1923, he organized a seminar on civilian education, compiled a thousand-word course on civilian education, traveled all over the country and devoted himself to civilian education. He sent the "Thousand-character Textbook for the Common People" as a teaching material to the common people's homes and urged every household to read and write. Most of his activities are funded by his own books.
On one occasion, he got the manuscript fee of 1000 yuan, took it home and locked it in the cupboard. My sister, who is in charge of all the housework, saw it and asked him, "There are old and young people at home, and there is not much money. Can you leave 1/4 for home use? " Tao Xingzhi thought about it and said gently, "I'm going to run Xiaozhuang Normal School at the foot of Laoshan Mountain in Nanjing, and this money will be used as school funding." Although our family is poor, we can make ends meet. China's 340 million farmers have no food, let alone education. To run a school with this money is to burn incense for farmers and try our best to help them. You can save some money at home and help me do something big! "Sister understood his meaning and nodded silently.
From 65438 to 0927, Tao Xingzhi opened Xiaozhuang Normal School to carry out rural education activities. 1April, 930, the reactionary Kuomintang government closed the school by force and wanted Tao Xingzhi.
1932, Tao Xingzhi founded Shanhai engineering group, early shift engineering group and labor kindergarten in Shanghai successively, and continued to carry out universal education campaign in China.
1July, 939, China was in the period of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Tao Xingzhi founded Yucai School for needy children in Hechuan County, near Chongqing, Sichuan Province. After the general courses, he opened music, drama, painting, literature, society, nature, dance and other courses for some children with special talents to cultivate talents. This school is well run and has trained many professionals for the country. The political situation was tense and the economy was very difficult. In order to run a school, Tao Xingzhi often has to run around to raise funds, and life is very difficult.
One day in midsummer, Gao Ying, a student, heard that there were some good books in the bookstore and wanted to read them. But I don't know the way, so I want to ask Tao Xingzhi to go with him. He came to Mr. Wang's window, and the sight in front of him startled him: Mr. Wang was shirtless, sweating all over his face, and was studying at his desk. Gao Ying was embarrassed to tell her husband the purpose of her visit. Unexpectedly, Tao Xingzhi quickly replied: "Not now." Gao Ying was disappointed. He was very surprised. Miss Gao likes being with students and is very willing to help others. What happened today? Tao Xingzhi seemed to see his doubts and pointed to the shirt hanging outside the window and said, "I'm glad to accompany you to the bookstore, but my shirt is not dry yet." Will you come back in an hour? "Gao Ying looked at the wet white shirt and thought, Sir, make excuses? He said "forget it then" and went back unhappily.
An hour later, Tao Xingzhi came to Gao Ying with a smile, wearing a white shirt that hasn't been dried thoroughly. Gao Ying is still sulking in bed. When she met her husband, she got up and went shopping together. Later, Gao Ying still couldn't figure it out, so she went to ask Vice President Ma. Mr. Ma said: "Everyone knows that Tao Xingzhi is a celebrity, but who knows that he is almost at the end of his rope for you children. In order to insist on running a school, he sent his coat and tweed trousers to the pawnshop, and the money he got was used to pay for a day's food. In summer, he only has a decent shirt, which is not surprising! " Listening to Teacher Ma's words, Gao Ying's eyes were red, and her ears echoed with what Teacher Tao had said in class: "For the masses to work hard, we eat grass and do it; For the suffering children, we have to eat and do! " In front of him, Mr. Tao drank porridge with his classmates and encouraged everyone to "tighten their belts and tide over the difficulties together". He seems to understand that Mr. Tao is willing to give up everything for running a school.
Worship the people as teachers
As early as when running Xiaozhuang Normal School, Tao Xingzhi put forward the theories of "life is education", "society is school" and "teaching integration", teaching teachers and students to combine with working people, "teaching people to make progress and worshiping others as teachers".
A friend's wife came to see Tao Xingzhi and said that her child had broken a newly bought gold watch. She was very angry and gave the child a good beating. Tao Xingzhi shook his head again and again and said, "Oh, you knocked an Edison." Then, he told the story that American inventor Edison liked to do experiments when he was a child. After being expelled from school, he gradually became an inventor under the guidance of his mother. He personally went to a friend's house, invited the child out, and took him to the watch repair shop to see the master repair the watch. They stood next to the watch repairman, watching him take the watch apart, immerse the parts in the liquid medicine one by one, watch him put the parts together one by one, and then refuel the machine. It took more than an hour to repair, and it cost one yuan and sixty cents. Tao Xingzhi said with deep feelings: "The watch shop is a school, the watch repairer is a teacher, and one yuan and sixty cents is tuition. Watching in a watch shop for more than an hour is a class. It is customary to open clothes by yourself. Parents should pay a little tuition, try to cultivate their children's interest in asking questions and take the initiative to learn, instead of letting their children be beaten. In this way,' Edison' will not be beaten away and driven away. "
When the Shanhai Corps of Engineers was first established, the children of farmers had a place to study, and the Red Temple, which burned incense and worshipped Buddha, became a classroom, but there were no tables and chairs for the children. In class, students bring their own stools, big and small, with different heights. A week later, the school invited a carpenter, made some stools, and stuffy his head. Tao Xingzhi came over and saw the carpenter master sweating all over, so he handed him a glass of water and said, "We didn't ask you to make a stool." The carpenter looked at Tao Xingzhi doubtfully: "What should I do?"
"We ask you to be a' sir'."
I can't read. The carpenter panicked.
Tao Xingzhi said with a smile, "I asked you to guide students to do carpentry." You can get paid to teach a person. If you don't teach, even if you finish all the stools, you won't get a penny. "The carpenter looked embarrassed. Tao Xingzhi said kindly, "Never mind, we will teach you if you can't read. We can't do carpentry, so I will take you as my husband. I am the first person to learn from you. " Tao Xingzhi said, picked up the saw, aimed at the line drawn on the board and saw its "pants".
The next day, the carpenter's tools were placed in the square, and the teacher took the children to learn to make stools. A child muttered, "We are here to study, not to be carpenters." When adults see children pick up tools, they easily break their hands carelessly, frown and shake their heads. At this time, Tao Xingzhi said with a smile: "I have a poem to read to you:' There are two treasures in life, the hand and the brain. Use your head, not your hand, and you will be knocked down. Use your hands instead of your brain, and you won't have enough to eat. You can be a great man who created the world with your hands and brain. "What do you think of this article?" The children clapped their hands and said yes, but the adults smiled shyly.
Since then, children learn to make stools every day, and they are also "little gentlemen" who teach carpenters to read. One day three months later, 50 children in the classroom were sitting on their stools. There are also toys and musical instruments such as levers and pulleys made by children themselves on the podium. Parents crowded outside the window and door, nodding convincingly. Tao Xingzhi read a poem just written in front of the podium: "He is a carpenter, and I am a gentleman. Mr. Wang is a carpenter. Mr. Wang is a carpenter. Hum, I am a carpenter, hum, he is a carpenter. " The children looked at the carpenter sitting next to them and listening to the class together. Everyone laughed.