Silverobama
Key Member
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2010
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- Chinese
- Home Country
- China
- Current Location
- China
Happy Holidays.
The following paragraph is from The Elements of Teaching by James M. Banner and Harold Cannon:
Standards range from minor ones (such as the appropriate form for written assignments) to major ones (such as how much a student must know about the reproductive systems of various kinds of animals in order to meet the requirements of a biology course.) No matter what their level of importance, expecting strict adherence to all standards --- the reasons for all of which should be openly explained --- is a mark of all good teaching. Form may be of slighter consequence than substance, but to yield in small matters makes it harder to maintain standards when they really count.
I have difficulties understanding the bold sentence. I rephrase it as:
Form may be matters less than substance, but to yield in small matters makes it harder to maintain standards when they really count.
My questions:
a) I wonder if "when they really count" means "when standards really matter" here.
b) I also want to know the connection between the first and the second sentence. Does "form" mean "small matters" here while "substance" refers to "standards"?
The following paragraph is from The Elements of Teaching by James M. Banner and Harold Cannon:
Standards range from minor ones (such as the appropriate form for written assignments) to major ones (such as how much a student must know about the reproductive systems of various kinds of animals in order to meet the requirements of a biology course.) No matter what their level of importance, expecting strict adherence to all standards --- the reasons for all of which should be openly explained --- is a mark of all good teaching. Form may be of slighter consequence than substance, but to yield in small matters makes it harder to maintain standards when they really count.
I have difficulties understanding the bold sentence. I rephrase it as:
Form may be matters less than substance, but to yield in small matters makes it harder to maintain standards when they really count.
My questions:
a) I wonder if "when they really count" means "when standards really matter" here.
b) I also want to know the connection between the first and the second sentence. Does "form" mean "small matters" here while "substance" refers to "standards"?
