Education & Teaching · 1 Oct 2026
Habit: the teacher's greatest ally
William James called habit the "enormous fly-wheel of society". For teachers, it is the quiet force that turns effort into ease — for good or ill.
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Mindvalis Blog
Articles and practical reflections on mental health, wellbeing, education and teaching.
Education & Teaching · 28 Sep 2026
The art of holding attention
Attention cannot be commanded for long. James argued that it must be won — repeatedly — by giving the mind something new to notice in the subject itself.
Read article →Education & Teaching · 24 Sep 2026
Interest is built, not found
James observed that new ideas become interesting when they attach to something the learner already finds interesting. The teacher's craft is building that bridge.
Read article →Education & Teaching · 20 Sep 2026
Memory and the association of ideas
Good memory, James argued, is less about raw capacity and more about how well new facts are woven into what we already know.
Read article →Education & Teaching · 16 Sep 2026
The stream of a learner's mind
James described consciousness as a continuous stream. Seeing learners this way changes how we think about focus, distraction and readiness to learn.
Read article →Education & Teaching · 12 Sep 2026
Educating the will
For James, will was not a mysterious force but the ability to keep an idea steadily in mind until it leads to action. That ability can be taught.
Read article →Education & Teaching · 8 Sep 2026
Why teaching is an art, not only a science
James warned that psychology could not hand teachers ready-made lessons. Science sets the boundaries; the teacher's judgement does the rest.
Read article →Education & Teaching · 4 Sep 2026
Teacher wellbeing and the calm classroom
James urged teachers to cultivate calm and avoid needless strain. A settled teacher helps create the conditions in which learners can think.
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