The way of the mind

Today I was talking to two of the best students in the high school. They were somehow constrained by the faculty, it seemed that they had overstepped some boundaries of decorum. For my taste it was a bit risquè but acceptable. Nevertheless I feel that my limits of acceptable behavior do not always coincide with the rest of the faculty. I bring this about because of another more academic matter that intrigues me right now.

This has happened to me; I have an idea in the middle of a presentation, and I plunge in trying to prove it. Sometimes I catch myself in dangerous territory and back up. Going back to the regular line of argumentation. If I am training mathematicians or scientists this is healthy, if I am training high school students this can be disconcerting.

There are some high school students more than ready to be trained this way. One needs intellectual partners to go the way of the mind. I worry about gifted students with square caregivers, but that is life.

I am glad I met some very bright students this year.