7 Comments

Thank you for this! I'm a high school student, and this really showed me a new perspective. I also must say that who I am today has been greatly influenced by those very teachers who kept challenging me and, as you put it, gave me what I needed instead of what I wanted. Even though sometimes school can be not so "fun", eventually all our learning experiences pay off.

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I appreciate you reading and commenting. Thank you for those affirmations.

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I haven't seen that interview (yet), but I agree that teaching should be about challenging rather than entertaining. It's patronising to think students just want to be entertained. Besides, a really good challenge is in itself entertaining (cf Cryptic crosswords, strategy games, difficult problem to solve etc

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Your students are lucky to have such a thoughtful and committed teacher, and it is valuable to read about your approach.

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Thank you!

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Wonderful stuff. This has inspired me to go deeper on a piece I’m working on about the problem of the “infinitely patient digital tutor.”

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Thanks! That phrase, “infinitely patient digital tutor” has also wormed its way into my brain. I’ve been thinking about it a lot since Khan released that demo video with his son. I look forward to reading your thoughts!

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