In Praise of Our Teachers

“You are only young once, but you can stay immature indefinitely.”  
- Ogden Nash

In Praise of Our Teachers

“Teaching is a moral and sacred act. I think the characteristics of a good teacher begin with genuine respect for the student’s mind. That respect conveys to students that they can take themselves seriously. Next to that, I think, is a real love for the young and joy in seeing them grow and develop. Next to that is a passion for the discipline, but if you lack respect for the young mind and the love of young people, you won't be able to communicate it very well. We can teach people to be good teachers up to a relatively high degree, but I think teaching is also a talent. The really great teachers have this kind of X-ray vision that allows them to look at a young person and see right into that important intersection of emotion and intellect and see how to harness that emotional energy and intellectual effort and bring it to fruition. And that is a kind of X-ray vision that can't be taught. You either have it or you don't.”

Jil Ker Conway, In Praise of Our Teachers, edited by Gloria Wade Gayles
http://www.beacon.org/sp03cat/wadegayles.html
 

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.

© 2005 Child Care Information Exchange - All Rights Reserved | Contact Us | Return to Site