--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of the hardest things for boys to…" description: "\"One of the hardest things for boys to learn is that a teacher is human. One of the hardest things for a teacher to learn is not to try and tell them.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d6/alan-bennett-1922_boys_one-of-the-hardest-things-for-boys-to-le_1422364.jpg" --- # One of the hardest things for boys to learn is that a… ![“One of the hardest things for boys to learn is that a teacher is human. One of the hardest things for a teacher to learn is not to try and tell them.” quote by Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d6/alan-bennett-1922_boys_one-of-the-hardest-things-for-boys-to-le_1422364.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d6/alan-bennett-1922_boys_one-of-the-hardest-things-for-boys-to-le_1422364.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d6/alan-bennett-1922_boys_one-of-the-hardest-things-for-boys-to-le_1422364.jpg) > “One of the hardest things for boys to learn is that a teacher is human. One of the hardest things for a teacher to learn is not to try and tell them.” [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Teachers must accept their humanity, while students must learn not to demand perfection, fostering mutual respect and realistic expectations. **In simple terms:** Teachers are human; students must accept that. Key Takeaway Respect each other's limits. Themes education humility relationships Mood thoughtful encouraging Type educational reflective When to use this quote - classroom dynamics - mentor training - student support Key Concepts pedagogy psychology growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - How can teachers model humility? - What expectations do students hold of teachers? A Different Perspective Both sides may resist vulnerability, hindering learning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) ## Related quotes > [Pupils may learn many things when a teacher is not in fact teaching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-q-hirst/pupils-may-learn-many-things-when-a-teacher-is-not-in-fact-teaching/) Paul Q. Hirst > [We can teach a lot of things, but if the teacher can't relate by talking to a group of friendly students, he'll never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/we-can-teach-a-lot-of-things-but-if-the-teacher-can-t-relate-by/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [They come to me with a lot of questions about things. I am the teacher on the show, and its kind of translated to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-morrison/they-come-to-me-with-a-lot-of-questions-about-things-i-am-the-teacher/) [Matthew Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-morrison/) > [There are many things which no teacher can convey to a child of three, but a child of five can do it with ease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/there-are-many-things-which-no-teacher-can-convey-to-a-child-of-three/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [“In this class you need to take sometime to learn from your teacher's experience or you won't be able to win against me (your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/y-sei-matsui/in-this-class-you-need-to-take-sometime-to-learn-from-your-teacher-s/) [Yūsei Matsui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/y-sei-matsui/) > [It was never shameful to learn from any teacher things that are useful to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-battista-alberti/it-was-never-shameful-to-learn-from-any-teacher-things-that-are/) [Leon Battista Alberti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-battista-alberti/) > [“When the pupil is ready to learn, a teacher will appear —Zen proverb”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-collins/when-the-pupil-is-ready-to-learn-a-teacher-will-appear-zen-proverb/) Colleen Collins > [Students learn as much for a teacher as from a teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-darling-hammond/students-learn-as-much-for-a-teacher-as-from-a-teacher/) [Linda Darling-Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-darling-hammond/) > [If the student fails to learn, the teacher fails to teach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-sugarman/if-the-student-fails-to-learn-the-teacher-fails-to-teach/) Sidney Sugarman > [When you are clear about what you want to learn, you will find your teacher. The teacher is already there. The two of you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-a-mathieu/when-you-are-clear-about-what-you-want-to-learn-you-will-find-your/) [W.A. Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-a-mathieu/) > [“We can learn from a teacher. But in order to master, we must become the teacher.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-f-glassman/we-can-learn-from-a-teacher-but-in-order-to-master-we-must-become-the/) [Charles F. Glassman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-f-glassman/) > [Men get opinions as boys learn to spell by reiteration chiefly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning/men-get-opinions-as-boys-learn-to-spell-by-reiteration-chiefly/) [Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/) > [Aristippus being asked what were the most necessary things for well-born boys to learn, said, "Those things which they will put in practice when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diogenes-laertius/aristippus-being-asked-what-were-the-most-necessary-things-for-well/) [Diogenes Laertius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diogenes-laertius/) > [Boys should learn from MARIO BROS no matter how far his princess is the wont stop fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/boys-should-learn-from-mario-bros-no-matter-how-far-his-princess-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes you got to act like you don't care that's the only way to make boys learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khat-leen/sometimes-you-got-to-act-like-you-don-t-care-that-s-the-only-way-to/) [Khat Leen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khat-leen/) ## More by Alan Bennett > [“The closest she got to pretence was politeness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/the-closest-she-got-to-pretence-was-politeness/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [An article on playwrights in the Daily Mail , listed according to Hard Left, Soft Left, Hard Right, Soft Right and Centre. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/an-article-on-playwrights-in-the-daily-mail-listed-according-to-hard/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [I'm not good at precise, coherent argument. But plays are suited to incoherent argument, put into the mouths of fallible people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/i-m-not-good-at-precise-coherent-argument-but-plays-are-suited-to/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [The thing I think about is that once you've done it, you then start to think about what you're going to do next. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/the-thing-i-think-about-is-that-once-you-ve-done-it-you-then-start-to/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [At the drabber moments of my life (swilling some excrement from the steps, for instance, or rooting with a bent coat-hanger down a blocked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/at-the-drabber-moments-of-my-life-swilling-some-excrement-from-the/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [There are more microbes per person than the entire population of the world. Imagine that. Per person. This means that if the time scale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/there-are-more-microbes-per-person-than-the-entire-population-of-the/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [I'm more socialist certainly than New Labour - I'm very old Labour, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/i-m-more-socialist-certainly-than-new-labour-i-m-very-old-labour/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [Why do we not care to acknowledge them? The cattle, the body count. We still don't like to admit the war was even partly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/why-do-we-not-care-to-acknowledge-them-the-cattle-the-body-count-we/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [Were we closer to the ground as children, or is the grass emptier now?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/were-we-closer-to-the-ground-as-children-or-is-the-grass-emptier-now/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [But most men regard their life as a poem that women threaten. They may not have two spondees to rub together but they still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/but-most-men-regard-their-life-as-a-poem-that-women-threaten-they-may/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [“BURGESS How do you like Moscow? CORAL Loathe it, darling. I cannot understand what those Three Sisters were on about. It gives the play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/burgess-how-do-you-like-moscow-coral-loathe-it-darling-i-cannot/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/the-best-moments-in-reading-are-when-you-come-across-something-a/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [Your whole life is on the other side of the glass. And there is nobody watching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/your-whole-life-is-on-the-other-side-of-the-glass-and-there-is-nobody/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [The appeal of reading, she thought, lay in its indifference: there was something undeferring about literature. Books did not care who was reading them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/the-appeal-of-reading-she-thought-lay-in-its-indifference-there-was/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [“How do I define history? It's just one fucking thing after another”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/how-do-i-define-history-it-s-just-one-fucking-thing-after-another/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) [Explore all 188 Alan Bennett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) ## More Boys quotes > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/) [Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/) > [Lets face it this world is ruled by girls that why we must away pleases our girls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrawesome/lets-face-it-this-world-is-ruled-by-girls-that-why-we-must-away/) MrAwesome > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [When it comes to bullying small businesses, Donald Trump is the poster boy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/when-it-comes-to-bullying-small-businesses-donald-trump-is-the-poster/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [When other boys dreamt of going to the moon or becoming doctors, I wanted to be a designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-other-boys-dreamt-of-going-to-the-moon-or-becoming-doctors-i/) [Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/) > [In the middle of a play, I go crazy and don't realize what I'm doing. I'll snap back to reality and I realize, 'Hey,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-bosworth/in-the-middle-of-a-play-i-go-crazy-and-don-t-realize-what-i-m-doing-i/) [Brian Bosworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-bosworth/) > [If Pete’s (Sampras) child is a girl, my son will like her; if he’s a boy, my son will defeat him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-agassi/if-pete-s-sampras-child-is-a-girl-my-son-will-like-her-if-he-s-a-boy/) [Andre Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-agassi/) > [The tie's a multi purpose accessory, y'know, belt, school boy, Rambo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-fielding/the-tie-s-a-multi-purpose-accessory-y-know-belt-school-boy-rambo/) [Noel Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-fielding/) > [The reason I went to an all-boys Catholic school was because they had the best football team. We won the state championship my junior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-rossi/the-reason-i-went-to-an-all-boys-catholic-school-was-because-they-had/) [Theo Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-rossi/) > [Some article called me the most feared man in Silicon Valley. Good Lord! Why? My teenage boys got a kick out of it: 'Dad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/some-article-called-me-the-most-feared-man-in-silicon-valley-good/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [She had been dragged in the most humiliating of all dusts, the dust reserved for older women who let themselves be approached, on amorous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-von-arnim/she-had-been-dragged-in-the-most-humiliating-of-all-dusts-the-dust/) [Elizabeth von Arnim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-von-arnim/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [So I was ugly. I was never fat, really, and I never wore headgear or had zits or anything. But I was ugly. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [If a Coach is determined to stay in the coaching profession, he will develop from year to year. This much is true, no coach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-rupp/if-a-coach-is-determined-to-stay-in-the-coaching-profession-he-will/) [Adolph Rupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-rupp/) [Browse all 7,168 Boys quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One of the hardest things for boys to learn is that a teacher is human. 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