Everyone is weird
Some are weirder than others
This article (thanks Ryan) made a lot of sense to me. It’s basically talking about how incredibly successful self-taught people (like Mr. Gates, who is currently trying to remake education in his own image) may have a view of the world that is skewed towards their own experiences and abilities.
I often find something similar in my teaching. I love reading and don’t enjoy deliberate study, so I often encourage my students to do the same. Invariably some of them don’t enjoy reading and do enjoy studying, and a few enjoy neither of those activities.
I think it’s important for teachers to keep this in mind: we are not the same as our students, and their preferences are likely not the same as ours either. It’s easy to forget, but something I keep coming back to.
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