Wow. I am going to steal that metaphor. Thinking about the education system since the industrial revolution I wonder how many moons we have missed because we are only looking for the sixpence. Unfortunately according to the readings it is problem that is only getting worse in our current system. Thanks for a great post.

I really enjoyed your blogpost. Besides being in agreement about “Mamas being silly”, I whole heartedly agree with your points about finding the right answer to questions. In political science I think that too often we are pushing kids to find the right answer to political questions, and at the same time, by the time they get to college, they are waiting for their instructors to give them the right answer. The greatest achievements in our political thought has come from scholars who were willing to think about the world outside the box. To question our very foundations and be willing to take the risk of challenging them.

Thanks for your comments. I have to remember this sometimes. Even in the subjects I have been studying for years, I constantly learn new things. I think this is important for adults to remember, but especially if those adults are teachers!

This is a great topic especially for new instructors. I feel like I am slowly developing enough confidence in my self to allow students to question me in class. I think the more I allow this type of questioning, even if it derails the conversation, the more perspectives and voices are involved in class.

I recently wrote a list of what I thought were pretty definitive reasons for a particular policy, when a student brought up an idea that wasn’t on the list and I hadn’t thought of. His contribution really added to the class and I didn’t mind that it wasn’t my idea.