I would urge that the yeast of education is the idea of excellence, and the idea of excellence comprises as many forms as there are individuals, each of whom develops his own image of excellence. The school must have as one of its principal functions the nurturing of images of excellence.

Knowledge helps only when it descends into habits.

Stimuli, however, do not act upon an indifferent organism.

Good teaching is forever being on the cutting edge of a child's competence.

Knowledge is justified belief.

The agentive mind is not only active in nature, but it seeks out dialogue and discourse with other active minds. And it is through this dialogic, discursive process that we come to know the Other and his points of view, his stories. We learn an enormous amount not only about the world but about ourselves by discourse with Others.

We are storytelling creatures, and as children we acquire language to tell those stories that we have inside us.