The Story of the Brave Princess

Fairy TalesToday I want to tell you a story.

A long time ago in a kingdom far, far away there were lots of happy farmers. They plowed the fields and tended their cattle.

Their children didn’t go to school. Instead they learnt by playing with each other, helping their families and being told stories of fantastic tales by their grandparents, aunts and uncles.

When they became older they worked on the farms or helped craftsmen make beautiful things. One day they would become farmers or master craftsmen Β too.

But things weren’t always happy. At times they had no food and sometimes great rains swept all the crops away. So sometimes they wished of going to the distant cities and earning a regular wage.

So off they went to work in the new hustling, bustling factories.

As poor farm hands they needed to learn to read and to learn numbers before using the big new machines. But nothing more, they didn’t need to learn medicine, big science or even to learn about how money works as they were just factory workers. The factory owners kept that for their own children who went away to “universities.”

But the farmers soon became too many and the factory training couldn’t keep up. So the government decided to make “schools.” There the children could learn what they needed to work in factories. Numbers, spelling. That sort of thing. And to keep them in line when they started work, the first thing they were taught at school was how to sit in straight lines, how to be quiet, Β how to do what the teacher told them. And of course never to talk back or ask questions. That would never do!

Their parents wondered “well it’s different from how we learnt,” but I guess that’s what they need these days, they said.

So on this went, day after day, year after year.

Until the factories started closing, moving off to some far away oriental land. And the skills the factory workers had didn’t prepare them for this new life.

But still the teachers kept on. Kept on standing at the board. Kept on keeping the children still and sat in neat little rows. For they had forgotten how the children used to learn. They had forgotten about playing and watching and all those “why” questions that children used to ask.

Luckily a brave princess began to notice that the children in her class weren’t concentrating. They didn’t really like the textbook or tests and worst of all she realized that what the children were supposed to be learning really wasn’t that useful anymore.

She thought this over and over in her mind, wanting to change. But the school, the parents, the “system” kept putting her down. She knew something had to be done. But how?

Then one fine December day she read a blog. It got her thinking about why schools were started in the first place, about the farms and the factories. What she thought school “had to be” really wasn’t “had to be” at all. It got her thinking about what she could do for her students. She had the strangest idea that she, one brave soul on her own, really could make difference.

That day was a magic day for she forgot just thinking. She decided to do.

She shared the blog on Facebook and twitter. And she decided to make her schools how they should be, where children learn with smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts.

That brave princess saved us all. And it all started that day in December in the year two thousand and eleven.

And because of her courage and deeds we all live happily ever after, safe from the evil witches, the grievousΒ ghoulsΒ and the specter of factory based schools.

.

P.S. Β The winner of last month’s comment competition was Oksana who wins a Genki English CD of her choice. Β This month’s competition has just started, so get commenting on the blog now, the Β more you comment you more chance you have to win.

Richard Graham

Hello, I'm Richard Graham. When I was a kid I found school to be sooooo boring... So I transformed my way of teaching. I listened to what the kids were really wanting to say and taught it in ways they really wanted to learn. The results were magical. Now I help teachers just like you teach amazing lessons and double your incomes!

106 Responses to “The Story of the Brave Princess”

  1. Charise

    I would love to do that but it is really difficult when I do not have my own classroom.

  2. Oksana

    Thannks for the great story, Richard! I’m going to stop giving tests to my students. I’ve always thought that there are a lot of other exciting/useful things we could do instead. I know what each of my students is capable of (or struggling with)without the tests. i’m also going to keep record of my success and failure moments during the lessons so that I could improve and change what isn’t working.

  3. richard

    That’s why it needs the bravery! πŸ™‚

  4. Ruth

    What an absolutely delightful way to start Friday morning. If only …… There is an apathy and an elitist approach over here (Italy) towards education that horrifies me and unfortunately it seems to be getting worse. Discussions focusing entirely on quantity rather than quality and “study methods” rather than content. What has been interesting, for me at least, is the findings from the PISA studies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ugz_1Clpsdk
    which whilst relying on tests (sorry Oksana) do take into account other factors in evaluating the results. They have given me hope that countries will start listening and realising that being rich does not automatically guarantee a superior education system. And we’ll all live happily ever after …….

  5. Nena

    So true! very nicely put! Thanks Richard!

  6. Gudrun

    Yup! How inspiring, Richard!!!
    I just wish that really all children in Kindergarten could learn English this way and not just the ones whose parents can afford it or understand the benefits!!! When I proposed this to two cities, they said they are not ready for it yet… and that was 3 years ago. Maybe I should send them a copy of your story!!!(Not sure though their English is good enough…)

    In the meantime, the Kindergartens are contacting me directly for English courses, but still only the kids whose parents pay extra benefit. I guess sometimes we have to do our best even if its just for some kids…

    Nevertheless, it’s always a pleasure teaching them and their progress and happiness is the greatest reward of all!
    So, I keep it up and hope that one day all kids will get Genki English in Kindergarten!

  7. Natalya

    Richard, thank you very much for all the great thoughts and ideas you generously share!

    And sometimes it’s really good to stop and look at the situation from other point of view and to think …
    and maybe to learn something from kids ))

    Take care!

  8. Adam

    This is a great story. Much better than The Princess and the Pea. I always wondered what The Princess and the Pea was teaching children.

  9. Newmaya

    Good on you brave princess.May all other(Prince) princesses be inspired to stand up and be the change.Brave princess…..You`re my hero!

  10. Fabiola Touchon

    What a nice and inspiring story… Although the ‘system’ keeps putting us down. And, what is worse, in such competitive days it’s difficult not to be tempted to keep schools the they have been for ages. Here in Brazil we have a selective process to enter University. And, since the very beginning process of school education, teachers, parents and government only worry about the exam to be taken at the end of 15 school years. It seems to be so wrong that kids should learn things only for a test and not for their lives. They have been trained for this final exam earlier and earlier. No questioning, no playing, no observing, no listening to fantastic tales.
    BTW: I wonder if i could translate your story into Portuguese so that I could share it with my coleagues.

  11. richard

    Hi Fabiola, no worries, if you credit it to GenkiEnglish.com then I’m very happy for you to translate it!

  12. Fabiola

    OK, Richard! I’ll do that! I think the text will be really usefull for the teachers in my school! Thank you!

  13. Susan

    This is a beautiful and powerful story!
    Thank you for sharing with me. πŸ™‚
    I totally agree that we need to be brave enough to change our schools. And I like and admire your ideas and efforts for that. I’m wondering if I could translate your story into Korean for Korean teachers and moms.

  14. richard

    Hi Susan, as long as you credit it to GenkiEnglish.com and link back here I’d be very happy for you to do that!

    Please also do send me a copy of the translation (or even post it up here in the comments!) I’m sure lots of teachers would love to see it!

  15. luda melaki

    Thankfully there are still those with brave souls and generous hearts . Keep going .

  16. Grace

    Yes, a resounding yes to all this fairy tale says. It applies to learning English and the whole educational system. I live in Brasil but because my children won’t go to university here I can step out side of the system and allow them to learn the “fairy princess” way. What Fabiola says is true. You can step out of the system but no university will take you if you have not jumped through all of the tedious hoops. Thankfully my home country still allows for audacious princesses and universities welcome children who have escaped the system.

  17. geneviève

    Since I saw you on the internet (many years ago) you have been my princess, Richard. And I am trying to share your magic with the teachers I am training now showing them how Genki English can make their pupils so happy to learn.

  18. Rifal

    waw, that’s cool story,..

  19. Juliette

    Great story – helps me to keep my low-stream, teenage (15 yr olds) class in perspective. They are extremely challenging – they chat loudly to each other, don’t sit in one place, and they’ll only listen if they decide to. But, actually, they are great for me – I have to be inventive, creative, lively and fun… if I’m not, I might as well just talk to the back wall! And, on a very personal level, this story helps me to trust my strong willed, youngest son (5.5ys) – who refuses to go to school! THanks for the reminder to ‘really listen’ to the kids – as well as ‘just teach’.

  20. hamide

    thanks for your great story Richard, this bravity is sort of what i am doing in my class in Iran, What am i doing is not regular here , but with your help im doing it, thank you very much

  21. Margaret

    This is why I Homeschool my three children. What a lovely story. If only it were true of more classrooms in America. A sad state of affairs it has come to. Thanks for sharing.

  22. Rachel

    Thanks ‘brave Richard’. I had prepared a lesson plan but didn’t use it because the children couldn’t understand a single word in English. Guess what, I just told me to stand up ( sign language) and dance, sing jump! Be happy! Off I went! Lol

  23. sherrie

    My husband taught 7th grade Science this way for years (approx. 27 yrs.). Now he is being told to teach to the test. He is seriously considering retiring and doing his dream job which is music.
    Funny how one country (or countries) are discovering how to do things right while other countries are doing things wrong that once once did right.

  24. susana

    Beautiful inspiring words that create a picture using colours like feelings…and desire of a better future
    for mankind. The magic day when we finally forget to think and just do what we had decided a long long time ago.Just be part of it.Thank you Richard.

  25. Foster

    That’s why Genki English is so popular! GE will change many teachers and benefit a lot more English learners!

  26. Anie

    Thanks, that’s really the idea I’m trying to promote! The only problem I face is the resistance of children, I mean in the country I come from (Belarus) children are so used to the old methods and so unprepared to freedom and fun that I often have problems with discipline. So tests sometimes save my lesson and my nerves:(

  27. Anie

    Thank you so much for the great tips! I’ll try hard to employ them in my work, starting with tomorrow!))

  28. Maria C.

    What a beautiful story Richard, very moving and challenging aswell and so true.
    Who knows where that brave princess is rigth now?
    Look out for she could be very near…
    Thank you for all that beautiful inpiration

  29. ENDANG ASRIYANTI faridraufi@yahoo.co.id mandiri

    very good Richard. I like the story. that inspires me

  30. Thichaya Wongyai

    Great story! I’d to be the brave princess that’s what I try to do things like those now. I agree with learning by nature specially learning languages. My classes are tons of laughing and smiling. Students are keen to learn with me. Sometime we do like crazy, both students and teacher.I hope to be the most happiness class in the school, in the school cluster, in the …what ever.
    Thanks for the story again.
    Be Genki,
    Jam

  31. LOAN

    How interesting!I wish I could change my way of teaching. Actually I’m changing gradually. In my class now I try my best to make my students laugh and feel interested in English lesson. These days the students come to my class are increasing, even on rainy days they also come. I’m wondering whether they come for food or for studying English. I hope it’s the first reason.Thanks for sharing everything with me ( mean the ways to teach English better.)

  32. setareh

    thank you for the great thoughts and ideas you generously share!
    I do believe on that princess and try to keep on her way!

  33. Valeria

    The story was very intriguing…. Don’t you think, Richard on writing fairy-tales for kids as a new method to teach children English!? πŸ™‚

  34. Remy

    Thanks, Richard.
    This is a really beautiful story of bravery. I am encouraging my students to be more verbal. I wish I can do the same in my classes. Forget the books and use CDs and cards for fun but realistic learning!

  35. Susan K

    Lovely story – thanks Richard!

    I found the theory of following childrens’ interests to be true so I always tried to listen and answer my childrens’ questions whenever possible. When they were very little it was something like, β€˜Mummy, why is that car red?’ Hmmm… Now they often go over my head and I have to look on the internet :). We live in the countryside and the life of the farmers in this tale is close to the ideal life I had dreamt of! My children go to school but I read to them from being very small and let them just learn passively by looking at the words (it works!). I’ve always thought of language learning as β€˜passive’ – you spend lots of time β€˜absorbing’ i.e. listening. It’s funny how the more fun and relaxing it is the more you seem to learn, that’s why I love the cool ideas and materials on Genki English. My students and I have a ball with songs, games and picture cards. It’s great just to hear them speaking English with confidence!

  36. maria-vanegas

    I agree with you, the best way to learn is by acting instead of just sitting still and getting bored. When kids do not participate, they go to sleep.

  37. maria-vanegas

    I love your web-page. I agree with you in the sense that the best way to teach kids is by action. I do not believe that kids learn to much just by going to school and behaving “correctly”. They learn by playing games, watching videos, singing songs and so on.

  38. Adrian

    Factory story was good, but you spelt “spectre” wrong

  39. Richard

    Hi Adrian, ahhh, the one time I put in an American spelling! πŸ™‚

  40. Carma

    Princess Richard πŸ˜‰
    Your vision is one that speaks to many adults (and children!) around the world – thank you for sharing it with us and helping us change the classroom – one at a time. Hopefully the genki revolution will start reaching into maths and chemistry and geography classrooms soon! Happy to be genki. πŸ™‚

  41. Yuliya

    I really expected that story would end like “here is her school” and a link to it and was smiling while reading because IT WOULD BE GREAT!
    When I was studying at school my English teacher always tried to find something interesting for us and we were the best class in school in English (yes, and the modest:)
    Now I see my daughter struggling in the first class and don’t know how to help: lots of home task, difficult program and no princess πŸ™

  42. Liza

    It’s a great, touching story, because we all know how much kids want to both learn and play. At their age it’s just too hard for them to separate both as all they want is to play and laugh and be as active as possible. So the best way is to combine learning into play.
    I think this story also says a lot about procrastination or not to! Easier said than done, though. However, having said that, Genki English gives us all we need to teach English to kids they way we should. So, it should be easier to just start doing it, putting all this amazing stuff into practice and good use. There’s enough there to fill a library! As always, thank you Richard.

  43. Yolanda

    ItΒ΄s a wonderful story. Thank you so much.

  44. Jladt

    So who is the brave princess? Is it someone in Japan or is it in Britain?

  45. Deborah White

    Loved the story, Richard. It was powerful because stories are powerful.
    For centuries in many cultures, tribes, and nations, storytelling has been the primary means of communicating a truth or concept AKA Β¨Oral Tradition.Β¨ Westerners can probably retell numerous AesopΒ΄s fables or fairy tales. I am wondering how we could use storytelling in our classrooms to teach English.

    I have tried drawing simple stick figure pictures for each sentence of a very short story. The students try to guess from the pictures what the story is about. The teacher presents vocabulary, then tells the story one picture and one sentence at a time in a comic book fashion. After students practice repeating the sentences, they try to tell the story to each other in their own words. Then they act out the story, creating dialog and props, if needed. I would love to hear if anyone else teaches English through story-telling.

  46. Mamta Singh

    Hi
    Loved reading the story.
    As I have just got into teaching , it was truly inspirational and thought provoking.
    Thanks for sharing.

  47. Dulce marines

    Wonderful, creative and beautiful!

    Great!

    Thanks for sharing!

  48. Jaryn

    Hi there Rich,

    I’ve been teaching ESL to the little ones in Vietnam for over ten month now. My teaching here consists of both – private tuitions as well as teaching at language schools and centres. My private ones sometimes open their hearts to me and what I get to know is shocking. The educational system is well behind what is classed a modern educational system. Students here are not only being educated in what you describe as the factory learning but also getting beating up for making mistakes and saying their answers wrong. It results in classes full off ‘mutes’ and distressed students. Us ESL teachers from the West are then seen as angels who praise children, encourage them, allow them to ask questions, allow them to speak and say their opinions out loud. Your story really sits on the situation that is an everyday case here.
    Yesterday, one of my students said to me: ‘Teacher I love you so much.’ I thanked and he added up ‘You are the only teacher that doesn’t beat me when I make a mistake and you play with me.’

    Thanks for nice reading…I’ve shared your story with some of my colleagues here in Vietnam…

    cheers
    Jaryn

  49. Xin Qi

    Genkienglish is a very good helper for teachers and students. Great ideas and beautiful songs give kids a lot of fun.

  50. Cecilia Ou

    Thank you for sharing. =)

  51. Vesna

    Well,
    what to say about the story except that it’s true. I can only speak for myself and say that most of the time I witness my pupils as unhappy and bored. The question is what can one do against the set system ?
    Not much, but I can make change in my lessons just as the princess did.
    We need change in schooling system. So, never loss hope, be different, dare to bring your class to life !

  52. ENAS

    I ONLY WANT TO THANK YOU. YOU REALLY MADE ME CHANGE THE WAY WHICH I TEACH MY CHILDREN WITH. YOU REALLY A WONDERFUL TEACHER.

  53. Ozoda

    I really enjoyed reading this nice story.Here in Tashkent pupils are different.Teachers always give them a chance to ask any questions.Thanks a lot for sharing this story.

  54. John M. Collins

    Hi Richard…
    An interesting story to encourage us to “think out of the box!” I liked the fact that the story conveyed how our eductional experience can often be mundane and “stiff/boring.” True learning takes place when all of the senses are employed and students can get the whole experience. I believe this is known as kinesthetic learning. I am all about making a lesson engaging and exciting. When students participate at a level that employs their entire being– you as a teacher, know that you have succeeded! Thanks for sharing the inspiration AND affirmation. πŸ™‚

  55. Pat

    The story is … Lovely! And you are so smart…😏
    Thanx a lotπŸ‘πŸΎ

  56. Elsa BrandΓ£o

    Hello! I’m from Portugal and I just want to say that I agree with you. Kids need magic in their classrooms and joy in their hearts. English is still “growing” in our primary schools, but we have training sessions that help us work with that in mind. So, I share your philosophy in terms of education.

    Kind regards,

    Elsa

  57. Wayne Green

    The story sounds familiar, here in Japan, I prefer teaching my students with the Genki English program. They enjoy coming, have fun and learn stuff.
    They actually remember what was taught.
    Thank you for the story, it isn’t fantasy it’s reality.

  58. Cherry

    Your story is so truthful. In the Philippines where I come from, factory owners kept the children of factory workers from learning about economics, money and banking, medicine, and reserved these courses for their children. We have the power to change all that by giving access to children from poor families so that they can learn about medicine, economics, etc . and not just become factory workers.

    Thanks for this story and for your English and Japanese materials. I appreciate your brave feat, Richard!

  59. Todd

    Richard,
    You are great! Eloquent story. Very perceptive on many levels. Thanks for what you do.
    Todd

  60. SΓ³nia

    Hi Richard!

    It’s a really good story! Thanks for sharing it! πŸ™‚

    SΓ³nia

  61. Lisa Duntavs

    Lovely story! And… historically accurate, well we’ve yet to see the fulfillment of the princess’ dreams around the world! I’m glad there are people like you doing their part to change the world! I was actually waiting to see the story incert a blurb for Genkie English like… “And so she created GE! Ha ha! Anyway it was well done, and put a smile on my face! I’m on my way to China in a month to work, no, play in some summer camps! Looking forward to being a brave princess there!

  62. cecilia MuΓ±oz

    very beautiful story, it fills our souls and also
    of our children

  63. Devy

    Therefore we called her “Brave Princess” because she was very brave of making a breakthrough. However she couldn’t t do it alone and she had to work with other conventional teachers and kept inspiring and convincing them upon making changes on the teaching system for the sake of the learners. So that she could save both the educators and the learners and finally the society. A pioneer remains a hero!

  64. Jason

    nice story, it probably resonates in any country, but from my experience it silently whispers “japan”. Someday… someday… (today)?

  65. Scarlett

    This was great Richard, so busy that only today I have time to read it all. Our teaching procedure should be changed as soon as possible as the kids need that to bring into life, not just sitting and listening.

  66. Valerie

    Thank you so much for your nice and so-thruth story… I think in my city there are such brave princesses started working with heart : they want that “children learn with
    smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts.”
    Lucky are those children ! !

  67. sawsan

    nothing to say accept WOW!

  68. sawsan

    hi Richard;
    thanks a lot for the lovely story.
    i’ve been thinking of removing the assessments from my class, but unfortunately, here in my country Algeria, the system obliges us to dispose them students’ marks at the end of each trimestre, although there is a smooth change in the imposed way of teaching; i mean in the last 20 years it wasn’t the same as it is now, it was PPP; presentation ,practice, production, the method in which the teacher gave and presented the lesson, an the students were only taking notes and writing. now it is no more PPP, it is CBA competency based aproach, in which the learner discovers by himself what the teacher wants to teach him, and it is an amazing method, specially when i involve Genki English in it.
    This morning i was just thinking to teach my students the irregular verbs in songs, they learn while singing. But the main issue in here is that how can we satisfy the system, and the students at the same time? if i had my own school, it wouldn’t have been a problem, i mean learning without tests and textbooks is awesome.

  69. Eleni Fytili

    Dear Richard,
    your tremendous effort to make things at school look more humane and child-oriented is both moving and inspiring. You put the measure of how things could be against all experiments conducted by ministries of education and their councelors who have not been in a real class for ages. Theories upon theories leaving teachers and students up to the neck in the swamp of curriculae and in the horror of evaluation schemes light years away from learning through fun. Therefore your ideas are an ever refreshing oasis.
    Thanks or Ξ΅Ο…Ο‡Ξ±ΟΞΉΟƒΟ„ΟŽ (in Greek)
    Eleni

  70. Lennox Simpson

    Smile, Serious stuff! Nice story Richard with a strong message and done in Genki fashion.. And we get the moral of the story point blank. Be Genki!

  71. Lee Ponzio

    How is it that the regular people, the parents, the teachers and everyone else can see this truth, yet the (Japanese) government continues to flounder and jeopardise the future potential of their entire population, year after year? Massive change is a fearful thing, so until the brave arrive to achieve it on a large scale, keep shining bright and lighting up the lives of all the kids who laugh and learn with us.

  72. Maria

    Thanks a lot! I really enjoyed the fairy tale!

  73. Tatiana

    Awesome! We still need more of such princesses)

  74. Bernadette

    Thank-you for this beautiful story. Students need relevance, and yes we have seen different approaches with the multiple intelligence etc…different ways of learning. But I like the story approach, it always works. In my school in the north of Australia young aboriginals children are truly bored because they don’t relate to the material and because of that they have had gaps in their learning, knowledge and abilities. School should give the time to learn and to enjoy learning.

  75. David Herrick

    Sounds quite similar to the situation in Myanmar, minus the ‘opportunities’ to work in a factory. The potential in Myanmar is evident, but the curriculum keeps the kids at a listen-and-repeat mindset. There isn’t much chance to think creatively and solve problems. Plus, the system is generations-old, so the parents don’t usually challenge the kids either. As for my classes, I won’t lower my expectations or my challenges! Thanks for the story and the inspiration. I will share the story of the Brave Princess with my class.

  76. Dinaz

    Hi Richard,
    I volunteer at my son’s school making online courses for them. Luckily this is exactly how they feel too! They try to work with each child individually at his/ her learning level. I am so lucky to have found them in the little farming/beach town of Dahanu (India). (School’s website: mybigcampus.in)

    Getting some nice tips from your emails to hopefully make the school experience of my son more fun!

    Many thanks.
    Dinaz

  77. Heidi Marte

    Loved the story of the Brave Princess! I guess the secret’s out πŸ™‚ It takes some bravery to tell the story as we are quite comfortable in our fundamentalism – for fear of loosing control.

    Sometimes it takes a little effort to bloom, but it’s worth it!

    Heidi

  78. Yulia

    Hey Richard, it is an interesting story hehe, thank you. I love your suggestions and all methods are really helpful, thank you for sharing it!!!

  79. Elena

    Hey Richard!
    Thanks a lot for such a topical realistic and instructive story which is relevant today. To be honest, it helped me realize that a classroom management issue is not really a problem. If we as teachers experience bad children’s behavior-it’s because they are children, not because they don’t respect you. What we need is treat them the way we should bringing game elements, fun and unexpectedness.
    Thanks for your amazing emails.
    Stay genki,
    Elena, Russia.

  80. Paola

    I loved the story of the Brave Princess Richard! Sometimes we need to leave our comfort zone and encourage ourselves to do something new. Thanks a lot!!

  81. Mihai

    I am so grateful I had the opportunity to read the story of the genius princess and share her thoughts in AOMORI, Japan.

    P.S. Can’t wait to meet the princess!

  82. Monique

    I love the princess story. Such a wonderful metaphor for how the school system is today. What’s really troubling, at least in my neck of the woods, is that so many schools these days no longer have recess! How are kids to concentrate if the cannot move?

    That’s why when I think back to my Spanish classes, my favorite teachers were the ones who had us moving and using different learning modalities.

  83. faiza

    hi Richard,
    awesome story i am implementing genki in Pakistan and its very difficult to fight with the system and the people here who have digested this system and they are not at all ready to throw it out please do help how to bring a change in such fixed environment

  84. Ann Benson

    Hi Richard,
    This tale is so bitter sweet. It made me sad because I felt so trapped at the desk all those years in school myself. And then I had to send my beautiful sons into that system and i felt that if broke their spirit for learning to a large extent. That God for methods like yours, Maria Montessori, Rudolf Steiner and many more that have helped to unleash children from being a slave to β€œThe Desk”’, β€œThe Black Board” and β€œThe Teacher”.

  85. Maria Lourdes Kase

    Thanks for sharing this Richard. it is indeed a very good and moving story, especially for teachers. As teachers, we MUST be able to inspire our students to learn and not be hesitant or afraid to ask WHY. We must inspire them to be able to think for themselves and not just follow and repeat after what we say all the time. We have a very big responsibility because as teachers we MUST also inspire them to develop into respectful, caring, responsible & honest grown-ups in the future and thus we can hope for a better world for them. Let’s all make a difference in the lives of our students just like the brave princess in this wonderful and inspiring story. Thanks so much, Richard! I guess you are the BRAVE PRINCE!

  86. Hiywet Dembel

    Thank you, Richard. I’m glad that the kids were saved by the princess at last.

  87. Gefry Sarco

    The story of the brave prinecss is a wonderful parallel with teaching in our modern world. Many teachers may thinks there’s a certain way to teach, but it truly depends on their students. Making learning fun is always worthwhile! Thanks GenkiEnglish for making this parable a reality.

  88. Ildiko

    Very inspirational and well-written. The style will open the kids’ minds and hearts and will hopefully seed the thought that they CAN and SHOULD start doing and working on making this world better for it’s worth doing. Thank you, Richard!

  89. Marisa

    Wow! What an amazing and real story! I wonder who is this princess. I know, as the commen before says, that you are the BRAVE PRINCE. But this princess, it is Montessori?, Piaget?, Rousseau? Or a person that inspired you to come to this great learning system? Thank you for your reflexions. We really have to think back and see what we are doing every day individually and as a society, without thinking, and maybe we shouldnΒ΄t be doing it.

  90. Olesta

    :))) system will never make quick changes, unfortunately.. but thanks god for amazing people in teaching πŸ™‚ they help hungry learners to reach the stars πŸ™‚

  91. Gulgul Ismagilova

    Нi,Richard.The stoty really captured me.I loved it so much.Thank you for all ideas,you motivate us and help us to reinvent new metods of teaching and class management.
    Thanks a lot.Looking forward to new awesome ideas.
    Gulgul,
    Bashkortostan,Russia

  92. Justas

    Great inspirational story Richard! Were the schools actually founded this way?

  93. Madalina Kitagawa

    Wow ,amazing story!!
    I really feel that I can become that princess too!!!!!

    You are a great inspiration!!

  94. Kitagawa Madalina

    Wow ,amazing story!!
    I really feel that I can become that princess too!!!!!

    You are a great inspiration!!

  95. Amalia

    Hello. Thanks a lot for being a story teller of life, as we need to be. Hope is a construction in our lives, and children learn that, in my own case now by helping them as grandmother teaching them languages I know, habits that need to adapt to actual society ways, and proper own opinions wich they have to learn how to build up… teachers are all over the world, thanks for helping me to do my possible part. Go on telling stories !!!!! AMALIA

  96. Viktoriia

    It’s an insiring story. It’s true-to-life. I guess teacher are tired and exhausted any time. They need rest, positive feedback of their work. Girls like this one in the story can bring changes to educating. I hope the changes will be up to the rapid changes in the teaching.

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