I am a Student by Blake

I am a Student by Blake - January 2015 Scholarship Essay

A great man once said, “It often happens that two schoolboys can solve difficulties in their work for one another better than the master can.” This great man was one of the greatest teachers of apologetic thought in the 1930’s and 40’s. He often claimed to not be a mathematician or a critic, and then would blow you away with his ability to apply the concept of mathematics to display that physics wasn't a cause, but a reply to a cause. Or even, that his critique of the atheistic thought was one to be critiqued based on the principle of “following an argument to its natural conclusion.” This man’s name was Clive-Staples Lewis, the greatest student to ever teach.

C.S. Lewis’ thought on the best ability to teach, that being a pupil is a much better teacher than the actual teacher, is one that should be taught to all teachers. I often find, as C.S. Lewis did, that due to the knowledge the teacher possesses he will often overlook the key to understanding a concept. I believe if all teachers and tutors were to be able to put themselves in the shoes of the student and think through every process with the student, instead of simply skipping over seemingly tedious and unnecessary steps to problems, then the student, as well as myself, would be much quicker to learn. Simply put, the teacher should be a student to teach and the student a teacher for others to learn.