Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08
|HARDSHlPS BESET
LIFE OF FOUNDER
OF KlNDERGART TEN
tcontinued FROM First PAGE,

vironment. These early years Of child
l1ood-how long 1t takes to undo them!
Following his two years In the forest,
Froebel went to school in Jena. This
experience was bitter one, for here,
as in childhood, he was misunderstood.
The subjects he chose were too deep for
one of his age; he hired tutor whom
he was unable to pay, contracted debt
and was imprisoned for 1t, then failed
in his studies. The harshness Of the
teaching methods broke his sensitive
spirit, and imprisonment impaired his
health. When finally released he ned
In disgrace to the only refuge he knew.
the forest.
Froebel began his second stay in the
forest as q labofer. He soon acquired
architecture. None Of these satisfied
him. He longed to teach, but not by
the established German methods.
Inspired by Swiss Teacher.
All great men owe their greatness to
an inspiration. Froebel had as his in
spiration a Swiss teacher, Pestalozzi.
Pestalozzi had studied the natures OF
children. He found them nomadic--
they want to go somewhere. He took
children of 8 to IL years and had them
tended fowls, sheep and COWS; and as
they worked he taught-taught them
the fundamentals of an education, ma
ture study, language, mathematics.
Their powers of observation were de-
veloped. Things they didn't understand
were made clear by explanation or by
reading from his library. II bad
weather drove them indoors, there was
shop where they made bird houses
, and simple furniture. Here also they
, were taught to mend their own SHOES
and clothing and to prepare tood.
When work became irksome, they play
ed Pestalozzi believed In play as a
medium of education, and in this he
was far in advance of his time. Pres
ent day parents and teachers have
hardly caught the vision yet.
AS a result of his experiments, PesCa-
lozzi discovered that although he could
look after only a few children in this
way, they surpassed those educated by
set courses Of instruction. His slogan
was: From within, out" 1t was Pesta-
lozzi who first recognized that education
is not an acquirement but a develop
experiments In pamphlet form. One OF
these fell into the hands of Friedrich
Froebel, who was then an architects
assistant at Frankfort.
Mind Prepared for Theories.
Froebel was % years old. but since
babyhood fate had tossed him about as
plaything. His experiences thus far
had prepared his mind for the theories
OF Pestalozzi. Quite by accident he met
Herr Gruner, who was master OF a
model school for teachers at Frankfort.
Herr Gruner was also enthusiastic
about the theories of PestaloZzi and was
seeking an instructor who could teach
by his methods. Froebel applied for the
position He was accepted in the dual
capacity of janitor and teacher. His
salary was 10 marks-about $3.50 a
week.
Froebel had never been so happy In
his life. His enthusiasm and good
cheer were Joy. to Herr Gruner, To.
gether they read and discussed all Of
the work of Pestalozzi and began cor
respondence with the great man. This
led to an invitation for Froebel to visit
him at his farm school, near Yverden,
Switzerland.
Gruner supplied Froebel the money
with which to replace his badly worn
clothes. Froebel walked the entire dis
tance-more than 200 niles-wearing
his old clothes and carrying his new
ones, so as to present himself to the
master with no apology for his appeaS-
ance. Each was delighted with the
other, and Pestalozzi was bit amused
at the, younger man, with his intense
earnestness, his abundant imagination
and his vivid dreams for the future Of
his work.
Had No College Degree.
Froebel returned to Frankfort full of
enthusiasm, necessary commodity Ia
the teacher Herr Gruner allowed him