ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the double learning problem that faces teachers—the problem of their own effective learning of relevant knowledge, skills, and attitudes; and the problem of helping pupils or students to learn effectively. It outlines the psychological problems facing the young adult who is at the same time student and beginning teacher. Psychologically, the student learner passes through the problems of self-definition of late adolescence into the young adult phase of polishing that definition and beginning to implement it, quite as soon as a young married worker in a particular professional and geographical context. Some teachers and parents are very anti-punitive—one could almost say punitively anti-punitive, in the way that there are militant pacifists. Punitive attitudes in adults, whether or not in infants, are often a response to being punished. Some student teachers, carried away by teaching practice, fail to realize that they may be perfecting themselves in pointless or even undesirable activities.
