There are two kinds of teachers: the kind that fill you with so much quail shot that you can’t move, and . . .

The saying is presented as something Frost told to a class of future teachers after assigning them to read Mark Twain’s “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Frost reportedly explained that the frog story functions as a metaphor for teaching styles: one approach overloads students with inert facts, while another gives a small push that sparks independent movement and ambition.

It contrasts instruction that overwhelms learners with excessive information (leaving them stuck) versus teaching that provides just enough guidance and encouragement to help students propel themselves much further on their own.

“There are two kinds of teachers: the kind that fill you with so much quail shot that you can’t move, and the kind that just give you a little prod behind and you jump to the skies.”