QUOTABLE:

 How to Teach

Your Questions Our answers   What is wisdom? Wisdom is a personal knowledge of causes, remembering that to the classical mind, purpose and nature are essential causes of anything. Wisdom is the ability to rightly order and judge that concerning which one is wise.   What is virtue? Virtue is an excellence. It is a faculty that is well developed and thus able to fulfill its purpose and express its nature. Its development, in turn, enables the being with the virtue to better fulfill the purpose enshrined in its nature.   What is the classical Didactic Mode? The goal of the classical Didactic mode of instruction is to understand and apply an idea. A teacher achieves this end by presenting models or types of the idea for the student to contemplate. In its most complete form, the classical Didactic mode follows five stages: First stage: prepare the students to contemplate the idea by making them aware of what they already know about the idea Second stage: Present types of the idea Third stage: Compare the types with each other Fourth stage: Ask the students to express the idea in their own words Fifth stage: Students apply the idea By following the classical Didactic mode, teachers are able to naturally and effectively fulfill the seven laws of teaching and the three columns.   What is the Socratic Mode? The Socratic mode follows a strategy of purposeful questioning in order to move students from their present understanding of an idea to a deeper, more accurate, and/or clearer understanding. Strictly speaking, Socratic instruction follows two stages: Stage one: Ironic. Here the goal of the questioner is to expose insufficiencies in the students’ current understanding of the idea. Stage two: Maieutic (from the Greek for mid-wife). Here the goal of the questioner is to “give birth” to a deeper, more accurate, and/or clearer understanding. To reach the goal of a deeper understanding of truth (not just knowing the right words to say) the teacher begins by encouraging students to state their current views on an issue. The teacher then asks questions that challenge those views, exposing inconsistencies and weaknesses. By asking more questions and presenting models for comparison, the teacher then leads the students to a fuller understanding. In Socratic questioning, all of the constructive thought is conducted by the students. The teacher’s role is to help the students perceive truth by asking questions. By implementing the Socratic mode, the teacher is able to effectively fulfill the seven laws of teaching and the three columns.   Can you describe the seven laws of learning? John Milton Gregory summarizes the seven laws of teaching as follows: A teacher must be one who KNOWS the lesson or truth to be taught. A learner is one who ATTENDS with interest to the lesson given. The language used as a MEDIUM between teacher and learner must be COMMON to both. The lesson to be learned must be explicable in the terms of truth already known by the learner—the UNKNOWN must be explained by the KNOWN. Teaching is AROUSING and USING the pupil’s mind to form in it a desired conception or thought. Learning is THINKING into one’s own UNDERSTANDING a new idea or truth. The test and proof of teaching—the finishing and fastening process—must be a RE-VIEWING, RE-THINKING, RE-KNOWING, and RE-PRODUCING of the knowledge taught. How should we teach the first column (content)? If the teacher seeks to communicate information to his students, he is teaching this first column. To do so, the teacher communicates the information to the student through one of various means (lecture, reading, lists, chants, etc.) and then requires the student to demonstrate that he has retained the information.   How should we teach the second column (ideas)? When a teacher seeks to enable a student to better understand an idea, he is teaching in the second column. To do so, the teacher engages the class in discussion.   How should we teach the third column (skills)? When a teacher seeks to train a student in an intellectual or physical skill, he is teaching in the third column. To do so, the teacher coaches the student.