---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Take the teacher not the course. Find out…"
description: "\"Take the teacher not the course. Find out who the great professors are - the great teachers - and take their courses because a subject that you may no..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f9/david-mccullough-1091_courses_take-the-teacher-not-the-course-find-out_481206.png"
---

#  Take the teacher not the course. Find out who the great…

![“Take the teacher not the course. Find out who the great professors are - the great teachers - and take their courses because a subject that you may not think you're interested in may turn out to be infinitely fascinating because of the way it's taught.” quote by David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f9/david-mccullough-1091_courses_take-the-teacher-not-the-course-find-out_481206.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f9/david-mccullough-1091_courses_take-the-teacher-not-the-course-find-out_481206.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f9/david-mccullough-1091_courses_take-the-teacher-not-the-course-find-out_481206.png)

> “Take the teacher not the course. Find out who the great professors are - the great teachers - and take their courses because a subject that you may not think you're interested in may turn out to be infinitely fascinating because of the way it's taught.”

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Seek out exceptional teachers rather than just courses; teaching quality shapes interest and mastery.

**In simple terms:** Find great teachers to spark interest.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize learning from inspiring educators.

Themes

education mentorship learning curiosity

Mood

thoughtful inquisitive

Type

advice reflective

When to use this quote

- college selection
- online courses
- skill development
- career change

Key Concepts

pedagogy inspiration subject mastery

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you identify a great teacher?
- What steps can you take if you lack access to top educators?

A Different Perspective

Great teachers are rare and may not be accessible to everyone.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Courses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courses/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Fascinating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascinating/) [Great Professors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-professors-4137655/) [Great teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-teacher/) [Great teachers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-teachers/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Professors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professors/) [Professors Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professors-great-4137656/) [Subjects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subjects/) [Taught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [Teachers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teachers/) [Teachers Courses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teachers-courses-4137657/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/)

## Related quotes

> [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [My life has been transformed by great teachers all the way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goldblum/my-life-has-been-transformed-by-great-teachers-all-the-way/)

[Jeff Goldblum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goldblum/)

> [I was reading Emily Dickinson and Edwin Arlington Robinson, but these weren't the poets that influenced me. I think Gwendolyn Brooks influenced me because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-was-reading-emily-dickinson-and-edwin-arlington-robinson-but-these/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [We have had this massive effort on K-12 reform, raising standards, great teachers, great principals, turning around chronically failing schools, raising the bar, huge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arne-duncan/we-have-had-this-massive-effort-on-k-12-reform-raising-standards/)

[Arne Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arne-duncan/)

> [Great teachers are usually a little crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/great-teachers-are-usually-a-little-crazy/)

[Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/)

> [I have not seen that standardised tests make the profession less attractive, though some principals respond to them in a way that drives the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kopp/i-have-not-seen-that-standardised-tests-make-the-profession-less/)

[Wendy Kopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kopp/)

> [The great teachers are always those who can live the tension. They are not criticizing everybody, they're not complaining. They give young people a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/the-great-teachers-are-always-those-who-can-live-the-tension-they-are/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

> [Great teachers have high expectations for their students, but higher expectations for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-whitaker/great-teachers-have-high-expectations-for-their-students-but-higher/)

[Todd Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-whitaker/)

> [Public libraries are our great teachers and storytellers, and are a vital adjunct to our schools. In this day of standardized and homogenized education,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-andrews/public-libraries-are-our-great-teachers-and-storytellers-and-are-a/)

[Julie Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-andrews/)

> [There are some great teachers who have had great students, but they themselves can't play a note. I don't understand it, because the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-bell/there-are-some-great-teachers-who-have-had-great-students-but-they/)

[Joshua Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-bell/)

> [The best teachers coach their students and the best coaches are great teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-teaff/the-best-teachers-coach-their-students-and-the-best-coaches-are-great/)

[Grant Teaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-teaff/)

> [Dogs are great teachers. They are at home in the world. They live in the moment, and they force us to stay there with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cheever/dogs-are-great-teachers-they-are-at-home-in-the-world-they-live-in/)

[Susan Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cheever/)

> [Teachers teach and students educate. Students are the only true educators. Historically, every other method of education has failed. Education occurs when students get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-demille/teachers-teach-and-students-educate-students-are-the-only-true/)

[Oliver DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-demille/)

> [Students deserve great teachers. And teachers deserve the support they need to become great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/students-deserve-great-teachers-and-teachers-deserve-the-support-they/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [Elephants are living treasures. Nature's gardeners. Nature's great teachers. Tragically some people don't give a damn. They prefer the dead treasure to the living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-mckenna/elephants-are-living-treasures-nature-s-gardeners-nature-s-great/)

[Virginia McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-mckenna/)

## More by David McCullough

> [With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/with-the-truman-book-i-wrote-the-entire-account-of-his-experiences-in/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [“Steamboats by this time were becoming a familiar presence on the rivers and coastal waters of America, but not until 1838 did steam-powered ships…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/steamboats-by-this-time-were-becoming-a-familiar-presence-on-the/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [I feel that history is in many ways the most important of all subjects because it is about everything and because it's about who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/i-feel-that-history-is-in-many-ways-the-most-important-of-all/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [“Even mighty states and kingdoms are not exempted. If we look into history, we shall find some nations rising from contemptible beginnings and spreading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/even-mighty-states-and-kingdoms-are-not-exempted-if-we-look-into/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [History isn't just what happened, but what happened to whom and why and what would have been different if the cast of characters had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/history-isn-t-just-what-happened-but-what-happened-to-whom-and-why/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [Nobody ever lived in the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/nobody-ever-lived-in-the-past/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [“Only TR openly declared his love for the job. “Nobody ever enjoyed the presidency as I did,” he boasted, and by all evidence that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/only-tr-openly-declared-his-love-for-the-job-nobody-ever-enjoyed-the/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [“s ships Phoenix and Rose, in the company of three tenders, cast off their moorings at Staten Island and started up the harbor under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/s-ships-phoenix-and-rose-in-the-company-of-three-tenders-cast-off/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [“a people may let a King fall, yet still remain a people, but if a King let his people slip from him, he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/a-people-may-let-a-king-fall-yet-still-remain-a-people-but-if-a-king/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [Why limit yourself to the experience of your own relatively brief time on earth, according to your biological clock, when the whole realm of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/why-limit-yourself-to-the-experience-of-your-own-relatively-brief/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [“He worked at a plain, tall desk at which he wrote standing up or perched on a high stool,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/he-worked-at-a-plain-tall-desk-at-which-he-wrote-standing-up-or/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [“Nothing happens in isolation. Everything that happens has consequences. We”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/nothing-happens-in-isolation-everything-that-happens-has-consequences/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [America faces an enemy who believes in enforced ignorance. And all that we stand for is the open mind, the generous spirit, the ideal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/america-faces-an-enemy-who-believes-in-enforced-ignorance-and-all/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [My shorthand answer is that I try to write the kind of book that I would like to read. If I can make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/my-shorthand-answer-is-that-i-try-to-write-the-kind-of-book-that-i/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [“Seen under the microscope, Stegomyia is a creature of striking beauty. Its general color is dark gray, but the thorax is marked with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/seen-under-the-microscope-stegomyia-is-a-creature-of-striking-beauty/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

[Explore all 291 David McCullough quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

## More Courses quotes

> [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [Our critical day is not the very day of our death; but the whole course of our life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/our-critical-day-is-not-the-very-day-of-our-death-but-the-whole/)

[John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/)

> [ Bernie \[Ecclestone\] is the commercial rights holder so the more outgoing the champion is, the better. Of course. I also do think about our… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-ecclestone/bernie-ecclestone-is-the-commercial-rights-holder-so-the-more/)

[Bernie Ecclestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-ecclestone/)

> [The prediction of nuclear winter is drawn not, of course, from any direct experience with the consequences of global nuclear war, but rather from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-prediction-of-nuclear-winter-is-drawn-not-of-course-from-any/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [We are always saying: Let the Law take its Course but what we really mean is: Let the Law take OUR Course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/we-are-always-saying-let-the-law-take-its-course-but-what-we-really/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [Men generally decide upon a middle course, which is most hazardous, for they know neither how to be entirely good nor entirely bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/men-generally-decide-upon-a-middle-course-which-is-most-hazardous-for/)

[Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/)

> [I earn my living by teaching film, mostly filmmaking but also teaching courses on current cinema. I'm interested in movies. I hope that's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-andersen/i-earn-my-living-by-teaching-film-mostly-filmmaking-but-also-teaching/)

[Thom Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-andersen/)

> [The wisdom of our actions in the first three years of peace will determine the course of world history for half a century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-wallace/the-wisdom-of-our-actions-in-the-first-three-years-of-peace-will/)

[Henry A. Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-wallace/)

> [To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-divide-one-s-life-by-years-is-of-course-to-tumble-into-a-trap-set/)

[Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/)

> [You can’t bake a cake without getting the kitchen messy. Halfway through surgery it looks like there’s been a murder in the operating room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/you-can-t-bake-a-cake-without-getting-the-kitchen-messy-halfway/)

[Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/)

> [ Leave a cavity behind the \[wall\] facings, and on the inside build walls two feet thick, made of red dimension stone or burnt brick… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/leave-a-cavity-behind-the-wall-facings-and-on-the-inside-build-walls/)

[Marcus Vitruvius Pollio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/)

> [Of course it does on opening night, but I've never had that devastating stage fright that some people get, but apparently, you can develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/of-course-it-does-on-opening-night-but-i-ve-never-had-that/)

[Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/)

> [I studied philosophy and ended on sociology. For some reason, all the advanced courses in philosophy were offered 4:30 to 6:30, so I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-jackson/i-studied-philosophy-and-ended-on-sociology-for-some-reason-all-the/)

[Lawrence Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-jackson/)

> [There is no one who can change My course or affect My conduct to the slightest extent. I am the Master over all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sathya-sai-baba/there-is-no-one-who-can-change-my-course-or-affect-my-conduct-to-the/)

[Sathya Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sathya-sai-baba/)

> [In the course of our eternal existence, we spend infinitely more time in the spirit world on the other side than we spend in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-browne/in-the-course-of-our-eternal-existence-we-spend-infinitely-more-time/)

[Sylvia Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-browne/)

[Browse all 6,995 Courses quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courses/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Take the teacher not the course.  Find out who the great professors are - the great teachers - and take their courses because a subject that you may not think you're interested in may turn out to be infinitely fascinating because of the way it's taught.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David McCullough"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/take-the-teacher-not-the-course-find-out-who-the-great-professors-are/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Courses"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/take-the-teacher-not-the-course-find-out-who-the-great-professors-are/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f9/david-mccullough-1091_courses_take-the-teacher-not-the-course-find-out_481206.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f9/david-mccullough-1091_courses_take-the-teacher-not-the-course-find-out_481206.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f9/david-mccullough-1091_courses_take-the-teacher-not-the-course-find-out_481206.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Take the teacher not the course. Find out who the great professors are - the great teachers - and take their…” — David McCullough",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "David McCullough",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Take the teacher not the course....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/take-the-teacher-not-the-course-find-out-who-the-great-professors-are/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/take-the-teacher-not-the-course-find-out-who-the-great-professors-are/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
