2. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
NAME – Patrick pringle
Born in 1935 in rochester
Nominations – edgar award for best fact crime
‘albert Einstein at school’ chapter we learn through this extract about the troubles albert Einstein was facing
when he was in school . We see that he do not like school that much .it is essentially about how albert defied the
traditional methods of teachings .
freelance writer and photographer ,wildlife biologist and educator .
Awards- new jersey institude of technology award ,1970,for the only earth we have ,special conservation award
,national wildlife federation ,1978,honor book designation ,new York academy of science ,1980,for natural fire.
3. SUMMARY
It is an extract from the young Einstein .Patrick pringle is the author of this book.we learn through this extract about the troubles
albert Einstein was facing when he was in school .we see that he did not like school that much it is essentially about how albert
defied the traditional method of teachings.moreover he always felt like he did not fit in. further we also get to know about the
teacher not liking him either .it was because he questioned things and raised valid points .thus, we will learn about a never heard
before aspect of the genious physicist’s childhood. We see how the greatest mind also had to face struggles concerning their
intelligence . The story begins with young albert being in his history class .the teacher ask him about a certain date to which albert
admits that it is pointless to memorise dates. He was of the thinking that he can flip through the pages whenever he wants to
know the date about something . Thus, he did not believe in mugging up facts .
4. Consequently ,we learn that albert does not like school as it adopts traditional methods of teaching . He dislikes the
conventional forms of education. Similarly, the teacgers also don’t have much liking to him . They consider him a
disgrace and the history teacher especially dod not like him . When this incident happens in history class, the teacher
gets irritated and asks him to leave .
Einstein did not loke him too as he was not comfortable there . In fact, Einstein did not like school to an extent that he
thought of never passing the exams to get the school diploma. As he likes science, he wishes he could study just this
subject only . Morover, he does not understand the reason why he needs to study other subjects where his intrest does
not lie.
After that, they sent him to munich and the story repeated there too. Albert did not take any intrest there and was only
wasting his fathers money . He now has an epiphany of giving up a school together so he asks his friend ,yuri, to arrange
for a doctor . He plans to ask the doctor to write him off as a lunatic , not fit for the school . Upon meeting with the
doctor , albert confesses his love for mathematics. After that , the head master calls him and re3veals shocking news to
him.
5. He tells albert that due to his behavior, they are asking him to leave school . They feel that his
behavior disturbs the environment for studying. It was surprising for albert as he was ready to
present the medical report but before that only the school rusticated him. Thus, he leaves the
school without even looking back and only meets yuri who bids him farewell as wishes him luck
for his future.
6. THEME
• The basic theme of “Albert Einstein at school” is to throw light on the modern
way of providing education. Education doesnot mean mugging updates, it
means understanding the facts and gaining practical knowledge . This
chapter is a perfect example of this .
7. MESSAGE
The chapter “Albert Einstein at school”is one of the fabulous story I read. It
expressed what I used to think in an interesting manner. Rote memory is not
real education . Rather teachers should inculcate thinking skills in students
.making them memoriz th facts and dates is not real purpose of education .
Building the healthy environment of creativity should be the prime goals of
teachers, as the chapter says
8. NAME OF THE CHARACTERS
Albert Einstein- a student
Mr. braun – a history teacher at Albert’s school
Yuri – a friend of Albert in munich
Mr. Koch – a mathematics teacher at Albert’s school
Landlady – a woman who rented a room in her house to albert
Head teacher – head master of the school
Dr. Ernst Weil – a doctor who specialize in nerves
Elsa – Albert’s cousin
9. CHARACTER SKETCH OF ALBERT EINSTEIN AND MR.
BRAUN
• ALBERT HAD A FRANK AND HONEST TEMPERAMENT AND WAS QUITE SENSITIVE AND
EMOTIONAL . HE WAS CONSIDERED A REBEL BY MOST OF HIS TEACHERS. HE DID NOT
COMPROMISE AND ADJUST TO THE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION WHICH ENCOURAGED LEAR4NING
WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING. FOR HIM, IDEAS AND ENQUIRY WERE MORE IMPORTANT THAN
FACTS OR DATES HE WAS EXPELLED FROM SCHOOL FOR HIS VIEWS WHICH DID NOT MATCH
THE EXISTING PATTERN.
• THE HISTORY TEACHER MR. BRAUN WAS A VERY ARROGANT, STRICT TEACHER. HIS IDEAS
ABOUT EDUCATION WAS JUST LIMITED TO THE THINGS THAT “LEARNING FACTS AND
CRAMMING UIS CONSIDERED EDUCATION” HE WAS SO MINDFUL AN D COULD’T TOLERT
ALBERT EINSTEIN JUSTIFYING EACH OF HIS POINT.
10. CHARACTER SKETCH OF YURI
• Yuri was Einstein’s only source of comfort, help, and relief in Munich. He was his reliable friend. Yuri played a
savior’s role in Albert’s life when he was going through a hard phase of life at Munich. Albert was neither happy at
the school, nor he was comfortable at his poor lodging in a poor quarter of the city. Yuri was his only friend with
whom he shared his sorrows, concerns and worries. Yuri not only comforted him and gave him hope, he also found a
doctor for him who could issue Albert a certificate for nervous breakdown so that using it Albert could go away from
the school, where he had some adjustment issues with his history teacher, Mr. Braun.
11. CHARACTER SKETCH OF MR . COACH
• Mr.Koch was Einstein's mathematics teacher. He was a great man, probably who was no jealous of Einstein's knowledge. He admired
Einstein's knowledge and thought probably Albert would soon be able to teach him. Apart from this, Mr.koch gave him a certificate that
helped Einstein secure a seat in a university.
•
12. CHARACTER SKETCH OF LANDLADY
• According to the narrator, his landlady was very ruthless who used to beat her children ruthlessly. Even the food, he was served there was
dirt and squalor. In those days, Albert used to have a friend namely Yuri whocounselled him not to leave that school.
