Mercury in the signs -

The planet, Mercury, in our natal charts, shows how we take in information. I have always associated information with light. We are beings of light and add to our light with awareness - which comes in the form of information.

How we express our light, is through Mercury. Our personality’s input and output is from the same department - within and without. Mercury shows how we think. How you think becomes how you do.

There’s that Buddhist reflection by Lama Surya Das that goes…
The thought manifests as the word;
The word manifests as the deed;
The deed develops into habit;
And habit hardens into character;
So watch the thought and its ways with care,
And let it spring from love
Born out of concern for all beings…

As the shadow follows the body,
As we think, so we become.
(from the Dhammapada)

What sign and house your Mercury is in tells me what you are interested in, what you might think about, or want to talk about, or how you think.

I believe the knowledge of Mercury placements could greatly benefit teachers when structuring their classes thereby maximizing students’ input and output from the learning process.

Earth sign Mercurys are more tactile in their information gathering, using senses and sensibilities. They need hands on experiments and a good reason why they are doing something. Is it practical and functional? Put Taurus in acquisitions, Virgo in the analysis dept, and Capricorn is the builder. These Mercury expressions need information pertaining to their Earth mode of expression. Earth signs are manifesting masters.

Water sign Mercurys are harder to pin down in learning; Cancer/Scorpio/Pisces. They take in information through feelings, as well as absorbing information being emitted by words, and body language. It is empathic energy - desiring to understand what makes other's tick. Like water, the attention needs a container. Put a story of someone you know in that dry science lesson and the information flows in.

Then, there’s Air sign Mercury people; Gemini/Libra/Aquarius. They are logic-minded and interested in relationships between ideas. They are very expressive of their information as they network and work towards harmonizing and making sense; connecting people and ideas with their networking and socializing skills. They are information gatherers in the broadest sense of the word for humans. Air Mercury people are very good at bringing about cooperation between seemingly disparate parties.

And lastly, there’s the fire sign Mercury, Aries/Leo/Sagittarius, which are enthusiastic learners. The subjects that might provoke their interest will arouse their passions too. They are the most apt to take a risk in experimenting with ideas. Dramatic presentations will grab hold of their attention and teach them like no rote reading could do.

A motivated teacher could easily find out Mercury placements by having a chart for it’s course during the year(s) of her students' births.

Or, even better, identify a teacher's Mercury, and then put the students with the same Mercury placements, by elements fire/earth/air/water, in with them.

Going along with a person’s nature is a lot easier than giving the kid a label like A.D.D., and/or a pill in which to keep the child in their desk. Appreciation for how one thinks and what one thinks about may lessen the need to conform to one standard.

The education system has come a long way in offering something for everybody. I'm just saying that when it comes to designing some educational reforms, Astrology and what it has to say on the subject ought to take part at that discussion table.