I came across this quotation from Confucius many months agoand I have been waiting for an opportune time to include it in my blog.Please forgive Confucius for his use of the term ‘man’ only in his descriptionof the skillful teacher. The most skillful teachers I know are women. When a superior man knows the causes which make instruction successful, and those which make it of no effect, he can be a teacher of others. Thus in his teaching, he leads and does not drag; he strengthens and does not discourage; he opens the way but does not conduct to the endwithout the learner’s own efforts. Leading and not dragging produces harmony. Strengthening and not discouraging makes attainment easy. Opening the way and not conducting to the end makes the learner thoughtful. He who produces harmony, easy attainment, and thoughtfulness may be pronounced a skillful teacher.– Confucius,Book XVI – HSIO KI (Record on the Subject of Education)Isn’t it remarkable how Confucius seems to capture all that we would nowcall best practice in teaching others.She leads but does not dragMost learning practitioners would agree with this – for adults the mantrais adults learn what they want to learn and what they find useful.One can facilitate, encourage and lead people in the pursuit oflearning outcomes but there are few situations where compulsorylearning is successful.She strengthens and does not discouragePositive affirmation and feedback when matched with realistic goals willenable learning.She opens the way but does not conduct to the endwithout the learner’s own effortsThis is wonderful advice. To ‘open the way’ could suggest something like ‘scaffolding’a term used in constructivist approaches to learning. What is suggested here is that a teachermay provide just the appropriate level of support for learning but in the end theoutcomes will be achieved by the learner’s own effort.Leading and not dragging produces harmonyYes! Strengthening and not discouraging makes attainment easyAbsolutly!Opening the way and not conducting to the end makes the learner thoughtfuland willing to invest the mental effortShe who produces harmony, easy attainment, and thoughtfulness may be pronounced a skillful teacherI know many who fit this description. posted by Leo Casey