SC - Lamb recipe - non-member submission

[Michael F. Gunter]

Well, here and again it all falls to what one considers good teaching
skills
and viable technique.  It pains me to admit it (he said with tongue
firmly
in cheek) but I agree with Balthazar.  As a professional teacher I find
it
far more effective to entice my students to learn by being an effective
comunicator and motivator while providing them with sufficient resources
to
do so than to force information down their throats.  Think the old adage

about flies and honey.  There are many people in this world, many here
where
I work, many within the Society and even <GASP!> several right here in
River
City who feel that proper teaching techniques are simply copmprised of
"I
said it, therefore it must be true as I am the experienced one.  Any who

disagree with me are obviously misinformed charlatans.  Pay no attention
to
the funny little cook behind the curtain Dorothy!"

Along the same lines, I must agree in fact yet disagree in principle
with
the statement Ras made and which I have appended to this note.  No, I do
not
think it a good idea to send a new student, of ANY subject, off to the
reference library.  If that were all that were involved in learning we
wouldn't need teachers we would only need book writers.  I DO, however,
think sending a student off to the reference library with a directive to

return for discussion before puting information to use is of inestimable

value.  I personally rarely take anybody's word for anything that is of
importance to me unless it is intuitively obvious to the most casual
observer.  I will check for myself.  Sending a student to the library
teaches the student many things including but not limited to:
perseverance,
independence of thought, research skills, the subject being researched
come
immediately to mind.  Not allowing a student to conduct research until
they
have your particular view or slant on things is pontification.
Pontification is not a teaching technique, it is self-aggrandisement.

Regards, Puck


I think it is not a good idea to immediately send a student off to the
reference library before they have any knowledge of what to take with a
grain
of salt. More advanced students and researchers, yes.

Ras