(JP/ENG) 【良い教育とは、正しい答えを与えるより、正しい質問を投げかけることなのである。】ここ数回にわたり書いた「教えること」と「質問」について。私にとって美術講師の理想像であるジョセフ・アルバース(Josef Albers/1888-1976)の言葉を紹介したいと思います。
「。。究極的には、教えるというのは、方法を教えるのではなく、その心を教えるということだ。したがって、もっとも決定的な要因は、教師の人格である。教師の知識の深さより、教師の、学生の成長への熱心な関心のほうが重要なのである。「先生はいつも正しい」というのはよく言われるが、その言葉だけで尊敬や共感が得られることはめったにない。そして能力や権威を証明してくれることなどももっとない。
。。良い教育とは、正しい答えを与えるより、正しい質問を投げかけることなのである。」
（本に出ていた和訳が今一つなので、原文も入れます）；
”… In the end, teaching is a matter not of method but of the heart. Therefore, the most decisive factor is the teacher’s personality. His enthusiastic concern with the student’s growth counts more than how much he knows. It is well known that “the teacher is always right,” but rarely does this fact elicit respect or sympathy; even less often does it prove competence and authority.
…Besides, good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers.”
過去スクール（Art Alliance）で色々な講師の方にゲストでお越しいただきましたが、美術の知識は200％、でも本業が先生ではない方にお願いをすると、講座が生徒さんたちのハートに刺さらないということが度々ありました。アルバースが言うように、一番大切なのは、「生徒の成長を思う気持ち」であり、自分の知識を発表する場ではないということ。そして、生徒を思い、彼らに考えてもらいたいのであれば、良い質問（課題）を投げかける必要があるのですね。
美大で教えるようになり、あらためてアルバースの言葉を噛みしめながら、「良い質問」とはどのようなものなのだろうと毎回意識しながら授業を行うようにしています。
Josef Albers is an inspiring art educator. His words helped me in times of difficulty. When I began my original “English for Artists” course almost about a decade ago, I had many students who were actually competitors. Of course they will not tell me outright what their intentions were but would disguise themselves as art fans and pretend that their English was not all that great. Months later I would find out the truth by accidentally encountering on the net, a similar curriculum or school run by former students. This not happened once but three times. This really disturbed me and told my partner (since I did not want to tell anyone else incl. friends at that time) about the fact that I spent so many months and years in front of my PC to create a full course curriculum with presentation materials and handouts and so forth.. and to have that idea snatched by a competitor was unbearable and unforgivable. To begin something from step Zero, which is just an “idea” – and to realize that immaterial into material takes so much time and effort, energy, passion and creativity.
But as I was complaining, my partner gave me a “you got this all wrong” kind of a look. He told me that I should not care whether others should copy me or not. That I should not worry one bit, since students come to my class because it is “my” class and not someone else’s class. Even if someone else used the exact same materials, no class would be the same. The material covered by the teacher becomes that teacher’s original because so much of the class (including asking questions) comes from the teacher’s personality.
He was right. And this is so true. He has nothing to do with art and doesn’t even know who Josef Albers is, but his advice was similar to Albers. Albers’ words are now my philosophy as a teacher and educator.
”… In the end, teaching is a matter not of method but of the heart. Therefore, the most decisive factor is the teacher’s personality. His enthusiastic concern with the student’s growth counts more than how much he knows. It is well known that “the teacher is always right,” but rarely does this fact elicit respect or sympathy; even less often does it prove competence and authority.
…Besides, good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers.”
(from “Interaction of Color”)