#quintillian

Quippe id est homini naturale, ac sicut aves ad volatum, equi ad cursum, ad saevitiam ferae gignuntur, ita nobis propria est mentis agitatio atque sollertia

- Quintilian

Switching gears, we now look to Quintillian from Aristotle for some life advice, but instead of delving into ethics, morality, and the meaning of life, Quintillian broached the topic of teaching--specifically, teaching oratory. Quintillian may have focused on educating the perfect orator in Institutio Oratoria, but many of the concepts he brought up also relate to the pedagogy as a whole and are still seen today.

People need to be educated as soon as possible, Quintillian stressed, and although children should be educated, they should not be subjected to harsh punishment and censure as “the worse impressions are, the more persistent they are” (67). It is difficult to convince anyone—let alone a child—that something he perceives to be bad is good, so instead of making education a chore, Quintillian suggested educators to make it a game.

Although simple in concept, it is most significant. Learning should be something done in it of itself, and without the drive to learn, students will not be able to retain any information gained. Make it a game, so that students will learn the rules as they go and enjoy the process for what it is. It is also important to remember that “everyone must be given some relaxation” since humans are not able to withstand so much strain for long periods of time (99). Take care that breaks are not plentiful nor too few.

Quintillian also stated that orators should be properly educated through “continuous application, first-class teachers, and many different branches of study” and devoted one of the chapters in Book One (chapter 12) to strengthening his argument on teaching students many subjects at once (71). This resembles the education system in use today; students attend school and learn about a vast number of subjects to a degree before pursuing more in-depth study if they decide to enroll in a post-secondary institution.