If You Give Me Three Days of Light: The Best Collection of Helen Keller

Chapter 53 Teaching Report (3)
I've never seen her leave a class willingly, especially when she realizes there's something she doesn't understand.Once she encounters something she can't understand, she will become more persistent.If I suggested that she save the arithmetic problems for the next day, she would rebuff me with: "I think solving the problems now will make my mind 'stronger'."And I've always believed that it was not wise to confine Helen to a "formal and structured course of study."I think that during the first two years of her intellectual development she was like a child in a strange world, everything around her was new and confusing.It is impossible to implement a definite educational program for her until she has acquired a knowledge of the language.

Not long ago, I tried to teach her how to build a tower out of blocks.However, due to the complex design, the slightest shock can cause the blocks to collapse.So, after only a short ride, I became less confident.I told Helen that I'm afraid she won't be able to get the tower up, but I will help her build it.But Helen disagreed with this plan, and she decided to build the tower alone.After nearly three hours of hard work, it finally succeeded. Finally, all parts of the tower stood firmly, and she was very happy.

Also I find it best not to tell her things she doesn't understand because it makes her "interested".Her thirst for knowledge is so strong.For example, we discussed tariff issues earlier.Helen wanted me to tell her about it.I said to her: "No, you still can't understand." She was silent for a while, and then said courageously: "Dear teacher, you must remember how the ancient Greek parents treated their children, right? I often ask children to listen to the language of wisdom, I think they can understand it, I have a very good mind! I believe I will understand.” But it is undeniable that her studiousness has affected her language learning a bit , it would be great for both of us if those concerns she cared about could be dealt with after class.But, on the other hand, if she doesn't immediately ask me about the things that really interest her, then you've lost your best chance of explaining them to her.So, in my opinion, as long as my students ask questions, I will teach them regardless of whether it affects the teaching plan or not.Although her inquiry often took us out of the current lecture topic, it was a last resort.

Helen's studies became more and more formal from October 1889 onwards.Newly added subjects include arithmetic, geography, reading, botany, zoology.She is finishing up Colbourne's mental math class soon and is currently studying improper fractions.She made rapid progress in her arithmetic studies.She can solve multiplication, addition, subtraction and division problems without difficulty, and she has a good understanding of the principles of operation.

Her mind is so quick that it often happens that when I ask her to do an exercise, she will figure out the correct answer before I do.Her competitive spirit was still so strong. Once, a question puzzled her deeply.So I suggested that she go out for a walk, and maybe she can figure it out after she relaxes.She shook her head decisively and said, "My enemies will think I have escaped, so I must stay here and defeat them." In the end, she won.

The improvement of Helen's intelligence in the past two years is mainly reflected in two aspects: one is the ability to accurately grasp the different meanings of language.The other is the ability to use language.She can learn a lot of new vocabulary in less than a day.Of course, these vocabularies are not only the names of tangible objects but also many abstract vocabularies.For example, one day she wanted to know the meaning of the following words: reproduction, extraordinary, perpetual, mystery, phenomenon, comprise, and energy.

These words are polysemous, covering a variety of interpretations from simple to abstract.Take the word "mystery" as an example. At first I thought it must be impossible for Helen to understand its deep meaning.But unexpectedly, she understood without any effort that "mystery" means "something hidden behind the surface".I think, with the accumulation of knowledge, it will be easier and easier for her to master abstract vocabulary, just as she learned simple vocabulary at the beginning.

From this point of view, no matter which course is studied, students have to go through a stage from the initial smattering to significant progress.It is therefore best to continue educating my student Helen in a simple and definite way, so that what is "obscure" today will become "clear" tomorrow.Although this method may only be a stopgap measure, I believe it will definitely help people.

I always talked to Helen as if I were a child who could see and hear, and I insisted that other people should talk to Helen in the same way.Whenever someone asks me if she understands this or that language, I respond like this: "Don't worry about whether she understands a sentence or a word, she'll figure it out between old and new words." Carry out comparative analysis, and then guess the meaning of unfamiliar words according to the usage environment." I always treat my students as a free and active individual, and her instinctive impulse is my most reliable "guide".

I would never use the standards of deaf or blind people as a reference to choose books for Helen to read.In other words, I want her to experience the same joys and read the same books as those normal children of the same age.Of course, in the initial reading stage, the text in the book should be concise and clear, and the stories should be popular and interesting.I vividly remember the first time she read a short story.She had just learned to read Braille when we caught a mouse one morning.I thought maybe using a live mouse and a live cat would pique Helen's interest in how language is used.

So I combined some sentences and made up a little story: "There is a cat on the box, and a mouse in the box. The cat can see the mouse, and the cat likes to eat the mouse. Don't let the cat catch the mouse. The cat has milk to drink, Mice have their cake." The definite article "the" in the sentence was unknown to Helen, and she wished I could explain it to her.But I knew very well that based on her understanding at the time, it was difficult for me to explain to her, so I didn't force an explanation, but just moved her finger to the next word, and she immediately beamed with joy, because this is A word she knows.Then, I put her hand on the "kitten on the box", and she let out a slight exclamation.The rest of the sentence became easy for her to understand.At this time, she couldn't wait to continue reading with her fingers. When she came to the sentence "a cat can see a mouse", I asked the kitten to look at the mouse. At the same time, I asked Helen to touch the kitten. Helen looked confused, but I didn't. Don't worry, I continue to ask her to focus on the next sentence, although I know that she only knows three words in the next sentence, "cat", "eat" and "mouse", but I think she can catch the general idea.At this point, she put the kitten on the floor and covered the box with a drawing board.She continued: "Don't let the cat catch the mouse!" Clearly, she recognized the negative connotation contained in the sentence, and she seemed to understand the meaning of the sentence.Even "catch" (get) and "let" (1et) are new words she has never learned.Fortunately, she was very familiar with the words in the last sentence.After reading the story, she looked very happy.

Then, with some gestures, she made it clear to me that she wanted to hear more stories.I immediately gave her a children's book with many little stories.She immediately used her fingers to look for the words she knew, while guessing the meaning of other words, groping line by line.

I think this teaching method will convince the most conservative educator that even a deaf child will learn to read as naturally and easily as a normal child if you give him suitable opportunities.In fact, the improvement of Helen's English ability is mainly due to her obsession with books.Usually she would read for two or three hours straight before putting the book down reluctantly.I asked her why she likes reading books so much, she replied: "Because they can tell me a lot of interesting things that I can't see, and they never get bored or tired like people, they will make me wonder over and over again." tell me about it.”

One day, as we were leaving the library, I noticed that her expression was much more serious than usual.So I asked her what was going on. "I'm wondering if we're always wiser when we leave than when we came in," was how she replied.

While reading Dickens's Children's Book of the History of England, we came across this sentence: "When Suetonius left the country they began to fight his army and retake the Isle of Anglia." I asked. What does Helen mean by this sentence.She replied, "It means that when the Roman generals left, the Britons rebelled. Because there was no general to tell the Roman soldiers what to do, they were defeated by the Britons and lost the islands they occupied." Indeed. , it is almost impossible for her to explain the meaning of words in such a language, but she has captured the author's thoughts and can express them in her own words.

The next sentence is: "The spirit of the Britons is eternal." Helen explained it this way: "I think it means that the brave Britons will not be discouraged because the Romans have won many battles. They hope to work together Drive the Romans away." She had learned to use a Caligraver typewriter, not very fast, but accurately.And she has only been practicing for less than a month.She prefers intellectual activities to manual labor.And, like many blind children, she wasn't too fond of whimsical games.Still, she longed to be part of whatever the other kids were doing.

A cousin of hers had taught her the telegraphic alphabet about two years ago, writing dashes and various dots with his fingers on the back of her hand.I found that whenever Helen kept a distance from me, this kind of "telegraph communication" was the most convenient means-because I could tap the floor with my foot lightly, and she would feel the vibration of the sound, so that Can understand what I said to her.Later, as long as she met someone who was familiar with the letters of the telegram, she would be very happy to chat with them by telegram.

Whether for Helen or for Laura Bridgman, in the teaching process, the process of disappointment is always inevitable.But in any case, you cannot isolate a child from society, because that does not protect him from the influence of his surroundings.Therefore, I will not let this happen to Helen, let alone deprive her of the right to communicate with others.This, I think, is the first prerequisite for the healthy development of her natural gifts.

Like Helen, I want everyone to be blessed with natural gifts.If we block all the talents that belong to a child, then the child will not be able to grow.Those who pay attention to Helen will find that her latent abilities are constantly evolving.Her spirit of inquiry will not be restrained by anyone, not for a moment, and you cannot stop Helen's curiosity and thirst for knowledge.But one thing to recognize is that excessive indoctrination does not make her mind mature, and she will still be confused and curious about those chaotic and complicated things.They will also ask the adults around them because of this, but although children sometimes ask some profound questions, they usually get simple answers, or rather, answers that are enough to make them quiet.

"Where will I go when I die?" and "Where did I come from?" were two questions Helen asked me when she was eight years old.Considering her level of understanding at the time, I just explained it in a simple and general way, but it didn't satisfy her.Although her family forced her to remain silent, her thoughts never stopped.Gradually, she will sum up perfect answers from books, daily life experience, and inexhaustible images.In other words, she can rely on her own mind to find the cause of things.

For Helen, with the improvement of language skills and the wide range of natural phenomena she observed, she can already express her thoughts clearly, and she can also understand and absorb the experience and ideas of others.

She also discovered that human creativity is limited, and there are other forces in the world that are not owned by humans, but they have created thousands of natural creatures that she is familiar with, as well as the land, the sun, etc. , the moon and so on.Through reading Charles Kingsley's "Greek Heroes", Helen gradually understands the beautiful legends of Greek gods and goddesses.In the book she encounters words like "god, heaven, soul" and many words with similar meanings.

(End of this chapter)