--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: First figure out why you want the…" description: "\"First figure out why you want the students to learn the subject and what you want them to know, and the method will result more or less by common sense..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/827/richard-p-feynman-495_common-sense_first-figure-out-why-you-want-the-studen_3220997.png" --- # First figure out why you want the students to learn the… ![“First figure out why you want the students to learn the subject and what you want them to know, and the method will result more or less by common sense.” quote by Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/827/richard-p-feynman-495_common-sense_first-figure-out-why-you-want-the-studen_3220997.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/827/richard-p-feynman-495_common-sense_first-figure-out-why-you-want-the-studen_3220997.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/827/richard-p-feynman-495_common-sense_first-figure-out-why-you-want-the-studen_3220997.png) > “First figure out why you want the students to learn the subject and what you want them to know, and the method will result more or less by common sense.” [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding student motivation guides effective teaching methods, aligning goals with content. **In simple terms:** Know why students learn to shape instruction. Key Takeaway Align teaching with student purpose. Themes education motivation pedagogy Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type advice instructional When to use this quote - lesson planning - curriculum design - student engagement Key Concepts constructivism goal‑oriented learning Questions to Reflect On - How do you discover each student's purpose? - What if common sense conflicts with evidence‑based practice? A Different Perspective May overlook diverse motivations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Common sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-sense/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ## Related quotes > [You know, I haven't met an educator that doesn't agree that students learn best in school, and they really want our students to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cardona/you-know-i-haven-t-met-an-educator-that-doesn-t-agree-that-students/) [Miguel Cardona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-cardona/) > [See it in terms of paint. We don't learn subject matter, we learn paint. The musician can play any score that is set before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-van-wyk/see-it-in-terms-of-paint-we-don-t-learn-subject-matter-we-learn-paint/) [Helen Van Wyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-van-wyk/) > [There's always a learning curve, where you've got to learn what your subject is all about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-gilbert/there-s-always-a-learning-curve-where-you-ve-got-to-learn-what-your/) [Brad Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-gilbert/) > [I don't know what that Method is. Acting is life, to me, and should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivien-leigh/i-don-t-know-what-that-method-is-acting-is-life-to-me-and-should-be/) [Vivien Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivien-leigh/) > [All I know about method is that when I am not working I sometimes think I know something, but when I am working, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/all-i-know-about-method-is-that-when-i-am-not-working-i-sometimes/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [I don't know if I'm a method actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caleb-landry-jones/i-don-t-know-if-i-m-a-method-actor/) [Caleb Landry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caleb-landry-jones/) > [I know only one method of operation: to be as honest with others as I am with myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/i-know-only-one-method-of-operation-to-be-as-honest-with-others-as-i/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [I want our students to be so accustomed to children of other cultures that the words 'diversity' and 'tolerance' won't be in their vocabulary.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-amis/i-want-our-students-to-be-so-accustomed-to-children-of-other-cultures/) [Suzy Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-amis/) > [“The more attention you pay to the behavior you want from students, the more it will happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-d-bateman/the-more-attention-you-pay-to-the-behavior-you-want-from-students-the/) Barbara D. Bateman > [I don't want students who could make the next major breakthrough in renewable energy sources or space travel to have been taught that anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-don-t-want-students-who-could-make-the-next-major-breakthrough-in/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Americans want students to get the best education possible. We want schools to prepare children to become good citizens and members of a prosperous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/americans-want-students-to-get-the-best-education-possible-we-want/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [We want our students to be the students we want to teach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-warlick/we-want-our-students-to-be-the-students-we-want-to-teach/) [David Warlick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-warlick/) > [Excitement in education and student productivity, the ability to get a result that you want from students, go together and cannot be separated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/major-owens/excitement-in-education-and-student-productivity-the-ability-to-get-a/) [Major Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/major-owens/) > [Whether it's in an inner-city school or a rural community, I want those students to have a chance to take A.P. biology and A.P.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arne-duncan/whether-it-s-in-an-inner-city-school-or-a-rural-community-i-want/) [Arne Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arne-duncan/) > [What we want for our students we should want for our teachers: learning, challenge, support, and respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-hargreaves/what-we-want-for-our-students-we-should-want-for-our-teachers/) [Andy Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-hargreaves/) ## More by Richard P. Feynman > [“Philosophers have said before that one of the fundamental requisites of science is that whenever you set up the same conditions, the same thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/philosophers-have-said-before-that-one-of-the-fundamental-requisites/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [My rule is, when you are unhappy, think about it. But when you're happy, don't. Why spoil it? You're probably happy for some ridiculous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/my-rule-is-when-you-are-unhappy-think-about-it-but-when-you-re-happy/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [Trying to understand the way nature works involves a most terrible test of human reasoning ability. It involves subtle trickery, beautiful tightropes of logic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/trying-to-understand-the-way-nature-works-involves-a-most-terrible/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [Today's brains are yesterday's mashed potatoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/today-s-brains-are-yesterday-s-mashed-potatoes/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [Mathematics is a language plus reasoning; it is like a language plus logic. Mathematics is a tool for reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/mathematics-is-a-language-plus-reasoning-it-is-like-a-language-plus/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [It is necessary for the very existence of science that minds exist which do not allow that nature must satisfy some preconceived conditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/it-is-necessary-for-the-very-existence-of-science-that-minds-exist/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [“There was a Princess Somebody of Denmark sitting at a table with a number of people around her, and I saw an empty chair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/there-was-a-princess-somebody-of-denmark-sitting-at-a-table-with-a/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [All the time you're saying to yourself, 'I could do that, but I won't,'--which is just another way of saying that you can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/all-the-time-you-re-saying-to-yourself-i-could-do-that-but-i-won-t/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [“There's a big difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/there-s-a-big-difference-between-knowing-the-name-of-something-and/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [The fact that you are not sure means that it is possible that there is another way someday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/the-fact-that-you-are-not-sure-means-that-it-is-possible-that-there/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [You can always recognize truth by its beauty and simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/you-can-always-recognize-truth-by-its-beauty-and-simplicity/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [One cannot understand... the universality of laws of nature, the relationship of things, without an understanding of mathematics. There is no other way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/one-cannot-understand-the-universality-of-laws-of-nature-the/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [Mathematics is not just a language. Mathematics is a language plus reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/mathematics-is-not-just-a-language-mathematics-is-a-language-plus/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [A poet once said, "The whole universe is in a glass of wine." We will probably never know in what sense he meant that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/a-poet-once-said-the-whole-universe-is-in-a-glass-of-wine-we-will/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [I was a very shy character, always feeling uncomfortable because everybody was stronger than I, and always afraid I would look like a sissy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/i-was-a-very-shy-character-always-feeling-uncomfortable-because/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) [Explore all 515 Richard P. Feynman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) ## More Common sense quotes > [When you have a cavity in your tooth and you let it get worse, eventually you have to get a root canal. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-newton-john/when-you-have-a-cavity-in-your-tooth-and-you-let-it-get-worse/) [Olivia Newton-John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-newton-john/) > [Common sense is nothing more than a deposit of prejudices laid down in the mind before you reach eighteen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/common-sense-is-nothing-more-than-a-deposit-of-prejudices-laid-down/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [A time will come when the science of destruction shall bend before the arts of peace; when the genius which multiplies our powers, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-arago/a-time-will-come-when-the-science-of-destruction-shall-bend-before/) [Francois Arago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-arago/) > [Common sense is the guy who tells you that you ought to have had your brakes relined last week before you smashed a front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/common-sense-is-the-guy-who-tells-you-that-you-ought-to-have-had-your/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Below the 40th latitude there is no law; below the 50th no god; below the 60th no common sense and below the 70th no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley/below-the-40th-latitude-there-is-no-law-below-the-50th-no-god-below/) [Kim Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley/) > [I have never seen either a drop of piety or a grain of truth or ingenuousness - nay, I have never found common sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/i-have-never-seen-either-a-drop-of-piety-or-a-grain-of-truth-or/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [How is it that labels like 'centrist' and 'moderate,' which common sense tells us should reflect the views of a majority of Americans, have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehdi-hasan/how-is-it-that-labels-like-centrist-and-moderate-which-common-sense/) [Mehdi Hasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehdi-hasan/) > [“It was true that common sense wasn’t her forte. It wasn’t that she was silly or stupid, but she heard so many more voices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-goddard/it-was-true-that-common-sense-wasn-t-her-forte-it-wasn-t-that-she-was/) [Donna Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-goddard/) > [“The accident in your rearview mirror already happened. The one in front of you is still preventable. Pay attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nakia-r-laushaul/the-accident-in-your-rearview-mirror-already-happened-the-one-in/) [Nakia R. Laushaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nakia-r-laushaul/) > [In Raleigh, partisan battles, power struggles and lawsuits might grab the headlines, but we have to work together where we can. To look beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-cooper/in-raleigh-partisan-battles-power-struggles-and-lawsuits-might-grab/) [Roy Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-cooper/) > [“Listen: Common sense doesn't mean what it used to mean." -Matthias Chalmers, STAIRWAY2 HEAVEN”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-thompson/listen-common-sense-doesn-t-mean-what-it-used-to-mean-matthias/) Chaz Thompson > [“when people’s brains are in defensive mode, it becomes harder to see common sense. Small disagreements can end up holding back progress beyond reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-webb/when-people-s-brains-are-in-defensive-mode-it-becomes-harder-to-see/) [Caroline Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-webb/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [ As we have seen after every other \[Donald\] Trump controversy, this one only increased their enthusiasm for him. His supporters thought the idea of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/as-we-have-seen-after-every-other-donald-trump-controversy-this-one/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [Using, as an excuse, others' failure of common sense is in itself a failure of common sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/using-as-an-excuse-others-failure-of-common-sense-is-in-itself-a/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) [Browse all 1,942 Common sense quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-sense/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "First figure out why you want the students to learn the subject and what you want them to know, and the method will result more or less by common sense.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard P. 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