Quote of the Day (Joseph Epstein, on Teaching as a ‘Magical Art’)

“Teaching remains a mysterious, magical art. Anyone who claims he knows how it works is a liar. No one tells you how to do it. You walk into a classroom and try to remember what worked for the teachers who impressed you, or, later in the game, what seemed to work best for you in the past. Otherwise, it is pure improv, no matter how extensive one’s notes.”—Joseph Epstein, “Who Killed the Liberal Arts?” The Weekly Standard, September 17, 2012