In the fifth talk James discusses how teachers need to never forget, “No reception without reaction, no impression with correlative expression.” He makes it clear that learning things by rote and reciting are not the best ways to learn.
The passages that stood out the most to me in this talk were “An impression which simply flows in at the pupil’s eyes or ears, an in no way modifies his active life, is an impression gone to waste.” (p. 17) Also “The most durable impression are those on account of which we speak or act, or else are inwardly convulsed.” (p. 17) The reason I like this passage is because it is so true. I am sure, like me many students over the years have just memorized something for the test and couldn’t tell you anything once it was over. But, there was the class(es) that stuck with you and you could repeat almost everything you learned. How can teachers, even the really bad ones, have more of those durable impressions on our students, the ones that last a lifetime?
The passages that stood out the most to me in this talk were “An impression which simply flows in at the pupil’s eyes or ears, an in no way modifies his active life, is an impression gone to waste.” (p. 17) Also “The most durable impression are those on account of which we speak or act, or else are inwardly convulsed.” (p. 17) The reason I like this passage is because it is so true. I am sure, like me many students over the years have just memorized something for the test and couldn’t tell you anything once it was over. But, there was the class(es) that stuck with you and you could repeat almost everything you learned. How can teachers, even the really bad ones, have more of those durable impressions on our students, the ones that last a lifetime?
But what is this little chapter about in terms of learning? James says it's one of the most important maxims for a teacher.
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