HOW TEACHERS LEARN
CLASS 8TH ( CHAPTER NOTES BY SAHIL SWË)
Summary in English
The chapter from “How Teachers Learn” by John Holt revolves around a significant learning experience the author had with Nora, a curious five-year-old girl. The narrative beautifully captures the essence of how teachers can glean profound insights from their students’ learning journeys.
As the author visited Nora’s family over a weekend, their interaction blossomed into a unique learning opportunity. Nora’s enthusiasm to read a book called “Hop on Pop” sparked a series of observations and realizations for the author. Initially unsure of how to assist Nora, the author’s patience and keen observation skills led to a deeper understanding of the challenges children face in learning to read.
One key moment in their interaction was when Nora, despite initially reading a word correctly, repeatedly misread it later. This seemingly simple incident unraveled a complex aspect of learning: the struggle to retain newly encountered words. Through this experience, the author reflected on their own difficulties in learning unfamiliar languages, highlighting the universal nature of learning challenges.
The chapter also touches upon the disadvantages faced by children from illiterate backgrounds, emphasizing the importance of early exposure to letters and words to foster familiarity and ease in reading. The author’s encounter with Nora underscores the idea that teaching is not just a one-way process; it’s a dynamic exchange where teachers constantly learn from their students’ experiences and perspectives.
In essence, the chapter celebrates the symbiotic relationship between teachers and students, showcasing how moments of learning and growth can emerge from everyday interactions in the classroom.
Working with the Text
1. Who was Nora? How did she become a friend of the teacher?
Nora was a five-year-old girl. The teacher visited her family over the weekend. She became friends with the teacher through their interactions during the visit. Nora approached the teacher seeking help with reading a book called “Hop on Pop,” which initiated their friendship as the teacher assisted her with reading and learning.
2. How did the teacher observe Nora while learning?
Most of the time the teacher sat still and silent and the teacher observed Nora quietly and only intervened when she seemed stuck, encouraging her to figure out words on her own.
3. What odd thing happened with Nora? Why was the teacher puzzled?
The odd thing which happened with Nora was that she misread a word several times that was read correctly by her earlier. The teacher was puzzled because of Nora’s act as she reminded him (teacher about his own classroom situation where students summed to forget things which they had learned.
4. Was Nora a careless child? How do you know?
No, Nora was not a careless child. The teacher noticed her putting in effort and concentration while reading, indicating her attentiveness and willingness to learn.
5. How should a teacher understand the problems of the children?
A teacher should strive to understand the problems of children by seeing things through their eyes and treating issues the way they, the students, do.
6. What experience popped into the teacher’s mind after Nora’s learning problem?
The experience that came to the teacher’s mind was a sheet of different languages that were unknown to him. The page appeared as a jumble of words, similar to how Nora struggled with new words. This experience helped the teacher understand Nora’s learning process better.
7. Why are children from unlettered homes at a disadvantage?
Children from unlettered homes lack familiarity with the shapes of words and letters from the beginning of their learning journey. Since there is often no one to guide or observe them at home, they face a disadvantage in acquiring early literacy skills.
8. How did the teacher learn from Nora?
The teacher learned about the challenges children face in learning to read by observing Nora during her reading and learning sessions. This experience provided valuable insights into addressing these challenges effectively while teaching other students.
Language Work
1. In the text, the author keeps using the American expression, ‘to figure out’.
Which of the following words or phrases is closest in meaning to the expression as it is used in the passage?
(a) to guess it (b) to recognize it © to reason it out (d) to decide it
(a) to guess it — This option implies making an educated or random guess, which is not the same as reasoning or understanding.
(b) to recognize it — This option implies identifying or acknowledging something based on prior knowledge or familiarity, which aligns closely with the meaning of “to figure out” in the passage.
© to reason it out — This option also aligns with the meaning of “to figure out,” as it involves using logical thinking or deduction to understand or solve something.
(d) to decide it — This option refers to making a choice or reaching a conclusion, which is different from the process of understanding or solving something.
Ans. ©
2. He taught me to play the piano.
I learned to play it.
These two sentences describe the same action from different points of view. Now write a second sentence for each of the sentences below in the same way:
(a)He loaned me some clothes
I borrowed some clothes.
(b)He sold me an old piano.
I bought an old piano.
©He chased me.
I ran away.
(d) I offered him a glass of water.
He drank it or He received it.
(e)We conquered the enemy.
They were defeated or They surrendered.
(f) He asked me to help him.
I offered to help him or I assisted him.
Q. 3. Some suffixes (like -al, -ish, -py, -ous, -ine, etc) are added to nouns to form adjectives. e.g.:orient — oriental; nation — national; child — childish, friend — friendly.
Now form adjectives from the following nouns by using suffixes. Use your dictionary if you cannot quickly think of the right word.
Ans.
Alphabet: Alphabetical,
Angel: Angelic,
Shape: Shapely,
Book: Bookish,
Man: Manly,
Government: Governmental,
Minister: Ministerial,
Elephant: Elephantine,
Tiger: Tigerish
Day: Daily, &
College: Collegiate
Q.4. Write out a message of about 50 bused on the following telephonic conversation.
Hello!
Hello! Can I speak to Asif?
Well, I’m afraid he is not at home right now. May I know who is calling?
I’m Khalid, his friend. Asif and I had decided to have dinner at Ahdoo’s
at 9 p.m. I’ve just been asked to complete a project at the office. Could you inform
him that I shall be late in one hour?
Oh, sure! I’m going to meet some relatives at the airport. However,
I’ll leave a message for him.
May I know who I’m speaking to right now?
I’m Rauf, his roommate.
Grammar Work
Read the following sentences:
1. This is a broken cup.
2. That was a torn piece of paper.
3. She found the lost purse yesterday.
Notice that the underlined words are Past Participles of verbs used as
adjectives. The Past Participle is the third form of the verb, e.g., cooked, torn,
written, worked, spoken, eaten, sung, cut, etc. A verb form indicating past or completed action or time that is used as a verbal adjective in phrases such as baked beans and finished work and with auxiliaries to form the passive voice or perfect tenses in constructions such as: she had baked the beans and the work was finished. It is called perfect participle.
The Past Participle is used in the following ways:
1. To form the perfect tenses:
a. They have arrived.
b. She has completed the work.
c. My glasses have been broken.
2. As an adjective:
a. The broken window panes proved the attack.
b. The overcrowded bus fell into the river.
c. We gave a written complaint.
3. As object complements:
a. Jai Singh got his father released.
b. I kept the windows shut.
c. You should get your hair cut.
4. As subject complements used as adjectives:
a. I am tired.
b. The shops are closed on Sundays.
c. Late comers were fined.
5. To form adjective phrases qualifying the names put before them:
a. The doctor treated the passengers wounded in the accident.
b. My brother sent me a watch made in Japan.
6. To combine sentences:
a. I saw a lion. It was caught in a net.
I saw a lion caught in a net.
b. They ate the mangoes. They were brought by their father.
They ate the mangoes brought by their father.
c. The teacher encouraged him. He won a scholarship.
Encouraged by the teacher, he won a scholarship.
d. He was hit by a ball. He retired hurt.
Hit by a ball, he retired hurt.
I. Fill in the blanks by using the past participle forms of given verbs:
Write, rent, forget, break, cook
1. I am living in a _________ house.
2. It is not safe to sit in a _________ chair.
3. Some people do not like _________ vegetables.
4. The headmaster wanted a _________ report.
5. That is a _________ quarrel.
Ans. (1) Rented; (2) Broken; (3) Cooked; (4) Written; (5) Forgotten
Using the words and phrases given, make sentences like in the
Example given below:
Example :we/ the doors/shall have/painted.
We shall have the doors painted.
1. Made/ I/ a new suit/ had.
Ans. I made a new suit
2. She/ heard/ has never/ spoken/ French.
Ans. She has never heard spoken French.
3. Respected/ makes/ his knowledge/ him.
Ans. His knowledge makes him respected.
4. I/ your names/ heard/ called.
Ans. I heard your names called.
5. Work/ we/ want this/ quickly/ done.
Ans. We want this work quickly done.
Let’s Write
Here are some statements about the way young children learn. Read through them carefully and then write a short account of how children learn to read. Join up The statements, rearranging the order if necessary, to make longer, more varied Sentences, adding words like ‘although’, ‘but’, ‘for’, ‘for instance’, ‘however’, ‘just as’, ‘also’, ‘therefore’, ‘even though’, ‘so that’, ‘in order that’, etc.
(a)Young children find it very difficult to learn to read.
(b)They do not easily recognise words.
©Adults can recognise words easily.
(d)Adults often find it just as difficult to recognise words in unfamiliar Alphabets.
(e) A Tamil reader may find Telugu script puzzling.
(f) A Hindi reader may not easily recognise individual Tamil words.
(g)Children need plenty of practice in looking at printed words.
(h)They need not be able to read them at first.
(i) Familiarity with the shape of letters and words is the first important step.
(j) When children begin to read they should have books with plenty of
Pictures.
(k)The books should be designed carefully.
(l) Children should, if possible, be able to work out what unfamiliar words mean rather than always be told by the teacher.
Ans. Young children find it very difficult to learn to read because they do not easily recognise words. Although, adults can recognise words easily but they often find it difficult to recognise words in unfamiliar alphabets. For instance, a Tamil reader may find Telugu Script puzzling but Hindi reader may not easily recognize Tamil words. Children need plenty of practice in looking at printed words. So they need not be able to read them at first. Thus, Familiarity with the shape of letters and words is the first important step. Therefore, when children begin to read they should have books with plenty of pictures. The books should be designed carefully, in order that Children should, if possible, be able to work out what unfamiliar words mean rather than always be told by the teacher.
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