Cynthia Herbert, Ph.D

Every teacher has a point of view about children and learning. Each point of view is a theory--and some theories are more limited than others.

Consider the tale of the blind men and the elephant: None of these wise men had ever experienced an elephant. When they come upon one, each of them encounters a different part of the elephant--and comes to a different conclusion. The first, touching the trunk, decides that an elephant must be a kind of snake. The second, touching the tail, argues that the animal is more like a rope. The third, discovering one of the large ears, thinks that the others are foolish. To him, the elephant is a type of large fan. The fourth happens upon the side of the beast and is convinced that "elephant" is a synonym for "wall." The fifth, hugging one large leg, insists that the elephant is another species of tree. And the last blind man, touching the tip of one of the ivory tusks, concludes that an elephant is a type of spear or sword.

According to legend, these wise men argued long and hard into the night. Each of them was right--but each of them was very wrong.

Learning theorists have viewpoints, too. Some, like those of the blindmen, are limited in scope.

As educators, we must seek a point of view that is broad and deep--that explains the whole child and not just a part.