How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #10
It is possible for a teacher situated miles away to affect the spirit of the pupils by his way of living. It would be idle for me, if I were a liar, to teach boys to tell the truth. A cowardly teacher would never succeed in making his boys valiant, and a stranger to self-restraint could never teach his pupils the value of self-restraint. I saw, therefore, that I must be an eternal object-lesson to the boys and girls living with me. They thus became my teachers, and I learnt I must be good and live straight, if only for their sakes. I may say that the increasing discipline and restraint I imposed on myself at Tolstoy Farm was mostly due to those wards of mine. (4.34.4)
So, you've heard the expression those who can, do; those who can't, teach? Yeah, Gandhi's going totally against that and saying teachers have to be able to practice what they preach. He's really emphasizing the idea that teachers are role models who share their life experiences and individual perspectives with their students. His approach can be contrasted with a more classically liberal view that educators should explain material more objectively without pushing for students to imitate them or necessarily believe what they believe.