An Important Commentary on the Art and Science of Teaching

"As teachers, we want respect and acceptance, but we will never find it until we are willing to stake out an inclusive common ground of what is good and acceptable teaching practice. We tend to look beyond the mark, or, like sheep, we follow one path or another to the exclusion of all others. We do this in the hope that we can find the educational promised land where all students learn effectively and where all teachers are masters. When will we ever see the clear path of diversity and recognize that learning is an individual process, that people have clear preferences and talents when it comes to their desire and ability to gather and process knowledge?
We do not teach subject matter, we teach individuals. For this reason, we must first understand how individuals learn before we can understand how to create and use educational structures. The character (personality) of each individual student and teacher is at the heart of all learning. What other explanation can be made? All great teachers see themselves in this light. They are keenly aware of the dramatic nature of their world, and they do all in their power to use every tool of dramatic structure that is available to them. They seek to understand their own character (personality) and the character (personality) of each class member. They realize that these character issues play an important role on the stage of their classroom."
--George D. Nelson