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A. There he studied educational philosophy under the guidance of John Dewey, an American philosopher and educational reformer (改革家). B. Even during the anti-Japanese war, Tao never forgot his ambition. C. To solve the problem, Tao organized young workers and farmers to study while working. D. They are tasked with the mission to spread knowledge, ideas and truth. E. On the voyage (航行) of life, he kindled the light of hope for everyone. F. Apart from reforming education methods, Tao also tried his best to promote mass education (大众教育). |
Teachers are often considered to be engineers of the human soul. But there's one person in China who is called the "teacher of teachers".
He is Chinese educator Tao Xingzhi. Last year marked the 130 anniversary of his birth. People in different parts of China commemorated (纪念)Tao by visiting his memorial halls or holding meetings to reflect on his thoughts on education.
Born in Anhui province, China, 1891, Tao studied at Columbia University, US, in1914. . But when Tao returned to China in 1917 and began his own career as an educator, he did not blindly copy Dewey's education method or theories. For Tao, education is an active process in real-life experiences rather than one of telling and being told. He proposed(提出)"unity(融合) of teaching, learning, and reflective acting".
After conducting surveys in Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai in 1921, Tao was surprised to learn that the rate of urban illiteracy(文盲) in China went beyond 70 percent. To deal with the lack of teachers and money, in 1927, Tao set up Xiaozhuang Normal Collage(晓庄师范学院) in the northern suburbs of Nanjing to train teachers and educators, most of whom became teachers at rural schools.
He set up Yucai Middle School in the suburbs of Chongqing and offered free education to refugee (避难)children after the Japanese invasion of China began in 1937.
Maybe Tao's motto is the best explanation for his life, "Giving a whole heart, yet taking nothing in return, not even a leaf of grass.
