Writing in the 1970s, Haim Ginott was an important influence on parents, teachers, and those who worked with children. Strong on attitude, his greater strength was always the “how-to’s” of engaging with children. This is a short extract from his book Teacher and Child: A Book for Parents and Teachers.

Theory and Practice

A story is told about a philosopher who was crossing a big river on a small boat. He asked the boatman, "Do you know philosophy?" "I can't say I do," answered the man. "You lost one third of your life," said the philosopher. "Do you know any literature?" he persisted. "I can't say I do," answered the man. "You lost two thirds of your life," proclaimed the philosopher. At that moment the boat hit a rock and started sinking. "Do you know how to swim?" asked the boatman. "No," replied the philosopher. "Then you lost your whole life," said the man.

Attitudes and skills
When crucial problems appear, philosophies often disappear. To a man in a sinking boat, theory is irrelevant. Either he knows how to swim or he drowns. In the midst of classroom crises, all the books in all the libraries are of no help. All the lectures and all the courses are of little value. At the moment of truth, only skill saves. What counts in education is attitudes expressed in skills. The attitudes that count are known. In fact, teachers are tired of hearing about them again and again at every conference and convention. As one teacher put it: "I already know what a child needs. I know it by heart. He needs to be accepted, respected, liked, and trusted; encouraged, supported, activated, and amused; able to explore, experiment, and achieve. Damn it! He needs too much. All I lack is Solomon's wisdom, Freud's insight, Einstein's knowledge, and Florence Nightingale's dedication."

Small change
In theory, we already know what good education is. We have all the concepts. Unfortunately, one cannot educate children on conceptions alone. Children present problems which do not disappear, even when the teacher believes in democracy, love, respect, acceptance, individual differences, and personal uniqueness. Though magnificent, these concepts are too abstract and too large. They are like a thousand-dollar bill — good currency, but useless in meeting mundane needs such as buying a cup of coffee, taking a cab, or making a phone call. For daily life, one needs coins. For classroom commerce, teachers need psychological small change. They need specific skills for dealing effectively and humanely with minute-to-minute happenings — the small irritations, the daily conflicts, the sudden crises. All these situations call for helpful and realistic reactions.

Now
A teacher's response has crucial consequences. It creates a climate of compliance or defiance, a mood of contentment or contention, a desire to make amends or to take revenge. It affects the child's conduct and character for better or for worse. These are the facts of emotional life which make teaching and learning possible or impossible. At their best, teachers recognize this core truth: Learning is always in the present tense, and it is always personal.

Acknowledgements: MacMillan, New York. 1972