This Generation And That Generation

A debate was resulted from a criticism of that generation of special-class teachers such as YU Yi, QIAN Menglong, and WEI Shusheng. The paper declaims that this debate is of symbolical importance, and at least indicates the possibility of criticizing that generation. However, this debate didn't involve the concrete analysis of the characteristics of that generation's ideas and behaviors, and fell into the superficial, sketchy , one-sided , even extreme conceptions on how to treat that generation. Therefore, referred to this generation of special-class teachers such as DU Guimei, LI Zhenxi, and HAN Jun, and based on the observations of classroom, construction of instruction, reflection after classroom, and related works, the paper tries to define the commonalities and differences, that illustrate the continuity and development, on the conceptions of teaching between that generation and this generation since the beginning of reform and open policy, and to explore the causes of these differences or changes and propose the approaches to cope with the relationship between two generations.Chapter One and Chapter Two respectively portray the distinctive characteristics of teaching in Chinese Language Arts. That generation was after teaching in a scientific and efficient way, persisted on the connection of humanity and instrumentality, focused on the role of training in teaching, emphasized the return-to-original-states analysis and personalized organization of subject matter, valued the test and made efforts to improve the irrationality of test. This generation was after teaching in an art and personal way, required the return-to-essence teaching in Chinese Language Arts, appealed to the spirit of humanity, focused on the role of accumulating, experiencing, reading aloud in teaching, concerned the needs of individual student, built the equal relationship between teacher and students, advocated the analysis of text and multiple interpretation, and argued for the relation of Chinese Language Arts and lives.The continuity and discontinuity of conceptions can be found in the characteristics of behaviors of two generations. In the conception of practice, two generations acknowledged that teaching is the complex of science and art while that generation stressed the science of teaching and this generation stressed the art of teaching. In the conception of aim, two generations agreed that the inseparability of words and ideals while that generation emphasized the words and this generation emphasized the humanity. In the conception of subject matter, two generations conceived that subject matter can be overcome while that generation attempted to the conception of blueprint and this generation attempted to the conception of text. In the conception of process, two generations accepted the context of teaching while that generation mainly stressed planning and this generation mainly stressed making. In the conception of the relationship between teachers and students, two generations thought the students as subjective while that generation emphasized the guidance of teachers and this generation emphasized the dialogue relationship between teachers and students. It can be found that there are the similarities and differences between two generations; the similarities imply the continuity of two generations while the differences imply the transformation from that generation to this generation. And the transformation illustrated by two generations is mainly connected with the transformation of education context, changes of theoretical foundations, and pursuit of teachers' practice.In the end, the paper argues that the differences or transformation between two generations should be regarded in the era of their lives, and the tradition shared by them, and the aspects of their ideas and behaviors. In such an era of multiple culture, the conceptions of teaching have been(and will be) shaped into the situation of multiple- and co-existence.