Einstein's Teaching Habits Give Us a Glimpse Into His Mind

I'm still reading the Einstein biography by Walter Isaacson and I love these short passages that offhandedly describe Einstein's mindset by relaying his actions to us.

It's so interesting to see how Einstein thought and would develop his thought experiments and come up with solutions to a wide variety of problems.

Einstein's first lecture was not good, as we learned from the experiences of those in attendance. He almost didn't get a teaching job partly because he had a poor performance in front of someone who came to audit his lecture.

As his talents for teaching improved, though, we see Einstein become a unique type of professor - one who encapsulates his students and actually gets them involved in his own learning process.

I think this is the hallmark of any great teacher - to not tell and spew information at students, but to rather involve them in the process of learning. To not show them where the bone is, but let them find it on their own.

“Instead of prepared notes, Einstein used a card-sized strip of paper with scribbles. So the students got to watch him develop his thoughts as he spoke. “We obtained some insight into his working technique,” said Tanner. “We certainly appreciated this more than any stylistically perfect lecture.” At each step of the way, Einstein would pause and ask the students if they were following him, and he even permitted interruptions. “This comradely contact between teacher and student was, at that time, a rare occurrence,” according to Adolf Fisch, another who attended the lectures. Sometimes he would take a break and let the students gather around him for casual conversation. “With an impulsiveness and naturalness he would take students by the arm to discuss things,” recalled Tanner.”

I find it so fascinating that Einstein would actually develop some of his theories and even work through some complicated math while giving a lecture about a given topic.

It's also incredible that he had such a candid relationship with his students.

When we imagine who Einstein is, we imagine him as being this almost untouchable level of genius. A man who is so smart that he can be rivaled by none.

A man who is so intelligent that he cannot - or even would not - allow other peoples' opinions to affect him. Before I started reading this book, I always imagined a mad scientist holed up in his lab.

I imagine Einstein as a man who wouldn't speak to anyone and who would discount other peoples' ideas. Not because he was a bad person, but because he was such a genius that he didn't need anyone else.

Now I learn that it's quite on the contrary. Einstein relied heavily on close friends, professors and even his students to aid him in working through his theories and ideas and mathematical problems.