Really? Moral and human responsibilities? Let’s think about that for a moment. Could it be the case that the teacher’s real work is to “animate inert knowledge with qualities of our own personality and spirit”? Is it our job to “fill and enlarge the character and spirit, as well as the mind, of others”? These lofty goals are rarely addressed in pedagogical discussions . . . and yet I have to admit that I am drawn to this classic work, which has recently been updated in a new edition. Its discussion of ethics and compassion are particularly provocative.
Banner, James M. and Harold C. Cannon. The Elements of Teaching, 2nd ed. Yale University Press, 2017, p. 6.