The Wisdom of Education: A Letter to Primary and Secondary School Teachers

Author: Lin Chongde
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-12-01
Features: Excerpt:
Thus, I filled all 23 options for the college entrance exam with "teacher training," and was admitted to the psychology program of the Education Department at Beijing Normal University with excellent results. From then on, my career in education began. The five years of university life, influenced by Beijing Normal University's "teacher training education," made me increasingly determined in my professional beliefs. In 1965, after graduating from university, I was assigned to teach in primary and secondary schools in Beijing. Over 13 years of work in primary and secondary education, I loved my career and never once doubted it. Even during the period when teachers were criticized during the Cultural Revolution, I never feared my work. During the "Ten-Year Turmoil" and the "Daily Readings" period, I mainly memorized one slogan: "Loyalty to the Party's educational cause." Until the 1980s, I published a book almost every year, and when I received the sample copies, I still wrote on the dedication page: "Loyalty to the Party's educational cause." This became my lifelong motto, and I have practiced it with my actions, blood, wisdom, and strength. In September 1978, I returned to my alma mater to resume my old career in psychology, but I never left the primary and secondary schools where I had formed a deep connection. Following the guidance of my mentor, Professor Zhu Zhixian, I have been deeply involved in primary and secondary education since 1978, researching students' psychology and teachers' qualities. Looking at the paths taken by educators at home and abroad, there are three common points: first, familiarity with the history of education in their own country (or even abroad); second, understanding the current needs of education; and third, adhering to the connection between theory and practice. For a long time, I have been exploring this path, and as a result, my experimental classes have grown from few to many, expanding from one to over 3,000, spread across 26 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China. I love primary and secondary school teachers and am also quite familiar with them. I have conducted long-term and systematic observations and research on the characteristics and work of primary and secondary school teachers, accumulating some materials. Compared to popular readers translated from abroad, such as Talks on Education, Conversations with Teachers, and Suggestions for Teachers, I feel that my materials have some unique features. Therefore, I decided to compile these materials and explore the laws of education and teaching with primary and secondary school teachers, as well as our educational subjects—students—and ourselves, teachers, so that we can remain even more loyal to our shared educational cause and become expert-level teachers. This is the origin of writing this book. This small booklet was written with my heart, and I would like to dedicate it to all primary and secondary school teachers.