While modern pedagogy concerns itself with the frantic transmission of information, the Socratic dialogue insists education is not about information, but about participation in enduring questions.
I really enjoyed this read. Thank you for writing this article. I noticed your articles are peppered with references to the connection between monasticism and learning. I’ve been living in monasteries for a long time now and so can appreciate this. Would be interested to know what it is about this aspect of the learning experience / tradition / history that you have drawn from and why .
I studied Philosophy in college and teach middle school English. Lately I've been experimenting having students *write* dialogues as they explore topics. It's been a fantastic experiment. Writing conversations cuts to the point faster than essay writing alone.
Currently reading 'Open Socrates: The Case for a Philosophical Life' by Agnes Callard which echoes everything you're saying here. Difficult to find this kind of interaction as an adult without coming across as abrasive and argumentative.
You do understand that many teachers aren’t allowed this level of autonomy in their classroom, right? I would love to engage my students this way. However, I have a boss who dictates that I teach from the textbook and curriculum given to me by the school district, and that I also write lesson plans according to their preferred method which is very specific. My contract will not be renewed if I do not comply, and I can even be sent home without pay for insubordination. Stop blaming teachers for decisions that are above them and take it up with the school board and the state.
Yes, you are correct: this is a battle not against teachers but against the very architecture of the educational system itself, against the structural forces that have ensured that education is no longer about illumination but about compliance, that teaching is no longer an art but a task to be completed according to preordained specifications. The system wants you obedient. It demands your acquiescence. And your boss? He is but another link in the chain, another agent of the unseen Order, though perhaps, in the dark hours of early morning, he too wonders if the great Machine can ever be dismantled.
Totally understand. Perversions aside - I know, a tricky subject - the beauty of small colleges in the day was that professors and students could meet after class to, excuse the term, delve deeper into philosophy. I probably shouldn’t have responded because the perverted minds will veer way of course.
I really enjoyed this read. Thank you for writing this article. I noticed your articles are peppered with references to the connection between monasticism and learning. I’ve been living in monasteries for a long time now and so can appreciate this. Would be interested to know what it is about this aspect of the learning experience / tradition / history that you have drawn from and why .
I studied Philosophy in college and teach middle school English. Lately I've been experimenting having students *write* dialogues as they explore topics. It's been a fantastic experiment. Writing conversations cuts to the point faster than essay writing alone.
Currently reading 'Open Socrates: The Case for a Philosophical Life' by Agnes Callard which echoes everything you're saying here. Difficult to find this kind of interaction as an adult without coming across as abrasive and argumentative.
Sadly, rare is the teacher who has struggled through the arduous preparation you cite.
You do understand that many teachers aren’t allowed this level of autonomy in their classroom, right? I would love to engage my students this way. However, I have a boss who dictates that I teach from the textbook and curriculum given to me by the school district, and that I also write lesson plans according to their preferred method which is very specific. My contract will not be renewed if I do not comply, and I can even be sent home without pay for insubordination. Stop blaming teachers for decisions that are above them and take it up with the school board and the state.
Yes, you are correct: this is a battle not against teachers but against the very architecture of the educational system itself, against the structural forces that have ensured that education is no longer about illumination but about compliance, that teaching is no longer an art but a task to be completed according to preordained specifications. The system wants you obedient. It demands your acquiescence. And your boss? He is but another link in the chain, another agent of the unseen Order, though perhaps, in the dark hours of early morning, he too wonders if the great Machine can ever be dismantled.
Totally understand. Perversions aside - I know, a tricky subject - the beauty of small colleges in the day was that professors and students could meet after class to, excuse the term, delve deeper into philosophy. I probably shouldn’t have responded because the perverted minds will veer way of course.
Students are taught the way artificial intelligence is "taught," but the results are much worse, precisely because of this.
Fascinating as ever - reminding me of how endless our quest for wisdom is.