While the First World War raged outside, fifteen-year-old Jaap Kann sat indoors and struggled with his schoolwork. He was the terror of his teachers and consistently failed his subjects. Rather than studying, he preferred dreaming of building airplanes and joining the war effort. Concerned about his future, Jaap’s wealthy parents hired Otto Barendsen—a psychologist and pedagogue—to provide daily homework supervision. Over several years, Barendsen meticulously kept a diary of their sessions, chronicling not only his attempts to motivate Jaap but also their conversations, Jaap’s emotional development, and his inner world. Inspired by the ideals of progressive pedagogy, Barendsen hoped to establish himself as a pedagogical writer in the tradition of Jan Ligthart and Theo Thijssen. For this ambition, Jaap was a golden subject. He was a typical teenager and attended the very first ‘lyceum’ of the Netherlands, where early theories of adolescent psychology inspired efforts to redesign education. As Barendsen prepared his envisioned book on adolescents, a profound friendship grew between the rebellious teenager and his idealistic tutor.

This book is included in DOAB.