The Three Types of Education

“All men who turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.”

—Sir Walter Scott

What is true education? Is it good grades and high test scores? Is it memorization/regurgitation of facts and dates? Is it measured by how much income one can earn, by how much political power one can amass, or by popularity?

Education can’t be fixed as long as we believe this basic myth. The myth is that it is possible for one human being to educate another. The fact is that the only person who can fix education is the student.

…Great teaching will solve our educational problems… Teachers teach and students educate… There are two types of great teachers which consistently motivate student-driven education: Mentors and Classics.

Oliver Van DeMille, A Thomas Jefferson Education, 2nd Edition, pages 12-13