Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827) - Swiss teacher, one of the largest humanist educators of the late 18th - early 19th centuries, who made a significant contribution to the development of pedagogical theory and practice.
The theory of elementary nature-oriented upbringing and training developed by him continues to be successfully applied today.
Pestalozzi was the first to call for the harmonious development of all human inclinations - intellectual, physical and moral. According to his theory, the upbringing of a child should be built on the observation and reflection of a growing individual under the leadership of a teacher.
There are many interesting facts in the biography of Pestalozzi, which we will talk about in this article.
So, before you is a short biography of Johann Pestalozzi.
Biography of Pestalozzi
Johann Pestalozzi was born on January 12, 1746 in the Swiss city of Zurich. He grew up in a simple family with a modest income. His father was a doctor, and his mother was involved in raising three children, among whom Johann was the second.
Childhood and youth
The first tragedy in the biography of Pestalozzi occurred at the age of 5, when his father died. At that time, the head of the family was only 33 years old. As a result, the upbringing and material support of the children fell on the shoulders of the mother.
Johann went to school, where the boys studied the Bible and other sacred texts in addition to traditional subjects. He got pretty mediocre grades in all subjects. Spelling was especially difficult for the boy.
Then Pestalozzi studied at a Latin school, after which he became a student at the Karolinska Collegium. Here, students were prepared for spiritual careers, and also educated to work in the public sphere. Initially, he wanted to connect his life with theology, but soon he reconsidered his views.
In 1765 Johann Pestalozzi dropped out of school and joined the bourgeois democratic movement, which was popular among the local intelligentsia.
Experiencing financial difficulties, the guy decided to go into agriculture, but he could not achieve any success in this activity. It was then that he first drew attention to peasant children, left to their own devices.
Pedagogical activity
After serious consideration, Pestalozzi, using his own money, organized the "Institution for the Poor", which was a labor school for children from poor families. As a result, a group of about 50 students was assembled, whom the beginning teacher began to educate according to his own system.
In the summer, Johann taught the children to work in the field, and in the winter in various crafts, which in the future would help them get a profession. At the same time, he taught children school disciplines, and also talked with them about the nature and life of people.
In 1780, Pestalozzi had to close the school because it did not pay for itself, and he wanted to use child labor to repay the loan. Being in tight financial circumstances, he decided to take up writing.
During the biography of 1780-1798. Johann Pestalozzi published many books in which he promoted his own ideas, including Leisure of the Hermit and Lingard and Gertrude, a book for the people. He argued that many human disasters can be overcome only by raising the level of education of the people.
Later, the Swiss authorities drew attention to the works of the teacher, providing him with a dilapidated temple for teaching street children. And although Pestalozzi was happy that now he could do what he loved, he still had to face many difficulties.
The building was not suitable for full-fledged education, and the students, whose number increased to 80 people, arrived at the shelter in an extremely neglected physical and mental state.
Johann had to educate and take care of children on his own, who were far from the most obedient.
Nevertheless, thanks to patience, compassion and gentle nature, Pestalozzi managed to rally his pupils into one large family in which he served as a father. Soon, the older children began to take care of the younger ones, providing invaluable assistance to the teacher.
Later, the French army needed a room for a hospital. The military ordered the release of the temple, which led to the closure of the school.
In 1800, Pestalozzi opens the Burgdorf Institute, a secondary school with a boarding school for teacher training. He brings together a teaching staff, with whom he conducts successful experimental work in the field of teaching methods of counting and language.
Three years later, the institute had to move to Yverdon, where Pestalozzi gained international popularity. Overnight, he became one of the most respected educators in his field. His upbringing system worked so successfully that many wealthy families sought to send their children to his educational institution.
In 1818, Johann managed to open a school for the poor with funds received from the publication of his works. By the time of his biography, his health left much to be desired.
The main educational ideas of Pestalozzi
The main methodological position in the views of Pestalozzi is the assertion that the moral, mental and physical forces of a person are inclined to self-development and to activity. Thus, the child should be brought up so as to help him develop in the right direction.
The main criterion in education, Pestalozzi calls the principle of conformity to nature. Natural talents inherent in any child should be developed as much as possible, ranging from simple to complex. Each child is unique, so the teacher should, as it were, adapt to him, thanks to which he will be able to fully reveal his abilities.
Johann is the author of the theory of "elementary education", which is the so-called Pestalozzi system. Based on the principle of conformity to nature, he identified 3 main criteria with which any learning should begin: number (unit), form (straight line), word (sound).
Thus, it is important for every person to be able to measure, count and speak the language. This method is used by Pestalozzi in all areas of raising children.
Means of education - work, play, training. The man urged his colleagues and parents to teach children on the basis of the eternal laws of nature, so that they can learn the laws of the world around them and develop thinking abilities.
All learning must be based on observation and research. Johann Pestalozzi had a negative attitude towards book-based primary education, based on memorization and retelling of material. He called for the child to independently observe the world around him and develop his inclinations, and in this case the teacher acted only as a mediator.
Pestalozzi paid serious attention to physical education, which was based on the child's natural desire for movement. To do this, he developed a simple exercise system that helped strengthen the body.
In the field of labor education, Johann Pestalozzi put forward an innovative position: child labor has a beneficial effect on the child only if it sets itself educational and moral tasks. He stated that the child should be taught to work by teaching those skills that will be relevant to his age.
At the same time, none of the work should be performed for too long, otherwise it can harm the development of the child. "It is necessary that each subsequent work serves as a means of rest from the fatigue caused by the previous one."
Religious and moral education in the understanding of the Swiss should be formed not by teachings, but by the development of moral feelings and inclinations in children. Initially, a child instinctively feels love for his mother, and then for his father, relatives, teachers, classmates and ultimately for the whole people.
According to Pestalozzi, teachers had to look for an individual approach to each individual student, which at that time was considered something sensational. Thus, for the successful upbringing of the younger generation, highly qualified teachers were required, who also had to be good psychologists.
In his writings, Johann Pestalozzi focused on the organization of training. He believed that a child should be raised in the first hour after birth. Later, family and school education, built on an environmentally friendly basis, should be carried out in close cooperation.
Teachers need to show sincere love for their pupils, because only in this way will they be able to win over their students. Therefore, any form of violence and drill should be avoided. He also did not allow teachers to have favorites, because where there are favorites, love stops there.
Pestalozzi insisted on teaching boys and girls together. Boys, if raised alone, become overly rude, and girls become withdrawn and overly dreamy.
From all that has been said, the following conclusion can be drawn: the main task of raising children according to the Pestalozzi system is to initially develop the mental, physical and moral inclinations of the child on a natural basis, giving him a clear and logical picture of the world in all its manifestations.
Personal life
When Johann was about 23 years old, he married a girl named Anna Schultges. It is worth noting that his wife came from a wealthy family, as a result of which the guy had to correspond to her status.
Pestalozzi bought a small estate near Zurich, where he wanted to engage in agriculture and augmentation of his property. Having not achieved any success in this area, he significantly undermined his financial position.
Nevertheless, it was after this that Pestalozzi seriously took up pedagogy, drawing attention to peasant children. Who knows how his life would have turned out if he had become interested in agriculture.
Last years and death
The last years of his life brought Johann a lot of anxiety and grief. His assistants on Yverdon quarreled, and in 1825 the institute was closed due to bankruptcy. Pestalozzi had to leave the institution he founded and return to his estate.
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi died on February 17, 1827 at the age of 81. His last words were: “I forgive my enemies. May they now find the peace to which I go forever. "
Pestalozzi Photos
