Guide me, but don't lead
I've said before that I hate to follow. I would like to qualify that statement. I'm not opposed to seeking guidance. But when you follow a leader, you allow that leader to make decisions of where you can and cannot go. Leaders, in my opinion, should be more like guides, rather than gatekeepers. In fact, we should all look to ourselves to lead, and seek guides along the way who will help us reach our desired destination and not try to take us to theirs.
As a teacher, I try to adhere to this philosophy. My students are not here as pawns to be placed into a course of study that I know will ultimately take them to an understanding of English as I perceive it. I am here to guide them on the path to understanding the English they encounter in their world. This will ultimately be more fulfilling for them, and the experience will be more rewarding for us all.
I've had language teachers along the way, especially in French, who set forth a plan of study that started with one po...