The author has is exactly right, especially the part about having to read the most odious and indefensible books to become a “better teacher.” Remember, a whole bunch of professors of education (or some equally specious degree)supposedly read those books thoroughly and then actually recommended them as essential texts to give to other teachers as a criteria for moving along the academic ladder.
It would seem to me, forgive my stupidity, that a well grounded student could fly through a University like that. I have been out of the educational system for a long time, thank God, but my education was very structured by my parents. I never listened to a professors personal ideas. I was there to learn a given subject and I consentrated on that. I guess things have changed but as a manager in engineering, I expected the same from my employees. The project at hand was of prime interest and their personal opinions about life had no place in the work force. The same should go for education. Good article though but amazing.
I was adjunct teaching at a remote campus (Navy base) of a large University when we were visited (mandatory attendance) by someone from the main campus administration. There each of us received a gift of “Heart-Centered Leadership” - a book that would clearly be a worthy companion to the works mentioned in the article. I would mention the author, but I threw the thing away after reading a few pages.