Few people think of Ludwig Wittgenstein as a schoolteacher, but that's what he did for a number of years in the 1920s. Nobody thinks he was a particularly good teacher, and he was probably unfit for the role. Still, he was an astute observer and brought to us several pedagogical insights, summarized on one of the slides in this presentation: "Children acquire language and concepts through practice and engagement, not through abstract explanation or formal instruction. Meaning emerges from specific situations and cultural practices, challenging universal educational approaches. Each child brings unique experiences and capabilities that resist standardization and uniform treatment." From this emerges Stanley Cavell's concept of the 'romantic child' that "embodies the democratic ideal of genuine participation in public life... for wonder, questioning, and authentic response provides a model for democratic citizenship." Slides probably from Michael A. Peters though there's no author named on them; see also this video, this thread, and this thread.
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