Twitter Book Club: John Holt (1964) How Children Learn - Chapter 8

The Mind at Work

"Unless he is very fortunate, a young psychologist is very likely to have his head stuffed full of theories of chil... http://tl.gd/8sngkvless than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
anderscj

"Like many teachers, he may not recognize the many ways in which children betray anxiety, because he has never seen... http://tl.gd/8snhu4less than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
anderscj

"It is always gratifying to be able to understand what someone else cannot; and more gratifying yet to make yoursel... http://tl.gd/8snoq2less than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
anderscj

"We teachers—perhaps all human beings—are in the grip of an astonishing delusion. We think that we can take a pictu... http://tl.gd/8snvidless than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
anderscj

"We teachers—perhaps all human beings—are in the grip of an astonishing delusion. We think that we can take a picture, a structure, a working model of something, constructed in our minds put of long experience and familiarity, and by turning that model into a string of words, transplant the whole into the mind of someone else." John Holt

"Most of the time, explaining does not increase understanding, and may even lessen it." John Holtless than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
anderscj

"the only way children can learn to get meaning out of symbols, to turn other people's symbols into a kind of reali... http://tl.gd/8so3odless than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
anderscj

"Perhaps the greatest danger of becoming too bound up with symbols, too symbol-minded, if I may be allowed the phra... http://tl.gd/8sojbiless than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
anderscj

"it cannot be proved that any piece of knowledge is essential for everyone." John Holtless than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
anderscj

"The person who really needs to know something does not need to be told many times, drilled, tested. Once is enough... http://tl.gd/8te0qrless than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
anderscj

"The person who really needs to know something does not need to be told many times, drilled, tested. Once is enough...We don't forget the things that make the world a more reasonable or interesting place for us, that make our mental model more complete and accurate." John Holt

"Words are not only a clumsy and ambiguous means of communication, they are extraordinarily slow." John Holtless than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
anderscj

"The human mind is a mystery. We will never get very far in education until we realize this and give up the delusio... http://tl.gd/8te3b7less than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
anderscj

"The human mind is a mystery. We will never get very far in education until we realize this and give up the delusion that we can know, measure, and control what goes on in children's minds. To know one's own mind is difficult enough." John Holt

"What I am trying to say about education rests on a belief that, though there is much evidence to support it, I can... http://tl.gd/8te7ghless than a minute ago via Twittelatoranderscj
anderscj

This too, I believe:

"What I am trying to say about education rests on a belief that, though there is much evidence to support it, I cannot prove, and that may never be proved. Call it a faith. This faith is that man is by nature a learning animal. Birds fly, fish swim; man thinks and learns. Therefore, we do not need to 'motivate' children into learning, by wheeling, bribing, or bullying. We do not need to keep picking away at their minds to make sure they are learning. What we need to do, and all we need to do, is bring as much of the world as we can into the school and the classroom; give children as much help and guidance as they need and ask for; listen respectfully when they feel like talking; and get out of the way. We cab trust them to do the rest." John Holt