Maria Jerskey's Profile

but that very truth is a reason for teaching it to students who are being prepared for entry into the world as it now is rather than the world as it might be in some utopian imagination — all dialects equal, all habit of speech and writing equally rewarded.

game of writing sentences.

As Jamakaya says, “good writing skills instill good thinking,” not the other way around. Robin T. agrees: “Young people who can’t write can’t think.”

he new analytic skills

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capacities for integrity and courage, for diligence and self-sacrifice, for responsibility and service to others

ove of knowledge, a capacity to learn from criticism, and a sense of higher purpose.

common hope expressed by students when they embark on a new class is that it will somehow change them as persons.

Despite their caution, reticence, and open denials, faculty members are heavily engaged in the moral formation of students.

For example, to prepare well for each class by completing all assignments, rereading materials, making appropriate notes, and reflecting thoughtfully is to elevate study over other available pleasures and is as such an illustration of temperance.

participate in the give-and-take of discussion

practice a form of justice.

asking clarifying questions

offering evidence to support your own positions,

proposing alternative perspectives in light of disagreements

exhibit respect for other people and for the common value of truth

intellectual hospitality.

diplomacy

civil courage.

o pursue all evidence, even if it should contradict or weaken one’s initial claims, is a mark of honesty and integrity.

discipline and perseverance.

a capacity for flexibility and self-overcoming.

Patience and striving are both fostered w

Arrogance leads us to think that our abilities are greater than they are

efensive or emotional, the clarity of thought needed to make a wise decision suddenly becomes cloudy.

indulgence

Complacency

Greed

truth and a culture of truth.

academic preparation, motivation is the greatest indicator of success in college

in integrity and motivation, passion and discipline, and interpersonal and teamwork skills.

“strong work ethic,” “teamwork skills (works well with others),” “initiative,” “interpersonal skills (relates well to others),” and “flexibility/adaptability.”

how to get more out of our students, how to help them learn more, flourish more, become more ambitious, develop as intellectuals.

faculty members want to focus on disciplinary knowledge and critical thinking but also rejoice when they have connected with a student in a deeper and more meaningful way.

exhibit the ways in which ideas relate to various life-forms

Individuals who are full of themselves, dogmatic and self-assured, are not likely to uncover truth

is willing to admit errors and give up false claims to knowledge is on the right path

Should faculty members address values and virtues? We already do, though often unthinkingly—not a great attribute for a profession that prizes thinking. But maybe we can borrow a chapter from those who prefer to elevate technique over higher purpose and reflect more fully on how to do better what we already do. Here the question would be, how do we as faculty members best help students develop virtues and values?

we must be able to give a rational account of our moral decisions, and not only give an account: philosophy for Socrates is about how we relate our lives to those ideas.

piety and justice

We cannot truly enter into the sphere of dialogue without trying to understand the other person’s position, seeking to make our own positions understandable, evaluating all positions fairly, elevating the principle of consistency, believing in the possibility of truth, and recognizing that ideas have consequences.

unconscious modeling can be a more powerful source of education than explicit discourse.

Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.”

what is important is not only how to argue for a set of propositions but also how to relate those propositions to how they live and what they value.

models of scholarly engagement, intellectual curiosity, clear thinking, persuasive rhetoric, moral integrity, or community service

“nothing sinking so gently, and so deep, into Men’s Minds, as Example” (1968, 182).

“show your weaknesses to your pupil if you want to cure his own. Let him see that you undergo the same struggles which he experiences”

students learn more when they have an existential interest in the subject matter

in a diverse environment,

actively engaged in the learning process

earn from their peers

receive meaningful feedback toward their learning goals

I asked every student to offer a sentence of praise and a constructive suggestion for every other student in the class. I reformatted the submissions, so that each student received a page of anonymous praise and a page of anonymous suggestions. I was fascinated by how insightful the peer comments were and how meaningful students found the combination of generous praise and diplomatic, but demanding, criticism from their peers. Each set of statements required intelligence and diplomacy, attentiveness and evaluation.