"A teacher who is not dogmatic is simply a teacher who is not teaching"
- Gilbert K. Chesterton
About this Quote
This quote by Gilbert K. Chesterton recommends that an instructor who is not dogmatic is not teaching successfully. Dogmatism is specified as the practice of holding strong convictions or beliefs without thinking about other opinions or evidence. A teacher who is not dogmatic is not teaching in the sense that they are not providing their trainees with a strong set of beliefs or convictions. Rather, they are just supplying details with no real assistance or instructions. This can be damaging to students as they may not have the ability to form their own viewpoints or beliefs without the assistance of a teacher who is dogmatic. An instructor who is dogmatic has the ability to supply their trainees with a strong set of beliefs and convictions that can help them form their own opinions and beliefs. For that reason, an instructor who is not dogmatic is not teaching in the sense that they are not supplying their trainees with the guidance and instructions they require to form their own viewpoints and beliefs.
"Learning and teaching should not stand on opposite banks and just watch the river flow by; instead, they should embark together on a journey down the water. Through an active, reciprocal exchange, teaching can strengthen learning how to learn"
"We need to redefine the role of the teacher from that of the transmitter of knowledge to that of a researcher, co-learner, and partner in the process of constructing knowledge"
"Teaching is the only major occupation of man for which we have not yet developed tools that make an average person capable of competence and performance. In teaching we rely on the "naturals," the ones who somehow know how to teach"
