QotD, musings

[drwex]

This passed across my screen today:

The primary task of a useful teacher is to teach his students to recognize 'inconvenient' facts

The speaker is Max Weber, turn-of-the(last)-century German sociologist and economist. If you don't understand why America is so materialistic you haven't read enough Weber.

I think the quote applies outside of teaching. It's kind of a nice summation of much of how I look at life.

Much elided here. Need thinking. Commentary welcome.

Comments

[gentlescholar.livejournal.com]

That's a useful task, but far from primary.

Teach them that there are things out there to learn.
Teach them to want to learn.
Teach them to ask questions.
Teach them where answers are sometimes found.
Teach them that mistakes exist everywhere.
Teach them the difference between fact and opinion.

Then you can sit down to the details, such as recognizing inconvenient facts.