I'll try and keep it shorter this time:
Yes, teaching is transactional. You may be teaching your children the rudiments of mathematics and spelling - and in return they will be teaching you about patience. They may also teach you about how children think and how it differs from adults - when you attempt to put information into a child they often shut off, when you engage them and try to learn about how they like to get information then they don't.
I think the average high school teacher will read from a book and say 'this is what quantum physics is and you need to listen'.... the average college professor will say 'Quantum is really complicated, so listen closely and if I don't know the answer I'll find out' - the average Quantum physicist will say something like 'I'm going to tell you everything I know, and everything I know is probably wrong'. I don't think that's a bad thing - Dunning Kruger and all that jazz.
Sure. People can engage in conversation and learning can happen as a result - I'm not convinced there was much to learn there, particularly when race is used as a benchmark for whether learning needs to happen. I would happily have discussed with her the problems of systemic racism, I work in a hospital - I see it a lot amongst patients and staffing structures, but that discussion isn't about educating me, it's about sharing information. I'm not denying racism exists, I'm just suggesting a continual focus on skin colour as a market of how capable you are to be involved in that discussion is wrong.
And yes, the written word is the written word and it comes with all its flaws and problems. I have found I can usually bounce people back into interesting discussions, but I tend to reply in a similar vein to how I'm approached. You shouldn't worry about offending me either, nor offending anyone more generally. Offence is a choice taken after the fact, if I am offended by what you have written - that is a ME problem, not a YOU problem. Too much of the world's time and energy is spent checking in on how other people feel.
Unpacking of thoughts along those lines can be found here:
https://medium.com/p/ce0892345e78
You have a great evening too! :o)
