It’s undeniable that children learn from teachers, but sometimes, by talking or interacting with children, teachers also learn useful things from them. This intriguing lesson, “How Teachers Learn,” addresses this very topic.
In this lesson, the narrator explains how he learned useful things from Nora, a five-year-old girl. The narrator, a teacher, says he learned from Nora more about what children do as they learn to read on their own, the problems they face, and how they solve or try to address them.
The teacher visited Nora’s house one weekend. Nora approached him with a book in her hand and asked for help. They soon became friends.
Most of the time, the teacher sat still. He simply watched Nora read the words. However, on the rare occasions when Nora got stuck, he would say anything to help her. Even then, he didn’t tell him the word, but rather suggested how he might decipher it. If he still couldn’t understand the word, the teacher told him to skip it and continue.
“How Teachers Learn” is the first chapter in the Tulip Series for 8th Grade English, written by John Holt. It is a thoughtful work that revolutionizes the usual idea of ​​teaching, showing how teachers can also learn from their students.
Summary of How Teachers Learn
The story centers on a teacher and a five-year-old girl named Nora.
Nora struggles with reading, and the teacher silently observes her progress.
When Nora misreads a word she had previously read correctly, the teacher is perplexed.
This moment leads the teacher to reflect on her own experience trying to read an unfamiliar language, which helps her empathize with Nora’s challenge.
The main message: Teachers learn best when they try to see the world through their students’ eyes.