Courage and Teaching

Abstract

To improve the quality of learning that takes place behind classroom doors, a lot of research is currently done on the characteristics and qualities of effective teachers. Based on the findings, some researchers contend that teachers who have a lasting effect on their learners have a rich, wide, and encyclopedic knowledge of the content they wish to impart. While not denying the importance of knowledge in general, others maintain that stellar teachers have a set of pedagogical skills that ensures learning that is deep. There is another, more philosophical approach to teaching that seeks to identify the intellectual virtues or the qualities of mind good teachers possess. Philosophers who advocate this line of research argue, for example, that teachers who are fair and open-minded exert a more positive effect on those under their charge than those who are unfair and dogmatic. This paper will follow this promising tradition of relating mental dispositions with quality teaching. It will argue that courage is an important mental trait that empowers teachers to influence their students in productive ways.