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Educational Ideals
A classroom at Fen Ditton Junior School, Cambridgeshire, in 1944.
‘A Modern Village School - Education in Cambridgeshire, England, UK, 1944’ is the title given to this photograph by the curators at the Imperial War Museums. “A young girl” the caption goes on “helps one of her friends with his reading during a lesson at Fen Ditton Junior School, Cambridgeshire. Behind them, other pupils can be seen at their desks in the classroom, getting on with their work.”
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‘A Modern Village School - Education in Cambridgeshire, England, UK, 1944’ is the title given to this photograph by the curators at the Imperial War Museums. “A young girl” the caption goes on “helps one of her friends with his reading during a lesson at Fen Ditton Junior School, Cambridgeshire. Behind them, other pupils can be seen at their desks in the classroom, getting on with their work.”
But if we are so desperately in earnest as this, will it not tend to make the teaching too serious and cast a sort of gloom over the school?
Why should it? A religion that is worthy of the name must live in all that is good in life. If it cannot find itself in the humour as in the pathos of life, in the joy as in the sorrow, in the little things as in the great, it but shows its own weakness, its own limited nature. A religion that would tend to crush the happy joyous laughter of children would stand self-condemned. [...] In the teaching of poetry I would hope for that spirit which we find sometimes in truly religious people. They do not talk much about religion or the church, but there seems to breathe from them a spirit of serene faith that finds its work and its religion in all around.1
From ‘On the Teaching of Poetry’ (1925) by Alexander Haddow.
1 See Sense and Sensitivity, in which Richard Whately praises Jane Austen for spreading the gospel without seeming to do so.
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Haddow then addressed the charge that such seriousness would make the classroom a dull place. A certain kind of piety can too often have that effect, he acknowledged; but the best among the Christians find joy in everything, and bear about them an atmosphere which is immediately attractive. The devoted teacher of poetry, he hoped, might leave a similar impression. (60 / 60 words)
Haddow then addressed the charge that such seriousness would make the classroom a dull place. A certain kind of piety can too often have that effect, he acknowledged; but the best among the Christians find joy in everything, and bear about them an atmosphere which is immediately attractive. The devoted teacher of poetry, he hoped, might leave a similar impression.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, despite, if, just, may, not, ought, whether.
1Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Around. Begin. Like.
2 Joy. Religious. Worthy.
3 If. Over. Person.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
2Statements, Questions and Commands Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in a sentence. Try to include at least one statement, one question and one command among your sentences. Note that some verbs make awkward or meaningless words of command, e.g. need, happen.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Hope. 2 Sort. 3 Seem. 4 Spirit. 5 Stand. 6 Talk. 7 People. 8 Name. 9 School.
Variations: 1. use a minimum of seven words for each sentence 2. include negatives, e.g. isn’t, don’t, never 3. use the words ‘must’ to make commands 4. compose a short dialogue containing all three kinds of sentence: one statement, one question and one command
3Homonyms Find in Think and Speak
Each of the words below has more than one possible meaning. Compose your own sentences to show what those different meanings are.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Well. 2. Let. 3. Cast. 4. Stand. 5. Show. 6. Own. 7. Man. 8. Live. 9. Can.
For each word above, choose one or more suitable meanings from this list.
1. Hold oneself upright on one’s feet. 2. Pay for e.g. drinks, food, on behalf of others. 3. Make available to rent. 4. Throw, lob. 5. Provide the crew for. 6. Allow. 7. Possess. 8. A male person. 9. (informal) fire from a job. 10. Register a vote. 11. A deep hole providing water. 12. Belonging to oneself. 13. Umpire’s call in tennis. 14. Bear, endure a hardship. 15. Admit. 16. Verb expressing the ability to do something. 17. Charged with electricity. 18. Tin, of food or drink. 19. Hard dressing for a broken limb. 20. Display, exhibit. 21. Not badly. 22. Dwell, exist. 23. An entertainment, public performance. 24. A list of actors. 25. An island in the Irish Sea. 26. Not recorded. 27. A stall in a market.
4High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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If Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli really wanted a better-educated public, he must tackle the high cost of living.
Picture: By Stanley Howe, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA.. Source.
Posted October 23 2022
Picture: From a self-protrait by John Opie, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.
Posted January 14 2017
