John Holt Quote

"The most important thing any teacher has to learn, not to be learned in any school of education I ever heard of, can be expressed in seven words: Learning is not the product of teaching. Learning is the product of the activity of learners."

by:	John Holt (1923-1985) American author and educator, proponent of homeschooling, and pioneer in youth rights theory
Source:	Holt, J. (1967). How Children Learn. New York: Pitman Publishing Corporation
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Categories:	Education, Children
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YES  -- Mike, Norwalk      1
Absolutely!!  -- E Archer, NYC      1
-- Rita, Richland
As a college freshman sitting in that first general history lecture with 200 other bleary-eyed students at 8 am the question of what we were supposed to learn from this sort of teaching crossed my mind. I asked that question of an obviously disinterested professor who said: "This course is not intended to teach anything. College is not intended to teach. The techniques of learning (critical reading, analytical thinking, perfunctory skills in math) are all supposed to have been taught to you before coming here. These courses are about the difference between facts and opinions which you, as a student, must determine for yourself those which you wish to accept or reject. You have before you a professor in title only. I am but a more experienced student whose research is offered for your consideration. Your due diligence is expected through your response and consideration of my and hundreds of others throughout recorded time. Failing to consider and respond, you will fail; as a student and a person. What is the text of this course ? Everything which has been written about the course of events in human history. What is the subject of this course ? The sorting of probability from opinion. History is a likely story."  -- John Shuttleworth, New York City      1
The cardinal, indispensible, character attribute of anyone who is even remotely worthy of being characterized as being a qualified teacher is humility. Accordingly, in its most sublime rendering, teaching is a ministerial calling. Anyone for whom teaching is an actual calling understands, necessarily, that true education entails neither indoctrination nor merely the crude communication of knowledge but the humble cultivation of the individuality, character and native faculty for learning of each individual.  -- Patrick Henry, Red Hill      1
-- jim k, austin

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