato
Today we call this metacognition. We know that we need to understand what we know and what we do not know. Verbalizing or writing down our thoughts helps us to understand. Using journals and notebooks as teaching tools helps students clarify thinking and increase learning. If you are talking to yourself, you’re not crazy, you’re learning!
Human beings are curious by nature. Aristotle
If you don’t think this is true, watch a toddler in action. They touch, look, smell and yes, even taste everything. Once they begin to talk they question everything. Why is the moon in the sky? How do the leaves get on the trees? Where do the birds go in winter? We need to remember to encourage curiosity, letting children ask questions and explore to find answers. Curious students are engaged and motivated to learn. Who doesn’t want more of that?
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. Aristotle
Do you believe everything you read? Do you believe everything you hear someone say? Critical thinking is the ability to take in information and judge its value. You are then able to make informed decisions…about what you buy, who you will vote for and what you will believe. In this day and age of social media with its constant flow of information, this skill seems more important than ever. After all, as Abraham Lincoln famously said, “you can’t believe everything you read on the internet.”
It is better to learn late than never. Pubillius Syrus
There is no expiration date on learning. Some learn a concept quickly, others take awhile. Some children learn to read at four, some at seven or eight, and some not until adulthood. Some adults go to college at 18, some at 60. Sometimes we have to make a mistake over and over before we learn. It is the learning that matters, not how fast we learn, how much time it takes, or how old we are. The Divas are still learning all the time -not that we are old …
I learned most, not from those who taught me, but from those who talked with me. St. Augustine
Lev Vygotsky said the same thing a couple of thousand years later. Some people learn best by talking. Do you talk to students and give students a chance to talk with each other? Social learning can be a very powerful tool. Try it with strategies such as Think -Pair-Share or Book Buddies. This also speaks to the power of relationships. Children will learn more from someone they have a relationship with. Talking one-on-one with someone is a great way to learn. Hmm..permission to talk in school? Yay!
Your library is your paradise. Desiderius Erasmus
If a library is your paradise, you will never suffer from boredom. You can take a virtual vacation, visiting any time and place in the world. You can de-stress and unwind or get engaged and be invigorated. You can meet the greatest minds that ever lived, be inspired by incredible people, and learn from masters. Just go there already…and take some students with you!
Correction does much, but encouragement does more. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Consider the students paper with a score of 2/10 correct. A huge red “F” on the top of the paper does not inspire further learning. A score of +2 with a note ” With more practice, you can improve this next time” does. Which grade would you rather have? Which one would make you try harder next time?
The secret of education is respecting the pupil. Ralph Waldo Emerson
We believe that all children deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. That means giving each child what he needs, delivered in a way he can understand it. It means dealing with behavioral issues in a timely and fair manner, without humiliation and shame. It is enacting the golden rule-do unto others as you would have done to you- a basic tenant in almost every culture and every religion in the world.
Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. William Butler Yeats
Some people think the purpose of education is to cram your head full of factual knowledge. There is always a place for knowledge, but to inspire a student to love and seek understanding and truth is a much higher calling. We can never teach a student everything they will need to know, but if we can teach a student how to learn and ignite a love of learning, they will always be able to find what they need.
Does all this wisdom make you want to sport a toga and spout out some phrases for the ages? We’d love to hear your nuggets of wisdom or favorite educational quotes!
Go forth, seeketh wisdom and have a great week!
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