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I later attended the Teachers' Union school on Zamenhof Street for a year. It was a lot more progressive than Krelman's school. Religion was taught in Hebrew and so was History of Jews, using Dubnow's [22] book. We used Balaban [23] in the higher grades.
I had problems at school: I had too many interests. I read a lot, started writing, played ball, I memorized all the results of athletics competitions. The Teachers' Union school gave me a lot, also as a life experience, because it taught me what it was like when someone was different.
I later went to the Magnus Krynski gymnasium. The principal was the founder's son, a mathematician, Michal Krynski. It was a very avant-garde school. It was the only school where the lessons lasted 40 minutes. The system was based on Dalton Plan ideas [a teaching system introduced in 1920 in Dalton, USA, by teacher H. Parkhurst, assumed independence of the student].
Our school implemented a semi-Dalton system, that is partial independence was required from the student. There was a system of assignments, tasks which a student had to tackle without a teacher's help. On the basis of assignments, students prepared themselves for tests. This system of checking knowledge was also exceptional.
My parents paid 90 zloty per month for this school. It was quite a lot, taking into account the fact that Mrs. Ruffowa, our teacher, had a salary of 150 zloty per month. She made some money on the side, proofreading for publishing houses, for pennies. Poorer boys also attended this gymnasium, but if they did well at school, they received discounts from Krynski.
I had to take private coaching lessons, because I wasn't doing well at school. In the 1st grade of gymnasium, so in my 7th year of studying, my Polish teacher, Professor Ludwik Rath, recognized my talent for writing, he sent me a tutor, a student from the final grade called Zysman.
The first thing he assigned me was... the multiplication table, so I learned it and I swear that to this day I know it very well. I needed a tutor at the end of each school year. Mrs. Ruffowa taught me later, I became friends with her and she prepared me for tests.
I had problems at school: I had too many interests. I read a lot, started writing, played ball, I memorized all the results of athletics competitions. The Teachers' Union school gave me a lot, also as a life experience, because it taught me what it was like when someone was different.
I later went to the Magnus Krynski gymnasium. The principal was the founder's son, a mathematician, Michal Krynski. It was a very avant-garde school. It was the only school where the lessons lasted 40 minutes. The system was based on Dalton Plan ideas [a teaching system introduced in 1920 in Dalton, USA, by teacher H. Parkhurst, assumed independence of the student].
Our school implemented a semi-Dalton system, that is partial independence was required from the student. There was a system of assignments, tasks which a student had to tackle without a teacher's help. On the basis of assignments, students prepared themselves for tests. This system of checking knowledge was also exceptional.
My parents paid 90 zloty per month for this school. It was quite a lot, taking into account the fact that Mrs. Ruffowa, our teacher, had a salary of 150 zloty per month. She made some money on the side, proofreading for publishing houses, for pennies. Poorer boys also attended this gymnasium, but if they did well at school, they received discounts from Krynski.
I had to take private coaching lessons, because I wasn't doing well at school. In the 1st grade of gymnasium, so in my 7th year of studying, my Polish teacher, Professor Ludwik Rath, recognized my talent for writing, he sent me a tutor, a student from the final grade called Zysman.
The first thing he assigned me was... the multiplication table, so I learned it and I swear that to this day I know it very well. I needed a tutor at the end of each school year. Mrs. Ruffowa taught me later, I became friends with her and she prepared me for tests.
Period
Interview
Jozef Hen