The one exclusive sign of a thorough knowledge is the power of teaching.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
Children should be led into the right paths, not by severity, but by persuasion.
—Terence (c.195–159 BCE) Roman Comic Dramatist
The world of knowledge takes a crazy turn when teachers themselves are taught to learn.
—Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956) German Poet, Playwright, Theater Personality
An understanding heart is everything in a teacher, and cannot be esteemed highly enough. One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feeling. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.
—Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) Swiss Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Philosopher
Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.
—Plato (428 BCE–347 BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Mathematician, Educator
Be understood in thy teaching, and instruct to the measure of capacity.—Precepts and rules are repulsive to a child, but happy illustration wins him.
—Martin Farquhar Tupper (1810–89) English Poet, Writer
Lessons of wisdom have the most power over us when they capture the heart through the groundwork of a story, which engages the passions.
—Laurence Sterne (1713–68) Irish Anglican Novelist, Clergyman
The first duty of a lecturer is to hand you after an hour’s discourse a nugget of pure truth to wrap up between the pages of your notebooks and keep on the mantelpiece forever.
—Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) English Novelist
During the Middle Ages Europe was far too much influenced by celibate men. Today much too big a part in public life is played by celibate women, and too little by mothers. I find no new ideas more genuinely disgusting than that held by many educated authorities that a woman ceases to be suitable as a teacher when she becomes a mother.
—J. B. S. Haldane (1892–1964) British Biologist, Geneticist
The teacher gives not of his wisdom, but rather of his faith and lovingness.
—Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931) Lebanese-born American Philosopher, Poet, Painter, Theologian, Sculptor
I swear… to hold my teacher in this art equal to my own parents; to make him partner in my livelihood; when he is in need of money to share mine with him; to consider his family as my own brothers and to teach them this art, if they want to learn it, without fee or indenture.
—Hippocrates (460–370 BCE) Ancient Greek Physician
Teaching has ruined more American novelists than drink
—Gore Vidal (1925–48) American Novelist, Essayist, Journalist, Playwright
Your Master Teacher knows all you need to learn, the perfect timing for your learning it, and the ideal way of teaching it to you. You don’t create a Master Teacher—that’s already been done. You discover your Master Teacher.
—Peter McWilliams (1949–2000) American Author, Activist
You don’t have to be a “person of influence” to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they’ve taught me.
—Scott Adams (b.1957) American Cartoonist
A gifted teacher is as rare as a gifted doctor, and makes far less money.
—Unknown
The most important part of teaching is to teach what it is to know.
—Simone Weil (1909–1943) French Philosopher, Political Activist
It is by teaching that we teach ourselves, by relating that we observe, by affirming that we examine, by showing that we look, by writing that we think, by pumping that we draw water into the well.
—Henri Frederic Amiel (1821–81) Swiss Moral Philosopher, Poet, Critic
No bubble is so iridescent or floats longer than that blown by the successful teacher.
—William Osler (1849–1919) Canadian Physician
The teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on cold iron.
—Horace Mann (1796–1859) American Educator, Politician, Educationalist
The secret of teaching is to appear to have known all your life what you just learned this morning.
—Indian Proverb
If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day.
If you teach a man how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.
—Anne Isabella Thackeray Ritchie (1837–1919) English Novelist, Biographer
Everywhere I go I’m asked if I think the university stifles writers. My opinion is that they don’t stifle enough of them. There’s many a bestseller that could have been prevented by a good teacher.
—Flannery O’Connor (1925–1964) American Novelist
He that governs well, leads the blind; put he that teaches, gives him eyes; and it is glorious to be a sub-worker to grace, in freeing it from some of the inconveniences of original sin.
—Robert South (1634–1716) English Theologian, Preacher
No one ever teaches well who wants to teach, or governs well who wants to govern.
—Plato (428 BCE–347 BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Mathematician, Educator
Benevolence alone will not make a teacher, nor will learning alone do it. The gift of teaching is a peculiar talent, and implies a need and a craving in the teacher himself.
—John Jay Chapman (1862–1933) American Biographer, Poet, Essayist, Writer
A preacher should have the skill to teach the unlearned simply, roundly, and plainly; for teaching is of more importance than exhorting.
—Martin Luther (1483–1546) German Protestant Theologian
The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards.
—Anatole France (1844–1924) French Novelist
What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
Teaching is more than imparting knowledge, it is inspiring change.Learning is more than absorbing facts, it is acquiring understanding.
—William Arthur Ward (1921–94) American Author
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.
—Peter Drucker (1909–2005) Austrian-born Management Consultant