My personal philosophy of teaching is that people are teaching differently. There are even those who for anything in life will not be able to teach. As Seneca the Elder said: “Whom the gods would destroy, they would make a teacher.” Persian proverb says: “If heaven had heard the prayers of the children, there would be no living teacher in the world.” George Bernard Shaw put it this way: “He who can, does; who cannot, teaches others.” Peter Lawrence continued, but in a humorous way: “Who knows, makes; who cannot, teaches others; and who cannot teaches teachers.”
There enough categorical statements about teaching “Fools teach, smart people learn.” Humorously it sounds pretty funny: “Smart people love to learn, and fools – to teach. Thus, smart people are often forced to learn from fools.” Probably, these statements are not accidental – to say such things you have had to suffer a great deal from teachers. In all this, of course, there is truth; despite this, the teaching seems to me a noble occupation. I am eternally grateful to my teachers and convinced that it is important to be able to teach, because it helps people (although, judging by the above quotes, not all). It is interesting that Alexander the Great said: “I owe my father for he gave me life, and my teachers for they made my life worthy.” Continue reading “Essay on Philosophy of Teaching”