Holidaysncelebrating teachers are common the world over, and today is one ofnthem!
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nBacknwhen I was young, there was a nation called Czechoslovakia. (As youncan imagine, it struck horror into students’ hearts when asked tonspell it for a test.) In 1993, this nation peacefully split up into twonseparate countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia (making memorizing the spellings easier, thanknyou!).
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Both nations continue to celebrate Teachers’ Day onnthe same date, for the day honors the 1592 birthday of annextraordinary teacher: Jan Amos Komensky.
Both nations continue to celebrate Teachers’ Day onnthe same date, for the day honors the 1592 birthday of annextraordinary teacher: Jan Amos Komensky.n
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n(He is also known by a Latin name, Comenius.)
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nPoornKomensky didn’t have the easiest life. Living in Moravia, one of thenCzech lands, he was orphaned at an early age, and his guardians stolenthe bit of inheritance his parents left him. The schools he went tonwere harsh—he later referred to them as the slaughter-houses of thenyoung. Even after he earned a college education and became a teacher,nhe was in for rough times when his wife and children died during annepidemic and his land became embroiled in the Thirty Years War.nSpaniards burned Komensky’s village, including his library and hisnwritings, and Komensky was forced into exile for the rest of hisnlife!
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nKomenskynbelieved that self-discipline should be the good-stuff motivation fornlearning, rather than using the bad-stuff “motivation” ofnphysically punishing those who make mistakes or forget facts. Henurged universal education, including the radical ideas of educatingngirls as well as boys and poor children as well as rich. Henintroduced the idea of using books written in children’s nativenlanguages, rather than in Latin, and the idea of including picturesnin books for children. He urged the development of logical thinkingnrather than just asking kids to memorize, memorize, memorize.
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| How awesome is it that the Czech Republic features a teacher on some of its money! |
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nAndnKomensky traveled all over Europe talking about his progressive ideasnabout education. He was offered the opportunity to travel to thenAmerican colonies to head up a new university called Harvard, but henturned down the job and stayed in Europe. n
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nUnfortunately,nduring another battle, his writings were once more burned!
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Butnsome of Komensky’s writings survived, and they formed the basis ofnelementary education in many parts of Europe. One of his most famousnworks, Orbis Pictus, was the first illustrated encyclopedianfor children. (The longer title translates to Nomenclature andnPictures of all the Chief Things that are in the World and of Men’snEmployments Therein.) n
Butnsome of Komensky’s writings survived, and they formed the basis ofnelementary education in many parts of Europe. One of his most famousnworks, Orbis Pictus, was the first illustrated encyclopedianfor children. (The longer title translates to Nomenclature andnPictures of all the Chief Things that are in the World and of Men’snEmployments Therein.) nn
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CelebratenKomensky!
CelebratenKomensky!n
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nI’mnthinking a chocolate caramel Comenius cake and a nice interlude ofnporing over the pictures in The Ultimate Visual Dictionary.nI’ll raise my glass (of milk—that chocolate caramel cake is RICH!)nto the man who worked for no paddlings, education for girls, andnhigher-level thinking skills!
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nAlsonon this date:
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nWeed Appreciation Day
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What’snin a Name Day
What’snin a Name Dayn
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nRagnarnLodbrok Day in Scandinavia
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