An Educational Experience That I Will Always Remember

It actually happened at the beginning of this year. It was the second day of school, and I was in Mr. Avasan's class. We were doing a review of algebra 1. He was asking everyone "What is a function?" Everyone he asked ultimately replied, "I don't know." We all felt like idiots after he kept asking us. I'm terribly paraphrasing, but what he said at the end enlightened everyone in the room:

"This is the problem with school, especially in mathematics. Teachers no longer teach you how to understand, they teach you how to mimic. They say, 'Okay, I did one, now you do one.' You did learn how to do all of these things, you just were taught poorly, and I know it's not your fault. You must be saying to yourself, 'Oh, Mr. Avasan is a jerk, making us feel stupid.' I know that a teacher's skills are not your fault. But, when you tell me, 'Oh Mr. Avasan, I don't know how to do it,' you are lying. It's not that you don't know how to do it, it's that you don't remember how to do it. I am trying to get you to understand math, not to mimic it. "

What he said to me, I will keep with me for the rest of my life.