Talks to Teachers on Psychology: And to Students on Some of Life's Ideals

Talks To Teachers On Psychology: And To Students On Some Of Life's Ideals - is a book written by the "father of American psychology" William James. The book consists of two parts, the so-called "Talks" with teachers and students. The two parts of the lectures complement each other. The first part of the lectures explains to teachers how psychology can be useful in the educational process. The second part of the lectures explains to the students the value of the educational opportunities presented to them. “Talks to Teachers” begins with what many people at the time considered mechanistic psychology, rooted in physiology and developed in light of Darwin's theory of evolution. In many places, James encourages teachers to view the student as a kind of "delicate little machine." An effective teaching tool seeks to work with the nervous system, not against it. In the short chapters that follow, James discusses his fundamental stream of consciousness theory and applies it to learned behavior through his exploration of reactions, habits, associations, attention, and memory. The lectures are clear, they demonstrate flexibility and wisdom in considering the learning process. The second part of the book "Talks to Students" consists of three essays to students: The Gospel of Relaxation, the seminal essay "On Certain Blindness in Human Beings," and the accompanying essay, "What Makes Life Significant?."