Teaching to think

I was very happy to read the following quote on Fr Ivo's blog the other day.  For me it has been a sort of guiding principle in my teaching endeavour.

It's never enough just to tell people about some new insight. Rather, you have to get them to experience it in a way that evokes its power and possibility. Instead of pouring knowledge into people's heads, you need to help them grind a new set of eyeglasses so they can see the world in a new way. (John Seeley Brown) 

I've always felt that it is a greater challenge for a teacher to nurture and guide a mind towards raising relevant and demanding questions than merely finding answers to someone else's questions.  Moreover making philosophy something you can 'do' in a classroom has always excited me.  The students too find it very engaging and helpful.  Even now, when teaching here at the University, some of my companions find it strange that I find games and activities to get the students to discuss philosophy!  On the other hand, I feel sad for the students of such courses as politics and history and psychology who have people lecturing them about topics so down to earth and practical.  And then some of them moan that students don't participate in discussion!  In that sense I feel truly blessed to have had the teaching (learning for me) experience!