The Relative Wisdom of Tough Love Pedagogy

Anja: Imagine that your hypothetical student doesn't take this class. Let's say he learns to speak law very quickly, does quite well in all his classes, and goes to work somewhere prestigious (firm/clerk/govt/"public interest" is really irrelevant). He writes something and is told by his immediate supervisor that it is inadequate. (Because it is -- inevitably, it will be). Won't he just break down then?

I am not sure that people who have gone through the gauntlet of high-powered schools have never been challenged or criticized harshly (twenty years ago I was regularly reduced to tears by teachers at a supposedly high-powered high school). At some point we need to learn that someone who challenges us is asking us to do something better, not telling us we have failed. We will all learn this someday; it was the unstated reason for the Paper Chase-style humiliation that no longer goes on. We all, after all, have something to learn.

-- AndrewCase - 08 Apr 2009