If you missed the introduction to this series, read that first. Some of these are not real clear similarities as much as interesting perspectives on Albright and his teaching.
20. “Dr. Albright was an effective lecturer. He once explained that because he could not see well enough to read a lecture or paper acceptably in public, he simply talked to his audiences” (136). [I refuse to read to an audience, but not because I can’t see.]
21. “He was a considerate and inspiring teacher, though his students were often terrified by his immense erudition. He demanded their best, but was always more than willing to help them individually as long as they were willing to work seriously” (172). [So I would like…]
22. Frederick L. Moriarty, S.J.: “I guess you could sum it up in one word—inspiration. He gave us momentum, drive, a basic interest in the field, and this has sustained me over the many years since those days at Hopkins” (217).
23. John Bright: “It must be said that as a pedagogue he was not at his best. Of educational method he knew nothing and, I suspect, cared less. His lectures were a catena of brilliant divagations upon which it was impossible to take coherent notes” (199). [Here we may differ more; I consciously try to be a good teacher, and have no claim to being a scholar or making any original contributions. I don’t think Albright’s focus was on the classroom.]
24. F. M. Cross: “Perhaps Albright was never in worse form than when he consciously undertook to be a pedagogue. At the same time he was the greatest teacher I have ever known” (403).
25. “Albright’s de-emphasis on grades and courses taken (one automatically got a ‘P ‘ for ‘passed for any course one enrolled in), together with his high expectations in the grueling prelims and dissertations, made it easy for all but the most self-disciplined and inwardly motivated students to ‘goof off, ‘ with the end result that the weak student never had the requisite knowledge to pass the prelims, let alone attempt a dissertation. Only the self-disciplined and inwardly motivated would survive, and such qualities are a prerequisite for continuing research and writing long after the degree has been conferred” (218).
I think this is the end of this series. I’m off to the Negev in a few minutes, with 1) hopes that I’m feeling well; and 2) a mixed-up itinerary because of a youth hostel scheduling error.
Sir…this is you:
“He was a considerate and inspiring teacher, though his students were often terrified by his immense erudition. He demanded their best, but was always more than willing to help them individually as long as they were willing to work seriously.”
I believe that many of the readers of this blog, who were your former students, would agree with me. I was intimidated by you at first, but then discovered that you cared, and were very willing to help and inspire and teach and love and sacrifice for your students! Thank you so much for that on-going inspiration!
This quote I add to the above comment:
“I guess you could sum it up in one word—inspiration. He gave us momentum, drive, a basic interest in the field, and this has sustained me over the many years since those days at” IBEX.
Ilena, I concur wholeheartedly. Thanks Todd for all your love, service, joy and scholarly teaching skills. You have the gift. :-)
I too had the same thought as Ilena when I read the portion that she quoted… it fits you so well! I am thankful to have had the opportunity to have you as a teacher! Thanks Todd!