--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best learners... often make the worst…" description: "\"The best learners... often make the worst teachers. They are, in a very real sense, perceptually challenged. They cannot imagine what it must be like t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/stephen-brookfield-60123_bad-teacher_the-best-learners-often-make-the-worst-t_1579991.png" --- # The best learners... often make the worst teachers. They… ![“The best learners... often make the worst teachers. They are, in a very real sense, perceptually challenged. They cannot imagine what it must be like to struggle to learn something that comes so naturally to them.” quote by Stephen Brookfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/stephen-brookfield-60123_bad-teacher_the-best-learners-often-make-the-worst-t_1579991.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/stephen-brookfield-60123_bad-teacher_the-best-learners-often-make-the-worst-t_1579991.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/stephen-brookfield-60123_bad-teacher_the-best-learners-often-make-the-worst-t_1579991.png) > “The best learners... often make the worst teachers. They are, in a very real sense, perceptually challenged. They cannot imagine what it must be like to struggle to learn something that comes so naturally to them.” [Stephen Brookfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-brookfield/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excellent learners may struggle to teach because they lack empathy for novices' learning challenges. **In simple terms:** Great learners can be poor teachers. Key Takeaway Develop empathy when teaching. Themes education empathy skill gaps Mood reflective inquisitive Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - classroom teaching - mentor training - peer tutoring Key Concepts pedagogy metacognition Questions to Reflect On - How can teachers bridge knowledge gaps? - What strategies help you see from a beginner’s view? A Different Perspective Expertise can create blind spots. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-teacher/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Learners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learners/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Mentorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentorship/) [Perception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perception/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching/) ## Related quotes > [“The best learners are the best earners.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/the-best-learners-are-the-best-earners/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [The best leaders are the best notetakers, best askers, and best learners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-best-leaders-are-the-best-notetakers-best-askers-and-best-learners/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Nobody wants to admit it, but they send the worst teachers to The Bronx.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-diaz-sr/nobody-wants-to-admit-it-but-they-send-the-worst-teachers-to-the-bronx/) [Ruben Diaz Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-diaz-sr/) > [Parents are the worst teachers, if they are good at it and you're not. My father thought I was the densest offspring he could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/parents-are-the-worst-teachers-if-they-are-good-at-it-and-you-re-not/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [“Back when I was still working …” at least appeals to me more than “When I was still standing before a class …” or—the most horrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/back-when-i-was-still-working-at-least-appeals-to-me-more-than-when-i/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [I struggle to learn by rote. I've had meltdowns on set. Which is embarrassing and shameful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/i-struggle-to-learn-by-rote-i-ve-had-meltdowns-on-set-which-is/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [We grow because we struggle, we learn and overcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-allen/we-grow-because-we-struggle-we-learn-and-overcome/) [Robert G. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-allen/) > [Strength comes from struggle, when you learn to see your struggles as opportunities to become stronger, better, wiser, then your thinking shifts from I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-sorenson/strength-comes-from-struggle-when-you-learn-to-see-your-struggles-as/) [Toni Sorenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-sorenson/) > [“deep work. If you haven’t mastered this foundational skill, you’ll struggle to learn hard things or produce at an elite level.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/deep-work-if-you-haven-t-mastered-this-foundational-skill-you-ll/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [It's been such a struggle to learn all that I have; I wouldn't want to give any of that knowledge up. That's why I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-barrymore/it-s-been-such-a-struggle-to-learn-all-that-i-have-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Drew Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-barrymore/) > [It's the games you lose or struggle in that you learn most from in Test cricket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-mcgrath/it-s-the-games-you-lose-or-struggle-in-that-you-learn-most-from-in/) [Glenn McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-mcgrath/) > [In struggle we learn how to overcome eventuality. In struggle you learn to grow.From struggle we carve out the path of success. Never shy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/in-struggle-we-learn-how-to-overcome-eventuality-in-struggle-you/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [Life is a struggle but you have to learn everything wont go your way you have to create peace and be calm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brianna-mcelwee/life-is-a-struggle-but-you-have-to-learn-everything-wont-go-your-way/) [Brianna McElwee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brianna-mcelwee/) > [The art of walking on quicksand is still beyond me. What I learned is only how difficult this art is to master and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/the-art-of-walking-on-quicksand-is-still-beyond-me-what-i-learned-is/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [Sometimes the last thing learners need is for their preferred learning style to be affirmed. Agreeing to let people learn only in a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-brookfield/sometimes-the-last-thing-learners-need-is-for-their-preferred/) [Stephen Brookfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-brookfield/) ## More by Stephen Brookfield > [We teach what we like to learn and the reason many people go into teaching is vicariously to reexperience the primary joy experienced the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-brookfield/we-teach-what-we-like-to-learn-and-the-reason-many-people-go-into/) [Stephen Brookfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-brookfield/) > [Sometimes the last thing learners need is for their preferred learning style to be affirmed. Agreeing to let people learn only in a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-brookfield/sometimes-the-last-thing-learners-need-is-for-their-preferred/) [Stephen Brookfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-brookfield/) > [The most important knowledge teachers need to do good work is a knowledge of how students are experiencing learning and perceiving their teacher's actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-brookfield/the-most-important-knowledge-teachers-need-to-do-good-work-is-a/) [Stephen Brookfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-brookfield/) > [“My own existence as a teacher is one of sustained epistemological demolition”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-brookfield/my-own-existence-as-a-teacher-is-one-of-sustained-epistemological/) [Stephen Brookfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-brookfield/) [Explore all 5 Stephen Brookfield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-brookfield/) ## More Bad teacher quotes > [Only bad teachers lecture at a tutorial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starkey/only-bad-teachers-lecture-at-a-tutorial/) [David Starkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starkey/) > [“In my parents' day and age, it used to be the person who fell short. Now it's the discipline. Reading the classics is too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/in-my-parents-day-and-age-it-used-to-be-the-person-who-fell-short-now/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [My first plays were amazingly bad, but I had a teacher who thought I had promise, and he kept working with me. I finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/my-first-plays-were-amazingly-bad-but-i-had-a-teacher-who-thought-i/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [I'm a very bad teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-bream/i-m-a-very-bad-teacher/) [Julian Bream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-bream/) > [You know your a bad teacher when none of your classes knows what to do...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-your-a-bad-teacher-when-none-of-your-classes-knows-what-to-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We should be firing bad teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-should-be-firing-bad-teachers/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“Whoever teaches without emancipating stultifies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ranciere/whoever-teaches-without-emancipating-stultifies/) [Jacques Ranciere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ranciere/) > [It's not my fault that I don't understand my homework, and its not my fault you're a bad teacher either...It's yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-not-my-fault-that-i-don-t-understand-my-homework-and-its-not-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Good teachers are costly, but bad teachers cost more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/good-teachers-are-costly-but-bad-teachers-cost-more/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A bad teacher will will aim at imposing his opinion, and turning out a set of pupils all of whom will give the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/a-bad-teacher-will-will-aim-at-imposing-his-opinion-and-turning-out-a/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I don’t think we’ll get rid of schools any time soon, certainly not in my lifetime, but if we’re going to change what’s rapidly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/i-don-t-think-we-ll-get-rid-of-schools-any-time-soon-certainly-not-in/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [I spent all my time at school in the library. Bad teachers can teach you to learn on your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/i-spent-all-my-time-at-school-in-the-library-bad-teachers-can-teach/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [It's my belief that you can take everyone down a logical path if you take them slowly enough, and the trouble is that mathematical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/it-s-my-belief-that-you-can-take-everyone-down-a-logical-path-if-you/) [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) > [“Great teachers had great personalities and that the greatest teachers had outrageous personalities. I did not like decorum or rectitude in a classroom; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/great-teachers-had-great-personalities-and-that-the-greatest-teachers/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [“Its gresham's law in operation is all walks of life and not just money: bad money drives out good money from circulation; bad writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aporvakala/its-gresham-s-law-in-operation-is-all-walks-of-life-and-not-just/) APORVAKALA [Browse all 47 Bad teacher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-teacher/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The best learners... often make the worst teachers. They are, in a very real sense, perceptually challenged. 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