A natural state is considered when the teacher knows almost everything about his subject and understands it much better than his students. But a good student differs from a bad one in that, having mastered everything that the teacher can teach him, he can begin to think independently and, possibly, comes to other, sometimes unexpected conclusions for the mentor. And there is a temptation to argue with the teacher and prove to him that you are right.
Teacher personality
As you know, teachers are people too. They have their own weaknesses, ambitions and beliefs. And before starting to argue with the teacher, it is worth thinking: what will this dispute lead to?
If a mentor seeks to teach his students to think and analyze, if he is happy with unexpected insights, he welcomes the independence of his students' judgments - an argument with such a teacher can become an exciting discussion that can mutually enrich both the teacher and the student.
But if the teacher belongs to the type of people for whom only his opinion is authoritative, even if it is based on deep knowledge and many years of experience, it makes no sense to argue with such a teacher: it is unlikely that it will be possible to prove his case, but the relationship with the mentor can be hopelessly ruined … It is clear that this, in turn, will affect the student's academic performance. Conservative and self-confident people do not like disputants too much and seek to humiliate them in various ways and put them in an unfavorable light in front of others.
Yes, this behavior is not very consistent with the image of the ideal mentor, but, unfortunately, it is not so rare. Before entering into an argument with such a person, it is worth considering how fundamentally important it is to prove to the teacher that you are right.
Preparing for a dispute
If, after weighing all the pros and cons, you still decide to enter into an argument with the teacher, you should prepare thoroughly for this. An opinion expressed only on the basis of one's own intuition, not supported by reliable facts and logical arguments, is likely to sound unconvincing.
When putting forward a new hypothesis or simply sharing facts that may not be known to the teacher, check the reliability of these facts. The source from which you got them should inspire confidence in the teacher.
Any Internet site of questionable content where you found the information that interested you will not be suitable as a source: perhaps the author of the article expressed a purely personal opinion based on his own "spiritual experience" and did not bother to back it up with real facts and evidence …
A publication in a periodical also cannot always serve as a reliable source of information, unless, of course, it is an article in a scientific journal published by a recognized expert.
The most convincing will sound a reference to reputable publications and authors who have received long-term and well-deserved recognition in the field in question in the dispute. Many (including teachers) are convinced by the appeal to authoritative opinion.
It is also a good idea to try to think through the teacher's possible objections. It is quite possible to do this if you have a clear idea of the way in which he usually covers the subject of the dispute in his lessons. For each such objection, try to think of counterarguments that will sound convincing. Then, perhaps, the teacher will change his original opinion and admit that you are right.
