mil mm\i\ The Lake Teachers ;' Library * * * How to Teach R eadmg in the Public Schools, Clark . . $1.00 The Social Spirit in America, Henderson . 1 50 Elementary Education, Keith 1.25 The Teaching of Geography, Sutherland 125 The Teacher, Milner . 1.25 €Ue iGa&e Cea$et$' ICtbtar? The Teacher by FLORENCE MILNER // DETROIT UNIVERSITY SCHOOL DETROIT, MICHIGAN • . : • ■ SCOTT, FORESMAN AND COMPANY CHICAGO NEW YORK Copyright, 1912 BY SCOTT, FORESMAN AND COMPANY PREFACE In the following pages the attempt has been made to look at things connected with schools as they are and to view honestly the various relations that' enter into a teacher's life. The school duties and the associations which result naturally from them, as well as the little and larger experiences that make-up the private life, have been discussed. In considering each of these the aim has been to indicate the vital problem and to suggest, especially to the inexperienced, a common sense solution. In this desire to be helpfully suggestive, the book is essentially practical. It is not made up of vague theories, but contains an abundance of concrete examples of just the kind, of experiences that arise over and over again in every school room from kindergarten to college, in the country, in the small town, and in the city. The author has tried to make clear the spirit which every teacher should manifest if that teacher entertains any hope of large success or of proving a workman worthy of his hire. In recognition of the present educational unrest, notice has been taken of the most important attempts at advance through special schools and the application of other pro- gressive ideas. This has been done, however, always with the warning that the sovereign remedy will never rest upon any particular theory, but that the final success or failure of any educational effort depends ultimately upon the character, training, and personality of the individual teacher. 267336 I . ... .' ■ ' ■ , • • ■. . • • 4 "-: : > '■ PREFACE If particular emphasis is placed upon any one thing, it is upon the great responsibility of the teacher. The book is mainly a book of suggestions — sometimes by precise directions, sometimes in the form of illustrations and sometimes by the way of statement of principles, but it strives always to point the way to the kind of life and the way of working that will bring the largest measure of success to the teacher and so to the school. If it stirs some teachers to study the educational situation more closely, and at the same time helps them to keener self-criticism, to closer sympathy with children, to a fuller appreciation of the human appeal that thrills through every school day, then it will have fulfilled its purpose. Florence Milner. Detroit University School. Detroit, Michigan. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I Why Does One Teach ?...... 7 II The First Day 20 III Life Outside of School 32 IV Relation to Pupils ....... 46 V Relation to Associates 56 VI Relation to Parents 68 VII Personality and Poise = 77 \VIII Tact ............ 95 IX Discipline: A General View . . . . Ill X Discipline Specifically Considered . . 125 XI The Spirit of the Recitation . . . 143 XII Some Technicalities of the Recitation 165 XIII Examinations 180 XIV Integrity 196 XV School Waste 224 XVI How the Schools are Eliminating Waste 237 XVII Special Schools . 254 XVIII A Balance Sheet ........ 272 Index ............ 283 CHAPTER I WHY DOES ONE TEACH? The influences that have obtained in recruiting the vast army of teachers are infinite in variety. Some have taken up the work with definite purpose, some are teachers by acci- dent. A large number, especially among the women, have drifted into the ranks with no very definite idea as to how or why they are there or how long they may remain. But no matter whence these teachers come, no matter why, they should, being committed to the profession, consider carefully what it has to offer either as an 6ccupation for a few years or for a life work. To the man, the situation pre- sents one problem ; to the woman, a different one entirely. There was a time when teaching offered to the young man a natural stepping-stone to a wider or, at least, a different career. If he expected eventually to be a min- ister, doctor, lawyer, or a business man, two or J^ e r aC Men Q three years in the school-room was considered excellent preparation, and not a waste of time. Today it is necessary for a young man to select his chosen profession early and to enter upon it as soon as possible. All time spent in any other direction is deemed worse than thrown away. Competition is too great to admit of any but the direct road. This condition of affairs cuts off from the number of school men many naturally brilliant and well equipped, who, in former times, did excellent work in the school-room for short periods. 7 8 THE TEACHER Now and then today there is a young man who still finds teaching the first open door to wider activity and broader culture. He teaches a year or two, saves a little money, growing a little bigger each month, until he sees other and more profitable opportunity for his increasing powers opening before him. This young man does not have much knowledge of pedagogy, often has no experience at all, but he brings something vital, virile, to the school-room which more than balances lack in technical requirements. What he brings counts for more than normal school train- ing, a teacher's diploma from college, or than a head full of books on psychology, pedagogy, child study, and meth- ods of discipline, good as they may be in their place. For him who would make teaching his life work, there are many things to consider. Small salaries, and the con- dition of school management which makes tenure of posi- tion uncertain and not always dependent upon charac- ter of service, have turned a large and ever increasing number toward the new and varied openings for men of force and ability. These conditions inevitably tend toward lowering the percentage of excellence among the lessening number of men teachers. So long as engineering schools cannot supply the demands made upon them, so long as the business world is eager to offer bright, educated young men a price far above any- thing: school boards have ever considered market value for such material, so long will there be a dearth in the teaching ranks of such men as are absolutely necessary for the highest success of the schools. How potent these influences have been, let the few schools whose administrations are willing and able to pay worthy salaries testify. In this stampede away from teaching, they WHY DOES ONE TEACH? 9 find it difficult to fill satisfactorily even the few positions which they have to offer. The pendulum is bound eventually to swing the other way. This army of fine young men now rushing madly into business will find positions overcrowded, and some will turn from the shattered bubbles marked with dollar signs to the real issues of life. Toward the same end, school boards are waking to the fact that their cities cannot afford to have the teaching turned over almost entirely to women, with just a scatter- ing of men, too few of whom carry into the school-room that wide view of life which every teacher should possess. The}* are learning that they must make it worth the while of the finest type of young men to enter upon teaching as a life profession. Now and then there is still a young man stirred by deeper motives than the piling up of dollars, or the winning of political or other fame, who sees the richness of life, the fullness of experience, the breadth of vision possible to the man who deals with human souls. Such a man gladly relin- quishes the opportunities of so-called world success and deliberately selects the quiet days of a worthy teacher. Some man who has lived this life in recent years should write out the story of his experiences, should present in its true light the fullness of such a career. Thomas Arnold does not stand alone as the one teacher who has proved the greatness of the profession. For women the question is markedly different. Not many years ago, if it became necessary for a woman to earn her own living, teaching was about the f^w'omen onlv senteel way in which it could be done. Today this is all changed. Every profession is practically 10 THE TEACHER open to her if she can demonstrate her fitness for the occu- pation. She is not yet always allowed to compete on equal footing with men, and she is rarely paid an equal amount for the same labor, but these conditions are inevitable upon the newness of things, and these the natural law of evolu- tion and the better equipment of women will remedy. Thanks to this change in conditions, a woman need no longer teach to live, for other ways are open to her, but, for the chosen few, there still remains the privilege of living to teach. It should be an axiom that no one ought to remain a day in the school-room unless possessed by an absorbing interest in teaching and in life with young people. That Teachfng" 1 ^ oes no ^ i m pty an y mawkish sentimentality, but a vigorous, wholesome, natural interest, — the same kind of interest that a business man takes in his work, an artist in his own creations, a good housekeeper in the perfection of domestic appointments, with always the deeper absorption that close human relationships inspire. To the individual who really loves his work, it goes with- out saying that this interest inheres. It is not necessary always to be advertising your devotion to the high call- ing nor does it demand an unwillingness on your part to be interested in other things. It is no disgrace to be glad of vacations or to welcome Friday nights, a time blessed even to the faithful. Occasionally, though, there is a teacher who takes a different attitude, whose devotion amounts to an obsession. One Friday night a group of teachers had gathered in the cloak-room preparatory to the home going. They were wholesomely glad of the release, and plans for spending the free time were under discussion, when another teacher entering the room exclaimed, "How I dread Friday nights ! WHY DOES ONE TEACH? 11 Saturday's and Sundays do break in upon the school work so." A chorus of opposition, led by the strongest and best teacher in the school, greeted her, and they were right in their disapproval. These various breaks are what make it possible for anyone to continue long in the business. The fact that at intervals the work or a portion of it comes to a full stop and can be entirely put aside for a time, gives the needed relief from the otherwise too intense nervous strain. A heavv load can be carried up a long, steep hill if the burden may occa- sionally be lifted from the shoulder and a breathing time allowed the laborer. For this reason a teacher should put aside school work completely and, at intervals, seek a dif- ferent atmosphere, different people, and different experi- ences. If she does this, she will return to the school with renewed interest and enthusiasm. Be interested in your work, — one must be to succeed, — but let that interest be normal and sane, not hysterical, sen- timental, or absorbing to the exclusion of everything else. Those outside the pale are apt to look upon a position within it as a sinecure. The hours are short, usually from half-past eight or nine in the morning to half- past three in the afternoon, with an hour or ^ n ° d ur p ay an hour and a half at noon. Saturdays and Sundays are free days. One or two weeks' vacation comes at Christmas, another week in the spring, with nine or more long ones all together in the summer, not to men- tion various holidays furnished by the government, and other special dispensations. The compensation seems good in comparison with other salaried positions for women, especially when the short year and the short hours are considered. The pay is prac- 12 THE TEACHER tically certain, for the occasions are exceptional when the checks of a school board are not honored. Salaries are sufficient to allow teachers to be fairly well dressed, to live comfortably, and, with economy, to save a little money for summer travel. Wide reading, and the habit of constant alertness, help teachers to get out of travel more than the average individual discovers. They are, as a class, interested in literary and artistic matters and very little escapes their quick, trained vision. To a person of scholarly tastes, the life is especially attractive, for its tendency is toward intellectual advance- ment. The teacher who succeeds must continue Life" 601 " 31 ^° ^ e more or l ess a student. This is true, not only for those who teach in high schools but for grammar, intermediate, primary, and kindergarten grades. The study necessary is not only that which enables a teacher to keep pace with certain assigned classes, for the teacher who is content with this will soon drop behind in the race and then wonder at the cause of failure. The mind must be kept alert, — somewhat on a strain as it reaches out for new stimulus. The intellectual training need not be, really should not be, always directly in line with the particular branch taught. There is no knowledge, no matter how far it may seem removed from any possible connection with school work, which may not, at any moment, unexpectedly become of use. Did you ever learn a new word that you were not sur- prised at your later frequent encounters with it? It is not likely that you are meeting it any oftener than before, but now you have a speaking acquaintance with it, while before you had passed it by unnoticed. In a similar manner, all knowledge immediately goes into the tool chest of a live workman. WHY DOES ONE TEACH? 13 This need for study, this interest in study, leads teachers into many pleasant hours. Books become to them close personal friends. The room of a good teacher without books is an anomaly ; not books behind glass doors, but books on the table, in chairs, possibly on the floor, but always ready to hand. Sometimes they will be for serious study, sometimes a volume of poems, a new novel, a history, or an open magazine. The books in the room of a live teacher will not be identical from month to month ; in a growing garden the same flowers do not blossom day after day. As the mind grows it keeps fairly good pace with the literary world. In these days a teacher must have some knowledge of art. She will know where the great pictures of the world are, and who painted them. Inevitably pic- tures will find their way into her school-room culture and into the room which she calls home. These may not be expensive ones, but her few pictures always have a meaning. They will be a reproduction of a great painting, an etching by an artist of repute, a photo- graph of historic value or possessed of a personal interest, a half-tone, or a wood-cut that carries back of it a definite thought for the owner, and is worth more in culture value, in real companionship, than any number of meaningless though costly pictures. In a town or a small city a teacher is a definite part of the social life and is counted upon to be more or less a leader. This is especially true of the club life of the com- munity, as well as of other public activities. He or she will be an important factor in most position social functions. In a large city the situation is quite different. That teacher is doomed to disappointment who expects anything 14 THE TEACHER in the way of general social recognition. There will be no end of interesting people to know, friends to be made in your own or similar activities ; there are theatres, con- certs, libraries, and all such places within reach. Occa- sionally you will be invited to dinner with the family of one of your pupils, but only occasionally, and then it will not be at the time of any social function. This is true, not because the social set consider themselves in any way supe- rior, but because life turns naturally in circles, and those of society and the teaching profession do not intersect; rarely are they tangent. There is, however, a less rosy view to be taken of the profession than the one thus far presented, and it behooves everyone to look the conditions fairly in the fhe 3 work e y e > ^° know what must be met of discourage- ment and discomfort. Against the short hours must be set the strain, the inten- sity, the wear and tear of those few hours, — such strain as only the teacher who has worked well can understand at all. To keep forty — or whatever the assignment may be — wriggling, twisting, restless, impulsive, eager, forceful chil- dren occupied to their final gain and advancement ; to keep them quiet enough so that the main business of the school may go on, and yet leave to them a modicum of individual freedom ; to watch the springing of each mind toward its own goal and to help it on its way; to deal justly, with- out impatience, without irritation, with the forty all together and with each one as a separate human being; to be con- scious of the physical condition of every one ; to know that each little body is growing straight and true, each little mind speeding on its way to possible greatness, each little WHY DOES ONE TEACH? 15 soul expanding in a free and inspiring atmosphere, — to endure all this strain willingly, even joyously: to keep sweet tempered through it all ; to hold one's faith and to be glad each morning to meet the task again, offers no small test to one's powers. Knowing this demand, who would consider five hours of such labor for five days in the week a sinecure? The man who leisurely shovels sand in the city streets under a municipal contractor for eight hours a day is well paid in comparison with the amount doled out by the same municipality to the men and women who take the responsibility of the city's children. Your man in the ditch gets good pay for giving his muscles wholesome exer- cise; your teacher puts into a day's work, body, mind, and soul. Humbly following the greatest of teachers, she knows at the close of the day that virtue has gone out of her. But even then the story is not all told. When the door closes upon the last child at night, to the casual observer, the day is at an end. But few teachers are able to lock their work within the school-room. They may go home empty-handed, no papers to look over, no lessons to pre- pare, no reports to make out, but the man or woman whose labor is with pulsing human life is never entirely away from that work. Much is said of the greatness of a teacher's labor, of the wonderful satisfaction that comes from seeing the young people develop and come into their own under the wise care of a wise teacher. There is much f^m^u^i'is" talk of the devotion of these same pupils to such a teacher and of the high appreciation given to her efforts. 16 THE TEACHER Let anyone who enters upon the teaching profession in the hope of these rewards pause before it is too late to turn aside, for nothing but disappointment awaits him. Two things are as sure as death, and the honest teacher must face them with an attitude of grim acceptance of the inevitable : the thoughtlessness of youth and its supreme selfishness. Expect nothing from your young people in the way of thoughtful consideration, — nothing but a selfish seeking of their own ends, and you will save yourself much bitter disappointment. You will sometimes receive both consideration and prodigal generosity, but only occa- sionally, — just often enough to renew your courage. And all this is as it should be. Youth is and ought to be egoistic. With a clearness of vision that grows dim with years, it sees the exalted purpose of its own life and, with eye upon the shining goal, it starts in a direct line toward it, looking neither to right nor left, unconsciously trampling upon the keenest feelings of those who are trying to clear for it the upward path. If this is selfishness, it is the uncon- scious selfishness that forgets everything in the pursuit of its own ideal. This ideal may change from day to day, may not always be worthy, but it is the expression of the forceful earnestness without which the world would stand still. The teacher who makes of this egoism a personal matter, sees in it an intentional slight, will suffer more than one bad half hour. The child is much of the time utterly unconscious of the teacher. Like other things which Providence supplies, the teacher is there ready with help when needed, forgotten at other times. Neither should any great appreciation be expected from parents. This does come occasionally, and when it does is very precious. But the rank and file of WHY DOES ONE TEACH? 17 patrons of a school march on in unthinking indifference to what the body of earnest, devoted teachers is doing for their children. . .., , Appreciation You will be fortunate, indeed, if you always fr om ... \ , , Parents escape carping, unjust criticism from them, for parents are selfish in the interest of their children. They are ready, at the first suggestion, to assume that some in- justice, some slight has been offered their children, while others, seemingly less worth} 7 , have received special con- sideration. These conclusions they reach from insufficient data. The instances are rare when parents come near enough either to school or teacher to get any information first hand. No matter how honest a child may intend to be, may think he is, the reports that he takes home are always more or less tinged with unconscious egoism. He sees his own side of a question to the exclusion of everything else. One must accept the fact that, in comparison with the large number of different children that come under the influence of each teacher, the percentage of those who ever give any expression of appreciation of what has been done for them, or even feel appreciation, is pitifully small. For two reasons, a teacher rarely comes into much real- ization of this lack of appreciation : in the first place, she is so unselfish that any thought of reward or personal consideration is usually far from her Gratitude' mind ; in the second place, when occasional recognitions of service do come, they are so precious that she hugs them tight. Like any other small object held close to the eye, they obscure everything else on the horizon, and she loses sight of the great army moving on, neglecting and forgetting her. Almost never do children or young people realize at the time the value of the personal interest of their teachers. 18 THE TEACHER Few of us are ever able to judge the present in right pro- portions. In later years pleasant echoes do come out of the past. Sometimes it is a book sent with the author's compliments and a note saying, "This is your book, not mine, for you made me what I am." Sometimes it is a gift that harks back to school days in remembrance of somf special taste of the teacher; sometimes, a card of greeting to show that memory still holds a little spot for you. Is the teacher's life worth while even though the vast army surges by in utter f orgetf ulness ? The true teacher knows that it is; even when she is dis- regarded and forgotten, she is sure that her work is vital and will produce results to the world's better- Pay, lt ment. These results are not immediately mani- fest but no teacher can measure the extent of daily influence. Often the feeling will come that her labor is vain, for she must work with hundreds and see them go out from the school-room in apparent forgetfulness of her and of all she has tried to do for them. But the work of a good teacher is permanent, and some time, somewhere, in the world it will bear fruit, although she may never know it. After all, it is the work that counts and not the worker. The demands made upon a worthy teacher are tremendous. When they are held up one by one and considered calmly, they are appalling. Yet there is some subtle charm in the occupation that keeps joyously and enthusiastically at the work those born to the calling. The mere living with young people day after day is a great privilege. He who does this cannot grow morbid ; interest in life cannot wane when their quick wit, their intense enthusiasm, their ready appreciation of humorous situations lighten the hours. Just as in a well constructed WHY DOES ONE TEACH? 19 drama, the humorous situations are introduced to relieve the tension, so a teacher's days are lightened by the good spirits, the good fellowship of the young people. The days are filled with mingled work, play, study, laugh- ter, tears, joys, sorrows, victories, disappointments, heart- aches, and happiness. One must be patient with the dull, appreciative of honest endeavor, sensitive to the needs of every individual, gentle, tender, sympathetic, and yet, when necessary, firm as the rock-ribbed hills. Technically, the demands upon one adopting the profes- sion are not great. But keeping school is one thing ; teach- ing school, another. It is possible to keep school and not lose your position. To hear classes and earn a living is a simple matter, but that is not entering upon the pro- fession of teaching. In fact, the same thing is true here as in every other line of work ; if one is willing to be a time- server, he can get along, for the public is long-suffering, especially so in its endurance of poor teaching. There is constant discussion going on as to the difficulty of obtaining positions, but there is also a constant search for competent persons for all kinds of positions. The market is overstocked with people who will "just do," but the men and women who fill positions absolutely full are few and far between. Become one of these and you will never have to make application to school boards or register in teachers' agencies. Good positions will seek you. CHAPTER II THE FIRST DAY Whether a teacher stands for the first time before any school, or whether it is the first day in a new position, the situation is certainly a most critical one. The conditions are new, the children are strangers, and the teacher all untried in this different relation. No audience is more critical than a new school on the first day ; no eyes ever look with keener gaze than the forty _ . or more pairs then focused upon the teacher. Trying , r t r Out a If there is a weak spot in the armor, brown or blue or gray eyes will search it out ; if the teacher reveals but one quiver of hesitation, some one in the battalion will discover it and the victory that might have been won at first is either lost forever or delayed for settle- ment after many skirmishes. The school has the advantage of the new teacher, for it is on familiar ground ; it is a unit and while it may be in the attitude of submitting willingly to the one who shows herself master of the situation, the new teacher must prove her claim to that mastery. It would be hard to say why this is so. The situation is an unconscious one on the part both of the school as a whole and the individuals composing it, but the fact remains that no matter how well disciplined the class may be, there will be some members of it who will put the new teacher to the test. The outside armor which should offer invulnerable resist- 20 THE FIRST DAY 21 ance is personal appearance. Never can this be disregarded or treated lightly. Like many other things in life, if right, it sinks immediately into f orgetf ulness ; if wrong, there is no estimating the extent of its Appearance harmful influence. If every detail of a teacher's dress and person is cor- rect, then she can at once forget it all and give her attention to the more important matters ; if wrong, there is the con- stant, nagging irritation which she cannot escape, and ought not to escape, and which is bound to weaken her power in the school-room. So important is the matter that it demands discussion in detail. There is a large class of teachers who have learned the power that lies in being well groomed, well put up, and, fortunately, this class is constantly increasing. There still remains, however, altogether too large a number who seem to have thrown themselves together almost any way, catch- ing up whatever is within reach in the shape of clothes and tossing them on. The care of the hair is also of great importance. It should be arranged consistently for the day's work. It is always good sense to keep near enough to the prevailing style not to appear eccentric, but the school-room is not the place to display the latest effects in elaborate use of puffs, braids, pompadours, and curls. The hair should be dressed compactly to endure for the day and as stylishly as may suit the individual without being extreme. Use such combs as are necessary to keep the hair in place, but never turn the head into a cushion for holding unnecessary celluloid combs, pins, or cheap, useless ornaments. Senseless so-called decorations are out of place in a business toilet. The number of black-rimmed, ragged, unkempt index finger-nails that point the way of learning on reader, arith- 22 THE TEACHER metic, and geography makes it imperative to say a word about the care of the nails. It takes time to keep the nails in proper condition, but that time must be found even if it comes off the extra forty morning winks. One is almost ashamed to mention the care of the teeth, but observation proves that it is necessary. A teacher has to talk with the eyes of the children upon her. If any defect is visible, their keen vision will discover it and fasten their gaze and their memory upon it. When it comes to clothes, a volume might be written on what to wear and what not to wear. In proof of this, look critically at the mass of women in attendance Clothes at any state association. Some strange appari- tions will cross the vision of such an observer. The greatest danger lies in the attempt to imitate in cheap material, prevailing styles that, when worked out by an artist in expensive material, are a success. The poor imitation is always a dismal failure. Clothes do not have to be expensive to be appropriate or in good taste, but they must be fitted to the occasion and consistent with the position of the wearer. The woman who walks to her work or rides in crowded street cars could never be considered well dressed in the kind of clothes that are entirely appropriate for the woman who has her own automobile. A toilet must be in keeping with itself, composed of gar- ments that belong together. In defiance of this principle, a young woman appeared at a state meeting wearing with a blue skirt a green waist trimmed with soiled white lace. Her hat was very cheap black velvet, much befeathered and jetted. To this was added a set of brown furs, a cheap imitation of something expensive, while over her arm she THE FIRST DAY 23 carried a gray coat, badly soiled, which evidently had not been pressed after frequent drenchings. At the same meeting was a very large black hat with dingy white rim-lining. Piled on top were flowers, a big bow of red ribbon, bunches of cherries, and a large gilt buckle, badly tarnished. The combination might have been possible in the hands of a French milliner in return for the large sum that she would have charged, but, even then, it would have been so startling as to be appropriate only for occasional wear by the woman possessed of many hats and who sought unusual effects. It was utterly outside the power of any milliner whom a school teacher could afford to patronize. These may sound like extreme cases, but they are two of many equally bad that graced the same occasion. Moreover, the description is not given from memory, but from notes actually taken with the original of the pictures in sight. In contrast to these, at the same meeting, there walked up the aisle a young woman clad in a well-fitted tailored suit of rough brown cloth. She wore a plain brown hat in good style and with the simplest of trimming, and a set of marten furs that were what they pretended to be. The entire costume was simple in the extreme, but beyond criti- cism in every detail. Its very simplicity and the enduring quality of the material would leave the costume looking about as well when it was laid aside in the spring as it did in the middle of the winter, while the others described were tumbled and shabby with very little wear. As a teacher cannot afford an extensive wardrobe, her few clothes should be selected with reference to the kind of wear to which they must be subjected. The clothes that are worn in the school-room should be bought for that purpose. Dresses that are past wear for 24 THE TEACHER other occasions are too often considered good enough to work in. No mistake in the toilet could be worse. It were far better to appear at an afternoon tea in a fresh shirt- waist and a well pressed skirt than to wear in the school- room a dilapidated gown that, in its freshness, was appro- priate for the former function. School clothes should be compact and of such material as will stand the wear with- out becoming mussed and shabby. They should be as good style of their kind as those bought for other purposes. It is inevitable that a teacher must wear about the same clothes day after day, but she will find it profitable at times to appear in something quite different from her every- day gown. Once in a while she should "dress up" both for her sake and for the children's. The dressing up should not consist in putting on a piece of dejected finery or an elabo- rate dress that has seen better days. In summer, a pretty muslin gown will be a relief from the sterner tailored cos- tume ; in winter, an occasional appearance in her best suit will have its effect. Think of the warm summer day when that young, attractive teacher, your special admiration, returned in the afternoon wearing a rose-sprinkled muslin dress which made her doubly beautiful. No wish but to do her bidding found lodgment in the breast of any child that afternoon. There are teachers possessed of so little taste as to wear needless jewelry. If a woman in the school-room wears the right costumes, those costumes will auto- Jeweiry matically settle the jewelry question, for they permit nothing in the shape of needless orna- ments. Everything must have a use and then it may be as fine as need be. Having selected the right clothes, it becomes the next duty to keep them in perfect order. The demands for THE FIRST DAY 25 ■ perfection in every detail grow more imperative each day. No single spot should be visible upon waist or skirt ; collars must be always fresh ; there must be no hiatus at the belt line glaringly spanned by glittering cfothes safety-pin which belt awry fails to cover. Hooks and eyes must be invisible but efficient, and living in harmony? buttons and button-holes well matched and on good terms. Fringe is not an accepted ornament for the bottom of a skirt. A woman may go hungry if need be, but she must save money enough to pay for all the pressing and cleaning necessary to keep the fresh look upon a worn suit. This may sound like an elaborate and needless discussion of a trivial subject. If it seems so, hark back to your own school days and recall the tumbled, untidy look of some particular teacher, and remember the effect upon your own youthful mind. We are inclined to think the question of clothes a purely feminine one, but masculine attire demands equally careful attention. To be sure, the consideration in this case is somewhat different, the points less obvious to the careless, but the subject is equally important. Here it becomes a question of the cut of clothes and their tex- fh^Man" 9 ture, as well as attention to smallest detail. The effect of a well tailored suit can be spoiled by a collar too loose, too high, or too low, and held together by a soiled, cheap necktie all wrong in color. Immaculate linen, perfectly brushed clothes, free from spots, and clean polished shoes, cannot be considered lux- uries, but necessities. Clothes must show no persistent wrinkles, no weather-roughened texture, but must be fre- quently pressed to an appearance of newness. 26 THE TEACHER No matter how inexpensive a man's clothes, he must, in these days, have the unmistakable appearance of being well groomed. If possible, the demands upon a man in this direction are even greater than upon a woman. When the external armor is right, it can be immediately forgotten. But there are other things of equally great importance. One of these was brought strik- CarNage m gty to the attention of a certain faculty. There was placed in charge of this school a woman of unusually strong personality. Her carriage and manner were beyond reproach and both entirely devoid of affectation. For the first time the teaching force realized the difference between propelling the body forward for the purpose of getting from place to place and really walk- ing. This woman walked. Since that day she has been the standard by which, in this particular, all others have been measured, and very few have approached it. The American woman of today who walks well is the exception. It is impossible to give directions or to offer specific criticism. Each one must observe for herself, keep muscles well and evenly trained, and avoid seeming con- sciousness in all things. All that anyone but yourself can do is to emphasize the importance of walking well ; each individual must studv the matter and strive to correct faults in carriage. The importance of the voice cannot be overestimated. The English have much to say of the strident, nasal tones of the Americans. This criticism is all too just, espe- Voice cially of the woman. Any teacher of success- ful experience knows the power that lies in well modulated tones. The low voice is the voice of influence. Many a command or direction, in itself wise, just, and necessary, has failed of obedience because of the quality of THE FIRST DAY Ti voice in which it was delivered. The teacher who has to depend upon shouting makes clear her confession of weakness. The voice should be trained to carrying power without the necessity of loud speaking. By placing it rightly in the throat, the pupils on the back seat can be reached with per- fect ease in a low conversational tone. Practice with watch- ful ear will accomplish this. Avoid a droning monotone. Many a class has been lulled into inanition by the unvarying quality of a teacher's voice. The use of a telephone will furnish a good test of voice quality. Whoever can talk through the instrument in a low, unstrained, natural tone usually has the desirable pitch and power. Whoever finds herself inclined to shout and to raise the voice to unnatural key, has need to correct many faults in manner of speaking. Distinct enunciation must also be cultivated. The pur- pose of speech is to convey your thought to your hearers ; if articulation is indistinct, if words are mumbled, and not allowed to pass beyond half-closed teeth, then the pur- poses of speech are defeated. In striving for clear enun- ciation the precise, school teacher, painstaking picking out of every sound should be avoided. Rightly equipped, the new teacher can immediately for- get herself and give her attention to the pupils before her. By her correct appearance and manner, she has doubtless already won favorable consideration, and the A ccept boys and girls are in a mood to accept her conditions pleasantly. at First Possibly most of the class have been together the year before. They are familiar with the organization of the school and with its routine. If the room is a part of a 28 THE TEACHER large school, there exists a definite system under which the children are accustomed to work. If this is true, the routine can be trusted to move on without much interference from the teacher. She may like it or she may not, but for the first week, at least, it is the part of wisdom to watch the machinery work, observing carefully but keeping hands off. The inexperienced teacher has more to learn of organiza- tion than she has to offer. In this particular it behooves her to be very humble until she fully grasps the situation and accumulates a little practical knowledge. Her head may be filled with any amount of psychology, pedagogy, and book wisdom on child study, but there is a strange per- versity in the human race which catches many a cog in these smooth running theoretical machines. All this knowledge will some time be very useful, an excellent foun- dation upon which to build efficient dealings with young people, but it cannot be brought into the school-room and be made to work according to the book the first day. The first morning the children are all strangers, their names all unknown. By night, many of them should be familiar as individuals and the teacher able Names to call more than one by name. It is far more effective to call John or Maud or Charles or Jennie than vaguely to designate the individual by locality or some other primitive method. A room chart with the full name of every pupil in proper place should be about the first thing made ready. One by one boy or girl will attract attention and the oppor- tunity should not be allowed to pass without fixing the name. At first it will be easy to remember these when the pupil is in his own seat, but it will take some effort to connect name and pupil out of that position. But conscious endeavor should be put forth in this direction and the teacher should THE FIRST DAY 29 train herself to call everyone by name as soon as possible. There is an element of power in being able to do this easily. In the grades, the custom is universal of calling children by their first names. In high schools that is sometimes done. In certain schools the young people are addressed as Mr. and Miss, while in others the boys are called by their surnames only. There is something to be said for each method according to the school. To a large number, however, it seems an affectation to address the ninth year boy in knickerbockers as "Mr." It certainly strikes him so at first. Probably the better plan is to use first names. In this, as in every- thing else, common sense should be exercised. It some- times happens that there will be in a high school a young man or woman of greater maturity than the average. If that person were met outside, the Mr. or Miss would naturally be used. There is every reason for doing the same thing in school. The first day is necessarily one of strain and excitement. At night its events should be passed in critical review and this criticism should be entirely of one's self. It is well early to form the habit of judg- frlticism ing results. At the close of the first day every teacher should have at least an opinion as to how matters have gone, be able to isolate mistakes, and to seek out a way to remedy them. That teacher who comes to the end of the first day and fails to see some things that she has done wrong probably has done very few things as they should be done. If you know you have made mis- takes, then there is hope ; if you see things that make you wish it were morning so you could make them go better another day, you will probably eventually make a success. Again, that individual who comes to the close of the first 30 THE TEACHER day and feels that the work is very easy, that the position is going to make very few demands, is, without doubt, hope- lessly blind, has not in the smallest degree grasped the situation. A man was once appointed principal of a large high school. The one who had held the place for years before him had broken down under the strain of the heavy work, the demand made upon his personal interest, and the respon- sibilities that were overwhelming. The new principal remarked, early in his career, that he could not under- stand why anyone could consider the position hard. He did the work so easily that he really felt scruples about accepting the salary for what could be done with so little exertion. His eyes were sealed against the true appre- ciation of what the position offered in the way of oppor- tunity and duty. Besides being critical of } 7 ourself, it is helpful to put yourself in the attitude of receiving or even courting criti- cism and suggestions from someone of experi- from C 'others Gnce - There is bound to be some teacher who knows the school and its needs and who, if encouraged to do so, may save the inexperienced many sad catastrophes by a few words of warning. No one reaches such perfection that he may not find something to learn, and the young teacher possesses more ignorance than she dreams of, even at the close of the first trying day. These teachers of experience can give advice, can point out some of the local pitfalls, can give valuable assistance in clearing the mind of the beginner by talking things over ; but after all is said and done, the individual must work out his own salvation. No young woman should allow herself to expect much assistance from the principal. From the first she must show THE FIRST DAY 31 what kind of stuff she is made of. Advice she may ask, information about routine she may obtain, but the teacher who, even on the first day or the first week, expects to lean upon the strength of a superior Jjence 6 "" is not worth the saving- to the teaching force. A principal may, for a time, cover the weakness of a subor- dinate, may stand between her and the consequences of her mistakes, may assist her over the troubles arising from inex- perience, but these assistances should be very few. If they become numerous and do not diminish as the days go on, then the conclusion is inevitable that the young woman has missed her calling. One of the best principals the writer has ever known was noted for the strong corps of teachers that he always had in his school. When asked for an explanation he answered : "I never try to prop up a weak teacher. Those that need propping are not the kind that we want in the schools. If it has to be done at first to any great extent, they are bound to fail eventually, and while they are getting ready to fail the school has suffered from inferior teaching. The sooner they drop out the better." "But what about the teacher ?" he was asked. "The schools do not exist for the purpose of furnishing employment to young women, but for the training of our children. That fact should never be lost sight of, and sym- pathy for the individual teacher must not blind principal or board to the best interests of the schools." Two things are important in the beginner: first, close watchfulness for her own mistakes ; second, a willingness to receive criticism and advice from those wiser than herself. Above all, remember that if the first day did not go entirely as you hoped, there is a tomorrow in which to improve upon today. CHAPTER III LIFE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL The influence of the life lived by any teacher outside of the school-room counts for as much as, if not more, than what she does during the hours which she spends in actual teaching. To a greater or less degree, her teaching activities are somewhat definitely prescribed; what she does, or is, in her independent hours is largely a matter of choice, deter- mined by the natural promptings of her own personality. This reflects upon her as an individual and counts for more than is often appreciated toward the success or failure of the teacher. The man or woman who wins highest honors in any direc- tion is the one of wide vision. There is a difference between wideness and superficiality. The extended vision Narrowness does n °t P recm de deep and exhaustive work in one or more directions. On the other hand, in these days of specialization there is great danger of run- ning into narrowness, of getting so deep into a particular rut that it is impossible to see over the edges. Sometimes the delver forgets that there is anything outside the con- tracted mole-like channel in which he is burrowing. With a full classical training at one of our leading colleges, and with a doctor's degree from a German uni- versity, a certain young professor was called to a position at his Alma Mater. He early announced with pride that he planned to spend the next three years in exclusive study 32 LIFE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL 33 of the ne clause. Such a choice at the close of his senior year in a secondary school would have been madness. Such exclusive specialization, even in a college professor, ought to presuppose wide general information and should come only after such a wide foundation has been laid. There is scarcely a calling which tends so to narrowness as does the teaching profession. In spite of a good educa- tion, of opportunities to travel, of more or less leisure, the earnest teacher is too often inclined to forget everything else and bury herself in her school work. It claims her first waking thought ; she tells at the breakfast table what hap- pened yesterday ; she works legitimately in the school-room all the morning. Usually she has her luncheon with other teachers, and the conversation is about Johnny or what was said in the class. The afternoon is a repetition of the morning from which the teacher carries home with her the nagging thought of something that has gone wrong. School thrusts itself into the dinner conversation. Papers to correct, lessons to look over for the morrow, fill up the dull evening which sends weary head to pillow, to thresh much of it all over again in dreams. Such an individual is in poor condition the next day to wrestle with the force- ful band of Young America arrayed against her. This is not an exaggerated picture of an individual case, but too true a representation of a large number of the teaching body. Extreme cases exist, of course, of which here is a sample. A man once asked a teacher if she had read a certain book, mentioning one of excellent merit which was then attracting wide attention. "No," she replied, "I haven't had time for twenty years to read anything but primers and first readers, and the nature books which I have to teach." If this woman were a good teacher in spite of this nar- 34 THE TEACHER row, contracted, pitiful condition, what a great teacher she might have been if she could have but climbed the hill-side ever so little a way ! She was proud of her devotion to her work, not know- ing that her attitude showed mental obliquity if not disease. She had lost all power of control. She was like the person holding the electrodes of a battery with a current thrilling through them so strong as to deprive her of all ability to let go. In a certain city in one of the states of the middle west, the principal of the high school, a most successful school- man, once made this remark : "If I had to choose between the teacher who went home every night with a pile of papers to look over, or who spent the entire evening in preparing the next day's work, and the one who left it all behind her, had a good time, forget- ting school completely, I would take the latter." The first one is likely to come to school dull and tired; the other brings to class the glow of enthusiasm and a fresh- ened vitality that outweighs more technical preparation. She may not have clearly in mind, as the other teacher does, all the fine points of the lesson, but the red blood flowing swiftly in her veins carries the young people on to do for themselves. Of course there is a happy medium. The wise teacher finds it. If the clothes a woman wears in school are important, those she wears outside of working hours are equally so, especially to herself. By half-past three, the Evening wear and tear of the day has had its effect. Even if she looks as fresh as in the morning, she feels untidy, dilapidated, and weary. Inclination may tend to a superficial tidying, because more care seems at the LIFE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL 35 time too great an exertion. Be as wary of yielding to this feeling as the traveler through ice and snow and cold is to the almost overwhelming sense of drowsiness that attacks him. He knows that sinking into sleep is death. Settling down for the evening in school clothes means for the teacher a dropping into deadly dullness which soon becomes chronic. The temptation just to wash the face, brush the skirt, give the hair some attention, and go to dinner without further trouble is sometimes almost overpowering. But the woman who expects to make other people go her way must first learn to master herself. A quick bath, preferably warm at this time of the day, should be the first requisite toward resting. Nerves are likely not to be fully in accord, and the warm water by equalizing circulation tends to restore equilibrium. Every garment, even to the shoes, that has done duty in the school-room should be "put away to rest." Clothes need that cure as much as the individual. Fresh, crisp clothing helps toward a fresh, crisp mind. What the gown shall be must depend somewhat upon the plans for the evening, but even if the hours are to be spent alone in one's room, a fresh, light muslin or a simple dinner dress will add to the self-respect of the wearer and to the enjoy- ment of quiet hours with book or pen or fancy work. The successful teacher must be something besides a teacher. Teaching may be her vocation, but she should, for her own satisfaction and for her highest . , Value success, have an absorbing; avocation besides, of an . . Avocation Rest no longer is considered synonymous with idleness. Rest is change, the bringing into activity of a different set of muscles, using the mind in an entirely different direction. Many great men have had some favorite pursuit aside 36 THE TEACHER from their chosen profession. It not infrequently happens, too, that this same worker has made his own lasting fame through his avocation. Seymour Haden was primarily a surgeon, but he made a world-wide reputation as an etcher. He began his study of the art as a recreation and relief from the strain of his professional labors. All that he did with etching made him a better surgeon, for he went back to the operating table with nerves steadied by complete rest and change in an absorbing interest. S. Weir Mitchell was primarily a nerve specialist. It would seem that a man of such authority in one line, whose services were so in demand, would have no leisure for any- thing else. But somehow he found time to write "Hugh Wynne," "The Adventures of Francois," "Characteristics," and other books. Maurice Hewlitt could never have given us John Sen- house with his glorious garden which was all England, if he had not thrown aside pen and book to dig with his own hands and learn the nature of the mariposa lily that he might plant an obscure hillside with them. There are heads of great manufacturing establishments earning their mil- lions who can tell you more about orchids than the man who makes a business of raising; them, and who can show vou a greater and rarer collection than can be found in any green- house that furnishes the market. There are matinee idols who rush from the glare of the foot-lights to work upon some model for an electrical device, an aeroplane, or something else that makes them forget the admiring audience and the confusion behind the scenes. More than one man has turned from the strain of Wall Street and the stock exchange to write the stories which we read with delight in the magazines. Longfellow and Lowell LIFE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL 37 were primarily college professors ; Hawthorne earned his living in the customs house and in diplomatic service ; even kings and queens have sought relaxation in science and in literature. It is almost universally true that those who have done the world's best work have had some secondary interest to turn to for change and recreation. The great teacher, the good teacher, should not be an exception. Let that interest be drawing or painting, music, mechanics, designing, writing or nature study, but let it be something. The individual without interest is bound to be uninteresting, and no one in the teaching business, who entertains hope of success, can afford to be that for one instant. The natural conditions of a teacher's life too often have little to offer her in the way of recreation or diversion from the outside. This, of course, varies in different Acquain- places. In a small town, opportunities of know- tance with ing its people come easily, and the teacher who desires to save some time for her own pursuits occasionally has to put up the barriers. To know in a personal way, the families to which your children belong, to have some notion of the manner in which the children live, is of inestimable value in your relations with them in the school-room. The side light thus gained upon personal peculiarities and the reason for them, and upon traits of character, habits, and attitude of mind, frequently illuminates a situation through which there was before no way but blind groping. In small towns there is more or less club life in which the teacher is expected to take part. Occasionally this may have something valuable to offer her, but usually she will be looked up to and expected to become a leader. When this is true, she should, if possible, accept the responsibility 38 THE TEACHER and be grateful for the opportunity, counting it all in a day's work. In a city this situation will not arise. If she knows anything about the home life of her pupils it will be through such interest in them as to make her go deliberately and definitely after information. The children come from all grades of society, meeting each other and you only in the school-room. To the families of most of these pupils you are only a name, some- times not even that, but just "teacher." When one stops to consider it, fathers and mothers in a great city are astonishingly unacquainted with school conditions. It might be expected that even the most unthinking parent would have some curiosity, at least, to know what sort of person has charge of his children during a large part of their working hours, who conducts their intellectual train- ing, and very largely determines the trend of their moral and spiritual development. But that is not the case. Whether the condition is one of indifference on the part of parents or whether they have that complete confidence in the school system and its employees which the man manifested in his minister when he went calmly to sleep during the sermon, some wiser head must determine. No matter what the cause, the teacher has a plain duty to embrace every opportunity of extending her acquaintance with the people for whom she is working. This means fol- lowing up all opportunities of meeting and talking with these people upon the natural ground where there is a common interest — the good of the child. There are various dignified ways of doing this which fall legitimately under a topic to be discussed later. The successful teacher can never cease to be a student. LIFE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL 39 Sometimes her work is such, especially if it falls in a high school, that she is compelled for a time to study hard to keep up with the class work. Even a college education gives only one point of view, and stucferft a that of the teacher is entirely different. Many a student graduated with high honors, rightly earned, too, has been appalled, when he stood before a class as its in- structor, at the inaccuracy, the vagueness of his knowledge in the very subject in which he as a student excelled. It is one thing to make a good recitation from day to day ; quite a different thing to possess such a grasp of the sub- ject, such a general view of it, as to teach it effectively. In early teaching years, this accurate preparation, this filling up the holes in one's own education, will absorb about all the time and strength that should be given to formal study. But sooner or later this preliminary work is done. At this stage, selection should be made of some subject of interest and the serious study of it should be entered upon. Let it be French, German, Spanish, science, mathematics, or literature, but let it be something, and let it be pursued regularly. It is not necessary to devote any great length of time to this study ; the important thing is that it be done sys- tematically. This may be given fifteen minutes or half an hour every day, every other day, or twice a week. Occa- sionally the few minutes will be absorbed by other obliga- tions, but one must never let go entirely. The amount that can be accomplished in any line with no more than an average of fifteen minutes a day given to it, will sur- prise the individual who has been in the habit of wasting many times these fifteen minutes. Several of the leading educators of the country? men and women who hold responsible positions both in colleges 40 THE TEACHER and in public schools, had little opportunity for systematic study in their early years, but have secured broad educa- tion through self-directed study and the turning of odd moments to good account. The process is slow, laborious, and often discouraging, but it will produce results. College degrees are today easily within the reach of those who earnestly desire them, and the tendency is moving rapidly toward demanding such degrees from teachers. Numberless high schools now refuse to employ anyone not thus equipped, and here and there a like qualification is insisted upon in the lower grades. This ought to start a teacher out far ahead of the old-time instructor who had to begin work on very slender education. In the long run the former ought to go much farther and do much better work for the school than the latter. This end, however, will be completely defeated in the case of the student who feels that his education is completed with the winning of a college diploma. By that time, he has just begun to study ; a year's teaching will show him purposes and ends of study which he had never dreamed of before. The road will open before him and he will be amazed at the length of it. Teachers are readers naturally, but frequently only desultory ones, picking up a magazine here, a novel there, making once in a while an effort at more serious Recrea?ion° r undertakings. A certain amount of this kind of light reading is not onty allowable but even desirable. A good novel throws one into the society of people sometimes far more interesting than those that come naturally into the day. A good short story is a rest. To sit down on a solitary evening with a good novel and not to leave the comfortable chair until the last leaf is turned, is a dissipation worthy of occasional indulgence, for it brings LIFE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL 41 rest and change akin to a journey abroad. The utter for- getting of one's own individuality is often blissful. Such indulgence is not, however, to be commended as a habit. Having two or three books on hand at the same time has its advantage. If one does not fit the mood, another may, and the reading pleasure is thus conserved. The reading should be advancing definitely and with purpose along some line. This more serious reading, like systematic study, need not take much time each J . J . . Reading day, but it should have its place. After this, with a J . . . Purpose the reading mood may be indulged with greater latitude. Some reading that seems frivolous may later bear fruit. A very successful teacher of English History tells a story of how she first became interested in the subject. Like many other young people, she had the desire to take up some improving course of reading. Several historical works were suggested to her, but finding them all dull and unattractive, she abandoned her study of the subject. History was her abomination. About that time a small circulating library was started in the little town where she lived. She was assistant to the librarian, and as the duties were light she had abundant time to browse. The library had been selected largely to furnish entertainment, and not entirely on the ground of high literary merit. One day this young girl pulled down from its shelf an inferior novel which dealt with the court of Henry VIII. A few minutes found her absorbed in its pages, and for days she lived in that court, dazed and fascinated by its strange, mysterious life. That book finished, she was eager to know more of the story of the time, and she read on and on and back and back into the history of that wonderful 42 THE TEACHER monarchy. From the reading of that novel her interest in English History began and on that foundation she built up the knowledge that made her later a most successful teacher of the subject. A word ought to be said about newspaper reading, but the suggestions to men and to women should be entirely different. Most men read too many papers and Reacfing Per spend too much time upon them ; women as a rule neglect newspapers altogether or read them for certain personal feminine interest. It is the duty of everyone to know from one or two first- class daily papers what is going on in the world. To do that it is not necessary to spend an hour upon each sheet. The ability to examine a paper a column at a time almost, and yet get out of it all that is vital, is an ability that everyone ought to cultivate. The full head-lines are a sufficient guide to the contents of each article, and there is only a small part of each newspaper that is of the slightest importance to any one individual. A quick scanning of the captions will determine what is of value to the reader. A large portion of every issue can be passed by without further attention. The few things that are of general or individual interest may be read carefully. When this is correctly done, it need take only a short time. The hour has struck when it is necessary for women as well as men to keep pace with the world's doings. To do this quickly and easily each teacher should have her own daily paper, to be her personal property. She should not depend upon the chance of catching a few minutes at the newspaper after the man or men of the house are through and willing graciously to let her have a late glance at it. Let each woman have her own paper, read it quickly, get- LIFE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL 43 ting out of it all that belongs to her, and then pass on to the next duty or pleasure. Too great stress cannot be placed upon the health of a teacher. The sickly, fagged, nervous woman has no right in the school-room. The resistance that the work offers can be successfully met only with of^HeSth 6 perfect health. The time ought to come, doubtless will come in the course of the great hygienic movement sweeping over the coun- try, when only the strong and vigorous may be employed in our schools. Frequent and long-continued illness ought to disqualify anyone for the profession. Haste the day when this shall be true ! Hard as this may be upon those teaching for a living, it is right, and nothing else is just to the schools and their children. In view of the fact that no one can work to full efficiency unless he is well, the duty becomes imperative to give the health intelligent consideration. The greatest difficulty in the way of this care on the part of Exercise a teacher is the difficulty of getting sufficient outdoor exercise. The exercise that comes as recreation through play is the most beneficial. Every opportunity of this sort should be taken advantage of. Golf is especially good if within reach, and can be equally enjoyed by young and old. Tennis is excellent* and there is open to anyone the exercise of walking. The walk with a purpose and in good company is the best. It is rather dull business to start out to go so many miles just for the exercise, but even that is better than sitting down indoors for the same length of time. To the normal healthy body, walking is a pleasure, and the woman who cannot do five miles a day with comparative ease needs to get into training, for she has not the physical 44 THE TEACHER energy which her daily work demands. As in other things, there are exceptions to this statement, but in general it is true. If outdoor exercise is not practical, then, as a last resort, gymnastic exercises in one's own room with dumb-bells, wands, or Indian clubs, should become a regular practice. Each individual will have to decide after experiment upon what gives the best result, as well as upon the best time for taking the exercises. There is no end of systems, and whichever one is decided upon it should be taken with abundant fresh air, windows wide open, and lungs deep rilled with oxygen. It ought not to be necessary in these days of outdoor sleeping to say anything about the importance of good air at night. But it is still true that some people are afraid of drafts. The way to avoid danger from drafts is to fill the room so completely with fresh air that drafts disappear. Throwing all the windows wide open necessitates warmer bedding, and this added warmth should be supplied with as little weight as possible. In the question of exercise and fresh air, as in all other questions, the individual has to be considered. No two physical organizations thrive under identical treatment. The social life of a teacher should, so far as possible, be passed with people outside the profession. And this not because other people are necessarily more inter- Profess'ion esting, but because they are different. It is one of the ways of keeping the rut from getting too deep. The long day in the school-room is all of that kind of life that is necessary. When the day is over, get as far away from it as possible; do not talk about school; do not dream school if you can help it. LIFE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL 45 On the other hand, it is affectation to attempt to conceal your occupation. It is no disgrace to be known as a teacher and there are times when school talk is a good asset. We all like to hear about the lives of others in various occupations ; those outside the profession of teaching are often glad to hear the interesting, dramatic, and amusing things that belong to school days. It is one thing to furnish out of your experience bits of entertaining conversation at the proper time, and quite a different matter to drag your school into the presence of people who have no interest in it, to be narrow and to talk of nothing but your own work. Such an individual becomes an insufferable bore. There are too many such in the ranks. Every line of life puts certain marks upon its followers and school-teaching, especially, seems to furnish some very undesirable ones. At least it is not generally considered a compliment to be recognized as a teacher anywhere and everywhere. Most of these distinctive marks are the result of narrowed lives. Broader experience, wider life, is the remedy. The teacher who is first! and last a big-souled, red-blooded human being is pretty sure to be first and last and all the time a successful teacher. CHAPTER IV RELATION TO PUPILS The success or failure of a teacher depends largely upon the character of the relations which she establishes and main- tains, first, toward the school as a whole, and second, toward each individual in it. It used to be true that a teacher was expected, upon entering the school-room, to assume an attitude especially fitted for the occasion, to don a certain added Naturalness dignity. In fact the instructor was expected to be one person outside the school-room, another within its walls, and that second personality must be emphatically the personality of the pedagogue. School is not a stage upon which one is expected to play a part, but a bit of real life where naturalness is the prime requisite. It never demands any different manner, any different facial expression, any different tone of voice, any different lift of the head, any difference in any singular particular. Let the individual that you are walk straight into the school-room. Once there, be yourself every moment. There is no other safe principle of action either in the school-room or out of it. The severest criticism that can be brought against the kindergarten is along this line. The fault does not lie in the system but in the numbers of incompetent young women who take up the work with little education because they have to do something and "because they like children. 46 55 RELATION TO PUPILS 47 They never quite grasp its fundamental idea. They too often have simply taken on the instruction without assimi- lating it, — have become poor imitators instead of acting spontaneously out of their own natures. They affect get- ting down to the child, not knowing that the ordinary individual must stand on tip-toe most of the time to reach up to the level of the child. There is no use in describing the results of these en- deavors ; no need of calling attention to the artificial atti- tude of a certain type of kindergarten teachers, to their affected tone of voice, their lovey-dovey manner, the smile that is lip service only. Most schools have had one of them at some time. While the kindergartners are especial offenders, they are by no means the only ones. Their prototype can be found all the way up through the high school. Expressions of surprise are often heard from school-children when they accidentally discover that their teachers are possessed of like passions and like interests with themselves. A girl in a boarding-school, returning from an after- noon tea, burst into the room of a friend exclaiming, "What do you think ! Miss So-and-so was there all dressed up and actually pouring tea ! I never thought she could do such a frivolous thing." The profession will never come fully into its own until this tendency vanishes. Affectation and posing are to be carefully avoided. Affectation is often, if not always, the result of self- consciousness tinged with egotism. Someone has forcefully expressed the difference between an elocution- ist and an orator by saying that the elocutionist sciousness thinks of himself; the orator, of his message. In a similar way, the affected teacher is always conscious 48 THE TEACHER of self; the natural teacher forgets self in the intensity of her work. Young teachers are prone to be very jealous of their professional dignity and to guard it religiously from the slightest profanation. A few years' successful Personal teaching; will show that the welfare of the chil- Dignity e> dren is vastly more important than any personal dignity that has to be upheld by artificial means. A young teacher once stepped into a recitation room where an experienced woman was working with a large class in algebra. She was down among the class with the pupils coming to her for help. The order of deadly dull- ness was absent ; the commotion of intense activity, directed activity, was present. When the hour was over, the younger teacher came back with her question: "How dare you get down off your platform and let a class work anywhere as they were doing just now? I should expect to compromise my dignity by doing it." "I never thought of my pedagogical dignity," was the reply. "I was teaching algebra. I don't believe I have demoralized the class, though. Come in tomorrow and see how they behave." The dignity that has to be propped up or placed upon the pedestal of the platform ought to meet its downfall as soon as possible. There is a dignity that every teacher should try to attain, the dignity of doing excellent work, of winning the respect of pupils unconsciously, and that can be attained only by being natural. The teacher in charge of any set or class of pupils stands in something of the relation of hostess to them, responsible for their comfort, happiness, and general well- being while in the school-house. RELATION TO PUPILS 49 From the time that she is there, the school-room is the teacher's home and the standard which a true hostess should set for herself is none too high. Let us exam- ine some of the things demanded of a good £f P R e a r m nce hostess. In the first place, she must set her house in order. She must give it the best possible appearance consistent with her circumstances. No home is in good taste that is not in harmony with the life lived there. No school-room is in good taste that is not harmonious with school life. Much has been written and more said on the subject of school decoration. Much has been done and overdone in this direction. It is not meant that any school has ever been made too beautiful, but many teachers, in attempting decoration, have crowded their rooms and covered their walls with things that have no place there. All ornamentation should be clear-cut, should have mean- ing, and should contain nothing that cannot be easily dusted and kept sanitary. Decorations and pictures should not be crowded. Each should be so placed as to stand out clearly, its character undiminished by the encroachments of other things. The wide difference in individuals shows itself in the appearance of the place where they spend their time. The peculiar air given by the touch of individual^ is what every room, both in school and out, ought to have, and that can emanate only from the personality which domi- nates it. No matter how humble the room, how simply furnished, certain elements of perfection can be obtained, those of cleanliness and order. The teacher Order in charge is responsible for the condition of neatness. Teachers sometimes complain of. janitors, but 50 THE TEACHER even when these are most willing and efficient, there is always something left to be done. Young people are careless and often untidy. The ex- ample of an orderly teacher moving quietly about the room, putting things in place here and there will have greater influence than much speaking. The picking up of scattered paper from the vicinity of a desk, just as a lady would do it in her own home, will have more effect upon the pupils than any order from the school-mistress to do it as a penalty for carelessness. It will not take many repeti- tions of this bit of housekeeping to make all watchful for untidiness about their own seats, and there will grow up a general pride in the neatness of the room. Soon it will not be an unusual sight to observe a girl, and some- times a boy, picking up scraps of paper or bits of chalk wherever they are encountered. Individual desks will also demand attention, otherwise books will be tumbled into them helter-skelter. A guiding daily word to particularly careless children and an occa- sional general housecleaning will meet the difficulty. It will not adjust itself, however, without the personal attention of the teacher. We have already discussed the importance of a teacher's attire, but certain phases of it have special bearing here. Retaining the simile of hostess, remember, Clothes that it is her duty never to be dressed in extreme contrast to the possibilities of her guests. She should be so attired that the poorest pupil in the room need not feel unpleasantly conscious of her clothes. The teacher should be a worthy leader in the mat- ter of dress, but she must allow her followers to keep her in sight. We live in a work-a-day world and the clothes should be work-a-day clothes. This does not stand in the way RELATION TO PUPILS 51 of their being artistic, dainty, and perfect of their kind, but it should bar the wearing in school of all material not adapted to hard usage. It should bar all elaborately made garments and all useless ornaments. This will leave not only a compact-looking, well-dressed woman, but the woman best dressed for the occasion. The silent teaching of such a toilet will eventually eliminate all bedecked and beribboned girls and will put in the place of flummery, the kind of clothes of which the girl becomes entirely uncon- scious, and that is the perfection of dressing. The code of manners for both teacher and pupil should be the same in the school-room as anywhere else in good society. The teacher should insist upon the same standards that a lady would expect from Manners her guests whom she receives in her own home. There is this difference, however, that the teacher's position renders it possible for her to make suggestions which she might not feel at liberty to offer in general society. It is easy in the strain and hurry of the day for the teacher to forget to demand from the children the little politenesses which they should know how to show to their elders. The same courtesies should be given a teacher that, in a well-ordered home, the children show to their mothers. It is to be remembered, too, that many homes are not well ordered and so it becomes doubly the duty of the school to supply this training. Rising when speaking to an elder, standing until a lady is seated, being thoughtful to pick up fallen articles and ready to perform any little service, and stepping aside to allow a lady to precede him, — these are some of the important trifles that mark the gentlemanly boy. Boys need more attention in these matters ; girls are keener to understand and more careful to follow conventions. 52 THE TEACHER There is a time in a boy's life when he is apt to despise all these courtesies. This is especially true if he comes from a home where they are entirely foreign to the life. The first lesson, in such cases, is to show that all these things, instead of being silly and frivolous, the attributes of effeminacy, have their foundation in a spirit of manly chivalry. An interesting struggle once took place between a cer- tain school and the teacher. The entire roomful had come to her strangers. She soon discovered that it never entered the heads of any of them to say "Good morning" to her when they met in halls or school-rooms, as they would have done elsewhere. This teacher did not wish to speak to the children about it because it was her habit to mention nothing formally that could be brought home in any other way. She began quietly but insistently to address each one by name just as she would have done had she met him on the street. It took several months to complete the campaign, but they eventually all said not only "Good morning" but "Good morning, Miss ," which was what the teacher had been struggling for. Good manners are contagious. These are details, to be sure, but important ones, and whether they are right or wrong depends entirely upon the standards of the teacher and upon her power to bring the school up to them. Any teacher is markedly failing in her full duty if she does not follow up all breaches of etiquette until good manners become habitual and unconscious. . But there are other things even more important than matters of politeness. While these all have Justice their influence and a strong influence, the vital thing, after all, is the way in which the spirit of the teacher appeals to and meets response from her pupils. RELATION TO PUPILS 53 Nothing makes a stronger appeal to young people than justice. They have a keen sense of their rights and will fight for them to the last ditch. On the other hand, most children will take without murmur any punishment that they feel is merited and will put up with anything that they see is necessary. They may not like it, they may wish to get out of paying the price, but there is never any complaint against the teacher when the justice of the penalty or the situation is plain. The teacher who wins the reputation of being "square" has made long strides toward success. A teacher stands constantly in the position of judge. Case after case is presented and^ decision often has to be made instantly? and these decisions, in the main, must be right. An occasional mistake is not fatal, but warfare, rebellion, and a constant irritation will be the portion of ■ the frequent offender against just dealing. Hand in hand with justice walks mercy, and in the meting out of mercy lurks great danger. A given amount of a certain drug may be beneficial ; an overdose, fatal. So is it with mercy. Weakness is to Mercy be guarded against ; tender-heartedness is to be kept under control. The good of the individual pupil is to be considered, without losing sight of the effect upon the school as a whole, in the handling of any specific case. The seemingly kindly thing is often not true kindness. Indulgence is not always mercy. It is sometimes necessary to "be cruel only to be kind." The mistake is often made of yielding to the desire to save the child from suffering, even to the extent of pro- tecting him from the consequences of his own wrong doing. At first glance it would seem that the teacher who was most indulgent would bind a school to her with hoops of steel. 54 THE TEACHER Strange to say, that is seldom the case. In the long run. the successful teacher, the one who is held in the highest regard by the school, is the teacher who brings the offender into just judgment and holds him to logical consequences. She does this, not in anger, not with irritation, but with kindly firmness. She deals justly, loves mercy, and uses it wisely, not weakly. Personal influence has in it a certain element of power, but there is danger in its overuse. Young people readily become hero worshipers and will do almost any- TrffluSncl thin g that is the wil1 of their idol « This personal influence may be a legitimate influence in gaining first control, but to depend upon it is enervating. All action to which one is impelled from with- out is more or less uncertain, and the boy or girl who does right solely because the feelings of the teacher would otherwise be hurt is not strengthening character. The teacher should guide, direct, and advise ; should sometimes use authority, but she must eventually be able to slip the supporting hand from beneath the swimmer and see him cleave the waters alone. Young teachers are especially tempted to err on the side of overestimating the importance of this purelv personal influence. If rightly used, it is of value, but the danger of too great dependence upon it is serious. A certain attitude of friendship between teacher and pupil is desirable. This will differ somewhat from other friendships but it is equally strong during the Friendship time it obtains and frequently develops into a lifelong bond. Childhood is a stormy, troubled time. Many days con- tain disappointments and sorrows. Most of these are really very small, but to the child they are overwhelming, espe- RELATION TO PUPILS 55 cially if he is left to wrestle with them alone. The teacher of forbidding attitude will compel him to struggle unaided ; the teacher who is the right sort will become "a very present help in trouble." If the child has the right kind of confidence, he will bring the trouble frankly to the teacher, who can usually dispose of it or assist him to see things in proper propor- tions. Unbounded respect is essential, but fear, other than the wholesome regard for a natural superior, has no place in the relation between teacher and pupil. The child sees life from his own point of view and his action is determined by the vision he gets from that view- point. To be sure, that is constantly changing, but it is a part of the teacher's highest duty to know the horizon line of the child at any given time. In no particular do teachers make more- failures than in not measuring accurately the horizon radius of their children. Many teachers see con- ditions through their own eyes and then try to force the child to meet them. Whoever would deal justly and wisely must look through the child's eyes and from that position help him to steer a straight course. The ideal attitude is that of guide and friend. The guide goes ahead and points the way ; he scans with clear vision the lay of the land and Attitude the strength of his followers to meet its diffi- culties ; the friend reaches out a sustaining hand when the strength of the traveler is insufficient. CHAPTER V RELATION TO ASSOCIATES No teacher is ever supreme. He may be at the head of a given educational system but even then there is some board in authority over him. In other positions, teachers are subject to heads of departments, principals, and superin- tendents, and at the same time are working side by side with associate teachers. A part of success depends upon the attitude of the indi- vidual toward these associates. When the attitude is right, relations are pleasant and there is no problem. Unfor- tunately this is not always the case. School boards are sometimes merely political machines; even when the men composing them desire to deal justly and uprightly, they often have no training Boards either cultural or administrative for the position. Whatever opinion the teacher may hold of the school board, either individually or as a body, the fact remains that she is an employee of that board. Whoever accepts a position in the gift either of an individual, or a board, tacitly agrees to work in accord with the policy of that individual or board. It is not often that a school board interferes directly with the work of the individual teacher; that supervision is delegated to superintendent or principal. It does occur, however, that teachers may not wholly approve of certain 56 RELATION TO ASSOCIATES 57 policies of the board. When this is the case, what should be the attitude of the teacher? First and foremost, it is excellent practice in any walk in life to attend rather strictly to one's own business. Sometimes it is a difficult matter to determine just where the line should be drawn between what is our affair and what we should leave alone. No one can assume the entire responsibility of matters terrestrial, and the person who , keeps his own plot of ground in order has little time to peer over the fence at the weeds in his neighbor's garden. It is well to remember, too, that several men have amassed great fortunes by attending strictly to their own business. "Inasmuch as lieth within you, live peaceably with all men." Harmony is desirable and criticism of school boards, never a part of a teacher's duty, is not conducive to har- mony. The cases are rare, anyway, where the two ever need to come into close contact. It may be something of a blow to one's pride, but, as a rule, the board is interested in individual teachers only as any other employer is interested in those to whom he pays a wage. What the employer wants is results. If they are not forthcoming, he demands a change to one who can produce what is wanted. After the appointments are made, the board usually forgets the teacher, turning over all responsibility of success or failure to the superintendent. When the year rolls around, one question will be asked, "Has such or such a teacher made good?" If the answer is in the affirmative, her position is secured; if not, she is of no further value to them. So true is this that in a school where there was serious friction for years, one teacher who had been disagreeably aggressive in her opposition to the administration and to the board, was retained because she was one of the best 58 THE TEACHER teachers in the corps. She held her place because she got results, — did more than well the work she was hired to do. Another case illustrates both the absolute authority of the board and the value of good work. Several excellent teachers were once dismissed in a most summary manner because they had expressed hearty disapproval of the general policy of the school board. These teachers had a perfect right to their opinion but they voiced it in no mild terms at every opportunity. They thought they were acting honorably by being thus open, but the only result of their action was the keeping of the town in an unpleasant wrangle through the summer and the final loss of their positions. They accomplished none of the things they had hoped to bring about, for the board did not change its policy in a single particular. But these women were valu- able teachers and, after giving them their lesson during the summer, the board reinstated them in September under the same administration. The relation between the teacher and the superintendent or principal is much closer and so is of prime importance. It is impossible for a school to attain its high- Superin- f .... tendent or est efficiency unless this relation is right. In Principal . . . . making it right, a large share of the responsi- bility rests with the teachers. When a principal first takes charge of a school, he finds in it many teachers who have long held their positions. _ , The school and its routine are familiar to them ; Attitude of Experienced they have personal acquaintance with the pu- Teachers . . pils ; they know each other. Either they were devoted to the last principal or they are glad of the change. The teachers are upon familiar ground ; the principal is the stranger, the work all untried. The attitude toward the newcomer should, from the first, RELATION TO ASSOCIATES 59 be one of confidence. This will usually be the case if his predecessor has not been entirely satisfactory, for the faculty welcomes the change and is hopeful. To follow a successful man is often difficult. The feeling that no one else can administer the school efficiently is natural, and com- parisons between the former principal and the present one will not be to the advantage of the one now in authority. The new man will never be exactly like the old one ; he will not conduct the school in the same manner. But is it not barely possible that he will do some things better? If the retiring principal was a valuable man, he probably left to take a better position. While regretting their loss, the teachers should be proud of his success, and remembering that the new man was in no way responsible for the change, should give him complete allegiance. Everyone does his best under approval and in an atmos- phere of sympathy. The new principal or superintendent should at once be made to feel the full loyalty of his teachers and their willingness to give him every assistance and support in all endeavors for ad- Loyalty vancement of the institution. Any school system that is well organized will run for a time without much impetus from the superintendent. A person entering a new position is apt to take advantage of this fact and for a time to let things run on pretty nearly in their accustomed channels. This is his time for studying the situation, finding out what he approves and noting the things that, in his judgment, should be changed. During this period the teachers can be of great assist- ance. They should make their superintendent feel that they are glad to give all the help that may be desired. It will sometimes be wise to volunteer information, not 60 THE TEACHER officiously but in such a manner as will testify to complete loyalty and a desire to be of service. In such case it is well to select the pleasant and the interesting things. The unpleasant come all too readily to the surface. There are thousands of incidents that cluster around school life that are worth the telling, all going to make the background for a wise final judgment of the school's condition and needs. There are things to be told about individual pupils, their success in classes, their attitude toward each other and toward the teachers, their part in the various activities. Any knowledge of home conditions is bound to be valuable. The opportunity to mention these things will arise nat- ' urally as the life of the school moves along in its beaten track. They offer natural subjects of conversation and through informal talks on these subjects, superintendent and teachers become acquainted with each other as well as with the school. One error should be carefully guarded against. Do not tell how the previous superintendent did this or that ; be very careful how you quote him. It will be time enough to give information about his methods when that informa- tion is specifically asked for. When teachers have worked long together and know each other well, the desire to talk things over is a strong one. There is a tendency to discuss the new official, Things 9 Over to note his peculiarities and to contrast man- ner, attitude, and methods with those of his predecessor. All this can do no good and will usually result in harm. First judgments are not always correct and where there is in them the slightest touch of the unfavorable, it may be well to keep them to yourself. The man who does not strike you favorably at first because of some preconceived notion of what you had expected, RELATION TO ASSOCIATES 61 may later prove all that you could desire. If that is the case, you will be glad if you have kept your unfavorable criticism to yourself. Further, even if there be some element of truth in your feeling or judgment, talking it over only magnifies it and makes you all feel that it is worse than it really is. The impression that comes forth solidified in words be- comes more or less permanent. If it exists in silence, it is more easily eradicated even from your own mind. Unfortunately for all of us, it is not entirely outside of experience for strong, efficient teachers to have placed over them a superior officer not nearly as competent to do the work of the position as the teachers Relation themselves. Such a situation is unpleasant and difficult and it requires unusual force of character to meet it properly. It will never do to lose sight of the fact that the office carries with it a certain dignity and demands a certain amount of respect. Perhaps the teacher may not like the individual in authority ; that has nothing to do with the official attitude unless it make the teacher even more punctilious in the discharge of every duty involving rela- tions with her superior. Personal irritation and personal feeling should as little as possible tinge official conduct. A certain city was to elect a superintendent. There were several candidates, some far less desirable than others. The least capable, in the estimation of most of the teachers and the better element of the city, won. More than that, the opinion was current that his victory was due to some- what dubious methods. While the matter was pending, those teachers who had a decided preference for another candidate, used their influence for him. This was legitimate, for they had a right as citizens to express their preference 62 THE TEACHER and to work for the candidate of their choice. The other man was elected, however, and at once the relation between him and the teachers changed. Possibly he was not as good a man for the position as the other would have been, but the fact remained that he had been elected and so had become the one under whom thev were to work. There were some teachers who could not drop the fight even after the battle had been decided but continued to work against the new superintendent in every direction. One woman in particular, high in authority and an excel- lent teacher, could never bring herself to offer the man ordinary courtesy. She avoided him when possible and when that could not be done, treated him with such extreme coldness as to amount to rudeness. She criticized another teacher for showing this official some attention upon one of his visits to their building. "You are not honest," said the disaffected woman. "You worked against this man as hard as anyone else and now you treat him as though you approved of him. I don't see how you can bear to talk to him. You don't like him any better than I do, and yet you are polite to him." The answer contained much good philosophy. "You fail to understand that I was not paying attention to Mr. as an individual, but was trying to treat courteously the superintendent of our schools." That particular superintendent, in his official capacity, was not inefficient. He knew much about schools and, in the main, administered them well. While he was a poli- tician and a self-seeker, he was considerate of his teachers and really helpful, never interfering with anyone unless that person got in the way and blocked the path between him and some personal ambition. In that case, the obstacle RELATION TO ASSOCIATES 63 went down. Those teachers who went ahead and did their work to the best of their ability had no trouble. Another school had been under the administration of one man for many years. Everything was in excellent condi- tion and the corps of teachers somewhat un- The Unsat . usual, for most of them had been long in the superior school and had worked in harmony with each other and with the administration. In the middle of the year, the superintendent was called to another city. The retiring official was large-minded, big-hearted, and pos- sessed of great confidence in human nature. His was a strong personality and he had put the stamp of it upon the entire organization. He possessed keen intuitions and other qualifications which had been the means of gathering around him this body of especially competent teachers. He knew these teachers and believed in them, but his suc- cessor had no faith in anyone, either teacher or pupil. The new superintendent was sure that girls and boys were always on mischief bent and when he saw two or three teachers gathered together, he was sure they were plotting deeply his overthrow. Under the old administration the teachers had been as one family, living happily together and working in mutual confidence for the common good. Their first supposition was that their new superior felt himself to be one of them and they treated him accordingly. But their every advance was repulsed, their every act looked upon with suspicion. This type of man was new to these teachers. Fortu- nately such an official is not often placed in authority. Under a superintendent of this character, what is the dutv of the teacher? First — She should do everything possible to change con- ditions and to make them right. 64 THE TEACHER Second — She should avoid public criticism of her superior. Third (and this is the last resort) — After making sure that conditions are intolerable and will remain so, she should resign. There is no other dignified course. The subordinate teacher can never forcibly or by rebellion change the state of things determined by a superior. A leading teacher in the system described above reached just this situation. To make sure that there was no hope of relief, she went to the president of the school board and frankly stated the case as she saw it and told him what she thought of the possibilities of final success. She was treated with every courtesy but saw that the policy of the board was to retain the official another year. It was not a pleasant state of things to face, but nothing was left for her but to resign, and her example was followed by six or eight of the other tried teachers. Wherever an individual is employed, he should work in harmony with the administration or resign. "Get out or get in line" applies as well to schools as to any other business. The only other course is that of bringing the situation to general public attention and arousing a sentiment of opposition to the superintendent. Alternative This nas ^ een tried over and over again. It results in a most unsavory commotion in the community, an immense amount of hard feeling, and usu- ally in the final overthrow of the subordinates who have attempted to stir up a revolution and bring about a reform. The acceptance of a position is voluntary and the remain- ing in it. usually a matter of choice. You may have mis- judged conditions when taking the place or they may have changed later. In either case, the improvement of them RELATION TO ASSOCIATES 65 is not your responsibility except through such influence as you may be able to exert by attending to your own business closely and thoroughly. There are cases where, for some personal reason, it is imperative that a teacher remain in a certain place. Then her only course is to stay there as patiently and independently as she can. She will not Necessfty 3 be comfortable but she can endure. Her atti- tude must be wisely politic, avoiding all unpleasantness, keeping close to her own beat, holding the kingdom of her own room as nearly as she can to her own ideals, but yielding when necessary on such points as do not involve a principle or are not vitally important. The relation to fellow teachers also demands attention. To live in harmony with all of them is not an easy task, and }^et the successful individual must accomplish this, not by undue giving up of rights, not yUch'ers by flattery or fawning, but through tactful handling of every situation, no matter how difficult. Jealousy is the thing most likely to demand avoidance, for there are myriads of chances for it to creep into the daily routine. The one thought to be held uppermost is the good of the school. If one Jealousy teacher can do something better than you can, and that is bound often to be the case, help that person to the opportunity ; do not stand enviously back or put obstacles in the way. There are other things which you can do and which no one else can do equally well. Till your own garden plot diligently, but do not throw your weeds over into your neighbor's field. Every opportunity to aid in the administration of the school should be carefully watched. To do this and to take 66 THE TEACHER advantage of such opportunity without seeming officious and without seeming to usurp the rights of someone else, requires decided tact. . No teacher can ever be of the fullest value and to any school who is not alert for opportuni- Obligation . . . , . .^ ties to assist in the general administration. No one person can ever take the entire responsibility of the discipline of any school, because no one human being can be omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. There must be one head to determine the general policy and to direct it; there must be one steady hand to hold everything in unison, but the teacher's constant assistance is needed for the successful school. Each teacher should feel responsible for whatever comes under her observation. I do not mean by this that teachers should turn themselves into spies, — Heaven forbid! Let them go about their own business, but when they come across something that is not right, let them attend to it then and there, assuming that it is a part of their business to right a wrong wherever encountered. There are too many teachers who take no action when they see a breach of discipline, a violation of good manners, or what is worse, a failure in integrity even where the offenders know they have been observed. Instead of settling the matter, they pass on without a word, perhaps to talk it over with the next teacher and complain of the discipline of a school where such a thing is possible. Perhaps the discipline is worthy of criticism, but it is because principals and others in authority continue such teachers in their positions. He who is not willing to do more than his technical duty has not yet risen to full worthiness in his work. Each teacher is morally bound to do everything possible for every RELATION TO ASSOCIATES 67 boy and girl in the school and any neglect of general duty is a failure in this direction. The scornful question "Am I my brother's keeper?" did not receive at its historic asking, an answer that ab- solved future generations from responsibility under similar circumstances. A teacher is the keeper of all young people directly or indirectly under her charge. For the rights of the individual boy or girl, for the honor of the school, and for her own final good, she may not deny it. She may not repudiate the claim upon her service whenever that service seems to be needed. Team work among teachers is as important as it is on the football field. CHAPTER VI RELATION TO PARENTS The chasm which today yawns between teacher and par- ents is a wide one and not easy to bridge. The very best efforts of an energetic teacher will bring her within hailing distance of only a small percentage of her patrons. She should work unremittingly, however, to the end of reaching the largest possible number, watching every opportunity and taking advantage of every opening. All schools should, most of them do, have some system by which reports of pupils go home at regular intervals. Much of this bears no visible fruit, elicits no Reports response from parents; and unless there is a method of checking there is no way of knowing whether such notices ever reach their destination. This indifference, however, has no bearing on the plain duty of giving an acount of your stewardship. In this formal notification the individual teacher has little responsibility beyond seeing that the records of scholarship, absence, and tardiness are properly filled out and sent. Everywhere in business there is increased attention to the personal touch. A certain manufacturing establish- ment keeps a regular card catalogue of its Personal customers. Into this goes everv bit of infor- Touch m ° J m mation that can be gathered either through their salesmen, through the newspapers, or through corre- spondence. If a customer has recently added a new front to his building or moved into a new store or enlarged his 68 RELATION TO PARENTS 69 business, that is recorded with date. If someone associated with a firm has married or bought a new house or an auto- mobile, that, being of interest to the customer, becomes at once a bit of working capital for the manufacturer. All this knowledge cannot come first hand to the man who uses it, but all the traveling salesmen are instructed that it is a definite part of their day's work to gather such information and write it to the house. When a customer comes to the factory, through refer- ence to this record, he at once becomes something more than John Smith, and the individual whose business it is to look after him has clear and definite data upon which to base both pleasant chat and real business talk. Something of the same method is possible of adaptation to our own work. Every bit of information about pupils, their homes, their parents, and their friends, that is gained even accidentally, should be pigeon-holed in the brain for possible future use. The time is pretty sure to come when it will throw valuable side light upon some troublesome situation. The home often complains that it is not informed of the shortcomings of the children and parents insist that these would have been corrected had they been known. The school, on the other hand, complains, and justly of the general indifference of the home. The teacher claims that she has done the best she could alone. Every effort should be made to change this condition. A teacher's technical duty may be performed when she has filled out and sent the printed blanks. Yet, these are cold, formal affairs, utterly impersonal, and often have a strange power to produce irrita- Notes" 3 ' tion entirely unexpected. The thoughtful per- son with eye alert for every opportunity will frequently 70 THE TEACHER supplement these notices with a well-considered personal note. To be sure, this takes time, and to do it well is an art in itself. Such notes should never be fulsome, but should ring with a genuine interest. Of course, the interest must first be genuine ; the expression of it will then be natural and such as to produce a helpful response. It may be necessary to criticize the poor work that Mary is doing in arithmetic, but if she is making some headway in geography or really doing very well in English, do not forget to mention that, too. Occasionally cases arise where the teacher can find no adequate explanation for a child's failure. A tactfully worded note frankly asking the co- operation and assistance of the home has often brought out information that has led to a wise and complete solution of all difficulties. Adverse criticism is easy and in the teaching profession gets to be so much of a habit that we forget to call attention to the encouraging features. Parents like to hear pleasant things about their children. It may be worth while some- times to sit down in cold blood and write a note to a parent expressing your satisfaction in the excellent work that the child is doing. A teacher received a class of twenty. They were all new to her and the parents were all strangers. Within two weeks she had written a personal note to each mother. These notes were not dictated to the school stenographer nor were they all of a pattern, but were written with her own hand on her own characteristic stationery, and were as individual as she could make them from what information she had gathered concerning the children and their homes. The results surprised even the writer, for every note elicited either a pleasant response or a personal call, and RELATION TO PARENTS 71 she always felt that she got a little nearer this class than she had to any of its predecessors. It once became necessary to inform the parents of sev- eral members of the senior class in a certain high school that the work of these pupils had not been strong enough to admit of their being graduated at the time expected. The teacher, whose duty it was to write these notes, took them to the principal for criticism before she mailed them. After reading he remarked, "You have said an unpleas- ant thing so well that I should think these parents would feel honored because their children are going to be allowed to stay longer in school." There is vast difference in the power of individuals to write these personal notes so that they will bring results; to some it comes naturally, as do gracious speech and manners. The ability to write letters of this sort should be cultivated, for it can be made a great source of help in strengthening the bond between home and school. In these days a large number of homes can be reached by telephone and frequent use of this means of communica- tion can be made of great value. If a girl or boy is absent, telephone a friendly inquiry Telephone as soon as possible. The assumption is that the absence is because of illness or some other serious cause. If such is the case you will be surprised to see how deeply your interest will be appreciated. If, as sometimes happens, the absence is without knowledge or consent, then you and the home are at once ready to deal with the matter in harmony. If a telephone is not a part of the school equipment, then the same result can be obtained through writing, although the process is slower. In any event, the quicker you can get into communication with the parent the better. Now and then a word of dissatisfaction is brought about 72 THE TEACHER by unfavorable formal reports. Do not take offense at this and withdraw upon your wounded dignity : learn rather to consider this an opportunity and make the interviews mos t of it. Such a murmur is an opening for a personal interview with the parent. It may be necessary to make some exertion to bring this about, but make it: do not cease your efforts until you come face to face with the disaffected. That accomplished, your attitude should always be that of the individual who is seeking only the best interests of the child. The parent must first be made to feel the honesty of the teacher's position ; too often he has no faith in that at the beginning of the interview. If the parent is angry, impassioned, and rude, the de- mand upon you for quiet courtesy is the more impera- tive. Strident tones are soon modified by quiet answering ones. Anger and irritation will yield to evident kindly feeling. Then you have made headway and are ready to discuss matters. In this discussion never compromise truth. Tell it fear- lessly even though you know it will not please the ear of your listener. Often you will have to state facts of which father or mother has no knowledge, for the teacher fre- quently sees qualities in the child which are not revealed at home. On the other hand, the parent will tell you things about the child which will throw an entirely new light upon his attitude at school. Perhaps you will begin the interview with a complete justification of your treatment of the pupil and of what the school is doing for him. It will often happen that a frank talk will end with some modifica- tion of this position. The person who is big enough to take the view-point of the other will usually, in an unim- RELATION TO PARENTS 73 passioned survey of his own action, find some things to criticize. It is always good to see ourselves as others see us, and the parent who comes to us in anger often gives us a pretty clear glimpse of ourselves in the mirror held before us. An interview with a parent, if rightly conducted, ought to leave that parent your friend, convinced of your inten- tion of doing for the child the best in your power. It should send him away with a decided purpose to assist you in every possible way. On your part you will be conscious of added interest in that particular child, for you will know him better ; you will have for him increased patience and fuller understand- ing. The mistakes previously made in dealing with him will be corrected in the light of this new knowledge. The habit on the part of parents of visiting schools is becoming less and less common. It is rare for father or mother to come to the building with the avowed intention of spending time enough to visit parents™" 1 classes or to get any intelligent idea of what the school is really accomplishing. Parents frequently claim that this is the fault of the schools and the teachers ; that they have been made to feel that their presence interferes with the routine of the work and that teachers are annoyed by such interruptions. How much of this is true ? If any, is the condition right ? School is a busy place and teachers have little time to devote to entertaining visitors, but that is not what the visitor wants. - His desire is to see the school running natu- rally, just as though no one from the outside were there. Make a visiting parent sure that he is welcome ; give him a seat that commands a good view of the room ; go 74 THE TEACHER about your business without apology, and then forget the visitor. The occasions will be rare when the guest will not be interested and far outstay the time planned. A mother once called at the door of a certain high school to leave a message for her son. The teacher in charge invited her to come in. "Do you really want me?" asked the lady, in surprise. "Certainly I do. Why shouldn't I?" "Why, I always thought that teachers never wanted vis- itors in the high school. I used to go when my boy was in the grades, but I felt that now I should be in the way." Assured of her welcome, she ventured in with the inten- tion of remaining a few minutes. She was given a seat and the teacher went about her work, now and then explain- ing some phase of it or chatting with her guest as oppor- tunity offered. The few minutes extended to an hour and when time for the noon recess came, the mother was still there. She accepted the invitation to stay to the luncheon served to the school, expressing herself as glad to see another feature of the daily routine. She went back with the teacher and remained through the entire afternoon session. "I suppose," said the lady at its close, "there is nothing left for me to do now but go home." "Yes," said the teacher smiling, "you can go with me to the field and watch the baseball game. We have an important one this afternoon." They went, and when the mother left for home at six o'clock it was with a very different idea of both school and teacher. There are numberless parents who would find equal pleasure in the same opportunity, but they do not know "j how to open it for themselves. It must be true that, in RELATION TO PARENTS 75 some strange way, the barriers have been put up against visitors. At least it is true that parents in general feel that they are not welcome. The teacher who succeeds in breaking down this idea and convinces the public that the schools are theirs and at all times open to them, has greatly strengthened both her posi- tion and her influence in the community. The reflex influence upon the teacher of such visits as the one mentioned above is also of great value. Left alone any school, any teacher, no matter how good, Effect of inevitably settles into a routine and loses sensi- u' p S o n s the tiveness to existing conditions. Many things Teacher pass unnoticed and the school insensibly sinks below its best. What teacher ever had a chance visitor that she failed to discover something that she wished was different? It may be a very little thing, so trivial as to escape the notice of anyone else, or it may be really of vital importance, a fault that has unconsciously crept into the day, but viewed in the presence of another person, it becomes clearly evident and cries aloud for correction. That correction soon fol- lows and the visitor, merely by his presence, has become an unconscious benefactor, a reformer. There are certain public opportunities for bringing schools and parents together. All these should be studied and made to yield good results in the direction _ „ J to , Public of closer personal relations. Opportu- . ... nities The opening of a new building is one such opportunity. It can be made a sort of house-warming with a strong personal element infused into it. This was successfully done by a high school a few years ago. The building was decorated with flowers and bril- liantly lighted. A route was carefully planned for which the older boys acted as guides. These did not move about, 76 THE TEACHER but had fixed positions and passed the crowd on from one to the next. At each door a guide was stationed who gave the name of the teacher occupying the room and the sub j ect taught. Each teacher was in his or her room to receive the guests and to talk personally with them. Numberless parents saw, for the first time, teachers whose names had been familiar for months, and teachers met parents in a way to make both feel that a foundation had been laid upon which future help- fulness could be built. Manual training has come into its own in many places. Exhibitions of this work follow naturally and the parents come eagerly to inspect the concrete results. Most of these parents may be strangers to the teachers, but isolate any particular table, chair, or bookcase, and the man and woman viewing it with expressions of satisfied admiration are pretty sure to be the father and mother of the child who made it. A little quiet watching will verify this intimation, after which the teacher should make himself known and then lead the conversation where he will. Some schools find it valuable to institute parents' days; now and then to have a special programme to which the parents are invited informally. In fact, any expedient that is effective in bringing home and school into close and harmonious contact, should be used to the fullest extent. Each locality, each community, will offer different oppor- tunities which the alert, tactful teacher will be able to turn to good account. The ability to do this is another measure of the individual. CHAPTER VII PERSONALITY AND POISE The greatest need of the schools today is more teacheis of right personality. You may plan courses of stud}', you may demand college degrees or insist upon special work in pedagogy, you may set up all kinds of artificial standards, yet, in the end, if this element of right personality is lack- ing, there is little left. It is the subtlest of subtle qualities. It defies definition ; it eludes description and yet the power of it is greater than that of any or all other powers that enter into human activities. From experience all appreciate what this personality means ; all recognize its force when coming in contact with it. The personality of one individual may be charming and attractive ; that of another unattractive, repellent, or ineffective — neutral. Personalty Effectiveness in school work is in direct ratio to the power and charm of the teacher, — to the beauty and force of personality. Several years ago the "Inlander," a paper published by students of the University of Michigan, sent out a circular letter to a number of its graduates who had attained more or less prominence. Among other things, the letter asked these graduates what had counted for the most in its influence upon their college careers. A man who has won an enviable name for himself in lit- erature wrote one thing worth quoting: "What did I study in college? I can't remember. But 77 78 THE TEACHER I remember the men under whom I worked. The subjects were evanescent, unimportant ; the influence of the men lasting." The personality of no two persons can ever be the same. Two people may be the antipodes in characteristics and Difference in y e t the individuality of each be pleasing and personalities effective. One star differs from another star in glory, although each may shine with marked brilliancy in its own constellation. A pleasing personality reveals itself in certain externals. All that has been said of dress and of the care of the person, has an important bearing here. First impres- Externais sions come necessarily from these same exter- nals. The original picture of a stranger persists in the mind and from that picture an estimate of the individual is made. There is good reason for this, too, for these things are exponents of the personality that lies behind them. A slovenly, unkempt appearance does not go with the nature born to be a leader. Genius may burn in the brain beneath tumbled hair, inspiration throb in the heart that beats under an untidy gown, shoes run down at the heel may climb poetic heights, but personal carelessness cannot belong to the individual who expects to exert an all-around strong, uplifting influence upon human beings in the mass. The ego, the person that you really are, is bound to shine through and cast its reflections upon your surround- ings. •mgs r ° Und " ^^ e ver y school-room shows the effect of the individual ; the walls, the sunshine, take on a different quality and the faces of the children in a room dominated by the right personality turn constantly to the PERSONALITY AND POISE 79 light, which is the teacher, just as the sunflowers follow the sun. Such a room we say has an atmosphere. The word atmosphere, in this sense, is as difficult of defi- nition as personality. It is a quality which we feel rather than recognize intellectually. It is the quality that per- vades the habitation of some friend, to which you love to go at all times. There you are made to feel at home, there you are left alone to the resting of mind and body. Here there is always order and peace, — a charming atmosphere. There are other homes which carry no such appeal, which one enters with a feeling of restraint and in which the real individual never quite comes honestly to the surface. Merely putting certain pictures upon the wall, adding plants, flowers, or other ornaments, will not, in itself, put into any room the desired atmosphere. Many a house fur- nished by a professional is in perfect taste and yet utterly devoid of the home feeling, of atmosphere. The strong personality must and does make itself felt upon inanimate things regardless of their intrinsic value. In fact, per- sonality has no commerce and no need of commerce with values as estimated by the average cost price. "That house is a horror," said one woman to another as they left a certain so-called home. "But," was the answer of the second woman, "those people have very little money to spend and they can't afford expensive things." That isn't what I mean at all," came the quick retort. One might put you into a bare room with only a table and two wooden chairs for furniture, and in half an hour the place would have an air." A certain amount of what is in one is bound to appear a 80 THE TEACHER in external surroundings ; more may appear if the teacher is entirely natural. There are countless touches that will illuminate the too frequent barrenness of daily school lif© if the teacher will let herself shine out. A certain school-room was not especially well situated for pleasant outlook. The teacher to whose lot this room fell received much sympathy from the others School -Room because she had to take such a dismal location; but within a few weeks the room was voted by all to be the most attractive in the school. The building was set against a hill, so the whole long east side of the room was partly below ground, with win- dows at least four feet from the floor. The wide ledge made a fine place for ferns and a few plants that needed little strong light, while gold fish shimmered and shone and swam in a bowl of water crystal clear. In the south windows geraniums flaunted their scarlet blossoms. Corner book-shelves, with well-dusted books evenly placed, with their various-hued bindings, gave a bit of color like that of an oriental rug. A bust and a running vine on top of the shelves caught the e3 T e pleasantly. At the side of the book-shelves was a wide window-seat and the teacher had dared to pile this full of bright red pillows. This was an unconventional thing to do, and, in the minds of some, a tempting of Providence, but the pillows remained there unmolested, and the corner became a favorite spot for close personal consultation with the teacher. The pictures, few in number, were all good ones, show- ing in full effect against the yellow wall. There were cut flowers in abundance, varying with the season. "Why do you always have so many flowers?" was the question of another teacher. PERSONALITY AND POISE 81 It took her a few minutes to think out the reason, and even then she was not quite sure. "I wonder if it isn't because I really am fond of flow- ers, and let the boys and girls know that I am. When- ever they bring me anything, I take care of it, and put even a single flower into water immediately and never allow a bunch to wither disregarded on my desk." She had touched the secret. She cared for flowers, and showed that she did, and the children found great pleasure in keeping her well supplied. She had revealed to them this attractive side of her personality. It never does any harm to let individual tastes appear in the school-room. So far as possible, one should be the same person there as elsewhere. Another teacher was so completely herself in the school- room that she met her school as she would meet an indi- vidual. If something: interesting* came under _ , . , Taking her observation, she spoke of it as she would Things ' ^ Naturally to a friend, informally and naturally. Some- times she broke the routine by reading a paragraph or a page from something that she cared about. She did not do this as a formal matter, but would frequently say, in a conversational tone, without rising from her chair, "Here is something you will like to know about." They became so used to these rather unusual ways that this teacher could do almost anything and not arouse surprise. Into the school-room there wandered one day a valuable hunting dog. The teacher was near the door, hearing a recitation. She knew herself and her school, and judged the nature of the dog correctly, so she did not drive the animal out, but went on with the business in hand. The dog walked about her in a friendly way, evidently waiting 82 THE TEACHER for the encouraging pat upon the head which he received. Content with that, he lay down quietly at her feet and slept through the rest of the period. It developed later that the dog belonged to one of the boys in the class, who enjoyed the visit of his canine friend and appreciated the treatment which he received. The next morning, a pleasant episode illustrated the friendly relation existing between teacher and pupil. She found upon her desk a pair of wild ducks, with the following note: "My dog told me last night that he called at school today and had a very nice visit. He said you were so good to him that he thinks you ought to have some of the ducks which we got on our hunting trip Saturday." The note was signed by the dog's master. The teacher who could call forth such a half-playful and at the same time so dignified an attitude has evinced the power of a worthy personality capable of human rela- tions even in the school-room. Years ago, in another school, a dog was in daily attend- ance. His owner was obliged to earn his own living, which he did in .the capacity of newsboy. The early morning found him at the hotel waiting for the Chicago papers, and by four o'clock he was started on his route, with his dog close at heel. If by chance they were separated when the school bell rang, the dog responded to his summons and the school paid no more attention to his entrance than to that of one of the pupils. There come to mind other schools with other dogs who played their part in regular recitations, allied themselves with all the regular athletic activities, proving themselves good comrades and playfellows. In another study-room PERSONALITY AND POISE 83 hung a canary, trilling its song at will. And so the story might go on. If the horned toads, chameleons, white rats, tame squirrels, pet rabbits, and other strange creatures of the woods that find their way into various school-rooms, should be assembled, the menagerie would be an interesting one ; if the teachers of those same schools could be brought together, they would prove to be women of strong and attractive personalities. The weak individual is never equal to the unusual condition, be it so slight a deviation from the conventional as the occasional wandering into the room of a stray dog. A class will work hard for one teacher and be merely time-servers or worse for another. They may be angels of light in one room and be transformed into imps of darkness the moment they pass under {J c wort? the control of another individual. The second one will be sure to charge all misdeeds and all disorder to the natural depravity of the children, but the cases are few and far between where the blame can honestly be laid at the door of anvone but the teacher. Often the fault may not be anything that she does, but all in the way she does it, that way being the involuntary expression of her personality. There is a power in personality strengthened by certain other qualities that enables a person to do almost anything with school or individuals. Dominance A teacher in charge of an assembly-room in of Right , J m Personality a large high school had attained such influence. No matter if her punishments or her commands seemed illogical or unnecessary, such was the confidence of the pupils in her attitude toward them that although they might often be surprised, they were never stirred to anger 84 THE TEACHER or opposition, for they were sure there was somewhere a good reason for her action even if it were not evident to them. One day a girl flounced into the room in a state of anger, scolding audibly to those walking near her. "Nora, come to me," the teacher called. "Why are you so angry?" "Miss M was awfully mean to me," said the girl ; and then she repeated the offending words of the teacher, who had a reputation for showing needless and unreasonable irritation. "Why, Nora !" exclaimed the teacher, "I have said much severer things to you." "I know it," replied the girl. "You might call me a fool and I shouldn't get angi^, for I should know that you probably knew what you were talking about." The strength of personality, like other forces, is esti- mated by the distance over which it is powerfully operative. It is comparatively easy to make one's self felt when in the immediate presence of those whom one desires to bring to a certain course of action, but to do this without the aid of personal contact is more difficult. This power of personality, if it works out to the good of the school and of the individuals composing it, can be made effective at long range. The first step toward this result is to create in the pupils perfect confidence in the reasonableness of the teacher's request, a sort of "the king can do no wrong" idea. This accomplished, the rest follows naturally. There were two hundred in a certain assembly-room. Just as they were coming together at noon, a church across the way took fire and it seemed wise not to allow the pupils to enter their own building. It was a big fire, lasting a PERSONALITY AND POISE 85 long time, and the logical conclusion was that the school would not assemble that afternoon. Toward the end of the session time, however, the danger was over and one teacher thought she would put to the test the range of her influence. The pupils were scattered over several blocks. To those nearest the building she said that they might come to the study-room for a few minutes, and she asked these to spread the message. At the end of fifteen minutes the entire roomful of two hundred, with the exception of two girls, who had been seen running home as fast as their feet could carry them, were in their seats. She had merely sent out a personal request, but, as the principal remarked in speaking of it, "Hers was a name to conjure with." Not everyone can bring a whole school back from a fire; not everyone should attempt such things. Find the limits of your own personality and then let all of it vibrate through your school-room. Certain things are possible to a teacher of one personality r T«i Keep to that should never be attempted bv a different Your own x " Personality one. The stronger the nature the less conven- tional may be the attitude. Only large natures can do things in a big way, and woe betide the smaller individual who attempts to follow through imitation only, where the personality of a greater nature leads. The might}' ship can sail the wide ocean, but the safety of the tiny craft is in hugging the shore line. A certain high school had a principal of most unusual personality. It would be difficult to describe him to a stranger. He was a powerful teacher, always inspiring, but intolerant of neglect of work. He stood before that school in an attitude of supreme manliness that settled all question of discipline easily — these were always for other teachers, 86 THE TEACHER for he never had any of his own — and exacted from girls and boys the best there was in them. He could give the severest reproof without offense and, without loss of authority or devotion, could do countless other things impossible for anyone else. The respect and love in which he was held, based upon experience and traditions oft repeated, enabled them to understand his every word and deed. A boy named Trowbridge was a favorite with everybody, but he did not take kindly to study. He worked when he had to and had a mind capable of good things, but he had to be driven to them. The principal, in the Greek class, had showered abuse, satire, and encouragement upon him, without effect, but finally he gave a master stroke. A boy who was an average student was on his feet and questions were being fired at him with the rapidity of a gatling gun. "I don't know," the boy responded to one of them. "What ! don't you know that ?" was the quick retort. "Why, even Trowbridge knows that!" According to all known rules of pedagogy, this was wrong, but this man was great enough to be a law unto himself. Everyone in the class knew that from the top of the big building to the bottom there was no one more ready with sympathy, more just in his judgments, more ready to help all who needed help than this same man who uttered this seemingly cutting remark. Because they read his heart and not his words, the remark was robbed of all possible sting. Would that the teaching force were blessed with more men like him — real men and not just school teachers ! PERSONALITY AND POISE 87 Imagine what would have happened if a man of feeble personality had said this thing ; imagine any other teacher attempting to imitate the methods of this man ! A strong personality of the type to exert controlling influence usually has, as one leading characteristic, excel- lent poise. The weak nature goes to pieces Poise an under storm and stress, and no school can escape firing"* ° f such periods. Sometimes it is the little nag- Personallt y ging, tormenting, unimportant things that come tumbling upon the nerves one after another that bring one to the snapping point. But this snapping point is what must be avoided. "Mistress of herself though China fall," is the only safe attitude of the teacher who would rise to real greatness. Does anvone for a moment think that this is easv? Look at this picture ; not a teacher will fail to recognize it. A warm, muggy afternoon in June. No refreshing breeze floats through windows open wide in hope of it. Warm, sticky hands cling listlessly to for- gotten books or beat nerve-racking tattoo upon picture ' ar desk. Feet shuffle and scrape the floor ; now a book falls with a crash, or an audible "Quit that !" or "Cut it out !" bursts from lips of boy suffering from tiny tor- ment of his neighbor. There is a frown on every brow, a strained note in every voice. In no place can the teacher detect any particular disorder, nowhere any marked out- break, but the restless, uneasy, noisy assembly is far removed from the ideal of a well-conducted school. The teacher is a human being, too, and affected by the same conditions operative upon the wriggling mass before her. The easy way is that of irritable reproof, of impatient word ; the right way is that of self-restraint, of poise. This 88 THE TEACHER requires clear vision and great self-mastery. Irritability on the part of the teacher will only increase the irritation of the children, and that is already too great. But to this necessary poise on the part of the teacher must be added a remedy. The ability to find and apply it is also one of the attributes of right personality Remedy and g ood P oise ' The remedy should be sought in complete change. The schedule may direct that at this time every little mind be absorbed in discovering how many hours it will take a frog to get out of a well twenty-seven feet deep, if each hour he climb three feet and drop back two feet. Of course the solution of this particular problem is vital, but if the conditions are such that the frog will not even jump, what is the use of peering listlessly into the well? Probably physical activity is necessary. Try taking off all restraint for a few minutes. If you are fortunate enough to be in a country school and not a part of a vast system, turn the children out of doors even if it isn't time for recess. Give them perfect freedom to run and yell. Let the boys tumble each other around like so many puppies. The psychological effect of the proceeding may not be clear to you, but it is there and will show results when you get back into the school-room. You might also try holding the rest of the school ses- sion out of doors if you have the right hold upon the pupils and do not need the restraining help of four walls. If town or city deprive you of this perfect freedom, there are still great possibilities if you are keen to catch them. The fire engines may go past. I have known them to just when they were needed. What a blessing ! The minute or two at the windows — you haven't the right grip on your school if you dare not let them go — will quicken circulation PERSONALITY AND POISE 89 and return the children to their seats with deeper drawn breath and some of the cobwebs brushed from the brain. It was springtime and the weather yet cool, but there was no life in the air because the ventilation was insufficient. The teacher called one of the older boys and gave him directions. Then she said to the school, "We are going to play 'Follow the Leader,' with John for leader. Go on tip-toe through the hall and keep so still that no one will know what we are doing." John led the school slowly through the hall and out the nearest way to the big yard. There he fell into a brisk trot which he kept up all around the outside of the yard. The school followed and slipped back into their seats with alertness showing in every face. While they were gone, every window had been thrown open and the air in the room was made fresh and vital. Sometimes a change of mental activity may be sufficient. Try geography instead of frogs ; tell a story or read one. As in all other school relations, the individual teacher must find the proper remedy in each individual case. Frequently the issues are big ones and demand that the teacher be big enough to meet them. No matter what the provocation to the contrary, she must maintain i o . . at- Meeting her perfect poise and rise greater than the situ- Great ation. The angry child can be met successfully only by one superior to anger. Whoever yields to a fit of temper sinks below the level of the child and loses control of the situation. The individual possessed of good poise will be equal to anything, even to open defiance of directions. One experience of a successful teacher comes to mind. The school had returned to the study-room from classes for dismissal at noon. There was the usual stir attendant upon putting away books and preparing for departure. 90 THE TEACHER In one matter the teacher had always been very particular. Whenever she spoke immediate and absolute attention was expected and it was usually promptly and willingly given. This day, having some announcement to make, she asked for attention. The room was instantly quiet, but on the front seat, Walter was paying no attention, but was putting on his rubbers. "Walter, put down your rubbers." "I won't do it," and his big eyes looked as though he meant what he said. It would have been perfectly natural for the teacher to have stopped then and there to vindicate her authority, but she realized that such a course would result in a useless pub- lic disagreement. So, instead, she looked at him for an instant, turned to the school, said what she had to say, and dismissed them. Then, stepping to the door, she met Walter as he came out, and said, in a quiet tone, "Come back into the room with me." There was nothing in her manner or voice to arouse his antagonism and, not quite understanding why she was not angry with him, he looked at her curiously, but obeyed. "Walter," she said, "you evidently did not understand the spirit in which I spoke to you. I did not intend to com- mand arbitrarily, although my words may have sounded so. I had asked for attention and when you disregarded the request, I had no time to wait, so I spoke quickly to secure your attention." "I hadn't heard what you said before." "Then you thought I was just trying to show my authority ?" "Yes, and I didn't propose to be bossed," he answered, PERSONALITY AND POISE 91 and something of the same defiant attitude appeared in voice and set of shoulders. In the talk that followed the teacher learned much about the boy. He had fought every inch of his way in life against heavy odds. He had worked to clothe himself ever since he was a little fellow, and since he had been in the high school he had paid his board at home. He had begun by selling papers on the street, then he had carried a regu- lar route, and eventually had developed a business of his own at a station where the sale of papers was large. The training had made him strong and independent, but it had also made him suspicious. He felt that the world was against him and that he must fight for everything that he had. He looked upon every stranger as his natural enemy, and too many had proven themselves such. This teacher was almost a stranger to him, for he was one of a large class that had only recently been assigned to her room. He was not in any of her classes and so opportuni- ties for acquaintance had not come readily to her. But after this she took pains to know him well and she soon felt grateful for the mastery of self that had made her his friend instead of his enemy. It taught her for all time that few things are of more value to a teacher than perfect poise. There is a vast difference between the tremendous power of high and noble personality and the effect of mere per- sonal influence. The former is life-giving, strength-producing, inspiring ; the latter is f re- vai'ue ate quently enervating, deadening. There are occasions when it is justifiable and desirable to bring a pupil to a definite course of action through the power of a dominating personal influence. To depend 92 THE TEACHER upon this power too much is not only fatal to one's final success but highly injurious to those upon whom it is exerted. A strong and right personality reaches beyond today and becomes effective for all days. To be sure, it weaves itself in and out and through all the little daily influences of school life. It brings peace and comfort and j oy to each hour ; it smoothes many a trouble, avoids hundreds of needless unpleasant issues, it reaches with its marvelous subtle influence each and every boy and girl and makes a school better every day. But the true, strong personality does more than this. Its influence is not evanescent, but is for all time. To make the routine of school run without friction and with delight is not a small matter, but how vastly greater is it to reach down to the bigger, better things that lie deep in every human soul ! Here is the ultimate value of a right personality : To be able, through the natural school relations, to touch the very' roots of these young natures, to vivify and start to upward growth the best that lies dormant there. Often great possibilities exist in a child all unsuspected ; but under the influence of an inspiring personality, they will stir to life ; will blossom, and in later years bear fruit. An inspiring teacher becomes a living model, the more powerful the less she knows that she is one. She is so busy living with her children truly, justly, sympathetically, humanly, that self -consciousness will be non-existent. This was the force which the university graduate felt when he could not recall his studies, but remembered the men. It is this force which swings back into our memories certain teachers whom we know now were strong influences in making us what we are today. Often we can recall the PERSONALITY AND POISE 93 picture when that power first made itself felt in the molding of our ambitions, principles, and character. Various forms of discipline can establish rules and keep a school from breaking them. The teacher of uplifting per- sonality will touch the motive springs of action in such a way as to make rules largely unnecessary. She will develop in the pupils self-control, integrity, consideration for others, gentleness, charity, a spirit of courtesy, of helpfulness. These are qualities that will persist far beyond the doors of any school-house. They are permanent things of life and they are, after all, the only things that are really worth while. "What matter if we seek with pain The garden of the gods in vain If, lured thereby, we climb to greet Some wayside blossom, Eden sweet?" So quoted a grown woman to her onetime teacher. "Do you remember teaching me that when I was a young girl?" "No," said the teacher. "I remember the lines as Long- fellow's, but I don't remember ever teaching them to you." "But you did, and we talked a lot about what they meant. I have never forgotten the lines nor what you said about them. Even if we never attain what we strive for, if the object is worthy, the strife pays. You insisted that the goal be nothing lower than the garden of the gods if we expected to greet the wayside flowers." Other teachers might have directed the child to memorize these lines, but the personality of this woman was broad enough to make an impression for life. The man or woman possessed of the right personality must have more than intellectual attainments, more than an 94 THE TEACHER interest in teaching history or arithmetic or geography, must be intensely human, must keep ever the spirit of youth though locks be gray, must have quick Requisites sympathy both with joy and sorrow, and above all must believe in young people. That does not mean a blind, maudlin, sentimental faith — nothing could be worse — but a faith that sees both good and bad, tells the truth about it and, while being as severe as need be, shows back of all a genuine human love. Such a teacher must be master of himself, of the situa- tion, of the individual ; must be patient, alert, quick of judgment, interested, honest, happy, and untiring in service. The demand is heavy, but the reward is great. CHAPTER VIII TACT Tact has been defined as "A quick or intuitive apprecia- tion of what is fit, proper, or right ; fine or ready mental discernment shown in saying or doing the proper thing or especially in avoiding what would offend or disturb ; skill or facility in dealing with men or emergencies." There are many phases to this definition, all of which have strong prac- tical bearing when applied to the working philosophy of a teacher. Indians, barbarians, and all uncivilized nations or peoples of whatever age or place, know but one way of settling all questions, and that is the way of battle, a fight to the finish in which the mastery always goes to the strongest and the day is won by might, comparisons not right. Civilization has found a better way, though the world has not advanced to the point where this better way can always be made successful. The barbaric is not completely quelled and sometimes the mighty differences of nations must be settled through war. But these periods are grow- ing farther and farther apart and come only when all other methods fail. An important part in the organization of every govern- ment is its diplomatic service. For this service, men are selected of wide experience, of clear insight, men who are clever, sympathetic, quick readers of human nature, pos- 95 96 THE TEACHER sessed of ability to consider any question from the view- point of the opposing interest, and endowed with a peculiar power to bring a happy issue out of all trouble, which, of course, means usually settling the issue according to their own wishes. The old-time school was a tyrannical institution. The master stood in a position of unquestioned authority. He The Old sa ^ ^° ^ ms one ' "Go," and he usually went. the y Better ^ * ne going were at all delayed, it was hastened Way by rod or ruler. The view-point of the young person was rarely considered, and if he dared state or defend it, the case was counted one of insubordination and treated accordingly. The teacher's authority was absolute, his power supreme, and the young nature could only cower in unwilling submission. The progress of education has modified this. Serious stu- dents of youth and its needs have solved satisfactorily many troublesome problems. Yet, after all that has been done, the school still remains an absolute monarchy. The authority of the teacher is supreme, his will is law, and when there is an issue, the judg- ment, or at the least the way, of the teacher prevails. It may be necessary that this should continue to be more or less true; it doubtless is best that it should be, but the attendant evils must be counteracted. The old way is the way of the hunter who goes to the forest to slay his game because he has the power, the way of the barbarian who knows no argument but that of battle, the way of the teacher who drives his school according to his own arbitrary will, regardless of what may die within the boy or girl during the process. The better way is that of the diplomat who handles great crises without bloodshed or international warfare. TACT 97 Under the present organization of schools, there still remains tremendous opportunity to do violence to the young people who pass some of the best years of their lives in the school-room. One who has been long in the work is fre- quently startled at the wreckage strewn along the shore ; is made to wonder if something is not radically wrong in the theory upon which we are working. But that is another question ; at present our duty is plain to do the best that can be done under existing circum- stances. Now, as always, the burden of responsibility for wise handling of the young people rests largely, if not entirely, upon the individual teacher. But in school-rooms all over the land, teachers are meeting the problem of their relations with young people and are solving them wisely, are guiding the youth in more directions than are marked out by courses in algebra, history, language, or science. They are encountering each day situations which hold pos- sibilities of unpleasant issues, and yet these issues are avoided, not by subterfuge, but by knowing all about the individual, just as the diplomat knows his problems and settles them without war and for the best good of all. This ability can be summed up in the one word, tact. He who possesses it will succeed ; he who lacks it will fail. The foundation principle of tact is kindness, and the man or woman who is not possessed of a kindly, sympathetic regard for human beings, of a respect for the feelings of others and a desire to save them all Kindness possible pain, lacks tact. A close sympathy with human life and its varying expe- riences lies at the foundation of a tactful nature. This implies an appreciation of the Sympathy weaknesses of those with whom we are dealing. The right to condemn the failings of adults may occasion- 98 THE TEACHER ally exist, although even there it is well to keep in mind the caution to dwellers in glass houses. With children, however, there must never be for get ful- ness of the fact that they are children and in the formative growing stage. They are not responsible for their weak- nesses and nothing is gained by dragging faults baldly and cruelly into prominence. Be as clear-visioned as possible and recognize every weakness; then, with tender, tactful touch, strengthen and sustain. Youth is full of hope. Plans for the future and expecta- tion of doing great things some day live in every young brain. These will not all come to full fruition ; the mature mind knows that, and yet the tactful person will not dis- courage any uplifting ambitions. Some of them may work out even beyond expectation, and no one can tell which ones. At any rate, striving brings its own reward. Next in importance is quick, accurate judgment. No one can possess this quality who is not keenly sensitive to all surroundings. It demands an ability to see Judgment without conscious effort, and often without seeming to see, everything that passes within the range of vision. Much of this is unimportant at the time, but the mind that is thus sensitive to impressions is storing up a fund of data which is very likely to be brought into use later. If this sense reserve is tumbled haphazard into the mind, it will never be of very great value. There is a type of mind that makes classification of impressions, and the result of all quick observations falls into the proper pigeon-hole of the mind, there to await demand. Everyone should cultivate this habit. The old saying, "A good teacher must have one blind eye," is pertinent to this discussion. Experience proves the wisdom of the adage, but it takes the young teacher a little TACT 99 time to learn it. Her extreme anxiety to make everything go decently renders her over-anxious, and she feels it incum- bent upon her to watch every turn and motion of every child. She anticipates trouble, puts herself in an attitude of expecting it, and then she is ^y| Blind rarely disappointed. The tactful teacher rarely brings things to an issue. There is nothing that will bring about this result sooner than a dictatorial, opinionated manner. The young teacher is almost certain to go f^ue 1 a " upon the rocks occasionally. She is not yet trained to foresee difficulties and often is face to face with direct opposition before she realizes the danger. This realization comes through experience, and when that expe- rience carries with it the right training, the occasions are very rare where teacher and pupil come into direct opposition. Three things must enter into the attitude of a teacher to make this condition possible : a strong bridle upon the tongue, which holds unsaid the words that would unneces- sarily offend the child ; patience to wait until all the evi- dence is in before passing judgment; and, above all, a deep-rooted tenderness toward every offender. The sensitive teacher will be conscious of the greater sensitiveness of her children. Their own wrongdoings cut deep into their little souls and they know far more about their own offenses than any older fineness person can guess. These offenses cannot often be allowed to pass unnoticed, but the tactful teacher will have sense not to touch the raw, sensitive spots too harshly. Here is where the trained judgment comes into play. When the wrong is fresh in the mind of both teacher and pupil, that is usually a pretty good time to avoid extensive 100 THE TEACHER discussion of it. The vision of both is likely to be distorted and the tiny molehill that ought to vanish in the day may be piled mountain high to cast its shadow across the weeks to come. The word spoken is gone forever; the tethered word can be let loose at any time. Tact enables its possessor to put himself in the position of the other person and to see things through his eyes. Put Yourself The view is surprisingly different. There is other's scarcely a quality in which the majority of Place teachers are more lacking. There is something in the occupation that tends to make one dogmatic and opin- ionated. Many teachers see things from their own stand- point solel} T , satisfied that they are right. The forty children are forty individuals, and will look upon life through their own eighty eyes. No two points on the face of the earth have the same horizon line, so there are millions of view-points each just as true for the individual as that of the teacher who thinks her view is the only right one. Fifty art students may draw from the same model at the same time, no two seeing it the same, and yet the sketches may all be true ones. Your opinion, after all, is only one out of millions, and you have only one chance out of millions of being absolutely right. Teachers are very apt to forget this and hold with tenacity to their own narrowness and treat with disdain those who venture to disagree. In this same connection may be mentioned the air of finality with which teachers are apt to express their views. They rarely offer them as a matter of opinion, Fpnality ° f but frequently "speak as one having authority" on all subjects. This is a part of the school- teacher mannerisms that we all deplore. tact 10; The manner is gained, of course, in the school-room, where the teacher's will and opinion is supreme and so rec- ognized, but there is no use of advertising the fact by self- assertion on every possible occasion. Even in the school- room this manner is to be deplored. If it can be abolished there it will cease to be one of the marks of the profession, as it certainly is now. Many strained, uncomfortable relations between teacher and pupil have been overcome completely by the finding of some common interest. Everybody has some particular, all-absorbing interest. Young peo- f n °t™ r ™ s °ts pie are inclined to be very secretive about these interests, governed as they are by a strange modesty. It is worth a teacher's while to search out these concerns. We never get very near to anyone until w T e find common standing ground. Those whose activities are entirely out- side our own ever remain strangers to us. The teacher who finds herself in this attitude toward even a small per- centage of her school has far to go before she has any right to consider herself a worthy teacher. One woman once won over an entire class of boys in a new school by revealing to them her accurate knowledge of football. When they found that she could really follow the progress of the ball, knew an off-side play, and under- stood the rules that governed the forward pass, their confi- dence in her was supreme. The team showed it by impart- ing to her their signals, in perfect faith that she would not betray the sacred trust and that she would learn them as the team did. It took some hard study to master their mysteries, for she did not have the opportunity of putting them into practice as the team did, but she knew that her business was to live up to what they expected of her, and that otherwise she would lose a large element of power, so t$% THE TEACHER she did not shirk the hard study, and was soon able to stand quiz on the signals. She had many a good talk with boys on the team and off, beginning with football, sometimes ending there, but often leading to matters more vital and productive of great good. Not every teacher cares for football, neither does every' pupil, but let the absorbing interest be what it may, the discovery of it will always result in good. Often this revelation comes naturally and the tactful teacher will know how to turn the knowledge to advantage. When a pupil is troublesome and he and the teacher seem instinctively to get on opposite sides of a question, the situ- ation may be completely changed if the teacher seeks out something in which the child takes particular delight. Some things cure themselves, and occasionally the laissez fa'ire method is to be commended. No one runs to the doctor with every slight ailment, and usually when Fa'ire 62 nature is left to herself, she takes care of most simple troubles. The analogy holds in the school-room. The rule of action is easy ; the rule of "hands off," is harder to obey. Sow the seed, cover, watch, water, and protect, but do not dig down to see if it has sprouted, and do not constantly pull up the young plant to discover how deep down the root has struck. Prepare the ground well, sow good seed, and then have the wisdom to leave things alone. Young people have the right to make their own mis- takes up to a certain point. To stand quietly by and allow them to fall into error is an exceedingly di.ffi- ivustlkes cu ^ thing to do. We are all too prone to act as special providence, to save them from suf- fering and turn them into "ways of pleasantness and paths of peace." TACT 103 To the mature mind, such ways seem to lie along the beaten highway, but youth longs for the undiscovered coun- try, the unbroken forest, and the hilltops. It cares nothing for the roughness of the road, for bruises, brambles, and bumps, if only it may go its own unmolested way into the new country of the future. Whenever a principle is involved, then it is the duty of the older person to speak with force and to act with author- ity, if the right result cannot be gained in any other way. But there are a thousand and one little unimportant things that are better left alone even if they do not turn out as perfectly as a wiser head might make them. This was well illustrated in a meeting of a certain high school literary society. Several teachers were present and all were interested in the success of the society. A boy made a motion to change from the system of signing re- ceipts for dues to a system of tickets, and the motion met the approval of the society. A teacher arose, pointed out what he insisted were flaws in the plan, and offered such strong objections to its adoption as to amount almost to a command. An unpleasant discussion followed, ending in serious irritation toward the teacher and in general dis- comfort. No one knows to this day which was the better plan, and it made precious little difference. Even if the boy's idea was all wrong, it was the pupils' society and they had a right to make a mistake. If things did not come out well they would learn far more by experience than by fol- lowing meekly the dictates of anyone else. The teacher's only wish was to help the young people, but he forgot that the purpose of the society was training, and that there was more value in making mistakes in their own way than in accepting anyone's judgment ready-made. The tickets were a matter for a day ; the training was for life. 104 THE TEACHER Experience is the only school that really gives the mas- ter's degree. Why, then, should we not let our children qualif y ? Children do a great many things unconsciously which the sensitive teacher often thinks are done with malice afore- thought. A little quiet observation will reveal the true situation. There are a thousand and one things that are slightly an- noying but which are ephemeral. The teacher possessing the .keen judgment that goes with tact will learn which are fleeting and which carry an element of permanency. The former are better ignored, seen only with the blind eye; the others must be dealt with vigorously. The cultivating of this discriminating judgment is a part of the training in tact. One of the leading educators of the country is very fond of saying, "The smaller the person, the better his eyesight." The adage is well worth keeping in mind. Another error that young teachers are apt to fall into is that of thinking that every evil, every discomfort, must be corrected at once. The element of time of' e Time enters into most curative measures. The physi- cian administers his prescription and then awaits the effect. It is hard to await results, but human life develops slowly and all who are engaged in the culture of it must learn tactful patience, content if they can detect progress. Every situation so far as possible should be handled in such a manner as to preserve the self-respect of the pupil. This is a very delicate process, for children hfiTm if i r atTon are usually hypersensitive as to their own shortcomings, and no one can estimate the amount of mental suffering that they silently endure. TACT 105 The torment to which a young girl was subjected at a certain public spelling match, well illustrates this point. The contest had been very carefully arranged. Every- thing had been done that could be done to make it perfectly fair. It was a match between schools, to which each had sent a team. The words were clearly pronounced and were justly judged, both in the oral and in the written tests. A record, as the spelling progressed, was put upon the board in front of the audience so that everyone knew how many words were missed by each person on the team. No criticism could be offered upon this, for while each boy or girl as well as the audience could see the exact count, no especial attention was called to the individual who had missed the most. The record was there and spoke for itself, but few connected any of it with any particular pupil. But when the spelling was over, each contestant was brought to the front of the platform, introduced by name and the number of words which he had missed was an- nounced. It w T as a proud moment for those who had fallen within the range of the average. But try to put yourself in the place of the girl on the losing team who had missed more words than anyone else, and whose failure, as the record still upon the board proved, had been enough to lose the contest for her school. Think back into your own childhood for some instance considered trivial by your elders, but which to this day grips your heart when you think of it. The agony endured those few minutes as she stood before the audience, will never leave that child. She was sensitive in the extreme and her abject failure was without doubt the result of timidity. In her own natural environment she would have spelled most of the words given out that day. The committee having the match in charge had thought 106 THE TEACHER only of honoring the successful and of treating everybody just exactly alike. In their very attempt to be just to all, they had overlooked this situation, which caused great suf- fering to a sensitive nature. The tactful teacher will look far ahead, will watch every relation, every personal quality of her children, and will avoid to the uttermost the needless hurt of today or the wound whose scar may last for life. There is a power to guide that does not proclaim itself dictatorially, that reaches its results without opposing the will of the individual guided, without apparent Subtie S management, and without the person influenced knowing that he is doing anything but follow- ing out his own plans. The tactful person will bring those under his control to his way of action so that the individual yielding will never suspect that any will outside his own is operative. This comes very near illustrating the reconciliation of pre- destination and free will. In illumination of this idea there comes to mind the picture of a young father and his little girl who was just beginning to enjoy the delights of walking alone, free from restraining hand. He took her to the park one afternoon. From the moment they entered the enclosure, the child thought she went her own untrammeled way, but the mind of the father followed every step. He did not once reach out his hand to touch her or pull her this way or that, he did not say to her, "Don't go there," or "Come this way," but if she headed toward danger he was between her and it, and just by his presence there diverted her course, while she thought she went of her own free will. Every step of her walk was guided by his will and she never knew it. This was tact. There is a deep lesson in the story. TACT 107 It was during the period when the fad for outrageously slovenly dress struck the western colleges. Hats looked as though they had been filched from the rag-man, cuffs van- ished, and sleeves on coatless boys went well above the el- bows. High schools caught the contagion. In a particular room where the social standing of the boys was considered somewhat select, and where they had been trained to respect the amenities of life and most of its social customs, a large number appeared one warm summer day in imitation of college apparel. The teacher studied the problem for an instant, knowing that they could not be allowed, in harmony with the standards to which she had always held the room, to sit there in that array. She was a little sensitive about offering a reproof to a group who ought to know as* well as she that they were violating the proprieties. She took a minute to consider the situation as the school gathered to order. In that time she made her decision. Going to the board upon which she was accustomed to write general notices, she slowly cleared the required space, doing it very slowly, for she wanted to attract the attention of the school, without seeming to do so. Then she wrote, also slowly, to make sure that they should have read the full message by the time she had finished : "It does not seem to me good form for young men to sit in a public assembly-room with sleeves rolled to the el- bows. Will you please accept my judgment in the matter?" She signed her initials very slowly, dated the notice, and then looked it over to make sure that it was all right. By the time she turned to face the school, every sleeve was buttoned about the wrist, or coats had gone on over the bare arms. This settled the matter for the season, and did it without discussion and without bringing into prominence individuals 108 THE TEACHER who really prided themselves upon always doing the correct thing. By making the matter general, she had avoided the feeling of individual reproof. That "Honesty is the best policy" has been pretty gen- erally accepted, but there is an application of honesty that is not tactful. Honesty* There is never a time when anything but the truth should be spoken ; a lie has no place either in principle or policy. No compromise with wrong, with dishonesty? can be recognized in the philosophy of the upright. It is equally true, however, that "the truth, especially the unpleasant one, should not be spoken at all times." The occasional withholding of an ugly truth when the pro- claiming of it would result in no good whatever and might produce positive mischief, is the part of tactful wisdom. The situation is well illustrated by a conversation between two friends upon this same subject. One was openly and aggressively frank. She rarely let an opportunity pass of telling people with whom she associated the actual truth about everything just as it appeared to her severe judg- ment. Often this was needlessly done, often dragged into the conversation, and resulted in unpleasant criticism of her friends when such criticism produced no good results. Through this habit she aroused much ill feeling and did not accomplish the reforms which she intended. Her friend once remonstrated with her for thus making needless enemies. "You are altogether too honest," was the final remark. "I'm not a bit more honest than you are," came the retort. "You always tell the truth, too." "I hope I always tell the truth when I say anything," TACT 109 was the answer, "at least I mean to ; but I don't go around thrusting it upon people as you do." Another instance is also to the point, showing how one may attain an exaggerated idea of what demands honesty makes. A young woman once went to an older one with this remark : "There's a woman in this town whom I don't like and I have to meet her and treat her decently. I don't think it's honest to do so, and I want to go to her and tell her that I don't like her." Of course, such a feeling was absurd and the proposed action the purest folly. There are times when "silence is golden." The tactful person possesses that clear, quick judgment which tells him the difference between "a time to keep silence and a time to speak." Some people seem to be born utterly devoid of tact. If there is a chance to do the wrong thing they are ever ready to embrace it. Unfortunately many of these get into the ranks of teachers. Unless of U Tafct tl0n they cultivate tact, the end will be disastrous. Fortunately, tact, like any other virtue, can be cultivated. Anything that brings the teacher into closer personal touch with any one pupil is to be taken advantage of. A note slipped quietly into the hand of boy or girl or left upon the desk may carry weight and lasting influence that can never be put into a general talk, however good. In a certain school it was not the custom to return exami- nation papers, but to give out the standing privately. One teacher knew the class in a peculiarly personal way, and was inventive. With each standing she sent a personal note, carefully fitted to the nature and needs of the recipi- ent. One of these notes contained an apt quotation which 110 THE TEACHER carried back of the mere words a special message for the pupil; another held kindly but sharp criticism; here some boy read a word of needed encouragement; there a quiet joke with a lesson in the point of it. This took time, but it paid in arousing the feeling of close understanding with the teacher. The work after that examination was per- ceptibly strengthened. There is a decided difference between tact and policy. Tact is altruistic ; policy, egoistic. The former seeks the good of others ; the latter, the good of one's PoNcy and se ^ • There is danger that the one may degen- erate into the other. The tactful person must be watchful of his own power and see that it does not develop into mere policy; just beyond the boundary line lies dishonesty, a dangerous neighbor. Let the teacher be as tactful as she may, but let her see to it that tact never degenerates into the intrigue of the politician. CHAPTER IX DISCIPLINE: A GENERAL VIEW The Century Dictionary defines discipline as "Mental and moral training, either under one's own guidance or under that of another; the cultivation of the mind and formation of the manners ; instruction and government, comprehending the communication of knowledge and the regulation of practice." This definition might have been written especially for teachers, so perfectly does it fit the conditions. The schools aim to give both mental and moral training; at first, under the guidance of the teacher but looking always to the time when the children shall be able to assume the responsibility themselves. They try to cultivate the mind and form the manners ; they give instruction in a wide range of knowledge and furnish such government of the pupils as shall regulate their conduct to their final good. In its more limited application, however, discipline has come to mean to teachers that power which holds a school in good order to the end that the mental and moral and social improvement, the primary reason for the existence of schools, may go on uninterrupted. Even in this narrow sense it becomes important, for when that part of discipline which relates to the government of the school is not right, little can be accomplished in the wider, fuller meaning of the word. Ill 112 THE TEACHER The discipline, then, which relates to good government and order in the school becomes an important means to an important end ; a bond-servant to the higher Importance discipline. All the desirable qualities that any individual may bring into the school-room will count for little unless there is among them the power of keeping a school completely under control. Each teacher may bring to the work different measures by which to determine whether the school is moving along decently and in order, but the test of usefulness lies in that teacher's ability to bring her own particular school to her own particular standard. She must know that hers is the moving spirit and that in the end things go her way. In other words, she must be a good disciplinarian. A young woman of more than usual intellectual attain- ments, of pleasing personality, and with real interest in teaching, made a most abject failure because she could not control her classes. The pupils were generally well dis- posed and made no especial trouble for other teachers, but the things they did not devise for this young woman's torment have vet to be invented. mJ After she left the school because of her inability to control her classes, the principal asked one of the boys who never before had given any trouble why things had been so bad, whv thev had wished so to annov her. "Oh !" he replied, "we found we could, and after that, of course, we had to." In contrast in the same school was the case of a young man without experience. In one of his classes was a boy who had been exceptionally troublesome to everyone. The first day he began his usual antics. The young man waited until he saw that the interruption was intentional, then he DISCIPLINE 113 stepped to the side of the boy and in a low tone said, "We'll have no more of that either now or any other day. 5 ' The words were ordinary, but the force of the man shone through so that the boy at once comprehended that he had met his master. There was never any trouble from that day. To keep a school orderly and quiet enough to avoid all disturbing confusion and yet free from cramping, distort- ing, warping restraint demands a master mind, a master hand. No doubt the ideal disciplinarian is born, not made, and even the one who attains average success cannot be manu- factured entirely. Successful discipline requires a certain indefinable quality ; if a teacher lacks this, the case is hope- less and the sooner she seeks other fields of labor the better for all concerned. The various types of discipline divide naturally into two classes. There is the old-time method that makes of system and quiet a fetish. Under this, dis- cipline becomes an end, not a means. The chil- standards dren are but pieces of mechanism to be fitted into a smooth-running machine. In such a school pupils recite according to a set method, standing in a prescribed position and, when not engaged in some restrictive exer- cise, sit, as one superintendent expressed it, "like so many darning-needles stuck in a board." In a school where the boys and girls were separated, a teacher who had a room with girls was greatly dis- turbed all through one term because she had an odd num- ber in the room. This made a symmetrical arrangement of the seating impossible, and the one unoccupied seat was a constant disturbance. She moved it from front to back, from side to center, from right to left, but, as there was 114 THE TEACHER an even number of rows in the room, there always remained an unbalanced condition. All the teachers in the building finally became inter- ested ; it was a puzzle, and frequent amused calls used to be made upon the teacher to see if she had reached a satisfac- tory solution. It might also be added to complete the picture that the order in this room was so mechanically correct that you could almost, when the school was at attention, stand in front of any given row and sight the straight line made by the parting of the hair on the heads of these poor little girls. Whoever has ambitions to stand at the head of any such school will have to look elsewhere for inspiration and help ; there will be none in these pages. On the other side, and in this direction is the trend of modern education, is the method that tries to give to the individual free and full development. To accomplish this end, without allowing this individualism to run riot, is the work of the successful teacher. The strain of the individual method is tremendous and, in our weariness, we sometimes doubt if we are on the right track. Would not a return to some of the stricter methods be really better for the schools? This question once came up for honest, practical con- sideration before a strong body of teachers. The school was to move in the middle of the year into a new building. There had been some talk among certain teachers along the line of changing the policy somewhat in order to live up to the improvements of the new structure. Now, if ever, was the time to make the change. The principal called a meeting for a free and frank discussion of the subject. He wished to get the consensus of opinion as to whether the old and somewhat informal methods DISCIPLINE 115 should be adhered to, or whether this was the opportunity to change to a more systematic and semi-military form. The one thing especially to be decided upon was the general order in passing of classes and in moving about the building. At least, should all talking in the halls be forbidden and the classes made to move in line and in regu- lar order? Up to this time everybody had been expected to go to his next duty by the most direct route and without loitering, but it had not been adjudged a crime if he occasionally spoke to someone traveling his way. The principal asked from each teacher a perfectly frank opinion, reserving for himself final decision. There was a difference in judgment, but with a surprising leaning toward the more formal discipline. The last teacher to speak was one long in the service, one who knew the situation pretty thoroughly. This was her answer: "I think the more systematic way would pro- duce the better appearing school and a quieter building, and when the method were once established, would be like any other piece of machinery, excellent so long as it did not get out of order. There is one practical objection, however, to carrying it out. We should have to have a new principal and almost an entirely new corps of teachers." A thoughtful silence followed and then a burst of laugh- ter that forever disposed of the question, for that teach- ing force was made up of too big men and women to make mechanical methods possible. A single building will reveal a variety of standards, all good under the teacher in charge but differing as indi- vidual teachers differ. Side by side in the same building, equally successful and equally liked by the pupils, there taught for years 116 THE TEACHER two teachers of markedly different personalities. One was even, serene, unmoved externally by any deep emotion. The other, full of bounding life, was often standards stirred emotionally. The school of the former was even as herself. It went on day after day in just the same way, always a pleasant way; the work was well done and the relations between her and her pupils kindly and, on her side, helpful. The room of the other was not always quiet ; the teacher, not always even. If the mountain peaks of inspiration reared their heads, the school, with the teacher in the lead, climbed eagerly, joyously toward the sunlit vision. The teacher herself was a storm center of varied interests. Around her the pupils surged, not always in calm and orderly fashion, but always absorbed in the present inter- est. Hard and fast regulations were sometimes utterly for- gotten. But never for one moment did the school go beyond her controlling power. Instantly, when the time came, she could bring them back to a quiet equal to that regularly maintained by the other teacher, but they came back to repose with a new light in their eyes caught from the glimpse of the mountain tops. Both these teachers were of great value to the school; were, in fact, counted the best in the corps. Each in her own way accomplished lasting good to those who fell under her influence. Which was the better way? There is no answer to the question. Each one was always herself, deal- ing with her school naturally out of her own personal characteristics. Either one would have made a failure in attempting to use the methods of the other; each was big enough to recognize the strength of the other, and so they worked on side by side without jealousy and with no com- parison except in results, which came out about even. DISCIPLINE 117 To admit that one star differs from another star in glory is probably the only approximate answer to any question involving personality, only the glory must be there. First, — emphatically first, — in the discussion of disci- pline should be put forth a plea, with all the tongues of men and of angels, for greater attention to obedience. Obedience Obedience, prompt, willing, and unquestion- ing, has gone quite out of fashion. Styles in dress, man- ners, and customs, after a certain interval swing back to the desirable things of the past. After a riot of juvenile independence, of exaggerated and misapplied theories touching untrammeled, unrestrained vagrancies of child nature, the time ought to be ripe to hark back to the day when young people had a wholesome respect for authority and knew the meaning of obedience. Naturally, when the pendulum swung away from dog- matic, unreasonable, and tyrannical authority, it swung just as far the other way, and the result has been disas- trous. The home and the school are together responsible for this attitude. Both have encouraged young people to think out and to decide all personal questions until they have become a law unto themselves, inclined to demand reasons for everything they are asked to do, and to brook little interference from outside authority. A lesson in good citizenship goes with training in obedi- ence. Laws exist for the good of society and a com- munity is right only when those law r s are obeyed. Num- bers make laws and regulations necessary. They came into existence as soon as people began to gather in com- munities, and the larger the community, the more complex the life, the greater the number of laws necessary. 118 THE TEACHER If a teacher and one pupil constituted a school, then the need for law would practically vanish ; the question of obedience would rarely arise. Under present organization something in the way of rules or regulations or conven- tions becomes a necessity. Whether a school be large or small, whether it have few regulations or many its efficiency is largely determined by the promptness with which indi- viduals obey these regulations. More than the effect upon the school as a body is the effect upon individuals. No one is fitted to command, no one can long occupy a post of responsibility who has not first learned to obey. Mastery of self comes through obe- dience, first to outside powers and, later, to the high standards which strong natures set for themselves. A suc- cessful life must rest upon submission to higher authority, reaching, in its finality, to full obedience to the Most High. Kipling, in the poem called "The 'Eathen," tells most vividly what obedience to discipline does for the raw recruit. When he first enlists " 'E don't obey no orders unless they is 'is own : 'E keeps 'is side-arms awful : 'e leaves 'em all about, And then comes up the regiment an' pokes the 'eathen out. ?? Under the stern tuition of the army, this good-for- nothing is beaten into something of worth to the English nation. In the grim hour of battle, he does not do all the things he has been taught, perhaps none of them in just the way he was taught, but the training holds him to his post. "Of all 'is five years' schoolin' they don't remember much Excep' the not retreatin' the step an' keepin' touch. DISCIPLINE 119 It looks like teachin' wasted when they duck an' spread an' hop, But if 'e hadn't learned 'em they'd be all about the shop !" There was a "No Admittance" sign upon a building but that made no difference to the boy who always followed his impulses. He walked in and on the visit ruined much valuable frescoing. The father was sued for damages, but contended that the building should have been locked so that the boy could not have entered. The judge, however, decided for the builder, and ad- ministered this reproof to the father: "Had your son been taught obedience, this would not have happened. The fault is entirely yours." Many, yes, most of the things insisted upon in the school- room will in themselves be unimportant when school days are over. Most of the things that make occasion for disci- pline are evanescent, applying only to that limited life. It makes little difference in the act itself whether a boy or girl goes out of the north door or the south door, but if the comfort of the school demands the use of one door or the other at a certain time and directions have been given to that effect, then, in justice to the child, he must go out of that particular door. Obedience and the habit of obedience are far more im- portant than the event itself. The habits of punctuality, accuracy, and faithfulness to the thing expected of the individual, are important to that individual as long as he lives. The keen minds of children soon understand whether they will have to obey or whether by teasing or cajoling they can eventually get their own way. Home conditions show in this particular to a certain extent, although boys 120 THE TEACHER and girls who are trained to prompt obedience may leave that habit behind them when they come to school, if they have any suspicion that they will not be Teasing required to obey. No child will give up his personal desires without a struggle. A wise decision must have back of it a good reason. This must be patent to the mind of the one making the decision, although it is not always necessary to take the child into one's confidence. Such a decision, made after clear consideration of the conditions, should be firmly adhered to. Hasty decisions are different, and are often difficult to uphold. A boy one day asked a special privilege of a character such that under favorable conditions it might have been granted. The teacher did not answer at once, but let her mind review the conditions. Then she answered rather slowly: "No, I think I ought not to allow you to go. You have been out of school several times lately and your work is suffering ; besides, you are getting restless because of these irregularities. I am sorry, but, in justice to you, I cannot say yes this time." "Oh, please!" he pleaded. "I told one of the boys who isn't in school that I knew you would excuse me." The teacher made no reply. She had given her answer. "Please let me go !" came in even more pathetic tones from the boy. "You heard my answer." "I know, but I want to go awfully and I'll make up all I miss. It won't make any difference just to be gone part of the afternoon." "You know my answer was not given hastily." But the boy continued to tease. DISCIPLINE 121 "Don't you know that teasing will do no good? Is that the way you do at home when your father or mother refuse you anything?" "Why, yes," he replied. "If they say I can't, I just tease and tease until I get my waj 7 ." A direction once given should be as effective as when repeated. The habit of repetition is easily acquired and needs watching. Children require but brief expe- rience to learn how to gain for themselves a few extra seconds by resorting to this Repetition expedient. "Come here, Mary," said the teacher in a gentle tone. There was no sign from Mary. "Mary, come here !" repeated the teacher, with slightly added force. Still there was no motion toward obedience. "Mary, didn't you hear me tell you to come here?" This time there was no uncertainty of tone or manner. "I heard you the first time," said Mary, advancing slowly, "but I was waiting for you to holler." All children will wait for the teacher to "holler" if she is in the habit of allowing such delay. Why an adult should entertain anything like fear for a body of young people is not easy to explain, but most teachers, when they stand for the first time before a roomful of children, know something Pear of a peculiar kind of fear. A young woman once forcibly described the sensation when she said, "I feel as though I were standing at the crater of a volcano that might, at any moment, burst into violent eruption." One thing, however, is emphatically true, — the children 122 THE TEACHER must never suspect that the slightest quiver of fear touches the teacher who is to have control of them. To let this idea find lodgment is fatal. In the manner of everyone who hopes for success as a disciplinarian, there must be an air of confidence. This need not be, must not be egotistical ; there is a vast differ- ence between self-confidence and egotism. One is desirable, the other to be avoided. There can be no uncertainty in voice or manner. If the first element of it creeps in, then trouble comes with it. Every direction must be given and every request made as though there could be no question of immediate compliance. Disobedience often results because the person who claims to be in authority almost invites it through the tone of voice that carries no confidence but rather implies that dis- obedience is expected ; so great is the power of uncon- scious suggestion. There is a way of speaking that brooks no disobedience. It need not be dictatorial nor given with any outward flourish of authority, for it is possible to speak naturalty but with a suggestion of reserve force that never fails of results. For the young teacher it is profitable to look back over her own school days and pass in review her various teachers. She will find some whose authority she never questioned, whom she always obeyed, not through fear of penalty, but because the thought of doing otherwise never entered her head. These are the teachers of whom she carries the most pleasant memories. There may have been others far more indulgent, often far more considerate of personal wishes, and yet these are not the ones held in highest regard. Young people will fight to the last ditch for their own way and yet the persons whom they honor the most are those DISCIPLINE 123 who have insisted upon their eventually doing the right thing. That school is best disciplined in which there is the least manifestation of authority ; that control is strongest which is gained with the least display of effort, and with the least friction. When this condition otscipMne exists and everything apparently runs auto- matical^, there is sure to be back of the school a strong; guiding hand that is never entirely off the lever. The skilled engineer handles his engine without display of en- deavor. The man in the pilot house of a great liner who steers a true course and leaves a straight wake behind does it with perfect ease and without constantly turning his wheel. The inexperienced are often deceived into thinking that because a thing is done without show of exertion such exertion is not necessary. The teacher who is deluded by the appearance of ease in the work of another and who attempts to imitate this appearance and the appearance only, falls into disaster. The beginner cannot expect to do anything as easily as the trained individual and the begin- ning teacher will find eternal vigilance, line upon line, pre- cept upon precept, the only safe daily practice. The ease will come, but only after continued exertion. The experienced teacher can drive with a loose rein, for she knows just how long to leave it loose and when it is necessary to let the school feel that the guiding hand is still in control. Colts sometimes take the bit in their teeth and run away with everything if they feel the unsteadi- ness of the inexperienced hand upon the rein. When things do not go as they should, when results are unsatisfactory, it becomes the first business of the teacher to sit calmly down, and, looking the situation fairly in the 124 THE TEACHER eye, ask this question, "Where have I made a mistake?" Nine times out of ten the teacher will discover that the fault is hers. The mistake has not been in purpose, gen- erally it is made unconsciously ; sometimes it ixa mi nation ' 1S an error of judgment, sometimes lack of con- trol, but somehow, somewhere it is usually hers, and the situation must be faced. Sometimes the difficulty may be so slight that the teacher need only learn her lesson for the future. Sometimes it may have wrought an injustice to a pupil or to a group of pupils. When this is true, but one course is open, and that is a frank admission of the wrong and a spirit of willingness to do everything possible to correct the mistake. Influence with young people is never lost by such a course unless the teacher habitually fall into error. But this cannot or should not occur, for one who is always making mistakes soon demonstrates that teaching is not his legitimate occupation. Frank acknowledgment of a fault by a teacher whose judgment is usually right will increase confidence, but stubborn adherence to a line of action manifestly wrong will weaken power. Every teacher is human ; occasional mistakes are certain to be made. CHAPTER X DISCIPLINE SPECIFICALLY CONSIDERED In these days of educational unrest, brought about through eager seeking for better ways, certain fundamen- tal principles have become somewhat clouded. In the attempt to get away from despised martinet methods, there has been a tendency to break license a " d away from all restraint. The kindergarten teaches the right of the individual and the desirability of allowing each child to develop according to his own particular characteristics in a natural, uncon- scious way. This idea has permeated the entire educational system and, through its perversion, has completely run away with some teachers. Natural development has too often come to mean unrestrained and undirected action. The will of the child is allowed to lead ; he must be entertained and amused ; his desires and whims must never be thwarted. Some educators fail to discriminate between the will of the child and the nature of the child. Froebel would rise from his grave and walk the earth in indignation could he know a tithe of the enormities committed in his name. The liberty of the individual has every claim to the fullest consideration, but there is a decided difference between liberty and license. The former should never be allowed to degenerate into the latter, for such degeneracy is the rankest injustice to the child. 125 126 THE TEACHER The liberty that belongs to the school-room is the liberty to work without disturbance or distraction. That liberty the teacher, through her power to discipline wisely, must furnish to every individual. A school is a community and must always be considered as such. No privilege, no consideration can be granted to any member which is detrimental to the body as a whole. To this extent the liberty of the individual must be held subservient to the good of the entire group. This is merely good citizenship. There are two ends to be accomplished through punish- ment : first, reform ; second, prevention. The first has largely to do with the individual punished to Punishment the end of teaching him to mend his ways; the second affects the school in general, showing, through example of the prime offender, what is likely to happen to anyone found in similar fault. The difficulty of dealing with absolute justice arises from this double obligation. To handle each pupil alone and do no violence to his nature would be comparatively easy ; to preserve that same justice when he becomes a part of organ- ized society is more difficult. The general good of the school and the right of the individual are both to be kept constantly in mind. The teacher must preserve both with- out violence to either interest. There is a difference even in different days. What will be effective one day will, for some unknown reason, accom- plish nothing on another. One must feel the temper of the school and mete out punishment accordingly. While all dealing with young people should be sympa- thetic, just, and considerate, there comes a time when it is imperative to "be cruel only to be kind." No hard and fast rules can be laid down to decide when this time comes ; DISCIPLINE CONSIDERED 127 the decision must be trusted to the moment. But when the hour has struck, the severe and merited punishment must be administered by the teacher without flinching. Severity There is a way of doing this, however, that reveals the velvet hand beneath the iron glove. In the first place, it must be just. If it is, the offender will recognize the fact either at the time or later. In the second place, the culprit must know that there is no personal feeling in the action of the teacher. ' There is a way to punish and to punish severely so that the child will know that the action is merely the just consequence of violation of law. It should be possible for a teacher to inflict a penalty and still leave upon the pupil the impression that while his offense is not condoned, the kindly regard toward him is unchanged. As far as possible, punishments should be logical, fol- lowing naturally upon the offense. The cases are rare when such punishments fail to be accepted as merited. This is especially true of boys. As Be Logical a rule they submit to punishment with much better grace than girls. If they violate a law, they take the penalty without whimpering. Their very willingness to pay often makes it difficult to give them their just deserts. It is not always easy to find a punishment which follows the offense logically, but when it can be done the effect is impressive. A particular order in dismissal for luncheon was regu- larly followed in a certain school. It had been planned to rotate the order so that each one of five sections went first on its appointed day. That made it fair for everybody. The teacher had made the divisions and announced the order to 128 THE TEACHER the school and they dismissed themselves each day without further attention from her. There were, of course, the few lawless members to be found everywhere who watched their chance to get out ahead of time. The teacher kept them until the last for a week or so and soon broke up the tendency. It is not often that retribution can be brought home so vitally as it was here to a group of hungry children. A bov had been sent from class once or twice as a means of discipline but the remedy had not wrought a cure. He was a bright student and that meant for him just so much more time to himself, for he could easily keep up his work and be out of class once in a while. One day, when he was especially troublesome, the teacher did not send him out as the boy evidently expected, but directed him to sit in the room entirely apart from the rest of the class, adding: "I shall not consider you a member of the class and you may not recite. You may come after school and the length of your recitation then will depend upon your conduct during the rest of the hour." He ceased from troubling at once. That was a bit of good discipline, for disorder carried its own logical punish- ment, and the situation was practically turned over to the boy. A Greek teacher left a class of three boys alone for five minutes during recitation time. They had work enough to keep them busy, but they found pelting each other with chalk far more interesting. When the teacher returned, the floor showed the effect of the skirmish. Any teacher would have made the boys pick up the chalk, and so did this one ; but he did not stop there. When the ammunition was all deposited upon his desk, he told them to report after school. DISCIPLINE CONSIDERED 129 When they appeared, the chalk was divided into three equal piles. He sent the boys to the board and kept them there, writing Greek exercises with that same chalk, until every scrap of it was used up, and he made them wear it so close that they scraped their finger-nails uncomfortably in the process. They took the punishment in good nature, for they knew they deserved it, and, besides, they learned a lot of Greek. There is equally a time to be utterly illogical. The good disciplinarian will know when that time comes, although it usually arrives unexpectedly, growing out of the conditions as the} 7 develop rapidly in han- flf Z l ^ s be dling an individual case. In a high school where the single session plan was used, it was the custom to excuse all pupils for the last period if their work for the day was completed. Three boys deliberately left school at about the middle of the morning. When the principal investigated the cases, there seemed to be no extenuating circumstances. Two of the boys, under the regulation, were at liberty to go the last period. The principal immediately took that privilege away, requiring them to stay in the assembly-room, and in addition, he directed them to return in the afternoon for extra time. This was logical punishment. Turning to the other boy, whom he knew but slightly, he asked, "Are you excused the last hour?" "No," growled the boy, "I can't ever get away unless I run away. I always have a recitation that last hour. They won't let me change sections, so I have to stay." The principal left the room without a word. When he returned, he handed the boy a written programme, say- ing: "I have changed your programme so you will be 130 THE TEACHER free the last hour. This will go into effect today. I hope you will have a good time." The boy looked up in amazement, not even thanking the principal. He could only stare. "That is all," said the principal, and the boy passed out, half -dazed and not quite understanding why he had not received the punishment meted out to his fellow cul- prits. But the treatment produced the desired effect. That boy never again ran away from school, and his confidence in the principal knew no bounds. It is not necessary to treat every case like every other case, even though all seem to be infractions of the same law. One must never lose sight of the fact that a school is made up of individuals each one different from every other one. Even the individual changes from time to time. What is good for one may be the worst possible thing for another. So far as possible, do the unexpected. When a school learns that a certain punishment will regularly follow a certain offense, they become used to it and it Unexpected loses its force. Individuals will endure it for a time, and will then discover that, like other discomforts, it is easier to bear after each repetition, until soon all the efficacy of the punishment is gone. Boys, particularly, after having experienced a penalty, will begin deliberately to count the cost and sometimes will decide that they are willing to pay. For instance, suppose there should be some particular social attraction to which certain young people are entirely free to go early in the afternoon. The temptation to cut school may be very strong to those not free. Suppose a fixed penalty for such offense is the making up of, say, DISCIPLINE CONSIDERED 131 five or six fold the lost time. A boy may be perfectly will- ing to pay the price even when it seems exorbitant. If he can thus surely count the cost, he may be glad to draw on the future for time which holds, so far as he knows, no such promise of delight as does this particular afternoon. But when the penalty is unknown, when the pupil cannot guess with any degree of certainty what the consequences will be, but knows only that he will get full measure, he decides as most of us do, that it is better to "Bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of." The unexpected that turns pleasantly is also a good influence. And right here I should like to emphasize the fact that the pleasant acts of a teacher are among the most effective disciplinary agencies. The more kindly, considerate, interesting things a teacher can find to do during the course of the day, the greater her power and efficiency. It is surprising how full a day is of such opportunities : it is equally surprising how blind many teachers are to them. No one can tell another what to do in this direction. Each teacher must studv her own school, take stock of her particular opportunities, and have, above all, a deep human interest that sees deeper than formalities, that knows the state of the child's mind and reads aright its needs. A certain gentleman delights to tell how algebra was taught in a school which he frequently visited. As he sat by the teacher's side, a boy with the scowl of perplexity and undue nervous strain upon his face came for help. 132 THE TEACHER "I can't get that example," he said, and the scowl deep- ened as he whined out his complaint. "I've worked it over a dozen times and it comes out just the same every time." The teacher never looked at the example at all but studied the boy's face. "Have you your skates here?" was her irrelevant ques- tion. "Yes," came from the surprised boy, for he did not see what that had to do with algebra. "Leave your book on my desk, put on your skates, and go out and skate half an hour." She was a wise teacher, a good disciplinarian. She knew that longer confinement in the school-room would result only in restlessness on his part, and, at this juncture, he could learn more algebra skating than he could attempting to hold a fagged brain to longer attention. The teacher upon whom the pupils cannot reckon from day to day is usually apt to keep them pretty well in hand. She may not play the game according to set rules, but she is likely to win. In this connection there comes to mind a dear old man who used to play chess against all the good players in the little town, and was usually victorious. His opponents often complained that he played a very irregular game; that he did not make the conventional openings and in various other ways failed to follow scientific development. His methods so completely disconcerted them that they never knew what he was going to do next. One evening, having said "Checkmate" to his opponent, who was complaining of these peculiarities, he turned upon him with this question, "But I beat you, don't I?" The player could not deny the fact, nor that he did it honestly although unconventionally. DISCIPLINE CONSIDERED 133 Monotony becomes as ineffective in discipline as else- where. To do the same thing over and over again will soon defeat its own purpose. We all get used to everything, even punishment. The teacher Monotony whose methods are varied and interesting, who is resourceful, and whose actions cannot be reckoned upon, is pretty sure to have her school under good control. The restless, uneasy boy that is in every school, had left his seat frequently and had moved about the room when it was disturbing to his neighbors. The teacher had ex- hausted the usual and evident methods with no effect. He was a keen-witted youth, as that type generally is, so she was sure of his quick appreciation. She took from her desk a piece of ordinary twine. She tied one end of this about his arm and the other end to the back of the desk. Neither teacher nor pupil spoke, although both smiled in the process. The plan succeeded, and for the rest of the period the boy sat quietly in his seat, looking occasionally with an amused expression at the frail restraining band. That experiment worked once and worked well, but a repetition of it would have been a failure. A bo}^ put on the board an especially badly written exer- cise. The teacher looked at it in disgust, then, with the flat side of the chalk he enclosed it with the outline of a traveling bag, exclaiming, "There, take that home with you and don't ever bring it back here !" The criticism was picturesque, but a repetition of it would have been stupid. Ingenuity, keenness of wit, is a valuable asset, but there is danger of falling into the pit of repetition. Nothing is more tiresome than the man or woman who tells the same old story or the same old joke over and over again. Whenever the unusual is resorted to in discipline, the same kind of care must be exercised to avoid repetition. How- 134 THE TEACHER ever, the individual who is keen enough to think out the unusual thing is generally keen enough to avoid this fault. Good discipline comes rarely as the result of much talk- ing. The teacher whose words fall with the incessant patter of rain-drops will soon find the children with their umbrellas of indifference raised for protection. Two friends were talking near an open window while the little daughter of one of them played just outside. The attention of the mother's friend was attracted by the voice of the child. Listening to what the child was saying, she discovered that she was repeating at intervals, "Yes, mother," "All right, mother." The mother had the habit of talking constantly to the child, telling her not to do this or not to do that, but always in a perfectly amiable tone. This had gone on so long and so continuously that the child had ceased to give it any attention. Now, hearing her mother's voice, and not know- ing or caring what she was saying, she was answering auto- matically while she continued her own pursuits without interruption. She had put up her umbrella. But even when an offense must have correction, it is not always wise to administer it at once. It may not be easv to wait, but a little wisdom in thus waiting; Time will often make correction profitable when open reproof at the time will defeat its pur- pose. No one, big or little, likes to have his faults pub- lished, and usually it is wiser to wait until you can talk with the pupil alone. Never humiliate a child if it can be avoided. Under all circumstances try to preserve his self- respect. In "The Widow O'Callaghan's Boys," the whole philoso- phy in this line is summed up in that good lady's decision as to the best method of dealing with the oldest of her DISCIPLINE CONSIDERED 135 six boys when she found it necessary to reprove him. "There's toimes to be speakin' and toimes to be kapin' still. Niver a word must I be say in' till the rest of 'em's abed, and it's hard waitin', so it is. It's my belafe that's what makes some boys so unruly — takin' 'em at the wrong toime. Sure and boys has their feelin's loike the rest of the world. Spake to 'em by their lone silves when you've aught to say to 'em. There's niver a man of 'em all, not even Gineral Brady himself would loike bein' bawled at in a crowd about somethin' that needed thinkin' over." Having punished and punished severely, the account should be considered settled, "the wet sponge drawn across the accusing slate." Reprove a pupil severely for a particular fault and be strong enough not to sulk at him at other times. Many weak teachers will find themselves unable to treat a pupil the same after correction as Sulking before. To offend in one particular does not necessarily mean that boy or girl is not, in other respects, worthy the same consideration as before the particular offense. Instead of discriminating against the pupil, it is well sometimes to watch for an opportunity to show him, as soon as possible, that you bear him no ill-will. There are countless little services which a teacher nat- urally asks of the boys and girls and which they are glad to perform. If a child has been brought to correction, when the next little office is to be performed, do not forget the offender and, if he is one of two or three who might naturally be called upon, give him the preference. If an opportunity does not come readily, then be ingenious enough to invent one. It takes a big individual to do this. The child who has been guilty of a serious fault is too often put outside 136 THE TEACHER the pale of kindly regard; the teacher descends to the level of the untutored and sulks at the offender. If this is human nature, fight against it, and when there arises an occasion when one must be especially severe to a child, find a chance as soon as possible to be especially kind to him. Seek out some little service to ask of him, think out some- thing to say far removed from the scene of battle, use the utmost ingenuity to prove that your personal feelings are only of the kindest. He will not expect it, for he always assumes that the recent fault is as insistent in your mind as in his. He is hugging it so close to his own vision that he can see nothing else. The teacher must help him remove it to the proper distance, — get it into right per- spective. In other words, because a pupil has offended in one particular, that is no reason for making him an outcast. Here the Great Teacher becomes the model. Did He ever compromise with wrong? Was He ever other than kind and tender to the offender? Like Him, the worthy teacher must learn to "take the sin bv the throat but the sinner by the hand." Many slight irregularities occur in the school-room that are unimportant, and if they are not stimulated to growth by undue attention from the teacher, will pass Ephemeral m ^° forgetfulness over night. If the matter in hand is only a trifle, is merely a fleeting case, then be careful not to overestimate its importance. It is surprising how many things will right themselves if left alone. The good disciplinarian will have enough to do without taking up unimportant things and magnifying them into great ones. Every successful teacher must possess what artists call a sense of values. All offenses in school are not of equal im- DISCIPLINE CONSIDERED 137 portance and one must be able to judge them relatively. A lie is worse than a burst of laughter; a noisy boy is not as unpardonable as a quiet sneak. A school was once torn to its foundations because the teacher lacked this power of discrimination. He allowed himself to show annoyance at little things. The school soon recognized this weakness and were not slow in invent- ing trivial ways of tormenting him. One day a boy in the back of the room put his foot upon a steel-tipped penholder. By rolling it back and forth with his foot, he found that it made a delightfully irritating crackling sound. It was a mean little trick, but, had he been left alone, the boy would soon have tired of it, and there would have been no story to tell. But with this man such a course was impossible. He stopped his recitation, called the boy to his desk, thus attracting the attention of everybody in the room, and then he said the wrong thing to him. The boy grew angry and so did the teacher, and the trifling first offense resulted in the boy's dismissal from school. Even then serious consequences might have been averted, but the wrath of the teacher increased as he thought about it, and he finally said that if the boy were reinstated in school he would leave. The superintendent and the board investigated the case. They did not consider the rolling of a penholder a crime nor loss of temper a sufficient reason for keeping the boy per- manently out of school. They decided that, with proper acknowledgment of his fault, which the boy was perfectly willing to make, he might go back. They had heard the teacher's ultimatum, but they assumed that it was merely the result of momentary anger. The boy made courteous attempts toward full amends, 138 THE TEACHER admitting that the fault was all his, but his advances were repulsed and the teacher left the school. He did it in haste and regretted it very soon. Many such foolish tricks will die a natural death if left to themselves. Occasionally these small disturbances are really accidental ; when they are not, it is sometimes politic to assume that they may be, and pay no attention. If they are intended to annoy, then ignoring the matter robs the joke of its point, and all pleasure in continuing it is lost. Many things that look to a teacher like disorder the school will not notice at all unless attention is called to them by reproof. These are often the result of atmos- pheric conditions, sometimes nothing but your own nervous- ness. There is great power in taking the attitude of expecting that everything will go as it should. Suspicion invariably arouses cause for suspicion. Watch a pupil Optimism needlessly and he will soon give you something to watch. Assume that there is nothing to watch and much that might have made trouble will never come to the surface. A school takes instinctively the attitude of the person in charge. The masterful individual will be master and that, too, without any spectacular show of authority. He will usually accomplish this by going steadily about his busi- ness and trusting the rest to follow. A man who had had long and successful experience in teaching gave to his son who was just entering upon the pro- fession this bit of very sane advice: "You go ahead and teach and let them behave." There is great wisdom in that one word, "let" Many teachers will not let a school behave. DISCIPLINE CONSIDERED 139 Whoever stands in a position of responsibility is com- pelled to make frequent criticisms, but he should strive con- stantly to get on with as few as possible. The very purpose of criticism is often defeated by Nagging continually hammering away at the same thing. The strain of living with a certain group of boys and girls all day long, day after day, is considerable and some- times things get close to one's nerves. When this is true, the cause of disturbance which we attribute to something else may exist in ourselves. Some particular boy may have been troublesome until patience is worn threadbare. The teacher begins to nag and, when that happens, injustice is sure to follow. To fall into the nagging habit is easy and the reflex action upon the nagger is perhaps the worst thing about it. By constantly noticing a fault and speak- ing about it every time it is noticed, both offense and offender eventually get on to the nerves and the way to effective criticism is blocked. An especially troublesome boy once, in a burst of irrita- tion, said to his teacher, "You just watch me and find fault with me all the time, but the others do exactly the same things and you don't say a word." His remark, was startling, for he and the teacher were really the best of friends. Thinking for a moment, she answered, "I believe you are right. You have disturbed me so often and so long that I can't help being conscious of your every action. No doubt I have been nagging you without realizing it, but I will stop. Let us make a bargain. For a week, no matter how much you may disturb me, I will try not to call you to order before the school. On the other hand, I want you to promise to take some thoughtful responsibility of your own actions. Help me get you off my nerves and back into 140 THE TEACHER the same relative position that the others occupy and where I can see your actions in right proportions." The compact was sealed. Each succeeding day things went better and by the end of the week the teacher was sur- prised to discover that there were hours when she did not think of the boy at all. She could not remember when he had been entirely off her mind. By deliberately turning her back upon his faults, her morbid sensitiveness to his every move had disappeared, he had slipped back into his normal place among the rest of the boys, she had ceased to nag, and her nerves were restored to healthful strength. Probably nothing is more fatal to good discipline than a set of rules with a fixed penalty. Did any teacher ever announce such a set that the first violation of Rules them was not an exception calling for special consideration and not an application of the prescribed penalty? It is a part of good management to avoid such a con- tingency. Rules and the need for them will decrease as power in control increases. This does not in the least imply any slip-shod way of doing things. Rules may exist in the mind of the teacher, or they may even be announced, but it is not necessary to take the school into full confidence. A teacher may determine very definitely the standard to which she wishes to bring a room ; it is well to fix pretty clearly in mind what will be done in cases where individuals do not come up to those standards, but the statement should never take the form of a threat as to what will be done if any pupil offends in any one particular. Trouble is sure to follow. The situation may be perfectly clear in the teacher's mind that a particular punishment should be the consequence of a particular offense, but just as sure as public announcement is made of the fact, just so sure is the DISCIPLINE CONSIDERED 141 first culprit bound to be boy or girl whom the conditions do not fit at all and upon whom the carrying out of the threatened course of action is bound to work injustice. Ideal schemes always work with perfect smoothness, but toss into them the human element and there is a hitch in the machinery at once. Discipline exists for the sake of the school, for the sake of assuring to the school that liberty before mentioned, the liberty to work without interruption. To this end certain directions should be given, certain conventions established. These, in the mind of the teacher, may amount to rules, and there should be just as great insistence in seeing that they are fulfilled as though they had been presented as iron- clad orders. To accomplish this, eternal vigilance is necessary. Noth- ing can be allowed to slip out of the teacher's controlling hand, but all this should be accomplished with as little show of authority as possible. It calls for intensive appre- ciation of the individual. A smile, a sharp reproof, a look, a touch of the hand, a lifting of the eyebrow, is often suf- ficient when relations between teacher and pupil are right. Sometimes the most uncompromising severity is the only course; sometimes playfulness, a bit of pleasant humor, will solve the question. Let the way be what it may, if only hard and fast rules are allowed to be little in evidence. It is sadly true that some teachers sink to the level of children when dealing with them. They show no more con- trol, no more breadth of nature, often no more .._.„ # 7 "When I maturity. Because a child has offended in some ^ eca , me a little particular, they sulk at him for the rest of the day, sometimes longer. It reminds one of the trick of our childhood when, having taken offense at a playmate. 142 THE TEACHER we put forth that fearful threat, "I'll never speak to you again !" In this connection, it might be well for teachers often to ponder the words, "When I was a child I spake as a child, I thought as a child, I understood as a child, but when I became a man I put away childish things." Unfortunately, it is often true that childish things are not put entirely away. Unless a teacher can prove herself bigger than the child, more generous in attitude, more ready to overlook mistakes, she is not ready to be his guide. Personal feeling has no place in this relation. What the child does to the teacher, what he says to the teacher, is unimportant except as it throws light upon the child's nature. The all-important thing is that the teacher be big enough and wise enough to set the feet of the child in the better way and to hold him there with steady guiding hand until he is strong enough to go alone. For successful discipline there is no better motto than is found in those words of Amiel: "Be swift to love; make haste to be kind!" Final| y In all reverence let it be said: there should always be something of the Christ attitude in dealing with young people. With Him there was no con- doning a fault, no compromise between right and wrong, no lack of severity when necessary, but through it all His great love for the individual shone radiant and tender. CHAPTER XI THE SPIRIT OF THE RECITATION In the early organization of schools, the standard for the recitation was pretty thoroughly covered by the diction- ary definition of the word: "The rehearsal by a pupil or student of a lesson or exercise to a teacher or other person ; a meeting of a class for the purpose of being orally ex- amined in a lesson." Under this organization a certain number of lines, pages, examples, or what not, was assigned for a particular lesson. The next day the pupil was expected to recite again this specific measure of facts, often in the exact words of the text. This was what education then stood for. Today we know that the recitation means vastly more than that, and yet our class work follows largely the old model. The time may come when the recitation as we now con- duct it will be abolished and the individual will be helped by the schools to the highest training of which he is capable. This emancipation cannot come all at once, but little by little the educational body will develop school work toward an ideal perhaps not yet sighted. In the meantime most schools will have to proceed with the days divided into recitation periods, and each teacher must do her best during the allotted time. How clear are teachers generally as to the purpose of the recitation? How many have a definite idea as to what should finally be accomplished through it? Custom has 143 144 THE TEACHER long prescribed a certain form, and the generally accepted plan of conducting recitations still follows too closely and too woodenly this old established order. We of the cling to the relic of the past although many Recitation & . ... • • .. progressive teachers are putting inspiration through independent ways into the class work. The school once held that it had done its full duty if, within a given time, it had crammed a certain number of facts into the pupil's head. This is no longer the standard. The recitation is for the development of mental power, and this word, power, should ever stand before the teacher's mind in big capitals. Every minute of the recitation that gives to the child added power is serving its purpose ; every minute that fails to develop power is worse than wasted. The first step in this direction must be the establishment of right working relations between teacher and pupils. Too often the teacher is on one side of the ques- of tt pupi?8 tion, with the class individually or collectively arrayed on the other. The recitation becomes a sort of game in which the pupil tries to conceal his igno- rance from the teacher, while the teacher uses all the arts known to the trade to trap him ; a fencing match in which the teacher is always looking for an opening in the defense of the pupil and proudly calls a touch if she succeeds in getting past his guard. The pupil comes fearfully to the recitation upon the lesson assigned the day before which he has studied as best he could in a vague, uncomprehending way. If the majority of the class do moderately well, another allotment of difficulties is meted out and they are sent away to floun- der around in them for another twenty-four hours. SPIRIT OF THE RECITATION 145 The person who goes to a physician frankly reveals to him the physical weakness for which he is seeking aid. He realizes that he is the loser if he conceals any troublesome symptoms that may have a bearing upon the unhealthy condition. The patient is seeking help and before the physician can give it, he must know the truth. The teacher stands, or should stand, in the position of a willing, eager helper to young people. The first step should be to inspire such confidence that the pupil will be willing to let the teacher know that the lesson assigned has offered difficulties too great for his present powers to master. In- stead of being ashamed of this seeming ignorance, he should be made to feel that the recitation is held partly for the purpose of rinding out where each child needs wise assist- ance. This attitude is not easily obtained, for there are genera- tions of acceptance of the false one behind us, but it is imperative that it eventually be established. Even then, con- stant watchfulness is necessary to maintain it. For whom does the recitation exist, the class or the teacher? Surely it must be for both. If the efficiency of the pupil falls below the standard, it usuallv „ L ± . Responsi- will be found that the efficiencv of the teacher biiity of the J e Teacher is below T par. The test of one is the test of the other. Repeated failure on the part of the pupil can generally be charged up to failure somewhere on the part of the teacher. If the class reports sum up each week with low, very low, standings for a majority of the class, then the teacher is at fault. She may be attempting more than the class is prepared to do ; she may not have the ability to hold them up to the best that they are capable of; she is failing in inspirational power or in some other 146 THE TEACHER particular. Let her never for a moment try to place the blame elsewhere, but diligently search out her own fault. Honest endeavor will soon reveal it. It goes without saying that the teacher must be familiar with the subject to be taught. The familiarity may not be of very long standing, and every good Preparation teacher will know more about a lesson at its close than at the beginning of the recitation. Daily preparation is demanded for each day's work. This consists of a clear knowledge of the topic to be brought up that day and also a fairly definite acquaintance with the lesson to be assigned. This is necessary for a right conduct of the class work and a just dividing of time between the various parts. No matter how familiar one may think he is with a given subject, when he attempts to instruct another in that same subject, it immediately becomes clouded with vagueness and loses sharpness of detail. It is one thing to know geography in a general way; it is quite a different matter to be ready with accurate informa- tion on the rivers, lakes, cities, and industries of any given countiy and to be able to trace the physical or social con- ditions that brought this or that region into prominence and prosperity. To be clear and accurate upon the comparatively simple subjects of the lower grades will require very much more definite study on the part of new teachers than most of them suspect. Even after long experience, there will still remain the necessity of careful preparation upon each lesson. As one goes higher and higher in the grades this neces- sity for preparation becomes increasingly insistent. Arith- metic has problems that sometimes do not yield their cor- SPIRIT OF THE RECITATION 147 rect answers at the first touch ; the English language offers many tangles. Not only should the lessons for each day be carefully studied, but the teacher should keep far enough ahead of the classes, in this special preparation, to allow sufficient time for unforeseen difficulties. They are sure to lie in ambush ahead. It will not be sufficient just to keep even with the class or a day or two ahead of it, but the teacher should study, really study, far ahead. More than that, a teacher's preparation must far outrun that just technically demanded for the particular recita- tion. To teach the simplest thing well, there must be in the mind of the teacher a wide background of knowledge that may never appear in the class-room. It is none the less valuable, for it gives the teacher confidence in herself, helps throw into the foreground the important points, and makes for greater general efficiency*. The constant aim in teaching should be to simplify, not to make difficult. Troubles enough arise after the teacher has done all in her power to make the way plain. Simplicity The ability to seize upon the salient points and hold them clearly up to the view of the class is a most desirable accomplishment. To do this, one must possess a mind trained to a sense of values and must be able to take hold of the point or points to which all the rest of the subject is naturally attached. Every subject, every phase of a subject, has some features that are vital. These are the ones to emphasize, and the ones which the class should be trained to select for themselves. All life is a matter of selection, of taking what really is vital to the condition. 148 THE TEACHER The inexperienced teacher will take too much for granted in the attainments of the class. There will be a tendency to depend upon a single impression. i^DNii 3 " 06 Drill! drill! drill! Review! review! review! must be the watchword of every recitation for him who hopes to attain lasting results. A young man in his first year of teaching had classes in geometry. He was well prepared in the subject-matter, knew his geometry, was interested in teaching, was enthu- siastic, and the class all liked him. Each day's work was well presented and the mathematical points carefully and clearly brought out. Everything seemed to be going well ; both teacher and class were satisfied. No one was at all disturbed except the study-room teacher in whose presence the class made its preparation. It seemed to her that geome- try was not sufficiently in evidence in the hours devoted to study. She gained the impression that the pupils were taking the matter too lightly and were thinking themselves prepared when they had not spent the time necessary for mastery. She spoke of it to the teacher, but he assured her that the students were all making excellent progress and that failure in recitation was almost unknown. Such a statement did not quiet the fears of the experienced teacher, but she could do nothing more. When examinations were held, they proved that, while each day's class work might have been done fairly well, there had been no real mastery of the subject except by two or three pupils of that type who need no teacher, anyway. The result showed almost complete failure and no one was more surprised over it than the teacher. His fault was in taking too much for granted and for- SPIRIT OF THE RECITATION 149 getting that the young mind cannot take the pace of the older one. He assigned lessons that were too long, went too rapidly over the fundamentals, took the recitation of one or two as representative of the class attainment, and did too much of the reciting himself. He had not understood that satisfactory results in geometry could be gained only by very slow work at first, with particular attention in recita- tions to logical development of subject-matter and to form of expression. He had gone too rapidly and had lost sight of the importance of drill. He had also taken it for granted that his work consisted in seeing that the lessons were assigned and the various points once brought to the atten- tion of the class, assuming that they would do the rest. Repetition is of the utmost importance. One of the greatest teachers this country has ever known, Professor Edward Olney, of the University of Michigan, once said that one example done ten times carried more teaching value than ten examples done once. Whoever has tried this expedient knows that this is the truth. By this he did not mean copying the solution the required number of times, but an independent attacking of a particular problem, attacking it repeatedly until its solu- tion becomes automatic. Even a fairly clear knowledge of an example is not possible to the young mind through a single solution. Here is a method which is good for both pupil and teacher : collect the papers for the day, then set the pupils immediately to reproducing them. Both they and you will be surprised at the difference in the character of the two papers and that difference does not indicate, either, that the first papers were not honestly prepared. Not seven times seven, but seventy times seven ; line upon 150 THE TEACHER line ; precept upon precept ; getting over and over again accurate responses to oft-repeated questions, will produce results, and nothing. else will. Through the recitation, the habit of studying together can be watched. It is not easy for the pupil to see the dangers of this practice. This is particularly Together difficult as the results are not all harmful. Sometimes it is the very best thing that can be done. With all due respect to the power of experience, it is also true that pupils can occasionally be of greater assistance to each other than the very best of teachers. The subject should be made one of frequent discussion in class and the teacher should guard against the condition which allows the weak pupil to become a parasite upon the brain of another. It is good for two minds of equal caliber to discuss a lesson together if this does not become a matter of daily occurrence. The great danger comes when two pupils study together with a division of labor. For instance, two young girls regularly prepared their Cicero lesson together. One had almost a genius for apprehending Latin construction. Even before she knew the meaning of half the words, she could see their grammatical relation and be sure of the con- struction of the sentence. The other one had an excellent verbal memory. She furnished rapidly the root meaning of the words and the first one turned them into satisfactory translation. The result was very quick preparation of each day's lesson. The girl who furnished the meaning of the words could never work out a satisfactory translation alone ; the other never attained a good vocabulary and so her advanced study, when she and her friend had gone different ways, was laborious, keeping her always tied to a lexicon. It is a good device, once in a while, to let those who have SPIRIT OF THE RECITATION 151 mastered a difficult lesson, especially in mathematics, turn themselves into teachers for the others, assigning one or more pupils to each pupil teacher. The effect is good upon all. The explanation of the young mind may strike home surer than anything that the adult could offer. As everywhere else, routine is a deadly element when it enters the class room. As soon as pupils can reckon what is to be done, they glide calmly into indifference and let the recitation go on without their inter- Monotony est. Constant alertness is necessary to keep a class awake. Expedients must be invented, and the teacher must appear to the class "new every morning." A minister who was considered very successful and inspir- ing was asked how he held the attention of the congregation to his sermons. "There is nothing new to preach to them," he replied. "The gospel is as old as Christ and Him crucified, and yet the message must be preached Sunday after Sunday, the same message, the same truth. To make it strike home, I strive for new and startling ways of presentation." The same is true in the school-room. English, geography, and arithmetic are more or less the same yesterdav, today? and forever in vital principles, at least. But these must be taught to each succeeding generation. The teacher who remains long in the service has great need to guard against dullness and monotony in her work. Here the } T oung teacher has a decided advantage. She brings to the work fresh enthusiasm, and often wins where the more experienced teacher rattles only the dry bones of the subject, to the terror and disgust of the children. Ingenuity is an important factor in a teacher's equip- ment. One resource after another may fail to pierce the clouded dullness of a child's mind. Nothing daunted, let 152 THE TEACHER the teacher seek out and bring into service surrounding objects, a good story, anything that will do the work. But let her never give up until the idea that fulness 06 " sne * s a fter comes crystal clear to the mind before her. The young mind does not readily grasp abstractions. None of us ever get so old that a subject may not be illu- minated by the concrete. All literature for teachers is full of suggestions for the application of the concrete. English has its illuminating pictures for the younger children, its acting of dramatic scenes for all ages. To appreciate the importance of this element, it is only necessary for us to recall how much more vivid to us are the plays of Shakes- peare which we have seen produced than those which we have merely read. In this attempt to arouse interest, the work should have variety. The method that will do one day will have no effect on another. Classes have moods just as people do, and these, carefully studied, will suggest the right method of reaching the mind. Whole classes will sometimes show excessive sensitiveness and apparent irritation. The weather conditions are frequently responsible for this. Let the cause be what it may, it calls for counteraction, and the teacher is the one to apply the remedy. A rapid fire of sharp, terse questions will often accom- plish the result ; sometimes it must be a story, and in extreme cases the very work itself must be laid aside, but in some way the lethargy of the class must be done away with. There is a good lesson in a story told by a leading super- intendent, although the method might not find approval in these days of tender handling of the young. His early school days were spent in the typical district SPIRIT OF THE RECITATION 153 school and evidently under a forceful teacher. One particu- lar day a young boy had been too indolent to prepare his arithmetic lesson and too indifferent to give attention in class. When called upon to explain an example, he gave the teacher the common, irresponsible "I don't know how," and immediately lapsed into pleasant dreams as far removed as possible from the scene of action. Another boy was called upon, and he made a creditable recitation. "Henry, now explain that example," said the teacher to the first boy. Now Henry had once failed honorably and completely. What right had the teacher to call upon him again ? Of course he had not heard a word of what had been said, and again answered, "I don't know." "Come here, Henry," said the teacher. The boy advanced to the platform, where the instructor stood slightly above him, with his forefinger shut into the arithmetic to keep the place. With the book, the teacher gave the boy two rousing blows one on each side of the head. "Now explain that example," was the order in a tone that demanded compliance. "And I explained it," said the boy, grown to manhood when he told the story, "and I explained it with a clearness never before reached in that class or in any other. I had simply been too lazy to think." This case was not an exceptional one and, although we may not commend the vigorous blows on the head, some- thing equally startling and effective must be among the resources of anyone who would succeed in the teaching profession. There must be an occasional jar sufficient to produce crystallization in the quiet water of the mind. 154 THE TEACHER The time comes occasionally when it is best for the teacher to do all the work. This is especially true when a new topic that requires development is to be taken up. When this is the case, it has a good effect to announce that you propose to do the reciting yourself that day. This part of it is easy, but to recite in such a manner as will carry the class with you is more difficult. Without doing this }^our recitation is a failure. The test of what you have accomplished comes the next day, when you insist that the class give back to you the salient points of your recitation. Sometimes it is well to have no recitation at all, especially in mathematics, but to turn the time into a laboratory period. A part of good teaching lies in teaching pupils to study. This is best done by giving a certain amount of time to watching the pupils work, standing ready to help where help is needed, criticizing methods that are wrong, and on the whole getting a clear view of individual faults. Teachers are too prone to thrust their own ideas upon the minds of the pupils. Many of them become dictatorial, instead of following the mind of the individual the'chiid child. They decide what is best for him, and then proceed to cram it into his head. A class had been given a particular written exercise in which they were to draw upon their own minds for the subject-matter. "Of course," said one boy, "I can think of lots of things to say, but they are not the things the teacher wants me to think, so it's all wrong." Read that again and then think about it. Another example is equally forcible. In a test in high school English, the question was asked : "Was Johnson justified in paraphrasing the twenty-third psalm ?" SPIRIT OF THE RECITATION 155 The topic had been discussed in class and the teacher had expressed his opinion, in fact, had forced it upon the pupils. In marking the papers, to all who, following his instructions and agreeing with him, had said "No," he gave 100 per cent. If they said "Yes," although they gave a reason for the thought that was within them, and expressed it in good English, he marked zero. What right has any teacher to dictate what a child shall think? So long as one deals with youth, he knows not in what presence he stands. In an English class in a certain western city, there once sat a quiet, self-possessed lad who was not counted an unusual student except in the marked thoroughness with which he did everything he undertook. He did not write better than some others in the class, but he had read much and intelligently, had traveled, and had been allowed to indulge his love for outdoor life. The dreams of youth were his. He carried visions of shimmering brook and leap- ing trout and flashing wave ; of birds, and trees, and flowers ; of floating clouds and the flash of fierce storms. The countless voices of "The Silent Places" had spoken to him, and he had learned early the language of the open. Since then he has written of "The Forest," "The Sea," and of all life in the free outdoors in a way to place him among the writers of note in our own generation. Such a one succeeds in spite of all kinds of teaching, for "Genius finds its own road and carries its own lamp." The one hope of the English teacher of that boy is that by conventional methods she did not seriously delay his progress, did not stand too much in his way with futile attempts to dictate where she should have found her place as follower and willing assistant. Under the present school system, it not infrequently hap- 156 THE TEACHER pens that the mind of the child becomes hysterical. Just so much ground has to be covered, and the teacher drags, drives, and pushes the class on to the end Repose which must be reached within a given time. The brightest pupils keep the pace with some degree of comfort, the average child arrives breathless, while the rest are pulled along, their intellectual feet scarcely touching the ground. The spirit of the age, the spirit of rush and haste, has entered the lives even of children. Mental repose has little place today in education. A class of eight boys had been studying "The Lady of the Lake," using one of the approved edited copies. The poem had been analyzed and individual words discussed. The literary side had not been entirely ignored, but it had been subordinated to the dissecting of the composition, and so appeared in a somewhat scrappy way through occasional reading of passages by teacher or pupil. One day, after such a reading, one of the boys exclaimed, "Oh, Miss C , when we get through studying this, can't we read it?" The sequel is equally pregnant with meaning. They did read the poem, and at the close of the first day's continuous reading, this same boy raised both hands and, waving them excitedly, exclaimed, "Oh, please don't ask us any ques- tions ! Let us just think about it." It was a sad commentary upon the hysterical condition of our schools, when a child had to beg for an opportunity to think. No needless obstacles should be placed in the way of the pupil. He should be given, as far as possible, m"nt Urage ' a c ^ ear field for the exercise of his powers. Besides this, the child is rare who does not need encouragement and whose success or failure is not SPIRIT OF THE RECITATION 157 more or less dependent upon sympathetic interest. The case of a small boy in a settlement school in a western city carries a good lesson on this particular point. Tom was a sturdy little athlete, and won most of the races and other contests of strength. Through various win- some traits he had found his way to the heart of the teacher and she was always interested in his success. One day arrangements had been made for a foot-race. Several boys were to run, but everybody was sure Tom would win. The preliminaries were settled, the race started, and the boys were off over the course. Tom led free and clear for about half the distance. Then, to the surprise of every- body, Johnny began to gain on him. Jim was just behind Johnny and running vigorously. Tom's feet seemed to grow heavy, and Johnny steadily decreased the distance between them until finally he shot past Tom and, with a sudden spurt, gained the goal fully five } T ards in advance. Jim was close behind and he, too, sped over the line a little ahead of Tom. "What was the matter?" asked the teacher, as the de- feated boy came toward her with tears streaming down his face. His only answer was a sob. "Tell me what happened, Tom." Tom dug his knuckles into his eyes to dry his tears, and tried to tell his story. "I started all right, you know." "Yes, you led them all for half the distance." "But when I got half way around, the boys began to call, 'Go it, Johnny, you're second !' 'Hustle, Jim, you're gaining!' 'Run, Johnny, run; you're most up to him!' but nobody said 'Go it, Tom !' and somehow it got into my legs 158 THE TEACHER and they wouldn't go," and Tom, dropping to the ground in a heap, cried as though his heart would break. There is a good lesson in this for all teachers. The human being does not exist who does not need encourage- ment. Many failures can be charged to the fact that at the critical moment there was no one to say "Go it, Tom." An examiner of schools for one of the state universities recently said that in the score of schools which he visits, it is the exception to find a teacher holding the and 6 Interest attention of all or even of a majority of the class. It is easy to teach one individual at a time, but, through class work, to teach every individual at the same time, is difficult. Too often the pupil who is on his feet is the only one who profits by the recitation ; the others sit in more or less patient submission — sometimes we are very grateful if it is patient — until the welcome bell closes the period of dull- ness. Two minutes is fully up to the average that can be allotted to each pupil in the usual recitation. If, during the rest of the time, the twenty or more are sitting in listless endurance, what a failure the recitation becomes ! What a travesty such a recitation is upon real teaching ! One of the hardest things for a new teacher to do is to be sensitive to inattention. It is so easy to become absorbed in the subject-matter under consideration that the listless- ness of the class will entirely escape notice. The teacher must learn to be sensitive to every condition around her, must keep the point of the lesson clearly in mind, must not allow the slightest confusion in the intel- lectual clearness with which the subject is handled. At the same time she must be conscious of its effect upon every individual; be able to detect the very instant at which one SPIRIT OF THE RECITATION 159 single mind wanders from the discussion, and be inventive enough to bring it back. Do not be deceived by the eye fixed steadily upon you. The mind may be playing that afternoon's ball game or thinking over the last automobile ride, or dangling an en- ticing worm in some shady, rippling stream. In fact, the good teacher must be sensitive to countless conditions and influences that may well and easily pass the observation of the ordinary individual. Such a teacher will feel the pull of each mind upon her own just as the driver of a circus wagon feels the strain of each of the sixteen or eighteen horses upon the reins which are in his hands. He knows the instant one settles back in harness, letting the lines fall slack as he ceases to pull his share of the load. The teacher must be like the conductor of a great orchestra holding each instrument to close attention to the score so that it will be ready to take up its part at the slightest signal. This may seem like idealism, but it is a condition pos- sible of attainment, and now and then a teacher does gain such control of a class. Even if daily results do not always reach this height, it is the standard that should constantly be held, for results do not outrun ideals. Pupils should be trained to follow closely the trend of the recitation ; trained to that alert attention which drives each interrogation straight at every individual and gains from the particular one called upon either a correct answer or some other prompt intimation that the question has struck home. No one can place too great an estimate upon the effect of voice and manner on a class. There are teachers who 160 THE TEACHER drone along in a monotonous, humdrum way, giving per- fectly lucid and scholarly explanations, asking clear-cut questions but spoiling the effect of what might Manner" * otherwise be good teaching by lack of forceful speech or compelling manner. Instead of keeping pupils alert and up to the mark these teachers lull them into gentle quietude where they can dream the hour pleasantly away. There comes to mind the picture of just such a teacher. Her branch was English and she was well qualified men- tally for the subject. She was a woman of wide reading, of sensitive, poetic nature, and possessed of excellent abil- ity. She loved her work and was devoted to her particular department. In spite of all this, however, her classes often wandered off into dreamland and she never missed them. With some literary favorite in her hand, she would take her place before the class and, in a musical, low-pitched voice, float off upon some poetical flight, leaving the class mere mortals upon a lower plane. In contrast to this case is that of a young man who taught the same subject. He, too, loved his subject, but in addition he had the gift of being an inspiring teacher. In poetic appreciation he went far, but somehow he never left the class behind him. This was the more remarkable, as the class was all boys. No matter how intelligent they may be, it is unfortu- nately true that boys are not addicted to the reading habit, and when they do read it is not the masterpieces of English literature. Yet in a surprisingly short time this man had even the least intellectually inclined pupil interested in some great writer. One boy had never read at all and no one thought he had anything in him to which the finer subtleties of a poet would appeal, but he became intensely interested SPIRIT OF THE RECITATION 161 in Shakespeare. The teacher read to him with an insistent, modulated, sympathetic voice. Under this inspiration, the boy read play after play with absorbing interest and appre- ciation. Another teacher was talking with the boy about his read- ing and mentioned his own delight in a certain play. His remark elicited this spontaneous response from the boy: "That's all right, but I tell you, Hamlet's got 'em all skun to death." His English may be open to criticism, but who shall say that he had not some appreciation of the master when he reached such a conclusion just from his own reading and held it with really deep feeling? The two cases are extreme ones, but there is wide range of educational dullness lying between them. Only now and then does a teacher possess the unusual charm which be- longed to the young man ; only occasionally is a teacher so lost to surroundings as to let a class get entirely away from her as in the case first cited. But in every recitation, if voice and manner of teacher are not forceful and attractive, there is bound to be much waste energy, much inability to reach with power the entire class. A boy once aptly characterized this type of teaching, and in the story there is a whole volume of unwritten pedagogy. He was in an algebra class reciting to a young man who was really an exceptional teacher in many ways, but very calm, sometimes to the extent of appearing indif- ferent. He was master of his subject, clear in his teach- ing, and insistent in his demand for good work. The boy in question went to the principal asking for transfer to another section under another teacher. When asked the reason he gave a striking reply. "Well," he said, "you know, I'm kind of dull and stupid, 162 THE TEACHER and while Mr. A is all right and a good teacher, and I like him, you see, Mr. B hollers louder." Mr. B's manner of "hollering" did not consist entirely of shouting at a class, although he could do that when necessary, but he was a forceful, picturesque teacher, who kept every member of his class wide awake al] the time, and failure there was almost unknown. A large part of the inefficiency of all work can be charged to the fact that the teacher fails to "holler" loud enough to arouse the minds of the class. There are more ways, too, of "hollering" than by raising the voice ; in fact, this should be resorted to only in extreme cases. One of the most effective mathematics teachers spoke rarely in class, never raised his voice above a low conversational tone ; yet by some peculiar power all his own he could hold a class of forty or more in close and comprehensive communica- tion with his own mind. They followed his guidance and direction perfectly and the progress made in every recita- tion would be beyond the belief of the ordinary teacher. The close of a recitation should be reached with the topic for the day well rounded to completeness. It should be like the end of a good story which comes Recitation ded ou ^ pleasantly with a clear picture of all the characters before the mind. If there is turmoil at the end, if the topic has not become clear, if a part of the lesson has not been well covered, then something is wrong, either in the assignment or in the matter of class handling. The recitation-rooms upon whose boards examples are left with wrong results or which reveal incorrect processes, are proof that poor teaching has been done that day. It is not always possible to take up in class the explanation of every example or the correction of every sentence, but the SPIRIT OF THE RECITATION 163 trained eye of the teacher must know what is right and what is wrong. If there is not going to be time for full discussion of everything that has been put upon the board a quick noting that this or that is wrong, indicating the fact by a forceful mark which allows no mistaken idea con- cerning it, will correct the wrong impression. Freedom of speech and thought in class is earnestly to be sought after, but that freedom, while seeming unre- strained, should never slip the leash of the teacher's guiding mind. She must know where the discussion is going, and how far it may be allowed to wander and yet be rounded up to right conclusions before the class is dismissed. An interesting example of a rounded recitation is fur- nished by a wise teacher of literature who used the dramatic element. Each year he read aloud to his class Marlowe's "Faust." He knew the play so well that by retarding or accelerating his reading he could keep within such limits as he pleased. He never failed of a sensation when he timed his reading so that the bell rang just at the instant when, in the play, the clock strikes twelve and the powers of darkness come to claim the soul of Faust. There is one power possessed by the best teachers which is almost too subtle to discuss or to explain, but it is a large factor in the success of many efficient instructors. That power is the ability to make Personal r J . Bond every pupil in the class feel that the teacher is conscious of him every minute, not in a watchful way, but with an understanding, companionable interest. In general company, if something brilliant is said, some- thing that stirs our interest, we instinctively glance with sympathetic appreciation at the individual there whom we know best or from whom we are sure of a comprehending responsive look. 164 THE TEACHER Something akin to this has its place in the class-room. It is possible to make a pupil see from the expression upon your face that you understand him, although he may be answering your question in a stumbling manner. The sympathetic teacher, by a glance of the eye, a lift of the hand, sometimes by an aside that reaches only the ears for which it was intended, can keep half a dozen pupils actively interested in the recitation while the voice of but one is audible. This, too, should help in determining the mark of indi- viduals for the day. The true appreciation of the various members of the class will make each one feel his own per- sonal relation to the teacher. There are possibilities for countless intellectual secrets and quiet understandings, all of which add to the power of the teacher. The relation will be different with each pupil, but the bond will be strong just in proportion as it becomes personal. In the presentation of the subject-matter to a class and in the treatment of the class, the personality of the teacher speaks powerfully. Above everything else a teacher should be inspiring, should possess the power to arouse interest in the class and to stir every individual to a desire for knowledge. Who- ever has watched schools critically will readily admit the force of this remark. How the pupil drags his unwilling steps to recitation under one teacher! How he goes with eager haste to the class-room of another ! Strange to say, the one who arouses the greatest interest is not alwavs the one of highest scholastic attainments ; it is the one with effective personality. CHAPTER XII SOME TECHNICALITIES OF THE RECITATION Schools are differently organized : some upon the class principle ; others upon the departmental. Under the for- mer method, a certain number of pupils is assigned to each teacher, and she does all the work in . ii- o ... Organization all subiects, looking* after the general discipline of the J ' to & * School as well. Under the departmental system, several grades are assem- bled in one room, in charge of one teacher, while the class work is largely or entirely done in recitation rooms. There is much to be said in favor of both plans, and yet something is lost through each one. Recitations in the same room where others are studying offer more or less distraction, but this very distraction may be educational. A lazy student, with no accurate foundation in language, was once being tutored in Caesar. His recitations were ill- prepared, and he used all the ingenuity that such a young man possesses to get the teacher to do the work for him. She was amazed, however, to see how well he knew the story of the Gallic wars. He was familiar with every phase of the campaign, knew the geography of the country, and was willing to talk without end of the clever generalship of Caesar. The teacher tested him thoroughly on his knowl- edge, and was forced to admit that he was far more accurate 165 166 THE TEACHER and had more interest than the pupils in her own classes. She asked him how it all came about. He had been, for a year just before coming to her, in one of the best schools for boys in the east. There he had sat in the room where the class in advance of him recited Caesar. They evidently had an inspiring teacher, because this boy, who was too indolent to study unless driven to it, drank in eagerly everything that was said in class. Where the class is kept to itself much of the inspiration gained by listening to advanced work is lost. A large num- ber of the children in public schools come from homes which furnish no intellectual inspiration and where the parents have no idea of what is good for their children, or what the schools have to offer. The pupils are compelled to find this out for themselves. If their vision is limited by the four walls of their own grade, where will they gain this inspiration? There is a definite educational value in living in the atmosphere of things a little beyond present attainments. The effect of this is especially noticeable in high school work. Seeing upon the board fragments of French, Latin, or German, an occasional figure in geometry, or some scien- tific diagram, is a stimulus to intellectual curiosity, and, besides, it gives the young person the habit of thinking that, in the natural course of events, these subjects must be taken up. Without doubt this unconscious influence has helped toward keeping many a young person longer in school because of these vistas opening before him. The student-like attitude is supposed to demand quiet, and much stress is put upon this where the organization supplies a room especially for study. No doubt there is something in this, but not all that is claimed for it. The well-trained mind can study anywhere. SOME TECHNICALITIES 167 Power of concentration sets up barriers against all kinds of external disturbances. Possibly it is the duty of the school to give training in this power of concentration, rather than to render it unnecessary. No matter how carefully any given system may be planned or worked out, conditions will never be ideal. Whatever the organization of the school, it will never be entirely satisfactory, and so it becomes the business of the teacher to accept it such as it is and then proceed to get results in spite of conditions that she might wish to change. The good teacher will succeed no matter what the environment, and failure should be charged up, not to externals, but to lack of power on the part of the teacher herself. If this principle could be burned into the understanding of every individual who enters the profession, and the energy that is lost upon futile fault-finding be conserved to good work, there would be fewer incompetents besieging teachers' agencies for positions. It is comparatively easy to succeed when conditions are right ; to succeed when they are not to the liking, proclaims the master. Instead of causing discouragement and irritation, difficulties should put the individual upon his mettle to drive them into satis- factory 7 conclusions. No matter what the organization of the school in the particulars suggested, the principles governing the recita- tion should be the same. Coming to the recitation itself, certain technicalities, cer- tain formalities, demand attention. The size of the class is usually determined by someone besides the teacher who hears the recitation. That, how- ever, does not shift the responsibility entirely. If the class is too large for efficient work, the state of things should be 168 THE TEACHER * reported to the responsible person at once. If that is done, there may be, on the part of the one having a full view of the situation, some way of adjusting the num- ciass° f bers. If that is out of the question, then the teacher must wrestle with the difficulty. Try first, through legitimate channels, to better the con- ditions ; failing there, do the best that can be done under the unfavorable conditions to get good results. Punctuality demands constant vigilance. Left to itself, a class may easily form the habit of dragging leisurely into class-room or to recitation seats, take its time Punctuality * n getting seated, and bring its attention to the business in hand only when compelled to. The teacher will get nothing more than she demands, and in the matter of punctuality too much patience is a mistake. It should be understood from the first day that the recitation begins promptly at the appointed time, and that the class is expected not only to be in place but to be ready for work on the instant. It is equally important that the teacher establish the same standards for herself, being always ready to receive the class at the appointed time and to begin the work on the instant. No time should be wasted in taking the roll. Each member should have his seat so that a glance will determine the absentees. The individual recitation of boy or girl becomes a more or less formal affair and should be treated as such. Pupils should be trained to stand firmly Position upon both feet in good position, to stand free from desk or seat, leaning upon nothing and depending upon nothing for support but the poise of their own muscles. This may seem a trifle, but, like other trifles, becomes an important part of a desirable whole. SOME TECHNICALITIES 169 The same care should be taken in the way a child sits in recitation. This will largely right itself if the recita- tion is thoroughly inspiring. The child who is interested will never be found slipped low in his seat or leaning upon his neighbor. Toss some unusually interesting thought unexpectedly upon a class and the first intimation that it has struck home will be in a general straightening of backs, a spontaneous leaning toward the center of interest, the increased muscular tension that goes with alertness. This works both ways. A good position, the natural position of attention, is not without its effect in securing that attention. It will not do all, but it will help, and should therefore be insisted upon. Besides, this is not merely a matter of school discipline, but a matter of health and good form as well. A proper sitting position and a good carriage are important parts of good breeding. It may be superfluous to say anything about the method of calling upon pupils to recite. This would certainly be true if so much wooden work were not con- stantly in evidence. It ought not to be nee- SpcmPupiis essary to warn teachers against the stupidity of calling upon pupils in any particular order, either alphabetically or according to seating, but there are teachers still in the ranks so short-sighted as to follow this habit. To avoid this, others use cards, each bearing the name of a pupil. While this may be an improvement upon the former method, it is a stupid way, takes too much time, and invariably diverts the attention of the teacher. The teacher must constantly be in control of the situa- tion and so bound by no hard and fast system. Sometimes the development of the recitation demands that one pupil be brought repeatedly to his feet ; again, questions follow- ing in rapid succession should be so distributed that mem- 170 THE TEACHER bers of the class can never guess who will be next up; in fact, whatever is necessary on any given day to keep the class alert and fully up to the mark, must be the method used, and that method should vary from day to day. A clear, distinct articulation is a part of the training due a child. He should never be allowed to slur his words, to glide over important sounds, or to mumble Articulation in an indistinct, slovenly manner. Equally to be avoided are the blatant, strident tones that belong so markedly to the uncultivated. Tone, quality, and pitch of voice are a legitimate part of education, and it makes no difference whether the sub- ject-matter is smooth, melodious French, clear-cut science, definite mathematics, or the gliding periods of literature, the demand in recitation for distinct articulation in a well- modulated voice is an intrinsic part of right training. Good English is another requisite. The tendency of all young people is to speak laconically, using only such words as are really necessary to convey a slight ingHsh inkling of the idea floating vaguely in the head. "I know it, but I can't say it," is a frequent remark heard in the class-room. The stock answer to this remark is. "If you really knew, you could tell it." That is not true in the sense in which the average teacher means it. It is possible that the knowledge may not be very clear in the mind, may not be comprehensive, yet the answer, to the mind of the child, is essentially correct. He does know to his own satisfaction, but is not yet trained to rapidly transfer ideas to spoken language. A part of the duty of the recitation is to give him this training. In studying his lesson the pupil should be taught to keep constantly in mind the fact that he will be expected in class SOME TECHNICALITIES 171 to give a clear, concise discussion of what is before him on the printed page or what was brought out in class on some previous day. It is not enough to gain a mental concept just while the idea is before him in the book. That may seem very vivid at the time, but it has a strange trick of becoming vague and clouded by a thousand doubts as soon as the presence of the teacher is substituted for the pres-, ence of the book. The young teacher will not readily grasp this condition. She will know that on the presentation of a particular topic to the class, on the explanation of some obscure point, the class understood it. That comprehension may have been perfectly clear at the time, for it is comparatively easy to follow the leading strings of another mind. After an exceptionally lucid explanation, which the class seems to grasp with interest, the teacher would be greatly surprised if she should ask the very brightest pupil in the class to reproduce at once what has just been so clearly presented. In most cases the result would be halting and unsatisfac- tory. There will be evidence that the mind has followed faithfully the explanation, but much of the detail will have vanished from memory. How much more will this be true when the activities of twenty-four hours have intervened before the topic is again brought up for discussion? Absorbing interest centers around the final marks which are the visible estimate of the pupil's standing. Close com- parison of each child's marks with those of his associates is constantly going on ; there is Marking an equally insistent comparison of a teacher's judgment of a recitation with that of the one making it; there is also the unfailing desire for high marks which some- times exists independently of merit. In view of all this, although the mark won is not the most important purpose 172 THE TEACHER of a recitation, it becomes imperative that all markings be as nearly just as possible. Man}^ elements enter into the final estimate for each day. There may have been written work to hand in. This is to be considered not only with reference to its own complete- ness and correctness but for its importance in relation to the rest of the assignment. Then comes the class record. To give a pupil a per- fect mark just because he happens to recite well upon one question which fell to his lot early in the hour is not a measure of the full period for him. His attention during the remainder of the time should be taken into account, his ability to go on with the recitation at any point, the expres- sion of his face, indicating alertness or the contrary, should all be considered. Here, too, unthinking, parrot-like repetition has to be guarded against. A child may give a slow, stumbling answer — slow because he is carefully and thoughtfully pick- ing his way through a new mystery — and yet make a better recitation than the one to whom the correct verbal answer comes "trippingly on the tongue," with no thought back of it. The better mark belongs to the former, for he has gone forward a little way with added strength, with increased power. The mark of each pupil for the day should represent not only the particular showing which he made in formal reci- tation, but should take into account his entire attitude for the full time of the recitation period; should take into consideration, so far as possible to obtain the information, the faithfulness of his preparation, and, above all else, should be a measure of the power which he has gained. The sensitive teacher will have a picture of all this in her mind for each individual at the close of the recitation. SOME TECHNICALITIES 173 This may seem to demand something like the power of second sight, but good teachers have to be thus endowed. The poor ones see only what lies near the surface. This comprehensive judgment precludes any marking in a class book during a recitation period. Quick notes may be taken, but nothing more. But even if this reason did not exist, there is another important one for not marking at once. Nothing should be allowed for an instant to detract from the main business. Eye, hand, and thought of the teacher cannot be diverted from the recitation without loss of both time and interest. The time for assigning the next day's lesson will vary with circumstances. Some teachers have the invariable habit of giving out the next lesson at the opening of the recitation, with the idea of not allowing Assigning a clear assignment to be crowded out at the close. This immediately puts a hard and fast rule upon everybody. Perhaps the amount allotted for this particu- lar day has not been wisely apportioned, and the close of the period may leave much that is vital still undiscussed. With every possible forethought, unexpected difficulties will arise and must be dealt with. Too little work may have been apportioned and the les- son of the day easily covered before the time is up. The remaining time should not be wasted, but the class pushed on to the pages that are still unturned. Not a moment should be thrown away in allowing the class to mark time, or in just waiting for the bell. All these things demand that the class work be left entirely adjustable. No one can tell, until the recitation is nearly over, what kind of assignment will be wisest. It may be necessary to require a repetition of the very lesson of the day ; a class may do better or worse than was expected, 174 THE TEACHER and tomorrow's work should depend upon the results ob- tained today. The close of the period, then, becomes the natural time for giving out the following lesson, and that should be done in the light of what the hour just past has brought forth. In the preparation of the next lesson assigned, it is the teacher's duty to avoid all unnecessary waste and its attend- ant discouragement. N ayin work t Presumably the teacher comes to the class each day prepared not only upon the lesson of the day, but with a clear knowledge of what is to follow, and a mental picture of the difficulties which the new work presents. Some of these the class should be able to master alone. All such are better left to them, for it is never good teaching to do for a young person anything which he can do for himself. If preceding study has already pointed out the way to new achievement, then the class can be left to its own devices. If it has not, then it devolves upon the teacher to open the way for effective study upon the next day's lesson. He should not clear up every bit of underbrush and lay an asphalt pavement for the indolent, but he must point out the sure, direct way and so mark the path that it cannot be mistaken. The pupil should not be left to wander through an unbroken forest of difficulties. Once in a senior algebra class a boy said that he had spent his entire evening study time upon the set of exam- ples for the next day. Forty-five minutes should have been ample. Deducting that amount, he had toiled an hour and a quarter without results. Investigation proved that the teacher, only, was to blame. The boy's difficulty was the result of one mistake, a mis SOME TECHNICALITIES 175 take perfectly natural for anyone to make at his stage of development. His teacher should have foreseen this, and in two or three minutes' lucid discussion in class, have eliminated that possibility. As a good guide, she should have put up a sign post at the parting of the ways to turn him in the right direction. He would have been saved two hours' blind groping, getting him nowhere after all. Instead, an hour's clear study would have brought satis- factory results and increased his own mental self-respect. Algebraically, he would have been better off, and would have been saved much needless nervous strain. The recitation showed that others had ended in the same pitfall, so that day the teacher was compelled to do what she ought to have been wise enough to do the day before. By her failure to lead the way at the proper time, the entire class suffered delay of twenty-four hours. By poor teaching she had cheated them all. It is common to charge all faults in teaching to young, inexperienced teachers, but in this particular those long in the work are equally apt to fail. The subject-matter becomes so familiar that it is sometimes difficult to realize that anyone can find trouble with what is to them so simple. The young teacher is nearer her own student days, finds it necessary to make a more minute preparation for a day's work, and not infrequently encounters troubles of her own. With these fresh in mind, she is more inclined to be watch- ful for the pitfalls likely to ensnare the class, for they are probably the very ones into which she has fallen. The mass of papers crying for correction is a killing thing in this business. A man noted for his success in a normal school once said that the p°p r e e r c s ting really good teacher would never allow this to become a burden. According to him, there were ways of 176 THE TEACHER accomplishing right results without suicide by way of blue pencil or red ink pen. There is some truth in this, but a certain amount of real drudgery in this direction is inevitable. There are two or three different results to be gained from written work prepared outside of class. These differ- ent objects ought to be kept clearly in mind in the demands made. In language work, in mathematics, and other things that require the application of accurate principles, the amount assigned should be very definite. It then becomes the teacher's business to look these papers over very carefully, marking all mistakes. Again, this work on the part of the instructor becomes utterly void of value unless the pupils make afterwards an equally critical study of their mistakes and then cor- rect them. If, after long, laborious correcting of papers, the pupil simply looks at his mark and, ignoring the mistakes, tosses the paper into the waste basket, the teacher might far better have saved her strength. Her work has been thrown away with the paper, and an opportunity of teach- ing value lost. Occasionally it is well to let the pupils exchange papers and correct each other's, under direction. This, however, is an expedient that should not often be resorted to, for by repetition it loses its effect. Sometimes nothing better can be done than to have each pupil keep his own paper and, putting himself in a critical attitude, make his own corrections, still under the direction of the teacher. The teaching value of this exercise can be made very great if the right relation of confidence exists. The class must be in sympathy with the teacher and really eager to make progress. SOME TECHNICALITIES 177 There are times when it is wise to give a written task to be done out of class, of such a nature that the papers do not need critical examination. When this is true, collect the papers and then tell the pupils frankly that the work was assigned for the sake of giving them a certain amount of practice in a particular direction ; that it is not your plan to mark the papers carefully, but to give them a general review ; that, if they wish to see the papers again, and there are a few who always do, you will save such as are requested, but that you will destroy the others as soon as you are through with them. There are teachers who repeatedly ask for papers and then throw them into the waste basket, unread. Others mark carelessly and then return the papers. One case is authentic where a pupil, knowing this habit of carelessness, ventured to hand in a blank paper, conventionally folded and properly endorsed. The next day he got it back, marked a hundred. Above everything else, be absolutely honest with the class in this particular. Let them understand that when you ask for written work under certain conditions, you expect to go over that work critically and shall demand from them later a correction of all their mistakes. When the condi- tions are different, or the purpose different, take them into your confidence ; they will not abuse it. Some teachers are note-book mad. They require pupils to have and to keep note-books in every possible subject. Like many things, this may be valuable in certain places and very objectionable in others. Note Book There is great danger in allowing young people to form the habit of keeping too much in visible form and so not depending upon their mental resources. Increased power, the final purpose of education, is thus lost. 178 THE TEACHER Pupils are sometimes allowed and requested to keep exam- ple books into which all the examples of each day are copied. This is certainly worse than time wasted. The purpose of solving examples is not to get a solution in fascinating form in a neatly kept note-book, but to gain power, not merely to solve this example or set of examples, but power to go at something more difficult and to do the new thing more easily. Besides the bad effects in the matter of good teaching, these methods often become time wasters. It is so much easier to use the fingers than to use the brain. Much time can be thus wasted that should go into vigorous study. In this matter the teacher should not lose sight of the value of strengthening the impression in any particular direction, by going over it even by copying, but it is easy to overestimate this effectiveness when applied to note- books. If the children have a series of example-books to refer to in review, they lamely lean upon them and lose all the training they might get, to say nothing of the wrongful use of these examples by pupils who never get quite strong enough to do entirely honest work. Think carefully before you allow anything in the way of needless note-books to find their place in the school-room. The subject of the technique of the recitation should not be left without a few words especially for high school teachers. Methods There is one error into which the inexperi- enced are apt to fall. This danger is increas- ing as more and more high schools are demanding college graduates for all positions. These teachers come into the schools fresh from their own college work, with the instruc- tion of some favorite professor standing out clearly in SOME TECHNICALITIES 179 mind. They may bring certificates of full courses in pedagogy, but they do not bring experience. Such a teacher's greatest danger is in forgetting his environment. The first thing that he should fix clearly in his mind is that a college and a secondary school are two different places. The method which his favorite professor used with such success upon him and his associates has no place in the work before him. His professor dealt with the trained intellect ; he is to meet the young, eager but rela- tively untrained mind. The purpose of a secondary school is not to furnish college instruction. The greatest fault of these inexperienced college graduates is their attempt to transfer to the high schools college methods in teaching. There comes to mind the picture of a certain class in English History. The teacher was an unusually bright, attractive young man, but he had yet to learn that he was in a high school and not in college. He adopted the lecture method, and as he talked, the class were all busy trying to keep up with him with fountain pen or pencil. Their study time was spent in getting these notes into shape. At inter- vals the note-books were handed in and the teacher approved or disapproved according to appearance. Nobody ever suspected him of reading them carefully enough to have any idea of their contents. The class was orderly and attentive, and he was satisfied with what was being done. When the first examination came, what a fall was there ! He could not understand what was wrong until a teacher of experience pointed out the fact that he was working in a secondary school. CHAPTER XIII EXAMINATIONS There has been endless discussion over the question of examinations and a decided difference of opinion touching their place in a school system. Some administrations hold tenaciously to them, examin- ing rigidly and often. Experience has led others to abolish them entirely, arguing that the nervous strain is too great upon the child, and insisting that the examination is not, after all, an honest measure of the child's attainment. On the other hand it is claimed that examinations are a valuable school exercise ; that they are a means of classify- ing and keeping within call any knowledge that has been presented during a limited period either of weeks or months ; that the ability to retain and express clearly the salient points in a given subject should constitute a part of a child's training. Besides this, the demands of many of the best colleges for entrance examinations make necessary some sort of prep- aration for taking them. This affects all secondary schools, of course, but has a stronger bearing upon private schools, where the majority of the students expect to go to colleges requiring such examinations. What the policy of the school shall be in this direction, of course, an individual teacher does not have to determine, but each teacher should study the question carefully, watch- ing the system used in the school, giving honest testimony 180 EXAMINATIONS 181 to the evils of the method as well as to its advantages, and gathering data for an opinion. The practice of a school is finally settled by this same careful study on the part of all its teachers, resulting eventually in a well-defined fac- ulty opinion, usually the final court of appeal. Many schools have the habit, beginning in the lower grades, of excusing from examinations all whose standings during the term or quarter or semester, as the Excusing division may be, have reached a certain average. Examina- This has its effect in spurring many pupils on tl0ns to strong effort to maintain such a standard. The ambition to gain such distinction has a powerful influence upon cer- tain temperaments, and there will be in almost every class one or two who rarely, if ever, have to submit to the ordeal. To escape this they must do from day to day rather more than excellent work. They are the pupils who shine always and among their fellows are familiarly called "sharks." A young girl had for years attained this distinction in her class, had gone through all the grades without having to take examination. For some reason, the first year that she was in the high school, it was decreed that everyone must take examinations at the end of the first semester. This girl went into them with perfect confidence in her ability to pass far up among the best, if not at the very head of the class. Her teachers felt the same confidence. When the reports were made out, while she won a passing mark, her standing was among the lowest of those who passed at all. She did not need to see her marks to realize that she had come close to the failing point. She was a good judge of her own achievements, and knew at the close of the exami- nation that she had not acquitted herself with credit. The teachers were greatly surprised at the outcome, but 182 THE TEACHER both they and the girl learned a good lesson. When the returns were all in, she went to the woman in charge of the grade, with an unusual request. "I want to ask," she began, "that as long as I am in this school, no matter what my class standing is, I shall never be excused from a single examination that the others take. I thought I was doing good work, but something must be wrong when I write such examination papers as I did this time in all subjects. I found that I almost knew a lot of things, but didn't know them well enough to write clearly about them." It is one thing to make good daily showing, to recite upon a limited portion of a subject, even to do fairly well in oral recitation upon unexpected review, but to have knowl- edge so classified, so related, that it can be put into good English within a limited time is another matter. Like everything else, a compromise between the two ex- tremes of examining everybody and examining nobody ought to give the desirable middle course. c h urse' dd ' e This problem has been carefully studied and experimented upon in a certain school which deals with all grades, from the kindergarten to the college. The school was for years under the management of the same principal and most of the teachers had been long in their positions. This gave excellent opportunity for ex- periment, especially as the school population was not a floating one; many took their entire preparatory course in that school. The administration was such that if one plan did not give desirable results, it was at once changed for some other which the teachers thought might be better. After testing several plans that proved unsatisfactory, one was evolved which seemed to meet favorably all conditions. It has been used for some time without demand for modification. EXAMINATIONS 183 The school year, in this case, of thirty-six weeks, is divided into four quarters, with examinations at the close of each quarter. At the first quarterly examination in each semester, every pupil in the school, regardless of rank or condition, is examined in every study. This gives exami- nations to everybody at the first and third quarters. The effect upon both school and teachers is excellent. Each finds his own failings and takes the measure of the work done. At the second and fourth quarters, all who passed the former examination and have maintained a high class stand- ing through the second and fourth quarters are excused from these examinations. According to this method, the good effect of excusing is gained and perhaps offered as often as is desirable, while no one loses entirely the educational value of examinations. Examinations are not to be taken lightly by either teacher or pupil. Both need to make careful preparation for them, but if especial care is given bv either one, it _ r o General should be by the teacher. character J of Questions The mistake is often made of expecting too much of the children in a given time. If the individual teacher makes out her own questions, she should give them very careful study. In some schools they are either fur- nished by the principal or else come from some central office. In such case the work of the teacher is somewhat different. She has no responsibility^ in the preparation of the questions, but she has then to watch her own teaching very carefully. Presumably these questions will be fair, general ones, presupposing a clear knowledge on the part of the children of the ground covered. When a teacher prepares her own questions, a careful mental review of the work covered is her first step. The 184 THE TEACHER important things should stand out clearly in her own mind and the subject should be well classified. Some people take this attitude unconsciously, having what might be termed a scientific mind, one which grasps salient points readily. A good set of questions should reveal a good sense of values, that sense which brings into prominence the vital points of the subject and does not bury them under a mass of unim- portant allied matter. The purpose of an examination is neither to trip the child over some unexpected obstacle, nor to bring him up before an obscure, unimportant fact that may have been casually mentioned in the course of some recitation, but which, like a parenthetical sentence, might be omitted without affecting the main point under discussion. If the teaching has been well done, of course, many of these details will cling in the mind, but many more will have passed into forgetful- ness. Having settled upon the points to be brought out in any particular examination, the questions should be stated clearly, but without any suggestion as to what Quest ions' 6 the answer should be. The clear statement of a question is just as much a test of the teacher as a correct answer is a test of the pupil. Every question should be so put that the pupils who have made reasonable preparation for the work will know what it means, although they may not always be able to answer it fully or lucidly. That is their affair ; the clear statement of the question is the teacher's. A certain professor in one of our great universities once approached an assistant in high glee. "I have just thought out a way," he exclaimed, "in which you can ask that question so that I don't believe a single student in the class can answer it." EXAMINATIONS 185 Such an attitude is to be shunned. The purpose of an examination is not to floor the pupils, but to bring into clear form some measure of their work as well as that of the teacher. After the questions have been prepared, careful estimate of the time required to answer them should be made. Older teachers in particular should watch this, for , . . Judging thev are apt to be sinners in the matter of Length of . ". ■• . ~ Questions giving too long examinations. Subjects have become so familiar to them that they forget the time when they, too, thought arithmetic, geography, and English difficult. A certain teacher of mathematics found it helpful occa- sionally to take the very examination prepared for the class, and time herself upon it. She was always surprised to find that it took her longer than she had supposed it would to do the work. For the teacher, such a test means merely a mechanical answering of questions without thought or study. The subject-matter is perfectly familiar, and the only time required is that needed for the manual labor of putting the results on paper. Even this will invariably overrun what the teacher had supposed necessary. The child cannot write nearly as rapidly as the mature person, and liberal allowance should be made for this differ- ence. Then the pupil must find his way slowly through what has been presented to his mind, and select what is necessary at this particular time. Sometimes he will go wrong at first and later see the light. All this takes more time than the teacher realizes until she turns her attention to it. When she does, she will not fail to modify the length of the examination. The order of questions has great effect upon children tak- ing an examination. If the first questions are especially 186 THE TEACHER difficult, the conclusion is apt to follow that the others are equally so, and with this conclusion comes discouragement. But if the more difficult questions are left to Questions the last, the mind is tired when they are reached, and the pupil then fails to do himself justice. "Well begun is half done," applies excellently here. If the child sees in the first question something that he can answer, he attacks the examination with courage and zest for the encounter. A certain amount of impetus can be gained here which will have sustaining power for the more difficult questions which should come before this impetus of enthusiasm is exhausted. The last questions should again be among the easier ones, for the child will glance ahead, and if at the end he sees something that is familiar, that fact sustains him while he attacks the more difficult prob- lems. These familiar things he can meet even with a wearied mind, when new difficulties would mean failure. An examination should follow the drama in arrangement. Beginning at a low level of intensity, it should increase in strain until the climax is reached, when the difficulties should decrease to the last question, which, like the first, should be clearly within the grasp of the class. The questions prepared, the method of handling the class is next in consideration. If possible, each pupil should have Presenting a c0 Py °f the questions. An immense amount Questions to °^ strain and confusion and time is saved in this the Class way. If the questions are written on the board, they cannot possibly be within easy sight of all the class. This necessitates craning of necks, asking of otherwise needless questions, inaccurate copying, and more or less confusion. All this is immediately done away with if each pupil has a copy of the questions on his own desk. EXAMINATION S 187 This can be very easily accomplished in these days of inex- pensive ways of duplication. It may take a little more of a teacher's time outside of school, but this is more than com- pensated for by the comfort of the examination period and the gain in the standing of the class. The examination should begin promptly. It is the teach- er's business to see that everything that she is responsible for is prepared in advance. The plan of seat- ing, if any special one is desirable, should be Promptness well thought out so that when the pupils appear there shall exist in the teacher's mind no uncertainty as to what she shall do. She should be so master of the situation that the class will feel this at once and fall naturally into her plan. When the time set for the examination has arrived, each pupil should be in the assigned seat with paper, pen, or pen- cil, and everything else needed for the test. At the stroke of the clock the questions should be distributed and every mind should bend to the work in that peculiar hush that goes with intense attention. It now becomes part of the business of the teacher to look after the physical comfort of the class. This is of more importance than the unthinking would believe. Ventilation, light, and temperature are to comfort be considered. No annoying ray of sunshine should be allowed to strike desk or paper ; the room should be watched for coolness in summer and the right even tem- perature in winter. Each individual in the class must be kept in mind. Weeks of association with these same chil- dren will make clear the ones that need particular attention. Each school, each class, will present its own peculiarities ; the teacher must be sensitive to these and ready to meet them. 188 THE TEACHER A part of the value of an examination consists in a train- ing in form. The classes that are allowed to go ahead in a haphazard way will usually be slov- Importance . of Good enly in form of work and careless in habits of Form thought. The cry for individual liberty should not be greatly heeded here. Clear, concise form shows its influence in correspondingly clear thinking. Of course, this should not be carried to the extent of making the thinking wooden, and there is that danger, but it should be insisted upon to the extent of avoiding all mental confusion or mental delay in ploughing through a mass of formless writing or figures. As in everything else, just enough should be demanded. To this end a uniform clear heading should appear on all papers. This must be planned by the teacher and then insisted upon. Paragraphs, margins, spacing, and punctuation are merely a part of good English training, and are to be considered and demanded in every paper. When a chemist makes a test, he knows the particular thing he is seeking. An examination should have an equally definite aim. Clear and accurate statement of fact should be the objective point. Speed has a place and often needs especial attention. This is also true of neatness. A certain pleasing effect which the finished paper may have upon the eye is not without weight. Attention should be given to time. If the questions have been properly weighed in advance by the teacher, they will be fitted to the time allowed for examinations, oV e "Tnme S an d only in rare cases should that time limit be exceeded. There are always exceptional cases which demand consideration, but a part of the teach- ing value of an examination is the training in doing a EXAMINATION S 189 particular thing in a given time. For this reason the schedule should be closely adhered to. There are two classes of pupils who are inclined to get through an examination long before the close of the period ; the very poor pupils and the very bright ones. Neither of these should be allowed to leave the room as soon as the examination is finished. The bright pupil is frequently too sure of himself, and falls into error through careless self- confidence. The duller or the lazier pupil is apt to see that much of the examination is beyond his attainments, and so gives it up before trying at all. He prefers failure to exertion, and as he feels sure that no other result is possi- ble, he sees the chance for a little additional free time for play. These difficulties may be met by stating that no paper will be accepted before a certain time ; what that time shall be should vary with the length of the examination. Under this plan the bright pupil will work more leisurely, and should he finish before the allotted time, will take the extra minutes to review his paper, in this way detecting mistakes that otherwise would escape him. When the indifferent pupil knows that escape is impossi- ble, he will sometimes keep at the task and occasionally really accomplish something. Such an instance comes to mind from a city school. A boy looked at the questions, thought he knew nothing about them, and immediately went to the desk to give in his paper, blank except for his name. There had been no time fixed for handing in papers, but the teacher grasped the situation and acted accordingly. "I cannot accept your paper now," she said. "You may take your seat, and, whether you work or not, I shall insist upon your staying here at least an hour." 190 THE TEACHER Of course the boy did not like it, and spent a little time in sulking, which the teacher allowed him to do, uninter- rupted by senseless nagging. In fact, she paid no attention whatever to him. After a time, when he saw that there was no hope of escape, he took up the questions and evidently discovered something that he did know, for he began to work. It was not long before he was really interested, and seem- ingly putting his mind to the subject. At any rate, he ceased to glower at the teacher and did not discover when the penal hour was up. One by one, others finished, and finally he looked up in surprise to see the room nearly deserted. But he had something on his paper, and it was worth while. At last he came to the teacher in a very different attitude from his first approach, exclaiming, with pride, "There! I've done something on every question. Do you suppose any of it is right?" "We'll see," replied the teacher, for she was wise enough to know that here was a situation that could not be treated with indifference. She read the paper through and, without giving it a defi- nite mark, saw that it would probably be worthy of just passing. She did not hesitate to tell him so, and he went away happy and with renewed confidence in himself. She did not spoil it all, either, by taking to herself the credit of keeping him by force at the task. He knew the fact as well as she did, and could be trusted to draw the lesson. Needless confusion is to be avoided at all times, and espe- cially during examination. To this end there confusion should be no unnecessary moving about the room. It should become the business of the teacher to wait upon the children, anticipate their wants EXAMINATIONS 191 when possible, and be ready to go to individuals when sum- moned. All moving about the room by pupils should be eliminated, for the confusion is bound to be distracting. No two will finish their writing at the same time, but the pupil should not be allowed to leave just at his own convenience ; the comfort of the school is to be considered. A time should be set for the first collection of papers and that announced at the beginning of the examination or whenever the teacher can decide as to the right length of time. After that, periods for departure should be allowed, from ten to fifteen minutes apart. The papers in the hands of the teacher, the problem of wise and just marking next arises. There is no doubt whatever that children frequently suffer great injustice through careless, unwise, and ill- papers 9 considered marking. It is not an easy task to take twenty-five or more papers on the same subject, written b> different individuals, and give a fair estimate of results, but this the teacher must accomplish as nearly as possible. For some time the percentage system has revealed its incompetence, and various other means have been devised and tried, but none of them prove entirely satisfactory. This probably will always be more or less true, but the difficulty must be minimized. No matter whether the final report be rendered to the children in letters, be marked "fair," "good," or "unsatis- factory," or whether some system of figures be used, the tendency is away from close per cents which will give the children a basis for minute comparisons. For the teacher, however, in marking the papers, some accurate basis of comparison must be used to approach universal justice. The fact that a teacher is a fallible human being must 192 THE TEACHER never be lost sight of for an instant. Her intentions may be perfectly right and her desire strong to mark all papers justly, but a thousand influences combine to defeat that purpose. Her attitude toward individuals in the class is not without effect, although she insists, even to herself, that her personal feelings do not enter into the account. Unconsciously they have weight. Then her own physical and mental weariness are to be reckoned with. The first few papers will be marked with reasonable justice and upon an even scale of judgment. Later the strain begins to tell, and the attitude, through nervous irritation, becomes sharply critical and the mark- ing becomes unduly severe. On the other hand, weariness may dull the mind and vital mistakes escape notice, poor papers thus slipping through for more than their face value. In either case, the n^arks written upon the papers will not be put there with uniform, steady judgment. Under such a vision, they are bound to be more or less unjust. Everything possible should be done to guard against this condition. Knowing how difficult the situation is, it may be helpful to outline one method which has been tried with excellent results. After the questions are made out, and before the time for examination, a careful valuation should be set upon them, and a marking key blocked out. This key gives the list of the class with ruled space for marking each ques- tion. The value to be given each question is placed at the top of the proper column. If the question is divided into parts, or the answer has various natural divisions, these should be indicated and the partial value fixed for each. The following form may be suggestive: EXAMINATIONS 193 Marking Key I II III IV V VI VII "«3 ■*-> o % C eg — — fr- hS NAMES 10 10 15 20 12 12 8 8 20 15 15 100 100 100 100 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 10 10 Jones, Paul 9 3 3 5 5 4 8 4 10 5 12 68 68 F Smith, John 10 5 5 3 5 5 5 5 12 5 9 9 13 91 91 E Arrange the papers alphabetically corresponding to the key list. The marking should be done one question at a time. The first question on every paper should be marked and a valuation set upon it before the second question is touched. In this way the critical judgment is held to a limited subject and comparisons between different papers can easily be kept in mind. The markings of this first question should be critically studied before going 'ahead. Usually you will be surprised to see how these standings, thus grouped, agree with your general esti- mate of the pupils. This done, the next question and the next should be taken up in the same way, and so on to the end. By this method the judgment can be recorded at the end of each question. This gives one the opportunity for a rest at intervals without having to hold in mind anything that has gone before, and without fear of forgetting what this paper or that was marked upon any particular point. A station for rest can be taken at the end of each question, and the mind return to its attack upon the next one refreshed as to a new task. The adding of the final mark- 194 THE TEACHER ings ought to give about as fair an estimate of the work of the class as a finite mind can attain. There is no reason why these separate questions should not be marked in per cents. The total can be translated, before publishing, into the system of marking in vogue in the school. In doing this a certain range is permissible and this range will do away with the annoying comparison of markings which is sometimes disturbing to the teacher. For instance, anything between 90 and 100 might be con- sidered excellent, while anything below a certain mark, unsatisfactory, according to what might be deemed a pass- ing standing, and all marks between graded accordingly. Each school will have to work out the translation accord- ing to its own particular system of marking. Constant hammering away on the principles of individual honesty, an attitude of confidence toward a class, combined with sensitiveness to conditions and unfailing Honesty alertness will eventually bring most young peo- ple to the right attitude toward examinations — an attitude of honesty. There is a decided difference between alert watchfulness and a suspicious attitude. The former every successful teacher must maintain throughout her days, although the watchfulness must not be apparent ; the latter is fatal to success in any direction. Good teaching stands preeminent in getting independent work on examinations. The pupil who is well prepared for the ordeal is not looking around for forbidden assistance. Hence, after all, as in most cases, the great responsibility rests with the teacher. When cheating becomes epidemic, then it behooves the teacher to make careful examination of herself, for the fault is pretty sure to be there. She has probably allowed her pupils to go over the subject EXAMINATIONS 195 without a sense of mastery of it and without gaining the necessary power. Knowing their own weaknesses, the pupils try to fortify themselves in some way for the test. If the fault does not lie here, perhaps the teacher has failed to inspire her classes with a sense of true loyalty to themselves. In any case, it is almost axiomatic that the teacher is somewhere to blame. Let her seek diligently for the fault until she find it. CHAPTER XIV INTEGRITY No education is complete which does not include the development of the child morally. While this is not a treatise on moral education, the true spirit of teaching can- not be adequately covered without some formal discussion of certain phases of moral training. In seeking for the vital element upon which all other moral qualities depend, it seems to be found in the one word, integrity. If this lies at the foundation of 1 integrity °^ c h arac ter, the superstructure reared upon it is bound to be symmetrical and lasting. Upon it all other virtues rest. Honesty, truthfulness, uprightness, fidelity, faithfulness, loyalty, self-respect, promptness, obedience, courage, determination, justice, purity — the qualities which inspire in us a deep feeling of respect — cannot exist without the underlying one of integrity. If this is the corner-stone, the other virtues are pretty sure to be found in the individual. Any other foundation is but shifting sand : the house built upon it is sure to fall. The change in social, industrial, and economic conditions has been so phenomenal during the last twenty-five years, and we have been so absorbed in producing sentiment them and admiring the results, that we have paid little attention to anything else. We are now confronted by the fact that deeper, although more subtle, changes have been made in the social structure. 196 INTEGRITY 197 Religion has gone out of fashion ; graft is rampant ; the big man is the one who wins the game and little scrutiny is given to his methods. Public sentiment has changed. We have become tolerant of many things which fifty years ago would have shocked every respectable community. Two generations back, what would they have thought of our modern theatres, of the vaudeville shows on Sunday, or of the shows themselves? Strict integrity in business is not demanded as it once was. It is not uncommon to hear a man highly respected in his community, and whose personal honor is unquestioned, say that one cannot do business today and be strictly honest. Tolerance of questionable methods is common. The man who would not be guilty of dishonesty himself is merely amused by the subterfuges of his friends, rather than indignant. This too common attitude is pretty well illustrated in the novel, "Queed," by Henry Sydnor Harrison. Charles Gardiner West, representing a pleasant type of the suc- cessful young man, tells Sharlee Weyland about Bobby Smythe's plan for making a little extra money. To West the whole affair is merely a good joke. "There is a lot of building going on in his (Bobby Smythe's) neighborhood, it seems, and it occurred to him to send around to the various owners and offer his private watchman to guard the loose building materials ; this for the very reasonable price of $3.50 a week. It went like hot cakes. 'But,' said I, 'surely your one watchman can't look after thirty-seven different places.' 'No,' said Bobby, 'but they think he does.' I laughed and commended his ingenuity. 'But the best part of the joke,' said he, 'is that / haven't got any watchman at all.' " A boy who was late for the afternoon session offered as 198 THE TEACHER an excuse the heated argument which had arisen at the luncheon table on the subject of gambling. M The father and mother were old-fashioned Effect Upon Young enough to retain a few definite moral standards. People ° They were emphatically opposed to gambling in any form or anything that approached it. The boy could see nothing wrong in it. He argued that a man went into any such scheme with his eyes wide open, understand- ing that he was just as likely to lose as to win. If he were willing to take the chance, to stand the loss, why wasn't that all there was of it? He could not be made to see any 7noral question involved. The strongest arguments of his parents failed to change his attitude. The boy had been well and rationally reared. He and his father were the best of friends. He had such confidence in both his parents that he was not afraid to express his honest opinion even though he knew they would not agree with him. Moreover, he had that quality all too rare in these days — parental respect. At the close of the discussion he said voluntarily, "Of course, I will not play cards for money or gamble in any way, when I know how you feel about it, but I don't see anything wrong in it." Conversation with the mother later revealed the feeling on her part that public sentiment had grown so lax that it was overthrowing the influence of those homes that still held some definite standards, and still clung to some ideals. "Why, think of it !" exclaimed this mother, who was prominent in the most exclusive social set of the city, "I am considered almost a freak because I will not play bridge for money." Another boy, a most excellent student and a fine fellow in every respect, asked for consideration for not being as INTEGRITY 199 well prepared as usual on his lessons. In explaining he said, "Dad had a poker party last night, and there was so much going on that I couldn't study." Everyone can gather within his own small circle many examples of similar character. These go to prove a decided loosening of moral tension in every community, a tolerance and even serene acceptance of conditions that not very long ago would have been emphatically condemned. "Somebody's swiped my tablet," says a boy beginning to look around for an unprotected one of which to take possession. "I left my book in my desk when I went to class, and somebody's taken it." ftandards "May I borrow a pen? John took mine." "Gee ! I can't keep anything unless I carry it around with me all the time !" Every teacher hears such expressions constantly. The saddest thing about it all is the fact that the ones making them see no moral question involved. They are annoyed by the momentary discomfort, but when the teacher asks for assistance in discovering the guilty party, the usual answer is, "Oh! that's all right. I take other fellows' things when I can't find mine." The moral point is obscured by the prevalence of the cus- tom, and the idea prevails that there is a decided difference between "swiping" and stealing. A boy who would not take money from a schoolmate treats all his other belong- ings as common property. He has ceased to respect the property rights of the individual. The same lack of moral fibre appears in athletics. Most schools could offer extensive testimony of the dishonesty of opposing teams; of their own shortcomings they say little or nothing. An impartial study of the situation would reveal that too many are tarred with the same brush. 200 THE TEACHER From "swiping" to stealing is but a short step. To prove that the step has been taken by many, it is only necessary to walk through the modern school building and notice the system of lockers now considered a necessity. Once a simple lock or no lock at all was sufficient. Now, money, clothes, and athletic material have no protection unless covered by a combination lock like that on a burglar-proof safe. This whole matter has been so thoroughly discussed that elaboration of it is not necessary here.* One of the worst obstacles to the development of full integrity in school is the existence of a double standard. An attitude that is entirely justifiable toward standard* 3 ' 6 a teacher would not be tolerated for an instant among the young people themselves. To get the best of a teacher is clever; to lie to a comrade is unpardonable. It was found necessary to dismiss a boy from a boarding- school. In commenting upon the occurrence to one of the teachers, another boy remarked, "Gee ! we fellows were wise to him right away. He told big stories which made us suspicious. Then he went to lying to us boys, and we knew then he was no good. Of course, we didn't hold it against him when he lied to you teachers, for that was different, but when he lied to us it was all off." This Janus-headed attitude shows itself in all school relations. It may seldom, perhaps never, come to formulated expression, but the belief is as old as the oldest school-house that a teacher must be tricked into believing Ffecitatfon that everybody has his lesson. The whole class is united in this endeavor. * For an excellent presentation of this whole subject, see "The School Review," February, 1912. "The High School Boy's Morals," bv Franklin W. Johnson. INTEGRITY 201 The boy who is stumblingly trying to make a recitation is, in the minds of his fellows, entitled to all assistance within his reach. His neighbor is in duty bound to prompt him, if that can be done skillfully enough to evade the teacher; an open book, a supporting paper, an interlinear, anything that will bring the individual to a happy issue out of all his troubles, is fair play. The only crime is detection. There is no sure way of correcting this except to change the attitude of the class in this particular. The task is not an easy one, but much can be done by persistent endeavor. Keenness of observation, amiability, quick wit, and persist- ency, are the necessary weapons. The confidence of the class should be engaged and in a kindly, sympathetic way the struggle for independent work should be waged. A teacher once took a class that was particularly trouble- some in the matter of getting help wherever it was within reach. They gratefully accepted all promptings from their neighbors, opened their books whenever memory failed, and thought everything fair in recitation as in war. The teacher labored unremittingh T for correction of the evil, and made headwav. One day the geometry lesson consisted of the sixth and seventh propositions, and these were assigned alternately to the class as they stood at the board. The sixth was very easy; the seventh, difficult. Soon there came from behind the teacher the pathetic voice, with a laugh in it, however, of the boy who had been the very worst offender, "It's all right to peek in the book if you get the seventh, isn't it?" The teacher knew that she had won, for when one can, joke about what has been a serious fault, the struggle is over. The assigning of a certain amount of written work to 202 THE TEACHER be done out of class and handed in is a common practice. This will produce desirable results or the contrary, depend- ing upon the good sense of the teacher and the relations which exist between her and the class. The ingenious and lazy ones may, some of them will, profit by the ability or industry of others. Eternal vigilance is the price of honesty in this regard. Monotony here is deadly. As soon as a class learns that a certain number of examples, a certain number of sen- tences, will be demanded each day, the work loses all its spring, and the ingenuity of the class will be aroused to get these tangible results as easily as possible. A division of labor is likely to follow, for copying is so much easier than wrestling alone with the difficulty. This can be done without detection by even the brightest teacher on close watch for it. The only effective way is to remove the desire. Herein lies one reason for the method of marking already suggested. Only a small part of the day's work should be allowed to depend upon these papers prepared outside. The recitation should produce the same correct solution of the same correct sentences, and mental comparison made of the class work and the paper handed in. If the class reci- tation falls much below the paper, then there is cause for suspicion and for renewed watchfulness. If attempted dis- honesty is pretty nearly proved, then it must be run to earth and forcibhy dealt with. How this shall be done, again depends upon the indi- vidual teacher and her personal relations to the pupil. There is always the chance that the suspicion may be an unjust one, and indignation often follows alike the just and the unjust accusation. Sometimes it is best to meet the suspect frankly, put INTEGRITY 203 before him the evidence as it appears to you, show that it seems condemnatory, and then, in all seriousness, ask if there is any circumstance that you have overlooked. This should be done in the manner which every tactful teacher commands, to stir the desire to tell the truth and to meet the situation fairly. This will not always work; sometimes the pupil who you are convinced has been dealing dishon- estly will still insist upon his innocence. In that case, you must try some other way. It is well to talk to the class together, letting them understand that you are not free from the feeling that some in the class are not doing honest work. This is the opportunity for bringing forcefully to their minds the idea that it is not the teacher who is suffering, but themselves who are being cheated. It will take many talks, before the idea takes lodgment in the brains of the young people. With the right treatment, however, a class can be brought to realize that they are wasting their own time and energies by trying anything but honest work. A teacher once had a long, hard battle with one particu- lar boy. When she took the class there was strong evidence that a few of the brighter pupils were doing the written work, the rest being content merely to copy. By bringing the indolent to grief in recitation, by constant talking upon the subject, by showing how this habit was only working their own downfall, and by serious talks with some of the more persistent offenders, she nearly eradicated the tend- ency. One boy, however, continued to hand in papers that were not his work, and she determined to conquer him for his own sake. "I've had a queer experience," she said one day, as she stood before the class. 204 THE TEACHER Everyone came quickly to attention, for this woman was often picturesque in her methods, and the tone of her voice and her manner aroused curiosity. "In looking over these papers," she continued, glancing at the package in her hand, "somehow I got them mixed up, and two of them were so exactly alike that I couldn't tell them apart, and couldn't put the right sheets together, so I threw the papers into the waste basket and marked the standings of both zero." There was silence for an instant, for every member of the class understood what had happened. Then those who knew they were innocent either of copying or of lending paper to be copied began to look around the class to dis- cover the culprits. Most of them knew where to look, for this one boy was an old offender, better known to the class than to the teacher. He tried to look unconscious, but the leveled eves of his classmates proved too much for him, and, dropping his head, he made busy with his book. The teacher then went on with the recitation, allowing the event to work its way down into the boy's conscience, feeling sure that her action would eventually bear fruit. Later in the day the boy dropped into the vacant chair on the platform beside her. "Bob wasn't to blame at all," he said. "I asked him for his paper. Of course you know I was the one who copied. Bob never needs any help." "Yes, I knew you did the copying, but Bob is equally to blame." John looked up in surprise. "You doubt that, don't you? Let's see what Bob has to say," she said, motioning him to the chair on the other side of her. INTEGRITY 205 "A fellow couldn't refuse to lend his paper," said Bob. when the question was put to him. "And you don't think you were doing anything wrong in lending it?" "If I should refuse, all the fellows would think I was stuck up and mean. You can't be a cad, you know." "Do you think it right to help another do wrong?" "Of course not," agreed Bob. "If John had asked you to help him steal a thousand dollars, should you have considered yourself a cad if you had refused?" "That is different." "Different in degree, perhaps, but not in kind. The law holds an accomplice in crime culpable as well as the chief offender. If you help a comrade do a dishonest act, do you not become his accomplice?" "I never thought of it in that light," Bob confessed, and John looked as though the idea was new to him also. "The trouble is," continued the teacher, "that young people think that moral standards in school are different from those that govern life elsewhere, and so do things in connection with school that they would scorn to do outside. Neither one of you would steal, and yet you were both willing to cheat me into giving John a mark which he had not earned." "But what should I have done?" asked Bob. "I confess that is a hard question to answer. The real cure is in getting John, and others who have been willing to lean upon their friends, to scorn such trickery. That condition may come slowly, but I propose to continue the campaign to stamp out such dishonesty." "Can't we have any chance to make up this morning's work?" asked John. 206 THE TEACHER "I'll do my paper all over," Bob offered, "and twice as many examples more, if you'll give me the chance." "And I'll do mine all over," said John, "and' as much more as you think I ought to do." The teacher considered. "I believe I will let you do what you propose. Perhaps in that way I can make you understand that what I am seeking is right relation in school work." With that the interview closed. Bob plunged into the work and soon brought the completed day's paper, and asked for the extra assignment. The teacher gave him a heavy one. That did not trouble Bob, however, for he was a good student. But with John it was different. He had for so long depended upon someone else to do his work that to delve honestly and prepare the lesson all alone was a tremendous task. He went at it, though, as if he meant to conquer it himself. The teacher understood human nature pretty well and, knowing that honesty is not reached by a single bound, she did not let her mind wander entirely from the boy whose seat was near her desk. For a time everything went well, then John began to watch the teacher until she saw that he was consulting a paper under his desk. "Bring me that paper, John," she said. John hunted around in his desk in a hesitating man- ner, finally offering a package of theme paper. The time had passed for considerate treatment; stern justice was now in demand. "I am sure, now, that I shall not care to see the paper which you are preparing," she said, turning away with an air of finality. INTEGRITY 207 The boy sat for a long time looking out of the window. Anger burned in his face, but whether the wrath was di- rected against the teacher or against himself was im- possible to tell. At any rate, it was a time to let him utterly alone. A hard fight was before him and no one could help him yet. "When the soul arms for battle, It goes forth alone." Little by little his mood changed. Finally he attracted the teacher's attention to the fact that he was tearing up a lot of papers. When he was through with that, he brought his book and a fresh tablet to her desk, pulled out the extension, and took a seat at the teacher's side. Neither spoke a word. This teacher had learned the power that lies in silence. John began at the beginning of the fatal lesson. He had good natural ability but had so long depended upon others that the day's assignment really offered a long, hard task. But he set his teeth and the same look came into his face that the teacher had seen when he took the ball for a long run down the football field toward the enemy's goal. This gave her courage and she began to hope that this determination would master his natural impatience and bring him to the right. She went on about her own duties but was ready to help when he needed help and to answer all his questions. He made steady progress but when school closed the task was not ended. The boy, however, never looked up but kept steadily at work. Finally, with head lifted high, he exclaimed in triumph : "There, I did them all ! " 208 THE TEACHER "And you did them yourself. That is the best of it.'" "I'll never try to cheat you again. I'm through. Will you shake on it?" And he reached out his strong young hand. She met the firm grasp that almost crushed her hand, without flinching. "Remember this," was her summary, "you will be with me here only a little while and it will not be difficult to deceive me, but you cannot long deceive yourself. You will have to live with yourself all your life. See to it that you make yourself a worthy companion." Such a victory is not for a day nor for a year. He had fought the good fight and won a victory the effect of which would last through life. Ways of preventing cheating in examination have been suggested and discussed without end, but the sovereign (b) , n remedy has not yet been discovered. There t^ons 1 '" 3 " are ^ wo g enera l methods: one is the so-called honor system ; the other, the one of eternal vigilance. Can either one be adopted pure and simple in the grades or even in the high school? A police system of supervision is to be deplored in any school work, and it is not necessary in examinations. The moment a teacher takes up a conspicuous position and begins to patrol the aisles she immediately advertises the fact that, in her opinion, the class cannot be trusted. This serves to put them on their mettle to see if they cannot beat the teacher at her own game. Some of them will succeed if they are so minded, and she never be the wiser. The man or woman does not live who is sufficiently argus eyed to keep constantly within vision the movements of each individual in the class. It if easy to steal a glance at supporting book or charitable INTEGRITY 209 paper or get a helpful word from neighbor and never arouse suspicion. On the other hand, the teacher who leaves pupils entirely to themselves, who takes up a book or occupies herself with papers, equally advertises for dishonesty. No matter what the method pursued, there are sure to be occasional cases of cheating in examinations ; that is inevitable. No one need expect to bring school or class to that standard of individual honesty where there will never be a case of cheating. It can, however, be practically eradicated and a class brought to that condition where, as a class, it is honest. There will always be individuals who can never be whipped into line. To attain even these results constant exertion is neces- sary. Every effort must be put forth to remove the temptation to cheat, every opportunity embraced to in- spire each child with a desire for personal integrity. As in recitation, he should be led to see that the person whom he is really cheating is himself. He should be inspired to the strong feeling that loyalty to his own honor is his first duty, his high purpose in life. Young people re- spond readily to such influences and the majority will always be impressed. In fact, the majority are honest; the dishonest form the exception. If a general spirit of class honesty can be aroused, it helps much toward individual honesty. When this is accomplished the dishonest child loses caste and is held in scorn by his fellows. This is emphatically true of younger children. An honor system pure and simple may be a success in college; that it can be in the lower Jy S e te m 0nor school is a doubtful proposition. It is true that the nearest approach to it that is possible should be 210 THE TEACHER striven for with the utmost earnestness, and all young people lifted to the highest standard of honesty which they can be made to attain. The difference, however, in the needs and the maturity of the grades and the secondary schools should never be lost sight of. What will do for colleges is ruinous to the graded school. That is as true in moral training as in intellectual. A great many public schools have tried the honor sys- tem and various schemes of self-government. They have exploited their success for a time, but they have not stilled the incredulity of the skeptical. Some educators have worked out a theory, a beautiful and a symmetrical one; they think about this, they dream about it and ideally they see it in operation. The perfection of it is so close to their vision that they cannot always see at first what is really happening when it is put into practical operation. Like many theories for perpetual motion, it might work in a vacuum, but when it encounters the friction of the real world it eventually runs down. The friction that thus disarranges all these fanciful schemes for starting the moral machinery and then going away and expecting it to run on indefinitely is the human element that must be reckoned with. Youth, inexperience, impulse, natural tendencies, have to be constantly considered. There is no question what- ever in the mind of anyone who has dealt sympathetically with young people that their intentions are right. They wish to be good and pure and honest; they desire to be considered so. Much dishonesty arises from this very ambition to appear honest, if that paradox is plain. The moral training of young people is much like teach- ing little ones to walk. We let them go alone to the INTEGRITY 211 full limit of their strength, but the watchful attention of the loving parent saves the child a fall when possible or wise; when that cannot be accomplished he picks him up, soothes his hurts, and sets him upon his feet, again headed in the right direction. We do not, however, let the undeveloped child go far from our watchful eye ; the restraining, helpful hand is always within reach when need for it arises. Each human life is molded to the pattern of its ideals. It may not come true, symmetrical, or entirely beau- tiful from the wheel of life, the colors may dim in the firing or fade out altogether, yet with- ideals out some model, some definite pattern, the clay would remain but a shapeless mass, unformed and useless. None of us ever attain to the full glory of our ideals, yet without them the days are purposeless, the hours but a barren waste. Ambition touches us early ; emulation stirs us to en- deavor. The first childish imaginings may not rise higher than the desire to be a policeman, a fireman, or a street-car conductor. These are the picturesque instances of great- ness and authority that first strike the childish vision. The child goes to a circus. Its glamour leads him on to the wild ambition to enter the sawdust ring. On a little journey, he becomes enamored of the mighty puffing engine and dreams of some day having his hand upon the throttle, the wonderful mechanism under his control. As life broadens and experiences change, the ideals of the child change with each stage of his development, grow- ing more ambitious all the time. The natural ideals of a child have to do with the ma- terial side of life, yet this tendency to look to others for 212 THE TEACHER models offers the opportunity for implanting standards of integrity. These deeper, more subtle ideals must come from the outside but they will be received eagerly and fol- lowed closely, more closely than older people sometimes expect. The setting up of these high moral standards is one of the most important duties of everyone having to do with the training of children. Each night when dinner was over two bovs claimed their mother for their own. No matter what the evening's later engagement, there came a A pause in the day's occupation That is known as the children's hour." Often the time was given to story telling or reading, and the reading was not of mere idle tales to be heard today and forgotten tomorrow. The boys knew their Hawthorne's "Wonder Book" almost by heart. Perseus, Bellerophon, Pegasus, and all the other characters with long Greek names were their fairies. They knew the story of the Trojan War and the wanderings of Ulysses. When they reached "Hiawatha" the dramatic instinct leaped forth in the younger of the two boys, and' for months he was Hiawatha. He carried the same intensity into American history. It was but a step from Hiawatha to John Smith and then came the revolution with George Washington the central figure. All the others faded into f orgetfulness before this new and wonderful character. George Washington became his one hero and the boy listened to every story about him with absorption. He started a George Washington scrap-book and his mother INTEGRITY 213 helped him find pictures and stories to put into it. A fine framed copy of the Stuart Washington was a part of his Christmas and was given the place of honor in his room. His mother made him a hat which he thought looked like the one his hero wore in that wonderful picture, "Wash- ington Crossing the Delaware." With this hat and with a sword and a few other properties, he delighted in striking what he imagined were Washingtonian attitudes and making Washingtonian speeches. Through all these things, the character of the man drove its impression deep into the little boy's heart and mind. These two boys were given a wise amount of liberty but there were some things which they knew they must not do. They had a little cousin whose father owned a big hotel, where there was much to attract the small boy. There was the big friendly steward in the store-room, which was piled with oranges, bananas, nuts, raisins, and other good things. Strolling musicians were frequently in the lobby ; sometimes a brass band with the attendant crowd, and always there was fascinating excitement. The mother was sure this was not a very good place for the boys to spend their time, and she had said they must never go there without her permission. One afternoon she sat in her room. Suddenly the front door slammed, she heard rushing feet along the hall and on the stairs, heard the call "Mother! mother!" The door was thrown open and the child, breathless and with tears streaming down his face, flung himself into his mother's arms. "I didn't go in, mother ! I got clear to the hotel door, but I couldn't go in, for I must grow up to be a good man like George Washington, so I had to mind you !" And 214 THE TEACHER with a deeper sob, the sob of relief, he hid his head on his mother's shoulder. And then the mother knew that the silent teaching of the good great man had touched the soul of her boy. When tempted beyond his strength, he remembered his hero and his hero saved him. This is only one of the noble characters with which his- tory is crowded. Their value as live, forceful teachers, as helps toward building character, can scarcely be over-* estimated. The companions of our thoughts are as im- portant as the companions of flesh and blood and vastly more permanent. Every purposeful impulse has a tendency to take shape in some form of organization. The gregariousness of human nature impels to the forming of clubs Organization ^ or mu tual support and assistance. When two or three are gathered together in the name of some high purpose, a club is usually the result. The institutional church has taken advantage of this characteristic to organize its young people for general or specific improvement. The Boy Scouts of America, nation wide in its influence, is, through its very systematic organi- zation, putting before boys high ideals and teaching them to incorporate these ideals into their daily life. The Camp Fire Girls is planning to do the same thing for girls. The little clubs that spring up in every community, especially in schools, have their foundation in some desire for improvement either intellectually, morally, or spiritu- ally. Even the school fraternities, now in such disfavor, started out with worthy purposes. This natural impulse toward organization may, through wise encouragement and judicious oversight, be turned to good account. Here is one instance where that was done. INTEGRITY 215 A sixth year class read the story of King Arthur and His Knights. The accounts of thrilling adventures, the high ideals of the Arthurian legends are pecul- iarly appealing to boys of this age. The fights with monsters and the stories of brave knights found ready response in the heart of every boy. Then came the longing to perform deeds of heroism. But, alas ! there were no vast forests where wild beasts crouched ready to seize upon and to devour the unwary. There were no moat-encircled castles in which beautiful princesses were imprisoned, await- ing rescue at the hands of gallant knights. At length, whether evolved from their own imaginings or whether subtly suggested by the wise teacher whose guiding hand was always over the class, the idea came to the surface that, while these material battles were impos- sible, there were evils to be combated, wars to be waged, victories to be won. The final outcome was the forming of a Court of King Arthur and his noble knights with regular meetings of the Round Table. Each boy took the name of some knight and the ideals of King Arthur, Merlin, Galahad, Lancelot, Bedivere, and others became a part of the daily life. Each boy designed and made for himself in the shops and art room an appropriate shield and banner. Upon these, dragons, serpents, the rising sun, the cross, and the gleaming chalice were favorite emblems. They had a pin which King Arthur presented at the ceremonial of knighting. It was a blue shield bearing a white cross. The spirit of the organization is set forth in King Arthur's charge: "A badge of knighthood would I have you wear, a silver shield, a symbol of your strength and power to 216 THE TEACHER guard all good from touch of harm, and with your kindly heart and knightly arm protect all who are weak. This badge must mean that you will be true knights and bold, that men may count on you to win this court and all the world to that which is most pure and good. "Across the shield there is a cross, another symbol this : The cross we wear is never laid upon us ; we must take it of our own free will — and so across the shield there is the sign that Arthur's knights have taken on themselves the burden of the warfare that shall win the cause that many great and good have lived and died to win, the cause of righteousness, first here in Arthur's Court, and then in the whole world. "And so, my knights, so long as you do wear this shield, barred with the cross of white, I charge you to think well upon its meaning and be strong and pure and true." The blue shield was a constant reminder of what they expected of themselves and of each other. The teacher had merely to look at the emblem on the boy's coat to bring him instantly to a right attitude. Besides watching themselves they took a personal interest in all the members of the court and became in a way responsible for them. One day the class had made a dismal failure in recita- tion and the teacher directed them to report after school. She did not put it as a punishment, but she gave them the opportunity to make up the work. At close of school every boy but one was in his seat. This absence aroused great indignation on the part of those who were present and all through the time they studied frequent growls could be heard because of the defection of this one member. That, however, did not INTEGRITY 21 ■~ interfere with their work and the allotted task was soon finished. They left the room in a hum of indignation at the boy who had dared thus neglect his duty. He was no worthy member of their society and must be vig- orously dealt with. The teacher was busy at her desk for a little time. There was a shuffling commotion in the hall. The door burst open and King Arthur and one of the other knights appeared in the doorway holding the culprit between them, a close prisoner. Behind this group was the entire class, the complete circle of the Round Table. "We've got him !" said the leader, "and he's got to do his work or we'll turn him out. The idea of a bov who wears our pin not doing what he's told to !" And they all looked at him with such scorn as only the single- mindedness of such a group of boys can furnish. The teacher supposed that, having delivered their pris- oner, the boys would depart, but not so. They all sat down behind him with a look of grim determination on their faces and the remark from the leader indicated that they proposed to stay until they saw every bit of the work completed. And they did. In the face of the general letting down of public senti- ment, in the lax attitude of many homes, what responsi- bilitv shall the schools take? Responsi- The easier attitude is the assumption that biiity of the r Teacher if parents are indifferent the teacher need not be disturbed. But that is not the answer which teachers themselves are giving. For the greater part of their waking hours children are under the care of the schools. Their regular activities are here, the activities through which character is being 218 THE TEACHER molded. For this reason it becomes the business, the im- portant business of the school, to see that these activities are honestly carried out, so that the boys and girls will have the sure foundation of integrity. Organized systematic study of the question has been en- tered upon and definite action taken by various school or- ganizations to combat the general indifference to the higher issues of life. The Council of the National Educational Association has taken the matter up and state after state has appointed committees for the furthering of systematic teaching of morals in the public schools. It may be some time before they agree as to how this shall be done, whether directly or indirectly, but the discussion, the various maga- zine articles, and the experimentation is bound to keep the subject pretty thoroughly before the minds of all teachers. In a way, schools have always stood for integrity, but that position has too often been a passive one, — the silent bloodless hand upon a guide-post pointing the way, in the right direction, to be sure, but doing it mutely, inertly. The crying need of youth is the hand sympathetically extended, warm, tender, pulsating with the life-blood of honest activity, a hand to lead the child joyously on his way to perfect integrity. As the years go by, we get rather hopeless of social conditions. So many things seem impossible to change that it is easy to give up trying. This attitude may be justifiable when dealing with adults, but the young are wax in our hands, clay moist for facile modeling. The cases are rare when a child by right training, care- ful counsel, and persistent alertness may not be brought to general uprightness. There is no place where more can be done to this end than in the schools where his life centers, where are to be INTEGRITY 219 found his greatest activities. The responsibility for this rests upon the teachers. The intense aversion of young people to what they term "preaching" has gone far toward eliminating serious talks to them. There is a way, however, of ap- proaching many serious subjects so as to Talks. 3 ' hold their thoughtful attention. With all their buoyancy and merriment, under all their carelessness, there is in children a deep vein of seriousness. "The thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts," and through them their minds travel over many mighty questions. In a school where the woman in charge had come into very close relations with the boys and girls, it grew to be a regular part of the programme to talk to the pupils each Monday on some serious subject. These "Monday Talks," as the school soon named them, originated in taking a minute or two at the beginning of the week to mention little things that always need occasional gathering up, — trifling disorders, general dropping down in studies, or announcements of changes affecting the entire school. It was but a step to other topics and the school began to look forward to these talks. The principal saw in them an opportunity for wider influence. At first she went very gingerly, afraid of "preaching," but in a little while no subject was too serious. Never did she note in the up- turned faces anything but earnest, purposeful attention to her helpful, sober words. It is more than ten years since she left that school, but occasionally even now a pupil of those days tells her some- thing that she said in one of those Monday talks which has exerted upon him an influence for good. The inspiration of an outsider will invariably leave results. A good powerful speaker rarely fails to say some- 220 THE TEACHER thing that sticks. Usually such speakers present a truth in vivid picturesque language. Sometimes it is a figure striking enough to make a permanent impression. A college president in addressing a boys' school com- pared one type of boys to a wheelbarrow. A wheelbarrow cannot stand up except for the supporting legs put there for that sole purpose. It never gets anywhere unless some outside force pushes it. In this school each Frida}^ night a list of those who had fallen below standard in studies for the week was posted by numbers. After this speech, the man in charge headed this list, "The Wheelbarrow Club." This came to mean more than failure in studies. It hinted at the reason : these bo3 T s were not able to stand alone ; they could not get where they belonged without the most constant pushing. "The Wheelbarrow Club" became very unpopular and efforts increased to keep out of it. At another time a speaker dwelt impressively upon the voluntary service which really great people have rendered the world. He showed that the things which stand for progress have been done not because the person doing them was compelled to do them but because a deep integrity in his own nature urged him on to do the utmost of which he was capable. The speaker also showed that such people were capable of these higher accomplishments because they had done honestly the things that fell in the line of their plain duty. He summed up in words that possessed cling- ing qualities : "The things that you do that you don't have to are more important than the things you do that you do have to. But you can't do the things you don't have to till you have done the things you do have to." INTEGRITY 221 "I've had an awful time making my accounts come out right !" The speaker was a boy in a large school. "Did you succeed?" asked a teacher. "Well, I had to monkey with them a lot ?^° nal before they did." "What do you mean by that?" asked the teacher. "Why, you see, my father is trying a new plan with my allowance. He gave me some money the first of the month. He told me he wanted me to spend it as I thought best, but he wanted me to keep an account and let him see it each week, so he could help me learn to spend money and not throw it away for foolishness. The first week I came out all right, but this week I've forgotten to put down things and I was two or three dollars short at first." "What did you do ?" "Oh, I made it all right. I went over it and added a little here and a little there until I made it balance." "And you thought that was right?" "Sure! I spent the money for just about those things, only I couldn't remember exactly what." "Why didn't you charge up the difference to loss?" "Father would go up in the air if it didn't balance." "Oh! you were a coward?" "No, not exactly, but I hate to have him mad if I can help it." The teacher thought a minute. "I don't know your father \er\ well, but I think he is the kind of man to whom I could give every dollar I had without taking a receipt and know that when I wanted it back your father would give an honest accounting." "That's right." "If he became angry at you, it would be because of his anxiety to have you grow up with the same kind of integ- 222 THE TEACHER rity. Do you think you can do that by beginning now to falsify your accounts?" "No, of course not, but what would you do?" "If I had the courage, and I think you have, I should tell him the exact truth, and this is about what I think it is : you started out all right and kept strict account for a week. By the second week it had become an old story. You didn't set down each expenditure as you made it. Your natural carelessness got in the way. You are sorry and you will try to do better next week. The reason that you wanted to falsify your accounts was to avoid unpleasantness now, for you are perfectly sure you will never be so careless again if you can only get out of this difficulty comfortably. Am I right?" "Sure, you are." "Does that strike you as being something the line of reasoning that defalcating cashiers have taken? Don't be a coward. Tell the truth and take the consequences." The boy took the advice and not only confessed his carelessness, but told the whole story of his talk with the teacher. The father did not become angry. The boy made one step toward strengthening the integrity of his nature, but without wise counsel he would have gone in the other direction. Every day offers opportunities similar to the above. The careless teacher, the time-server, will never see them. The helpful teacher will stretch out a hand to all of them. Nine times out of ten he will win. The liar will soon begin to tell the truth to such a teacher. The thief con- victed by such a teacher will cease to steal, recitations will grow more honest, cheating will fade from examinations, a general spirit of integrity and mutual confidence will grow up in a school dominated by such a personality. INTEGRITY 228 Such a teacher will often feel at the close of the day that "virtue has gone out of him," but it will have gone to the uplifting of each individual in the school to a higher plane of honesty. CHAPTER XV SCHOOL WASTE The famous ordinance of 1787 declared that in these United States, "Schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged." From that dav to Development . ° J of Our this the value of education has never been System . lost sight of. Decade by decade there has arisen upon this foundation a massive superstructure which has long been the pride of the nation. That it is big enough to be proud of, there is no question, but that it is beautiful, complete, or wholly sound, is open to argument. We boast of this mighty system of education, with espe- cial emphasis upon the system. We have built up a great machine. Our children at the age of four or five are poured into the hopper of the kindergarten and ground systematically through the primary and secondary schools. If, in the grinding process, a few grains of humanity es- cape, there are compulsory education laws and vigorous, able-bodied truant officers to gather up the grains and re- turn them to the mill. By means of college entrance examinations, or of a diploma s} 7 stem, the youths are passed on to the somewhat more flexible machine of the colleges. The early schools grew naturally out of the social and industrial conditions of colonial life. Communities were small and families lived under identical or similar condi- tions. They were near enough the beginnings of their 224 SCHOOL WASTE 225 own peculiar civilization to understand what, at that time, was best for them. The young man who was to continue on the farm, go into business, or start out into the world to seek his fortune, never thought of college as either desirable or possible for him. Farm or an established busi- ness claimed some. If a trade were chosen, then the ap- prentice system took care of the candidate and a boy had years of specific training under skilled blacksmith, carpen- ter, or cabinet-maker, as the case might be. For these reasons, college work, planned solely for pro- fessional men, took clearly defined and narrow lines, the bulk of the work being Greek, Latin, and mathematics, with a little history and less French, German, and literature. Of science, according to modern standards, there was hardly enough to mention. There was no question as to the desirability of the studies selected. The lawyer must know Latin and Greek in order to adorn his pleadings with sonorous and impressive periods ; the doctor must have countless classical words and terminations to fortify his unscientific drugs ; the preacher must stand before a community as the exponent of all hu- man knowledge as well as a guide in things spiritual ; the teacher must be more than a dictionary, better than an encyclopedia. As soon as colleges came into prominence it was neces- sary for entering students to possess a reasonably accu- rate knowledge of certain facts. It then became the busi- ness of academies to offer means for gathering this infor- mation. The academy was the door and, like the colleges, began to demand a pass-word. In this way, the common schools, becoming the slaves of the secondary schools, were attached to the system. 226 THE TEACHER In this perfectly natural way, growing normally out of the then existing social and industrial conditions, a clearly defined educational system was built up. This system was dominated from the top, — from the colleges. They set the pace, they dictated to the academies which then filled the place of our secondary schools, which, in their turn, stretched out a compelling hand to the common schools. This educational system exists today, out of harmony with modern civilization and as inadequate for the needs of modern life as would be the swinging flail or Complacency the graceful sickle to the American farmer on the plains of the vast northwest. The colleges are still absolute dictators and to their demands the secondary schools have meekly acceded, ac- cepting without a murmur all requirements for added work. They have gone on whipping up their pupils to keep them in the race, even though they stumbled over the line intel- lectually winded and with heart completely knocked out for the next race. If the way is by college entrance examination, the real education of the pupil must be suspended not later than the eleventh year in order to begin the process of cram- ming his brain with certain facts. When entrance is by diploma, the condition is but slightly different. The col- leges still say what shall be done ; they merely place a little more confidence in the teachers of the secondary school and trust them to see that the cramming is properly done. The American people have accepted with satisfaction and pride this standard for our school. They have seemed to feel that education, like love, is not education "Which alters when it alteration finds." Originally organized for purely academic culture, we SCHOOL WASTE 227 have let civilization march past us and have been slow to realize that changed conditions make different demands upon everything, even our schools. For generations we have looked upon this structure and called it good. We have made of our educational system a fetish ; we have bowed down to an idol. But that day is past. In the minds of all unrest* thinkers on educational matters there have arisen grave doubts as to the wisdom of what we are doing, a question as to whether we are not entirely on the wrong track. Decided unrest marks the educational world. Dis- satisfaction with the schools, and criticisms of their methods, fill magazines and newspapers, while adverse discussion flows freely from the mouths of teachers themselves. Tested by the needs of modern civilization, possibly we are fundamentally wrong. Is this great system, so cheerfully supported by the people, wasting the money of the people? Is it wasting the energy of the child? Is it wasting opportunities? Is it wasting life? The former dump heap of great manufacturing estab- lishments has now become their gold mine. By the con- servation of what was once waste, the by-products have fre- quently become more valuable than the original output. In the business world waste is considered almost criminal, vet in our schools we have submitted to it in countless directions without a murmur, often without knowing that it exists. If it were possible, would it not be well to "draw the wet sponge across the accusing slate" and begin again? Of course that cannot be done. We are like property owners in a great city who find Remedy? the themselves possessed of a building too valuable to tear down, but inadequate for growing needs and 228 THE TEACHER shaky in its foundations. The building must be lifted and supported until a new foundation can be put under it strong enough for future needs and then the rest of the building must be repaired and enlarged and fitted to modern demands as rapidly as possible. It should be the business of every teacher early to take her bearings upon the educational sea, study the chart carefully for already tested harbors, know the rocks and reefs which have warped and battered the craft, and then send the searching glass far ahead to seek a clear path to the desired harbor. Teachers should be educational experts, thoroughly fa- miliar with the present system, conscious of its faults and its points of permanent value, but ever on the watch for chances for improvement, ready even for a revolution if that way lies reform. Schools and teachers have been severely criticized for the epidemic of fads that has swept the country. But what does this faddism indicate? Merely that p ads the educational system is desperately sick and that the earnest, enthusiastic educators are trying, by the application of certain specifics which have worked cures in some cases, to restore the body to a healthy, vigorous condition. Moreover, many things that were once looked upon as fads have been regularly incorporated into school work and are now considered a vital and valuable part of it. Schools were originally established for purely academic instruction. In harmony with that standard as originally developed, we had accepted without question standard 60 * the idea that nothing was education that did not lead in a straight line to a college degree. More than that, the only degree that was looked upon with SCHOOL WASTE 229 full respect was that of Bachelor of Arts, which demanded Greek as a prime requirement. It is not very long since one college after another admitted that a man might be educated even if he could not read Homer in the original. Yet, even after that emancipation, other degrees were looked upon with suspicion. A Bachelor of Science might have gained the power to thread railroads through moun- tains and across continents, to build ships that go down to the sea, or clear a passage for them through the Isthmus of Panama, — he might have power to do all this and yet the title of the educated man, the master's degree goes to the individual who, shut away from the world's great activities, passes his life among his books. The worjd needs a certain percentage of people who shall give their lives to purely scholastic pursuits, who shall do the theorizing for the world, who shall deal with matters abstractly intellectual. But the percentage of that type really needed is much smaller than the educational practice has estimated. We have made the mistake of thinking that this was the only mold in which the educated, trained individual could be cast. As a result, we have been sending too many people to college. Walk with your thinking eyes open through any college campus and you will meet scores of students whose faces tell that they are spending days in studying things that find no response in their natures, to fit them for an occupation which does not interest them. They are like the traveler who gazed with unseeing eyes upon the glorious Alps, but "saw no Mont Blanc, for there was no Mont Blanc within him." Yet these same young men and women have in them possibilities for development in directions along which the world needs their serv- ice. They have fallen victims to the idea that the only 230 THE TEACHER education is that which scholastic attainments give. To go to college has been held the proper thing to do and so they make great sacrifices and go, against the cry of their own natures to do the conventional thing. When they are through, it is often too late for them to follow effi- ciently the line of work in which they might have done exceptionally well had there been someone to help them listen to the voice of their own nature. The schools are largely responsible for this tremendous waste in human activity, for they have habitually held up the standard of college as the only perfect one. There is a growing opinion that too much time is spent in school with far too paltry results. There have been countless suggestions made of ways, to shorten of C< Time y the time and to turn well trained energy sooner into the nation's activities. Some schools have experimented upon eliminating the eighth grade, others have advocated the reduction of the high school course to three years ; again, the same shortening of time has been recommended for the colleges. It is certain beyond argument that the time allowed for formal education is fully long enough for the average mind and altogether too long, even with present methods, for those of higher mental potentiality. This is fully illus- trated where a wise elective system allows the individual to move along limited only by his own powers. The average age of those entering college falls some- where between eighteen and nineteen years. Recently a young man not considered at all wonderful graduated from one of the old eastern colleges at eighteen, having taken his college course in three years. He entered at fifteen from a western preparatory school without a condition and with considerable advanced credit in modern languages. Fur- SCHOOL WASTE 231 ther, this boy was not a "grind"; he took his work easily and happily, joining in the social life of school and college. He does not stand alone. Every college and school conld cite instances in which surprising progress was made by individuals when the hide-bound rules of the system were ignored. It becomes plain, then, that more rapid advancement should regularly be made in our schools. Greater con- servation of energy is necessary ; perhaps entirely new methods. Removal of the feeble-minded, the deaf, the physically sub-normal, will accomplish something, but the reform must go deeper, even to the very roots of the educational sys- tem. The problem must be worked out in the experimental laboratory of education, the schools themselves, and the teachers must be the workers. Every now and then someone claims to have discovered the full solution. Each of these confident answers should be carefully studied, for there will be some grain of sustaining truth in all of them. The pupils of Maria Montessori make such progress as puts our public schools to blush. Her first success was in a "Mind-straightening School," attended by feeble- minded children from the asylums of Rome, as well as by private pupils sent thither by their parents. For two years she was directress of this institution. The claim is that she taught the children to read and write so that they could pass the same examinations that children of their age were expected to pass in the public schools. The secret she explains herself: "It was that the boys from the asylum had followed 232 THE TEACHER a different path from that pursued in the public schools. They had been aided in their psychic development, while the normal children had been hampered and depressed. I thought that if, one day, the special education which had thus marvelously developed the idiots could be applied to the development of normal children, the miracle would vanish, and the gulf between the inferior and the normal mentality would reappear, never again to be bridged. While every one was admiring the progress of my idiots, I was meditating on the reasons that could keep the happy and healthy common-school children on so low a level that my unhappy pupils were able to stand beside them." • Then followed seven years' hard study in experimental psychology, pedagogic anthropology, and careful investi- gation of methods followed in the training of normal children. This is not the place to describe in detail her theory or her methods. The results prove that she has at least made a stride forward. Her average Italian pupil of four learns to write in six weeks, writing all simple words and usually beginning with ink. At the end of about three months most of them write well ; after six months they equal the children of the third grade in the public schools. The son of an Italian marchesa, an American by birth, at the age of three and a half can read and write both in Italian and English. Most wonderful of all, there are, accord- ing to reports, no naughty children in these schools, and yet there are no corrections, no rewards, no punishments. Maria Montessori claims that the reason for this is "Be- cause they are all doing what they like to do. Ecco !" The son of Dr. Sidis, of Harvard University, was looked upon as a remarkable example of super-intellectuality. Dr. SCHOOL WASTE 233 Sidis claims that the child is only a normal boy ; that thousands of others could enter Harvard at the same age if their early training were what it should be. If this statement is true, what a commentary upon our educational system ! Since he believes it, what wonder that his recent book criticizes with biting sarcasm the awful failure of our vast, expensive, and much praised educational structure? Enormous waste is apparent when a comparison is made between the vast sums of money expended by the nation for public schools and the relative few who take complete advantage of the education provided. School A study of public school management made recently by the Russell Sage Foundation revealed that only fifty-five per cent of our children get above the fifth grade. This means that forty-five per cent leave school with but the elementary knowledge of reading and writing. Further investigation showed that while many leave for the assigned reason that they are needed as wage earners, in a large number of cases this is not the true cause. They escape the school prison as soon as they have "served their time" to the required legal age, and sooner, if they or their parents can devise some means of eluding the truant officers. Strange to say, other investigations reveal that many of these children are later found in evening schools study- ing practical branches or in business colleges and trade or technical schools. They turn their backs upon the sys- tem provided by the state and assume the responsibility of their own education according to their individual needs. Economically this argues great waste when these chil- dren, in the years when they should be receiving the best training for the life which is to be theirs, feel that the opportunities do not fit their needs, that they are throwing 234 THE TEACHER away their time, and that they must get away from it all. If later they seek this training in the hours which belong to them for recreation, it proves that there is an education which they need and which they would gladly take. Social' conditions have changed to such an extent that many things necessary for the full development of chil- dren cannot be done by the home. Little by Change in .... Social little responsibilities that once belonged ex- Conditions r ° clusively there have been shifted to the school. The first feeling of the teacher when discovering this was one of rebellion, of indignation. Before allowing this to become the final attitude, careful consideration is desirable. The change in our civilization is partly responsible for these conditions. Two or three generations ago the home, in a natural, wholesome way, gave its children a training in what might be called the occupation habit. There were chores for the boys, wood to be cut and brought in, water to draw, fires to build, and, on the farm, countless things to be done for the stock and about the fields. The girls cooked, churned, and swept and gave their leisure to sewing, spinning, and weaving. The last. twenty-five years mark a decided change in do- mestic relations touching both the rich and the poor. No matter what one's station in life, conditions are such as to take away from the young countless activities which were once theirs by right of their place in the family. The modern city home, no matter how humble, leaves little share for the growing boy in active labor. Where the cook- ing is done by gas and the water drawn from a tap in the wall, wood-pile and well vanish. In the homes of the wealthy, the case is even worse : SCHOOL WASTE 235 everything is done by servants, and the sole obligation resting upon young people is that of crowding into each day as much of entertainment and self-indulgence as golf, tennis, yachts, and automobiles make possible. One by one the responsibilities in the training of chil- dren have been dropped by the home. Politics, business, or social demands upon the wealthy have removed the chil- dren from the former nearness to parents, while the need for providing for a family under modern conditions has done the same for the poor, leaving only among the so- called middle class anything approaching the close parental relations of our grandfathers' households. Even these homes have suffered decided modification. Many of the things that have been turned over to the school doubtless w r ill permanently remain there, — probably it is best that they should. It becomes, then, the duty of every teacher to look the educational situation fairly in the face, and to recognize the fact that in many ways present methods have outlived their usefulness, have fallen far be- Toward . . Conditions hind the needs of the civilization of today. Things cannot be changed as in a twinkling of an eye and we shall simply have to do the best we can with con- ditions as they exist. To accomplish even this requires constant study? constant self-criticism, constant endeavor. It behooves us to treat with respect every experiment of every earnest worker looking to the betterment of con- ditions. But it is equally necessary not to accept as pure gold every glittering theory that is flashed triumphantly before us. No one of them will contain the whole truth ; no one answer will ever be the final one, for progress has in it no element of permanency. Little by little what has out- 236 THE TEACHER lived its usefulness will be discarded and better methods substituted. Much has alread}^ been accomplished ; more and more will be done until the schools satisfy modern needs and the present waste is eliminated. CHAPTER XVI HOW THE SCHOOLS ARE ELIMINAT- ING WASTE No business enterprise would consider itself successful if large sums of money were tied up in plants that were idle half the hours of a working day, and ° . Productive- yet, for generations the public has submitted "ess of . . . . . Equipment to such waste by investing its millions in large buildings, perfect equipment, and spacious grounds, and making them productive only about five hours a day for eight or nine, or, at the most, ten months in the year. Thinkers have at last realized the Heedlessness of such waste, have awakened to the fact that conditions have changed and that schools are far behind in the march of progress. As a result, educational plants are working full time in most large cities and are turning out a larger product of useful citizens. When academic work was the only thing attempted by the schools, then, no doubt, five hours was a long, long day to children, too long for the cramped existence which school discipline demanded. Lengthened With the introduction of supervised athletics, directed play, manual training, and domestic science, the variety of interests relieves the strain and allows the school day longer possibilities. 237 238 THE TEACHER The introduction of these activities has changed the atti- tude of children toward school, and yet still greater prog- ress is needed. The idea is too often in the ?s h u°fe mind of the child that school is something to be endured because it is good for him, because he must be prepared for life which is supposed to begin when eight or ten years hence he gets out of school. Each day school work is considered a necessary task to be gotten through with in some way, either with credit or without, but gotten through with so the child may have the freedom to live the rest of the time. This is all wrong. We have no more right to say that the life of the child begins when he leaves school than we have to insist that the life of a plant begins when it first bursts into bloom. In a properly conducted school a child should be hap- pier than he could be anywhere else. Ideally, the condi- tions are made for him and he is pursuing his own deepest interests with children of his own age whose interests are common with his, and the teacher is there, like a special Providence, to see that those conditions are kept right for him. Is this an honest picture of our schools today? Someone has remarked, perhaps facetiously, that the ambition of the educational system of France ism IVldUal " was that each child shall be giving the same answer to the same question at the same time all over the country. The American educational system might have been originally modelled upon a similar plan. It struggled for uniformity, for clear-cut grading, for the fixing of hard and fast boundaries between classes, for promotion of all by the same test. If this pupil was exceptionally bright, the brick of suppression was put ELIMINATING WASTE 239 upon his head to keep him down to the average of the class to which some higher authority (Heaven only knows by what sacred laying on of hands he gained the right) had committed him. If he was dull or slow, he was dragged, like a Cook's tourist at the hand of his guide, past the educational wonders which he scarcely saw. The day for that kind of thing is rapidly passing and we are learning that there are as many different types of children as there are individuals ; that an accurate classi- fication would really put but one pupil in each type. The unit of our present school organization is the class ; the unit of the new education must be the individual. The old method stands for uniformity, not always even for unity ; identity rather than symmetry ; a narrowed view, not a connected view. The individual has been lost sight of and the boys and girls have been treated as though they existed for the schools, not the schools for them. The kindergarten took the first step toward emancipa- tion. It taught the rights of the individual and the de- sirability of allowing the child to grow and develop accord- ing to his own peculiar characteristics, in a natural, unconscious way. The spirit of the kindergarten is right, although it cannot be too emphatically stated that much of the prac- tice of the kindergarten is wrong. This is not the fault of the theory but of the number of incompetent people who go into the work. Natural development to them too often means unrestrained and undirected action ; the will of the child is allowed to lead; he is entertained and amused ; his desires and whims never ' thwarted. Such teachers, as was said before, fail to discriminate between the will of the child and the nature of the child. 240 THE TEACHER Yet, in spite of all its abuses, the fact still remains that the fundamental idea of the kindergarten is right. De- pending upon the play instinct, the child is kept constantly interested. He does not go to school "like a quarry slave scourged to his dungeon," but the kindergarten, even though it be a poor one, becomes the center of his daily life. He looks forward to it with eagerness in the morn- ing, he enjoys every moment of the session, and he plays kindergarten all the afternoon. What the kindergartners call the play instinct, is, in a broader sense, an activity interest. Every child is filled with it, bubbling over with it. The mother interest a ^ nome * s haunted with the question, "What can I doV The too frequent answer is, "Run away and don't bother me." The general practice of the schools is to suppress this interest and subdue it to passivity. In the kindergarten this activity interest is not wasted but is turned to good educational account. The so-called connecting class carries it over into the first grade, and it is safe to say that this same vitalizing activity interest holds, with reasonable power, through the third grade. There is a recognized break at the beginning of the fourth year. Here restlessness, idleness, the pull of out- side interest, truancy, and other troubles begin. The eager- ness for school abates, and from there on through the eighth grade the problem is a serious one. Formalism is intensified here, and we are still hampered by the idea that the children must be fitted intellectually into a certain mold which the system "prescribes. Order takes precedence of interest ; activity must be suppressed for the sake of quiet. The marked individuality of the child here is less evident. ELIMINATING WASTE Ml He becomes self-conscious, loses confidence in himself, and so grows restive and dissatisfied with school. This is the fault of the schools. They are wasting and have been wasting for years golden opportunities for full and complete development of the individual child. Under present conditions the child is pulling and strug- gling against the will of the home and the authority of the school which is driving him whither he would not go ; driving him against the call of his own nature which he hears plainer than they do. There is but one solution to the problem ; let all who deal with young people learn to listen to the nature of the individual child, and by that is meant the nature of the child, not merely his will or whim. Having recognized it, help him to follow its dictates. This means individualism, increased, intensified individu- alism. It means humanizing every step of the work. It means making school a place to which the children will come gladly? eagerly, because here they are happiest, here they can follow the dictates of their natures, here live, — live freely, joyously, every day. Teachers must cease to be task-masters : thev must be- come leaders. They must remember that the person who drives usually goes behind, and that is exactly where he belongs. The universal acceptance of manual training and do- mestic science as a necessary part of school training is the present general way of supplying a valu- able and practical application of this activity T r a a "nin g interest. There is no need here of entering into any discussion of this branch of education, for its importance and its educational value are very clearly pres- ent in the minds of all teachers. 242 THE TEACHER There are some dangers connected with it, as there are with all good things, and it may be well to call attention to them. It is much easier to use the hands than to use the brain. Mental tenseness necessary to producing results is weary- ing and peculiarly distasteful to the untrained mind. Manual training offers an easy escape from mental strain. To plan all this work so as to demand constant mental activ- ity is the part of those in charge of this branch. In a shop, where the getting of a finished product as quickly as possible for the sake of the compensating wage is desirable, it may be wise to acquire imitative manual facility. That is not enough in an educational institution. The child must gain in the shops and in the domestic science depart- ment a certain power which will enable him to go on inde- pendently to new and different, although allied activities. The brain must be trained to guide the hand. It is not enough to make of the hand a facile instrument guided by some intelligence outside the personality to whom the hand belongs. Mechanical drawing, which underlies so much of man- ual training, must be something more than preparing beautiful looking plates which are nothing more or less than copies of other beautiful plates. The student must be trained to visualize, to see in his flat drawing, the solid object of which this is a projection. He should be able to trace each line to its proper place in the figure of three dimensions and know the reasons for it. Miss Louise Brigham, the originator of box furniture, furniture made from the boxes that can be found piled outside of any store, lives, from choice, in a small apart- ment opposite Hell Gate, in New York City. She is much ELIMINATING WASTE 243 interested in the life of the community in which she lives and is a real part of it. Opposite her home is one of New York's breathing places, a large park. She obtained permission from the authorities to open a shop in an old house standing in this park. With the assistance of philan- thropic individuals, she equipped twenty woodworking benches and invited the boys of the neighborhood to use them under her direction. Applicants were many and the early arrivals had the benches, the others waiting around until they could catch a vacancy. The lumber from these boxes is not of prime quality. It has knots and nails and nail-holes ; it is often split and is not always of the most convenient lengths. But the boys attack it and the finished product shows none of the original imperfections. In this work Miss Brigham encountered a peculiar con- dition. The boys who had never had any manual training in the public schools were the persevering, careful workers. Most of those who had had any bench-work in the public schools fell by the wayside early. They were so annoyed by the difficulties presented by the poor grade material that they gave up in despair. They were used to selected lum- ber of convenient length ; they wanted only the luxury of manual labor. There may be a suggestion here worth considering. Is manual^ training following the weaknesses of modern civili- zation and making everything easy? The purpose of it all should, like every other branch of education, be tested by the gain in power, — power to use the brain on practical problems, power to overcome difficulties, the moral power to stick to a thing until it is accomplished. The aim of man- 244 THE TEACHER ual training is not the getting of a finished product, but the education of mind and hand, as well as a training in character. By giving to young people the things which they should have, many who now leave school early in the grades might Technical ^ e kept longer and sent out well trained men- Schoois tally for the life which is theirs naturally in the social economy. Several cities have attempted to meet a part of the difficulty through technical high schools. Cleveland was one of the pioneers and, as conditions in that city are prob- ably about what they are in other manufacturing places, it will serve as an example of the movement in this direction. The committee appointed to examine carefully the gov- ernment, supervision, and course of study of the Cleveland public schools and make suggestions, learned that one-half the students left school at the end of the sixth year. They discovered the appalling mortality between the eighth and ninth years ; they noted the high percentage of fail- ures in academic work of those who survived for the ninth year, and saw that of the total number who enter the high school, a majority fall b}^ the wayside before the end of the second year. The original plan was to establish a Manual Training High School similar to others already in existence. But the committee, going at its work intelligently and earnestly, soon found that conditions demanded something more. For this reason, even the name was changed and the result stands today as the Technical High School. It is planned especially to meet the needs of both boys and girls who expect to end their formal education here, and so is emancipated from the tyrannical rules of the ELIMINATING WASTE 245 colleges. It is free and independent; may "do whatever it pleases in whatever way it pleases ; is bound by no conven- tions; has but one aim, and that is the rendering of the best service to a large class of young people whose vital needs the high schools have practically ignored. For the first two years it follows somewhat closely the ordinary work of a manual training school, with some modifications of academic work. The last two years it is practically a trade school. It is located on the edge of a great manufacturing district and is well equipped in a building planned especially for the purpose. There are the usual accommodations found in any manual training high school, including class-rooms, laboratories for chemistry and physics, exceptional athletic equipment, including gymnasium, running track, showers, and locker- rooms. There are wood-working rooms for joinery, turn- ing, cabinet-making and pattern-making, a well-equipped machine shop, a foundry provided with cupola for melting iron, and a brass foundry. The drafting rooms are so located as to be convenient to the shops. There is also a lunch-room with kitchen and serving-rooms. The department for girls has for its basis domestic and industrial arts, and around these studies the rest of the work is grouped. The course in cooking covers the prepa- ration and analvsis of foods, the studv of food values, the preparation and serving of complete meals. There are courses in home planning and house decoration, including the study of furniture, pictures, draperies, and ornament. These are conducted with especial reference to economy and good taste. A course in home nursing includes first aid to the injured and care of invalids and children. Keeping of household accounts, economic home management, and mar- keting also receive attention. In fact, these courses point 246 THE TEACHER to the end when a girl has forced upon her the care of home and family, in the hope of giving her some intelligent preparation for these duties. The board was peculiarly audacious in choosing teachers for this school. They did not demand college degrees, experience in teaching, or typewritten copies Teachers* °f letters of recommendation. For each posi- tion they sought the man or woman whom they thought would deal most intelligently, most forcefully, most humanly, with the problem. They cared nothing for previous state of servitude, but they cared for the bigness of the individual. For instance, they secured an expert chemist from some large manufacturing plant. He had never taught a day in his life, but he taught chemistry there with a force and enthusiasm that was contagious. One man whose son took the course said : "My boy works all day in school, but that isn't enough, so he has a laboratory at home. He may blow the house up before he gets through, but he's learning chemistry." This technical High School opened with 800 pupils. The six academic high schools in the city showed a total decrease in enrollment of only 47, which meant Attendance an mcrease of over 700 in the high school popu- lation. A part of this may be accounted for by the natural growth of the city, but not all of it. Another attempt to meet the needs of the individual has been made through the opening of commercial high schools, in the hope of giving to those expecting- to Commercial A ° . , r . . ° . High take up omce work some definite training m things they will need to know. These put more stress upon teaching a would-be stenographer to spell correctly than in giving her instruction in the chemistry ELIMINATING WASTE 247 of foods. They see to it that the future bookkeeper can add a column of figures twice with the same result, even if she has not a scientific knowledge of the different kinds of levers. The movement is an interesting one and meets the ap- proval of a large class of educators. On the other hand, however, stands a considerable number who, while they have no quarrel with the methods in Against any of these schools and believe in the adapta- tion of the work to the individual, yet seriously question the advisability of thus segregating these various interests. They hold that the results would be much better, much stronger, more far-reaching, if high schools were divided geographically, and this special work done in departments. They point out the danger of confusing the mechanical learning of a trade with education, which should mean the highest training for mind, body, and soul. Colleges were the first to discover that there was no reason why their doors should be closed three months each year. Summer schools followed, and the Uni- versity of Chicago set the excellent example of Lengthened Year an unbroken year with four terms of equal value, the student being allowed to attend such of them as best suited his convenience, or all of them if he desired. For those who are working their way, the plan is most practical, for almost any other time is better than the summer for earning money. Simultaneously with the lengthened year of the college, there sprang up all over the country summer camps, all of which provide some opportunity for study. It was discovered that the young mind was fcn^r far better off for having some systematic, supervised mental activity during the summer vacation. 248 THE TEACHER Maine, New Hampshire, Michigan, Wisconsin, and other states have established these camps in their most charming spots, and through them much energy and valuable time that formerly went to waste, is conserved to the general good of the community. Following close upon this has come the opening of sum- mer schools in important centers of the larger cities. The question is now prominent in the minds of educators as to the wisdom of abolishing entirely the long summer vacation. Is there any reason for its existence in modern civilization? Is it not merely a survival of a custom that had a reason for being when it was instituted, because the assistance of even the children was necessary to the maintenance of the home in the pioneer days, when the living of the family had to be forced out of the soil by manual labor? A change to a year of four quarters with a week's vaca- tion between each two would make the public school equip- ment much more productive. The public playground movement has thrown open the school grounds to the children and the buildings are being used for summer sessions of real school, modi- Grounds fi^ somewhat by temperature, but nevertheless real school. To be sure, this has resulted in the trampling down of some "Keep off the grass" signs, and the demolishing of ornamental school lawns, but the by-product is visible in happy, healthy children. Originally these movements were in the slums and for the children of the very poor, to the utter forgetting of the suffering, neglected children of the well-to-do. But even they are now coming in for their share of attention. Recently, in a very prosperous neighborhood, a woman of ELIMINATING WASTE 249 wealth bought and turned over to the management of a church a large lot to be used as a playground for the children of the neighborhood. It is only a few years since evening schools were occa- sional and unusual. Today they are a recognized part of the definite system of all advanced city schools. Once their instruction was limited to the simplest elemen- tary education, and attended largely by for- fchoo"s 9 eigners learning the language. Perhaps no better idea of what is being done in the evening schools at present can be given than in quoting from the report of a superintendent of schools in a city of 500,000 inhabitants. "Special attention is given to foreigners of various nationalities who wish to learn to read, write, and speak the English language. Teachers who are conversant with both languages are engaged for classes of Arme- nians, Bohemians, Germans, Greeks, Hebrews, students Hungarians, Italians, and Poles. "The subjects taught in the elementary schools are read- ing, writing, arithmetic, spelling, history, geography, Eng- lish grammar, and composition as applied to letter writing. f^ftf "In the high schools, courses are offered in English, French, German, Latin, and Spanish, bookkeep- ing, commercial law, stenography, typewriting, mechan- ical and architectural- draughting, gas engine construction, blueprint reading, algebra, arithmetic, geometry, trigo- nometry, workshop calculations, carpentry, cabinet-making, forge work, pattern making, wood turning, machine shop practice, physics, chemistry, cooking, sewing, dressmaking, penmanship, letter writing, spelling, geography, and civil- 250 THE TEACHER service preparation. Besides these branches, swimming and gymnastic classes are open to both sexes in the several school gymnasiums. " In many cities the school buildings have been opened in the evening as social centers. This has been done for the _ , benefit of the young people in the neighbor- Schools as j & sr r & Social hood who are no longer in school. One school Centers & may stand as a type of the best work done in this direction. "The Center was open five nights a week. The Boys' Department had the use of the building on Monday and Wednesday evenings, the Girls' Department on Classes Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and on Sat- urday evenings the boys and girls alternated in the use of the building. In the Boys' Department classes were successfully conducted during the winter in carpentry, mechanical drawing, hammered brass, and gym- nastics. A basket-ball team, two debating clubs, and a branch of the Boy Scouts were organized and became largely self-directing. In the Girls' Department, classes in millinery, domestic science, gymnastics, and folk dancing offered a line of work which proved most attractive. New- comb, volley ball and basket-ball teams were organized, and these, together with a large chorus and two self -directing literary clubs, furnished recreation for the girls. Especial mention should be made of the classes in domestic science, which were an unqualified success. "Saturday night was devoted to social purposes, and everything was done to give the boys and girls a pleasant time, although they came on separate evenings. A dancing lesson was given every Saturday night from 7 until 8, and although the boys had to dance together, as did the girls, considerable proficiency was attained. After the ELIMINATING WASTE 251 dancing was over an entertainment lasting about an hour and consisting usually of a concert, a stereopticon travel- talk, recitations, or a party of some kind, was given." In addition, the possibility of using the buildings for the improvement and pleasure of the parents of the vicinity occurred to someone else, and lectures, entertainments, and social gatherings have been instituted. Much of this activity has originated with the women's clubs interested in civic improvement. They have taken the responsibility of the programmes and have enlisted many public-spirited people in the movement. In all this the teachers have cooperated. Realizing that a sound mind, to reach full efficiency, must dwell in a sound body, the schools have assumed much of the phvsical responsibilitv of its children. ^ i • j mi {• i u Physical Kegular, supervised athletics have become care of so definitely a part of all school life today that this branch of the physical training of children needs no elaboration here, but some special phases of the subject are worthy of attention. Here and there certain schools have succeeded in getting medical inspection ; others have trained nurses who care for the health of the children. Through these, contagious diseases are quickly discovered, isolated, and means taken to prevent their spread. Some have established school clinics, others use the free hospitals where simple opera- tions, such as removal of tonsils and adenoids, are per- formed, and many simple ailments treated and cured. The introduction of baths in school buildings makes for the habit of cleanliness, and so for improved health. The eyes are given careful attention, and many a child once considered stupid has proved only near-sighted or a victim of astigmatism 252 THE TEACHER The teeth are watched and their condition brought to the attention of parents, to be looked after through the home, if the home can afford it ; if not, the school takes care of the matter through its dental clinic. Proper feeding is another essential, and the furnishing of wholesome, nourishing luncheons at a very low price is another feature of modern education. In these and in other ways of looking after the body, the schools are trying to watch the interests of the normal child, and energy and intellectual power once wasted are now conserved to a lifting of the general average, to the bringing of the schools to a higher degree of efficiency. The tendency of every reform, no matter how desirable the reform may be, is to go too far. This has been the history of nearly every movement recorded in opposition history. When we contemplate the responsibility al- ready assumed by the schools, when we read the articles advocating further assumption of responsibility, we are constrained to ask, where shall we stop? All the things done are desirable. Most of them the homes will not attend to. Shall the schools assume these responsibilities? If not all of them, then where shall the line be drawn? Already there has arisen a party or a faction in opposi- tion to medical inspection, to too much paternalism on the part of the schools. This is bound to grow stronger, for practically all such reforms encounter opposition. These progressive changes in our schools are now encountering that opposition. There will be more of it, and the effect will be restraining and clarifying. Communities will select the things that are desirable for the schools to do ; the opposition will strengthen determination to carry these desirable things to fulfillment, and it will, at the same time, ELIMINATING WASTE 253 protect us from going to the extreme in our search for the best. The teachers are in the practical laboratory where these attempts at reform are being tried out. They are the experts who must decide which of these experiments will stand the test of practical application, which are reason- able and in harmony with the preservation of the home and its responsibilities. CHAPTER XVII SPECIAL SCHOOLS The assumption of the school system is that every child is normal or by wise corrective measures can be restored to the normal. But outside the reach of the ordinary care of medical inspection and regular athletics, outside the assistance of proper feeding and clothing, beyond the aid of ordinary teaching methods, is a large class of children still unconsidered. The circle of their lives is narrowed by some physical or mental limitation. But they are, nevertheless, entitled to the fullest development of which their proscribed natures are capable. The old system paid no attention to this class, but scat- tered the individuals wherever they seemed to belong, either according to age or size, to the further stunting of the already dwarfed natures and to the serious detriment of the normal children. We are learning not to expect the child with imperfect eyes to have the same efficiency as the child with unimpaired vision ; that the deaf or the semi-deaf cannot compete on equal terms with those possessed of sharp hearing; that the healthy child can outrun the sickly in the intellectual race as well as on the athletic field. The thinking world is taking account of all these factors and forcing them upon the practical consideration of the schools. The deaf, the dumb, the blind, the tuberculous, 254 SPECIAL SCHOOLS 255 the crippled, are put into schools of their own, where their infirmities are considered and teaching given especially adapted to them. Here, instead of dragging along, hope- less and despairing, far in the rear of those who have no such handicap, they are moving happily ahead in lines of their own toward their fullest possible development. Windows have been thrown wide to the sunshine and the air. Open-air schools have been tried with wonderful results in increased mental activity and corresponding attainment. Schools for the mentally deficient have come to stay. The special schools are accomplishing two things : first, the fuller development of the sub-normal children ; second, the more rapid advancement of the others by the removal of this drag upon them. Total deafness or even imperfect hearing makes it impossible for the child thus afflicted to work to advantage under the same conditions as those who hear _ , „ . Oral Schools acutelv- For some time the needs of these £° r the Deaf children for special attention have been heeded. In 1899 the legislature of Michigan passed an act pro- viding for the establishment and maintenance throughout the state of schools for the training of deaf children. Such schools as have been established, notablv those in Detroit and Grand Rapids, are oral schools, training the children to speech and to lip reading. Approximately the work runs parallel with the elementary schools, although the chief aim of these schools is to give the children such practical training as will serve them in earning their living and becoming self-supporting. Many of these children do not continue in school even to the eighth grade, but up to that time they are given special work in English and all elementary branches taught from 256 THE TEACHER the practical standpoint. To this is added a liberal amount of manual training to assist them in becoming reasonably independent in earning a living. A few even continue on into the high school. Here they enter regular classes and find themselves able to be treated as the other young people are treated, using their acquired speech and lip reading very successfully. Two or three such students have already been graduated from the Central High School in Detroit, doing all their work in regular classes. As the number of deaf children in a community is small, these are gathered from all parts of the city. Coming from such distance, provision for the mid-day meal becomes imperative. Those interested in this branch of education consider that a luncheon, properly served, no matter how simple, is of great importance. As the final purpose of the school is the fullest development of the children, not merely drill in the purely intellectual range of thought, the train- ing in good table manners becomes more than desirable. That is especially true of those children whose limitations in one of their senses makes it more difficult to get this kind of education naturally and unconsciously, as other children do. There are not yet many special schools for the deaf attached to the public school system, but their introduc- tion marks one more direction in the care of the exceptional child at the present occupying so much serious thought. In a city where the care of exceptional children has been given close attention, a school for crippled children has been in existence two years. At first it was held School for « -i • i • • crippled but for a half-day session, but its success in the Children improvement and happiness of the children, soon warranted a full-day session. SPECIAL SCHOOLS 257 The children are transported to and from this school, in carriages or automobiles, and an outside elevator takes them to the school-room, where the day is planned espe- cially for their needs. Particular attention is paid to hand work, this being adapted to the peculiar infirmity of each child. The branch in which he is likely to become most proficient is selected, for all this looks to the possible earning power of the individual later. The physical welfare is carefully looked after. Milk and biscuits are served at ten o'clock and a warm luncheon at noon, followed by half an hour's recreation. After this, they are given half an hour's rest in reclining chairs before the school work is resumed for the afternoon. To assist the teacher in the unusual care of the disabled, a nurse is provided. She prepares the luncheon, serves the morning milk and biscuits, and assists the children in and out of the building. The added outdoor life furnished by the rides to and from school, the cheerful association with other children and with teacher and nurse, and the interesting occupation, all combine for decided improvement in the health of the children. The great influx of foreigners has long been a vexing problem in the larger cities. Ordinarily it has been met by placing; these strangers in the primary „ J r to .... . Schools for grades, where the English is within their reach, £?r?j9 n & m ' & , Children until they become sufficiently proficient to con- tinue in the grade where they belong intellectually. By this method they accept the fate of the primary grade and learn as a little child learns. There is not much time to give them individual attention and, while their progress is often amaz- ingly rapid, still it is slower than it need be. More than 258 THE TEACHER that, the presence of these pupils is bound to retard the progress of the regular grade. There is, accordingly, much waste time and energy to both classes. To remedy this evil, in districts where there is a large per cent of foreigners, special classes are formed, to the great relief of the regular grades and to the more rapid advancement of the foreigner. So far as known, Detroit, Michigan, was the pioneer in establishing a special school for stammerers. This has been in operation since 1910. Itammerers Two rooms in different parts of the city were opened and put in charge of teachers especially trained. Unlike most special schools, the children do not do their regular school work here. Those who need the training are divided into groups, each group appear- ing two half -days each week for technical instruction in methods of overcoming their affliction. The teachers each have one free day each week which they spend in visiting the regular schools to see how well the children are apply- ing the specific instruction in their daily work. In 1912, the schools reported twenty children as entirely cured, as well as decided improvement on the part of all who had taken the training. The first experiment with open-air schools was made in 1904, in Charlottenburg, a suburb of Berlin. London fol- lowed in 1907 with a similar school. In Janu- schooit 11 * ai T> 1908, Providence, Rhode Island, opened the first school of its kind in this country. In December, New York began the work, and from that time the movement has become more or less widespread. The fight against tuberculosis has had much to do in stimulating the movement, although the work is not con- fined to children actually suffering from tuberculosis. The SPECIAL SCHOOLS 259 prevention of disease is as important as its cure, and much more economical. These schools have taken the children suffering from anemia, heart trouble, and scrofula, as well as from pulmonary trouble. The restoration to health is made the main business, but surprising advance, surprising even to the promoters of the plan, has been made in studies. Mr. Leonard P. Ayres, Associate Director, Department . of Child Hygiene, Russell Sage Foundation, gives a good description of the day's routine in the English school. This general plan is followed to a greater or less extent in all open-air schools. "A suitable place for the new school w T as chosen in a large pine forest on the outskirts of the town. Plain sheds were erected which sheltered the children during the rainy weather. But in the main the school was kept in the open air. Specially skilled teachers were put in charge, and no teacher had more than twenty-five pupils. "The children reached the school about eight o'clock in the morning. Upon their arrival they received a bowl of soup and a slice of bread and butter. Classes commenced at eight o'clock with an interval of five minutes after every half hour of teaching. Instruction was reduced to the most necessary subjects and never given for more than two consecutive hours. "At ten o'clock the children received one or two glasses of milk and another slice of bread and butter. After this they played about, performed gymnastic exercises, did manual work, and read. Dinner was served at half-past twelve, and after dinner the children rested or slept for two hours. At three o'clock there were some classes, and at four, milk, rye bread, and jam were distributed. The rest of the afternoon was devoted to informal instruction 260 THE TEACHER and play. At seven o'clock came the last meal of the day, and then the children returned home." One great obstacle to carrying out this work ideally is the expense of it. These schools have been made possible in America because the efforts of boards of education have been supplemented by other organizations and by indi- viduals. The expense of food and clothing is often defrayed by hospitals, various charitable organizations, women's clubs, and societies for the prevention and cure of tuberculosis. The expense for the extra clothing necessary for life in the open is no small item. In some places the build- ings for the experiment are the gift of individuals possessed of deep interest in child welfare. These appreciate the heavy demand made upon boards of education for money and realize that they cannot, in justice to the taxpayer, go too deeply into expensive experiments. These individuals have faith in the open-air schools ; by backing that faith finan- cially, they hope to demonstrate to the general public the necessity of such individual treatment, and so prove the experiment not an extravagance, but a valuable bit of civic economy. The results have exceeded the expectations of the most hopeful. All report decided improvement within a very few weeks, in appetite, temperamental conditions, and in intellectual activity. In one school, out of 107 pupils suffering from various diseases, 74 were reported as either entirely cured or vastly improved during the three months that the school was in session. Statistics gathered from various open-air schools show a corresponding stimulus in mental activity and sur- prising progress in studies. It has also been pretty fully demonstrated that when these children are returned to the regular schools they SPECIAL SCHOOLS 261 rapidly deteriorate. This should prove conclusively that the conditions to which the ordinary child is subjected are far from conducive to his best physical development and consequently to his highest intellectual advancement. Independent of what has been done for the sub-normal child, the effect of the open-air movement upon schools in general has been marked. Even where there are not regular open-air schools, there are frequently outdoor classes and opportunities to study in the open. New school buildings are erected with great windows which can be flung wide open instead of with small loop-holes in the wall. There is more outdoor play, and in various ways the fresh air is allowed to blow through our somewhat musty educational system. The special schools already discussed have their origin in physical defects of children which make their treatment with the physically normal both unwise and „ r J J Mental and uniust. ™°, r . a] J m Delinquents In addition, there are many children the vic- tims of mental and moral obliquities and deficiencies who cry out for special consideration and for treatment fitted to their failings. Almost every school is doing something toward meeting this situation ; some have gone farther than others, but all are headed in the right direction, each organization apply- ing special instruction where the local demand is most imperative. Some administrations make a difference between truant schools and ungraded schools. Others have but the one, using the latter name, purposely avoiding the objectionable suggestion of the name truant. scho?is ed Where the two schools exist, the truant school is maintained for the good of delinquent and disobedient pupils. Its purpose is reformatory and many children yield 262 THE TEACHER to its influence and are then passed on to the ungraded school, whence they are later promoted to some regular grade. The purpose of the ungraded school is to treat the indi- vidual who, either from bad home conditions, from enforced absence or absence through truancy, or for any other cause, is unable to do successfully the assignment of the grade in which his age would place him. When the city is large enough, several ungraded schools are established. One city of something over 100,000 inhab- itants reports during a recent year sixteen rooms for retarded pupils. This same city reports 442 pupils in ungraded rooms in the one year, and 280 in the following year. While all this decrease cannot be credited to the ungraded schools, it does establish beyond a doubt that a large percentage of those who have individual attention are able to undertake their regular grade and afterwards keep their standing in it.' In a certain city maintaining but one type of these schools, the children attending are selected upon the follow- ing basis: "Class one, habitual truants from any school in which they are enrolled as pupils ; class two, children who while attending school are incorrigibly turbulent, disobedient, or insubordinate, or are vicious and immoral in conduct ; class three, children who are not attending any school, and who habitually frequent streets and other public places, having no lawful business, employment, or occupation." It is evident that the class of children thus gathered require special attention morally and the child who is merely backward is bound to suffer in such association. In the particular city mentioned, these are taken care of in a special school, which will be considered later. SPECIAL SCHOOLS 263 Every city has a group of children who have no homes or whose homes are worse than none at all. These are nevertheless material for citizenship. If it is to be developed worthily, the public must school' assume the responsibility. In this direction, also, individuals and institutions are working in connection with the public school system to the saving of this class of children. In one city, the personal gift of two philanthropic women has made it possible "to establish a parental school for boys which will furnish them a home, helpful environ- ment, and an opportunity to work out their salvation." The Salvation Army, in the same city, has established a rescue home for girls, which has won the full confidence of the community. The board of education, recognizing the rights of these girls to some education, and understanding that it would be entirely unwise to place them in the schools regularly, have agreed to furnish a teacher, who goes to the home. There is a class of girls, not yet wholly wayward, but whose environment makes it almost impossible for them to continue in "the street called straight." In addition to the few hours a day which the public schools offer for help, they need a place where they can be trained to high ideals of home and of home life. Some cities are already attack- ing this problem, although it is comparatively a new one to the public schools. Wherever it has been attempted at all, the movement has been made through private individuals or some institution, just as much of this advanced experimen- tal work is being done. The hope is that through beginning early the moral supervision of children whose environment is all wrong, a large number may be saved from the penal and reforma- 264 THE TEACHER tory institutions. If this can be accomplished, the economic balance would be preserved. The money would be spent by the state earlier, and eventually much less would be required. It is cheaper to train a child for a few years to worthy man- hood or womanhood than it is to take care of him for life at some prison or house of correction. It should be better economy to care for those morally diseased early than to pay a heavy tax for their support as criminals through a long and worse than useless life. The gain in turning the influence of one person toward good rather than allowing it to run unguided into crime is a matter entirely beyond the human power to estimate. One of the most important discussions before the educa- tional world today is that of the segregation of the dull or feeble-minded children. Following: the spirit Schools for . ° r the Feeble- f the Declaration of Independence that all Minded * men are born free and equal, we have acted upon the assumed intellectual equality of children in the construction of our educational system. Every parent, contemplating his child in infancy, dreams of what that child will be as he reaches maturity. Those dreams are rosy- hued. They endow the unfolded nature with great possi- bilities. Position, rank, beauty, genius, power, fame, are some of these, but perhaps the most common dream, the most nearly universal ambition, lies in the direction of intellectual attainment. Sometimes, when the child goes to school and measures himself with others, the conviction is forced home that he is really dull. This dullness is not the fault of the child, and ought to receive as careful and considerate treatment as would be given to a physical deformity, to astigmatism, to dull ears, or to an anemic body. Sometimes it is more than dullness: the child may be SPECIAL SCHOOLS 265 feeble-minded. It is hard for the parent to realize this except in extreme cases. It has been established that from one to two per cent of the children in our public schools are feeble-minded, and jet we have gone on and on trying to get the same results from these children as from the normal ones. To know what has been done in the study of such cases and what should be the duty to the community as well as to these individuals, is now demanded of the teacher who would keep up with the trend of modern education. At present, the Training School for Feeble-Minded Boys and Girls, at Vineland, New Jersey, is the leader in this work, and some of the conclusions reached through their very scientific investigations and experiments should give us pause. Both Principal Johnstone of the institution and Dr. Goddard, director of the department of psycho- logical research, have lectured widely over the country, and the doors of their school swing freely to all who are inter- ested in making investigations in this very important sub j ect. Their work is not haphazard theorizing, but consists of careful, scientific, conscientious investigation of hundreds of cases, tracing their family history and showing the evils that arise from treating these cases as normal children are treated. They recognize the utter hopelessness of ever developing the feeble-minded above a very low standard. Quoting from an address delivered by Dr. Goddard at a meeting of the Michigan Schoolmasters' Club : "In Michigan you raise apples as we do in my native state of Maine. Now, there are good apples and bad apples. There are two kinds of bad apples. There are those that are hard and sour and bitter. There are those that have decayed. 266 THE TEACHER "I suppose it would not be possible to find in the whole state of Michigan any person so foolish as to attempt to make a hard, sour, and bitter apple sweet and soft and palatable by any process of training or exercise ; — by keep- ing it warm or keeping it cold. It would be recognized at once that such an apple came from an ungrafted tree, and nothing was to be done except to turn to the tree. "Equally absurd would it be to attempt to restore a rotten apple, by putting it among good apples, or by any process of treatment to bring it back to soundness. "It is curious that we are so much wiser in our ideas about apples than about children, and yet the same holds true of children." Dr. Goddard then proceeded to show by means of charts illustrating the mental condition of families of which he had carefully traced the history, that the taint of feeble- mindedness is persistent, that the feeble-minded produce their kind and only their kind. In conclusion he said: "These are a few samples out of many histories that we have on file in our laboratory, and let me remind you that I am giving you no exceptionally bad picture. This is the condition of things that exists all about us. We have these mentally defective children in every community. They are out in the world, struggling to make a living, but failing, eventually become paupers, or criminals, or dependents upon their relatives or friends, in any case very probably marrying and reproducing their kind at an alarming rate. Statistics show that this group of people is increasing at double the rate of the general population. These children comprise from one to two per cent of the children in our schools. They cannot learn to read and write and count with any efficiency, and yet we are wasting their time trying to teach them these things. The thing that they can do SPECIAL SCHOOLS 267 is to learn to use their hands. Manual training, physical culture, and the like are excellent for them, and make them happier and make them as useful as they can become. They often have excellent memories and learn so much by rote that we are deceived into believing that they are making progress. "The problem before the school authorities of the coun- try today is the segregation of these children, the selecting out from the regular classes and putting them together in special classes under specially trained and expert teachers, where they shall be trained to do whatever their capacity permits, but shall not be worried with those abstract sub- jects of reading and writing which they can never do. In this way we shall relieve the regular system and we shall do more good for these children than in any other way. Cease worrying them with books ; teach them to work, and thus make them happy. But however efficient we make them as workers with their hands, we must never forget that if they marry they reproduce their kind, and again fill our schools with defective children with whom the same process will have to be gone through. "The only thing for society to do is to prevent procrea- tion in this group, and then in a generation the problem will be greatly reduced and simplified." Dr. Goddard has been thus fully quoted because he has stated the case most forcefully and concisely, and the importance of it should reach the mind of every teacher. The prevention of this rapid reproduction of the feeble- minded is finally a social problem, but the beginning of its solution is for the schools. Teachers should make a thorough study of what has been already done toward the segregation of such cases. Where the practical beginnings have been made, where there are already separate schools 268 THE TEACHER for the feeble-minded, where the Binet system is in opera- tion for their detection, the teacher should be able intelli- gently to assist in the work. Where nothing has been done, the teacher should be a pioneer, insisting upon the impor- tance of relieving the general body of the schools from the dead weight of the hopelessly sub-normal. In doing this, the gain is not only in the happiness, the correct handling of the feeble-minded, but even in a greater degree is it a gain to the normal child and to the excep- tionally bright. Too much energy has been expended upon the dull and the vicious. The others have been held back, dead-weighted, and made to mark time in the vain hope of bringing the sub-normal even to mediocrity. It is time that this waste of energy, money, and native ability stop. After all, the advancement of the normal and the un- usually bright child is the most important consideration in school economy, for these are the ones that are needed for the highest advancement of civilization. Do all that can be done for the good of the others, but do it in such a way that it shall not impede the progress of those who are finally to do the world's work. It is possible, after all, that the greatest benefits accru- ing from the establishment of these various special schools General ma y n °t De confined to the sub-normal children ipe e c C iai° f f° r whom they are instituted. Through these Schools experiments, these very scientific experiments, we are learning more about education than the whole coun- try had learned in a century of the old-fashioned pedagogy. As Mr. Leonard Ayres has so aptly put it, through them we are making long strides "toward that school system of the future in which the child will not have to be either feeble-minded, or delinquent, or truant, or tuberculous, in SPECIAL SCHOOLS 269 order to enjoy the best and fullest sorts of educational opportunities." Even this brief view of what is being done by special schools, and in the closer care of children bv the school system, makes one wonder if all responsibility Some of the child will eventually be turned over to 9^ Qe \ s of public organization. Are the schools fast be- Schools coming a trust, a monopoly for proper, scientific training of children? These modern innovations have no intention of eliminat- ing the responsibility of the home ; their purpose is to sup- plement the home and, where the home is vicious, to offer something to counteract that vicious influence, or, in the case of the parental schools, to eliminate it entirely. There are certain activities for a young life which, to be carried on successfully, need numbers and the inspira- tion of companions of the same age. Athletics, in all its branches, and most of the work in manual training, are strengthened and made possible through the school organization. There is, however, a serious danger in the tendency of the home to shirk more and more responsibility as the school shows a willingness to assume it. So long as a home at all worthy of the name exists, it should be made to feel and to bear this responsibility. In a school made up largely of the children of the wealthy it became necessary for a boy to decide between two studies for the semester. The decision rested upon the college or the type of college which the boy would attend. It was settled that he was to go to college. The teacher discussed the matter with him, cleared the situation, and sent him home with a perfectly definite question to be settled. 270 THE TEACHER The next morning he reported that his mother had been out to dinner and that he could not see her. The next night she went to the theatre. The third night there was some other social engagement which took her time. She had no leisure for her son, who, for three consecutive days, found it impossible to talk with her. The teacher wasted no more time, but made the decision herself. Whether the mother ever knew anything about the matter always remained a mvsterv, for she never made a sign either of approval or disapproval. Another mother once commended a boy's boarding-school for the excellent influence over her son. "Why," she exclaimed, "he keeps his finger-nails clean now !" It may be old-fashioned, but it still seems right to expect the home — a well-ordered one — to look after some of the details of good breeding and the care of the body. It is enough for the schools to assume the responsibility where poverty, illness, and other adverse conditions make it impos- sible for the home to do it. There is a story current that a mother wrote to President Eliot, when her son entered Harvard, that she wanted her boy to be up and washed by eight o'clock. Shall the schools continue to assume responsibility until such a request ceases to be a joke? A second danger lurks in the possible tendency of teach- ers to be too ready to turn over to the special school chil- dren who should, in justice to them and to the schools, be handled with the normal children. If these schools serve their purpose, they should be constantly turning back to the classes of the normals, children whom they have cured of infirmities. Teachers should be keenly alert to detect sub-normal or abnormal characteristics ; they should be familiar with all SPECIAL SCHOOLS 271 the latest ideas in special education ; they should be compe- tent to judge clearly who need this special training and who are better off to stand on tip-toe for a little time in their present environment, feeling that they will eventu- ally be able to hold their own. To be considered either abnormal or sub-normal is not the best thing for the child ; to be classed there when the classification is not quite a true one is a tragedy. It must be kept emphatically in mind that the purpose of all this special education is the restoring to the normal of the greatest number of individuals that can be brought back to that class. While it is important that all who need this particular consideration should have it, it is equally imperative that not one child be thrust into it or kept in it unless the necessity is absolute. CHAPTER XVIII A BALANCE SHEET At the close of the business year, it is the custom, in all well-conducted enterprises, to take an account of stock, to draw off a balance sheet. From this the responsible men in the organization decide whether the year has been a prosperous one or a failure ; from this they also form plans for the coming year and shape a policy which shall be followed more or less closely according to the dictates of circumstances. From the last days in June back to the early ones in September is a long stretch of ten months. These months, for both teachers and pupils, have been filled with various activities, with unforeseen experiences, with unexpected results. Before finally closing the school-room door for the long vacation, it may be profitable to run an account- ant's eve over the various entries and see whether the trans- actions of the year have increased the capital or have left things in a state bordering on bankruptcy. Even though the opening days of school were unseason- ably warm, there was in the September breeze a promise of coolness ; there was visor in every breath The o j September of the autumn air. All returned from the summer vacation rested and full of enthusiasm. The boy whom you prodded and dragged through his- tory, or geography, or arithmetic, the year before, assured you that you would have to give him high marks this year 272 A BALANCE SHEET 273 because he was going to earn them. The laziest girl in school told you how hard she was going to study. Those who could not carry successfully the regular work of their grade, and failed in perhaps one or two studies, planned to take up the full schedule and make up this back work besides. The troublesome ones confessed to you, in closest confidence, the good resolutions they had made. But the strangest part of it all was that you returned to your work with the same kind of enthusiasm, and you entered most heartily and with genuine sympathy into all these hopes, even though back in the hidden recesses of your mind the question stirred as to whether all of this could be accomplished without the working of miracles. Yet, if miracles were necessary, you and they had the power to work them. You had that faith in your power which would remove mountains. This is the one great thing which the summer vacation does for all school people. Without it, teachers could scarcely endure the strain which the school puts upon them. There is something in the bringing of one's work to a defi- nite close, finishing it, putting it entirely aside, and seeking different experiences for two months, that brings eagerness for a renewal of the tasks which were so willingly put aside in June. The opening days were joyous and everything ran smoothly. Teaching was easy and work better than a holiday. The momentum gained during the summer carried us all along, but little by lit- Mid -winter . . State tie that diminished, and the conscious strain was upon us. The boy who was to get only high marks began to fail. The girl who was to surprise her teachers by her extraordinary diligence sank into her old listlessness. Those who made such good resolutions 274 THE TEACHER as to conduct, needed attention, and sometimes demanded reproof. The days grew darker and shorter, windows had to be closed, and the winter storms came, and with them irregular attendance. The cars were frequently blocked, those who walked arrived through difficulties, and many were kept at home altogether because of illness or im- passable roads. In fact, school settled down to the hard pull of mid-winter. The teacher summoned every bit of her courage, kept patience constantly on duty, and held both the school and herself under firm control. Just as the strain became almost too great, and the pent- up restlessness threatened to break bounds, the Christmas vacation came as a relief, and at exactly the right time. The stretch to the Easter vacation was not so long. After that the sun traveled rapidly north, the days were longer and fraught with the delightful outdoor life, the winged weeks flew past, and now the time for closing school has actually arrived. Placing June and September side by side, every con- scientious teacher is apt to feel, at first, a wave of over- whelming discouragement. She had planned so much in September ; the results in June fall so short of expecta- tions. Even though that be true, is it any reason to count the year a failure? Few ever reach the heights to which they aspire, but the ideal must be fixed somewhere above the ideals of the past ; otherwise there is no progress. The teacher who is satisfied with the year that is behind should make it his or her first business to resign and make room for a worthy successor, one whom the Divine discontent still drives to better things. It is right that in September ideals should be set high : it is not failure if in June all of them have not been realized. A BALANCE SHEET 275 It is inevitable that a good teacher should feel that dis- satisfaction with the final accounting, but it is not wise to brood over the condition. Having recognized Seekinq the fact that the results are not all that had Encou rage- been hoped, it is then time to sit down delib- erately and count one's blessings. It might be well to add that this is not a bad thing to do occasionally during the year, both for the individual and for a group of teachers. In one school there were weekly teachers' meetings. In these, the faculty laid their troubles at the feet of the prin- cipal. They discussed the stupidity of this girl in arith- metic, the struggles of another with grammar, and the shortcomings of the regulation black sheep that find their way into the fold of every school. After a meeting which had been particularly fruitful in this kind of criticism, — a meeting that left all feeling that they were making an abject failure of the teaching business, someone suggested that, at the next gathering, they should speak of nothing but the pleasant things ; that they should drop, for that time, the troublesome pupils, and give a little attention to the worthy ones. It is very easy to neglect these, for they go along so independently, demand so little from the teachers, and carry the responsibility of their work so easily, that it is necessary sometimes to bring them forcibly to mind. The meeting was held as planned, and it and the lesson of it made a lasting impression upon the faculty. Take the suggestion, and try it yourself sometimes ; it will be well worth while. In a similar way, each June let us send our thoughts back over the year just closing and see what of encourage- ment we can find. Compare the close of each year with that of the year before rather than with September ideals. 276 THE TEACHER If you are a high school teacher, the mind goes first to the graduating class, to the twenty, fifty, or a hundred The Credit y oun g people who are going now beyond the fa^High reach of your daily influence. You have lived schools . ver y c i ose to them for one, two, three, or four years. The turbulent, restless, irresponsible ninth year boy has grown tall and strong, and to be depended upon. Possibly he does not lead his class in his studies, some ques- tion as to the wisdom even of granting him a diploma may have arisen, but the teacher who looks deep into the issues of a boy's life knows how he has gained steadily through all the years of his high school course. Little by little he has taken the responsibility of his own actions. She knows some of the battles which the boy has fought and won, and when he looks straight out of true manly eyes, the teacher is sure that, while he may never accomplish great things intellectually, he will make a good citizen, and will be, in his own town, a power for right and for sturdy principle. The teacher who can feel that she has had a share in this development can place something to her credit in the bal- ancing of accounts. Again, one remembers how that now joyous girl reached utter discouragement in her junior year, was ready to leave school and give it all up. Wise counsel and encouragement at the right time kept her in her place, and her gratitude is a certificate of deposit to be honored on demand. Another was once willing to desert the more difficult study for an easier one. The steadying hand kept him in line, pulled him out of the ranks of the snap-hunter, and now he is fitted for college, to which he is eagerly looking forward, — another item to go on the right side of the balance. So the teacher can go over the entire list of graduates, A BALANCE SHEET 277 and, if she has been to the school what she should have been, each name will bring to memory some moment of helpfulness. As the later months in the high school have been lived, so, in the main, will go the current of the life to follow. No mistakes, no faults of character, no failures, are hope- less if the boy or girl is young enough and purposes are in the right direction. But the close of the twelfth year of school usually finds a young person, in character and ideals, about where he will remain through life. These may strengthen or weaken as the years go by, but will rarely change direction. The teacher who can claim a share in shaping such high ideals, directing toward noble pur- poses, and strengthening weak points in character, has worked well and has not failed. Just as men are but children of a larger growth, so the things that count for gain in the grades are , v . ii- (b) in not markedly different from those which applv 9 the , r J , rsr J Grades to the older pupils. In the face of many a child can we read the proof that the year's labor has not been in vain. There are changed expressions on many faces. Impa- tient and irritable looks have vanished, and these young people, with well lifted chins and level eyes, look back at you in friendly confidence. You have helped this one time after time control a temper given to violent outbursts, until now the mastery comes from within, and often only the sympathetic teacher knows when the fire is raging beneath. To accomplish this, the teacher must have learned never to descend to the level of an angry child, must have her own temper well subdued. That the bare teaching of studies has been done well, goes without saying; the Dther 278 THE TEACHER conditions could not exist without faithfulness to the nat- ural duties of the school-room, for these become the means by which the rest are accomplished. Over in the back of the room sits a boy, tall for his age, and heavy in proportion. He came from another school with a reputation for hopelessly bad scholarship in spite of his good equipment of brains, and with a tendency to play truant at every opportunity which he could find. But the experienced teacher, looking deep into his eyes, found truth at the bottom, and had faith in him. She saw that he had come with a desire to do better, and was glad to step into new environment. He started well, did his work satisfactorily, and was regular in attendance. She did not delude herself, however, into thinking that he would go straight forward without lapses, — that was too much to expect of human nature. One morning his seat was vacant ; the next morning he did not appear, and that night she learned that he had fallen into old habits. To report the matter to principal and parents would have been an easy way out of the responsibility, but the wise teacher thought first of the boy and the effect upon him. The easier way had been tried before and had failed. Instead, she wrote him a personal note, which brought him back penitent but not humiliated, and the talk which followed proved to the boy that he had a friend who understood and who would help him. The end of the year finds him in his place with high record in all his studies. One such account is a valuable asset. Perhaps you took, in the fall, a class from some teacher who had not worked as earnestly as you. It is a discourag- ing problem, but if you were wise enough to recognize it at the beginning, you expected little of the class, more of yourself. Day by day you have gradually thrust responsi- A BALANCE SHEET 279 bility back upon them, have presented your subject with clearness and demanded certain definite results from them, content with small ones at first, but insisting upon more as intellectual fiber strengthened. Finally the class stood upon its own feet with a clear understanding of the subject in hand. Whoever has done this has succeeded; whoever has done this without criticism of her predecessor has added greatly to her working capital. In entering other accounts, ask }^ourself a few questions, and place the item to debit or credit according to your own honest answers. Has your school grown in consideration for Bafance 3 ' the rights of others? Think back to the days when the pupils, new to your methods, thought that because there existed little rigorous restraint of external rules, they were at liberty to do as they pleased. Have these same boys and girls, by June or earlier, learned to recognize the rights of others, to be thoughtful of you, and to see that their school moved on decently and in order? Have they learned that the school exists for them, and that they carry some responsibility for making it a worthy one? Have the girls who spoke in shrill, nasal tones, modulated their voices to the key of the cultured woman? Has your school-room become a place where study is manifestly the main business in hand? Have you trained your young people to such forgetful- ness of you and your actions that you can go about your work unwatched? A school should have such urgent busi- ness of its own, and should be so diligently engaged upon it, as to have no time for idly watching the teacher. 280 THE TEACHER Have you seen to it that the lessons assigned each day have been suited to the powers of the pupils, or have you made that too common mistake of setting tasks commensu- rate with your own mature ability rather than with that of the untrained mind? Having assigned lessons wisely, have you insisted that they be mastered? If you have failed to do this, you have wronged the child; if you have done it, no matter if what he learns is seemingly of little intrinsic value, you have done your duty. Has the aim of your teaching been toward simplifying a subject, stripping it of all superfluous verbiage, that the pupils may get their teeth into the sweet kernel of real knowledge? In other words, have you taught, and not merely presented a confusion of difficulties? Do responsive greetings and kindly looks come to you rather than impatient scowls and frowns? Can you sit at your desk and feel that you reach with friendly, cordial interest every individual before you ? That does not mean that the interest need be the same in every case; but have you the human element which has touched, on some side, each one of the complex natures under your charge ? Have you won the confidence of all your children? Have they faith in your purposes, and faith in your sense of justice? What have you done to prepare them for new responsi- bilities ? Are they stronger than at the beginning of the year, or have they drifted through the days in idleness and with careless spirit? Have you brought them a little farther on their way to strong manhood and womanhood? A BALANCE SHEET 281 Has the feeling for integrity deepened day by day, so that you can trust the school and its individuals a little better than at the beginning of the year? Above all else, are you a bigger individual, with a broader outlook upon life, a deeper sympathy, a surer human touch? The teacher who can answer such questions to her own satisfaction has enough to her credit to liquidate any indebt- edness that may have accrued from a few ideals unattained. INDEX Activity interest, 240 Affectation, 47 Appearance of one school-room, 80 Appearance, personal, of teacher, 21,78 Appreciation from parents, 17 Appreciation from pupils, 15 Appreciation, occasional, 17 Articulation, 170 Associate teachers, relation to, 65 Athletics, 251 Atmosphere, 79 Attitude in September, 272 Attitude of pupils in recitation, 144 Attitude of teacher in discipline, 141, 142 Attitude of teacher toward condi- tions, 235 Attitude, suspicious, 138 Avocation, value of, 35 Ayers, Leonard P., 259 Books of a teacher, 13 Brighain, Louise, 242 Children, interests common with, 101 Children, sensitiveness of, 99 Children, two ways of treating, 90 Children, view point of, 100 Cleveland schools, 244 Clothes, care of, 25 Clothes, character of, 22 Clothes, description of some, 23 Clothes in school, 50 Clothes of the man, 25 Clothes outside of the school, 34 Commercial high schools, 240 Club life, 37 College degrees, 40 Conditions, acceptance of existing, 27 Conditions, attitude toward, 235 Confusion, the remedy, 88 Correcting examinations, 3 91, 11)4 Correcting papers, 177 Credit side, other grades, U77 Criticism from others, 30 Criticism, self, 29, 124 Decoration of school-rooms, 49 Detroit, 255, 256, 258 Development of school system, 224 Devotion to work, extreme, 10, 33 Dignity, 48 Discipline, attitude toward, 142 Discipline, definition of, 111 Discipline, ease in, 123 Discipline, ephemeral in, 136 Discipline, importance of, 112 Discipline, importance of obedience in, 117 Discipline, optimism in, 138 Discipline, standards of, 113 Discipline, sulking in, 135 Discipline, value of time in, 134 Discipline, variety of standards, 116 Drill importance of, 148 Encouragement, 156, 275 Equipment, productiveness of, 2:: 7 Evening schools, subjects taught in, 249 Examinations, confusion during, 190 Examinations, character of ques- tions for, 183 Examinations, excusing from, 181 Examinations, expecting too much in, 184 Examinations, form of questions for, 186 Examinations, frequency of, 180 Examinations, good form in, 188 Examinations, integrity in, 194, 208 283 284 INDEX Examinations, judging length of questions for, 185 Examinations, need for, 180 Examinations, order of questions for. 186 Examinations, physical comfort in, 187 Examinations, promptness in. 187 Examinations, stating questions for, 184 Exercise for teacher, 43 Experienced teachers, attitude of, 58 Eye, the blind, 99 Fads, 228 Foreign students, 249, 257 Friday night, 10 Friendship with children, 54 ■ Goddard, Dr., 265 Grand Rapids, 255 Gratitude, occasional, 17 Haden, Seymour, 36 Health, importance of, 43 Hewlett, Maurice, 36 Home in relation to school, 69 Honesty, double standard of, 108 Honesty toward teachers, 108 Honesty with tact, 108 Honor System, 209 Hours for a teacher, 11 Humiliation, save from, 104 Ideal attitude, 55 Ideals and organization, 214 Ideals of integrity, 211 Illogical punishment, 127 Illogical, time to be, 129 Incentive to work, 83 Independence, 31 Individualism, 238, 241 Influence of individual, 18, 91, 93, 101 Integrity, importance of, 196 Integrity, public sentiment concern- ing, 196 Integrity, school standards of, 199 Intellectual life, 12 Interviews, personal, with parents, 72 Irritability, 87 Issues, avoiding, 99 Issues, meeting great, 89 Jealousy, 65 Jewelry, 24 Judgment, quick, 98 Justice, 52 Kindergarten, activity interest in, 240 Kindergarten, artificial attitude in, 47 Kindergarten, spirit of, 239 Kindness, 97 King Arthur, court of, 214, 217 Kipling, 118 Laissez faire, 102 Leaving school early, 233 Liberty and license, 125 Life of teacher, artistic, 13 Life of teacher, intellectual, 12 Life of teacher, social, 1 13 Logical punishment, 127 Loyalty to associates, 59 Manner in recitation, 160 Manners, 51 Manual training, 241, 243 Marking examinations, 191 Marking key, 193 Marking recitations, 171 Mental repose, 156 Mercy, 53 Methods, college, 178 Mid-winter state, 273 Mistakes, value of, 102 Mitchell, S. Weir, 36 Monotony in recitation, 151 Monotony, moral effect of, 202 Montessori system, 231 Nagging, 139 Names, learning, 28 Narrowness, danger of, 32 Naturalness, 46, 81 INDEX 285 Newspapers, 42 Note books, 177 Notes to parents, 69, 70 Obedience, 117 Obligation, 66 Open-air classes, 261 Open-air schools, 258 Open-air schools in England, 259 Opportunity, 66 Opposition to medical inspection, 252 Optimism, 138 Oral school for deaf, 255 Organization of school, 165 Papers, correcting daily, 175 Papers, marking examination, 191 Parents, acquaintance with. 37 Parents, appreciation from, 17 Parents, opportunities of meeting, 75 Parents, visits from, 73 Pay, 11, 18 Pedagogical dignity, 48 Personal influence, 54 Personal interviews with parents, 72 Personal notes, 69 Personal qualities, carriage, 26 Personal qualities, manners, 51 Personal talks, 221 Personal touch in reports, 68 Personality an incentive to work, 83 Personality, difference in, 78 Personality, dominance of right, 83 Personality, externals showing, 78 Personality, keeping to own, 85 Personality, poise an element of, 87 Personality, power of, 77 Personality, requisites for right, 94 Personality shown in meeting issues, 89 Personality shown in one school- room, 80 Personality shown in surroundings, 78 Personality shown in voice, 26 Personality, ultimate value of, 91 Physical care, 251 Physical comfort in examinations, 187 Play-grounds, 248 Poise, 87 Policy distinguished from tact, 110 Principal, relations to, 58 Public sentiment, effect of, 198 Public sentiment toward integrity, 196 Punctuality in examinations, 187 Punctuality to recitations. 168 Punishment, avoid monotony in, 133 Punishment, illogical. 129 Punishment, logical, 127 Punishment, purpose of, 126 Punishment, severity in, 127 Punishment, unexpected in, 130 Pupils, appreciation from. 15 Pupils, attitude in recitation, 144 "Queed," story from, 197 Reading, arousing interest in, 160 Reading for recreation, 40 Reading newspapers. 42 Reading with a purpose, 41 Recitation, articulation, 170 Recitation, attention during, 158 Recitation, attitude of pupils, 144 Recitation, college methods in, 17* Recitation, correcting papers from, 175 Recitation, encouragement in, 156 Recitation, following the child in, 154 Recitation, good English in, 170 Recitation, importance of drill in, 148 Recitation, interest in, 158 Recitation, laying out new work in, 174 Recitation, manner in, 160 Recitation, marking, 171 Recitation, mental repose in, 156 Recitation, method of calling upon pupils in, 169 Recitation, monotony in. 151 Recitation, personal bond in, 163 Recitation, position in, 168 Recitation, preparation of teacher for, 146 286 INDEX Recitation, punctuality to, 168 Recitation, purpose of, 144 Recitation, resourcefulness In, 152 Recitation, responsibility of teacher for, 145 Recitation, simplifying, 147 Recitation, time to assign lesson in, 173 Recitation, the rounded, 162 Recitation, voice in, 160 Relation, official, 61 Relation to associate teachers, 65 Relation to principal, 58 Relation to school boards, 56 Relation to superintendent, 58 Repetition in teaching, 149 Reports, formal, 68 Reports, personal touch in, 68 Resourcefulness in recitation, 152 Responsibility, 6 Room chart, 28 Rules, 140 Russell Sage Foundation, 259 School and life, 238 School Boards, relation to, 56 School in relation to home, 69, 75 School standard of honesty, 199 201. 203, 208 School room, appearance of, 49 School room, order in, 49 Self-consciousness, 47 Self-examination, 124 Sensitiveness of children, 99 September attitude, 272 Severity in punishment, 127 Simplicity in recitation, 147 Social centers, 250 Social conditions, change in, 234 Social position, 13 Special schools, dangers of, 269 Special schools, effect of, 268 Special schools for feeble-minded, 264 Special schools, for crippled, 256 Special schools, for foreigners, 257 Special schools, for stammerers, 258 Special schools, general effect of, 268 Special schools, open-air, 258 Special schools, oral for deaf, 255 Special schools, parental, 263 Special schools, truant, 261 Special schools, ungraded, 261 Spelling-match, 105 Standards, double, 200 Standards in discipline, 113 Standards of integrity in examina- tions, 208 Standards of integrity in recitation, 200 Standards of integrity in school, 199 Standards, modified school, 228 Standards, variety in, 116 Strain of work, 14 Student, teacher always a, 39 Study, 39 Studying together, 150 Subtlety of tact, 106 Sulking, 135 Summer schools, 247 Superintendent, relations to, 58 Superintendent, the unsatisfactory, 63 Surroundings, as affected by person- ality, 78 Suspicious attitude, 138 Sympathy, 97 System, development of school, 224 System, complacency with, 226 System, Montessori, 231 System, present unrest, 227 Tact and policy, 110 Tact and policy, comparisons, 95 Tact, cultivation of, 109 Tact, examples of, 89-91, 106, 107, 108, 109 Tact, kindness element of, 97 Tact, subtlety of, 106 Tact, sympathy, 97 Talking things over, 60 Talks, effect of moral, 219 Talks, formal, 219 Talks, personal, 221 Teacher a judge, 52 Teacher, personal appearance of, 21 H. S., 246 Teachers, choice of in Technical INDEX 287 Teacher, trying out a, 20 Teaching a stepping stone, 7 Teaching for men, 7 Teaching for women, 9 Teaching, hours of, 11 Teaching, interest in, 10 Teaching, pay, 11 Teaching, pride in, 44 Teaching, strain of, 14 Teasing, 120 Technical High Schools, 244 Technical High Schools, effect on attendance, 246 Technical High Schools, segregation in, 247 Telephone, use of, 71 Test questions for teacher, 279 Thinking as teacher directs, 154 Time, economy of, 230 Time to assign lesson, 17.'; Time value in tact, 104 Trial balance, liT'.t Unexpected, power of. 130 Unrest, educational, liliT Unrest in school, 88 Unrest, remedy for, 227 Vineland school for feeble-minded, 265 Visits, effect upon teacher, 1T> Visits from parents, 73 Voice in recitation, 160 Voice, monotony in, 134 Washington his hero, 212 Ways of treating children, 96 TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION Chapter I WHY DOES ONE TEACH? Analyze and formulate the reasons that led you person- ally to become a teacher. Compare teaching for a woman with other activities open to her. Do the same for the man. Discuss in detail intellectual, social, and artistic advan- tages that teaching make possible. Importance of interest in work. How manifested? What demands does teaching make upon the individual? How does the difference between the exceptional teacher and the ordinary one manifest itself? Discuss the returns of successful teaching. Is teaching the right profession for you ? Chapter II THE FIE ST DAY How does a school try out a new teacher? Importance of personal appearance as affected by care of the body, clothes, manner, voice, etc. Attitude toward school and its present organization. Importance of self-criticism. 1 2 THE TEACHER Value of criticism from teachers of experience. What help have you had from such criticism ? Free discussion of first day experiences. Chapter III LIFE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL Why does teaching tend to narrowness? Personal experience of way time outside of school is spent. Health and ways of preserving it. What success have you had in making acquaintance with parents ? How can that acquaintance be widened? Character of reading desirable. The teacher as a student. Public attitude toward the profession. Chapter IV EELATION TO PUPILS Contrast naturalness and affectation. What constitutes dignity in a teacher? Describe your own school-room. How might its appear- ance be consistently improved? Specify some of the things that must be watched in order to secure a neat, orderly appearance of room. Standard for both teacher and pupil for clothes and man- ners. Justice and mercy. Your experience as a pupil as wefl as a teacher in connection with these qualities. Danger in too much dependence upon personal influence. TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION 3 Friendships between teacher and pupil. Dangers and advantages in such friendships. What ideals have you set for yourself in your relations to your pupils? Chapter V RELATION TO ASSOCIATES Authority of school boards. Attitude of teacher toward the board. In what ways may teachers show their loyalty to superin- tendents and principals? What are some of the seeming trifles that result in unin- tentional disloyalty? Difference between official and personal relation. Attitude toward an unsatisfactory superior. What are the alternatives? Harmony in life with associates. What are some of the causes of jealousy and how may they be avoided? Discuss the opportunities for general helpfulness outside your prescribed work. Chapter VI EEL AT ION TO PARENTS The personal touch to formal reports and its value. What possibilities of reaching parents in a personal way are within your reach ? Dealing with an angry parent. Relate experiences with visits from parents. What effect have such visits had upon you and your work? 4 THE TEACHER Formulate your individual opportunities for public exer- cises that shall bring the parents to school. Chapter VII PERSONALITY AND POISE Give illustrations out of your own experience of the power of personality. In a similar way, illustrate the difference that exists in different personalities. How does personality show itself in appearance and sur- roundings ? Effect of a good, strong personality upon a school. Importance of holding true to your own personality. Discuss some of the emergencies that arise in a school which demand poise. General attitude of a good teacher toward great issues. Wide-reaching effect of strong personality. Describe individuals you have known who possessed strong personality. To what extent may personality be modified and poise acquired? How may it be done? Chapter VIII TACT Define tact and give examples, so far as possible, out of your own experience, of the value of tact. What are some of the qualities of a tactful teacher? Cite cases from every-day experience for the use of tact. How may unpleasant issues be avoided through tact ? TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION 5 Opportunities for a tactful teacher to come into closi personal relations with her pupils. May one be both tactful and honest ? Difference between tact and policy. Chapter IX DISCIPLINE Importance of discipline in obtaining good results in regular work. Let each teacher, from a study of her own personality, decide what standard of discipline is best for her to try to maintain. The modern attitude toward obedience. Value of habit of prompt obedience. How much ought the school to demand in the matter of obedience ? Attitude toward teasing. How is ease in discipline attained ? Value of self-criticism. Chapter X DISCIPLINE SPECIFICALLY CON SIDE BED Difference between liberty and license. What is accomplished through punishment? Various expedients to be used in punishment and methods to be avoided. Taking right motives and right action of pupils for granted. Time as a curative measure. Nagging : various ways of nagging and conditions that lead to forming the habit. 6 THE TEACHER Desirability of formal rules. Test your ideas by your own experience. Formulate what seems to you the right attitude of a teacher toward discipline. Chapter XI THE SPIEIT OF THE RECITATION Does the conventional recitation yield the results ex- pected? In what particulars does it fail? Contrast the usual attitude of the pupil toward the teacher with the ideal attitude. What should the teacher get from a well-conducted reci- tation, to the advantage of future work? Preparation of teacher for daily recitation. Simplifying work. The importance of drill cannot be too strongly empha- sized. Bring out some of the points in specific studies that require intensive drill. Advantages and disadvantages of allowing pupils to study together. Ways of putting life into the recitation. Outline an ideal recitation with reference to division of time and of bringing it to a rounded close. Personal sympathy between teacher and pupil. Chapter XII SOME TECHNICALITIES OF THE BE CITATION Formalities to be observed as to position, voice, etc. How much stress may be laid upon good English with- out taking too much time from the main subject? TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION 7 Various methods of marking standings. Marking in class. Assigning new lessons. Extent to which new work should be developed. Value of written work to be done outside of class. Danger of too much such work. Different ways of correcting papers. Proper value to be attached to note books. What are the dangers in using college methods in sec- ondary schools? Chapter XIII EXAMINATIONS Importance of examinations. Effect upon pupils. Make out a model set of questions and test them with reference to general character, length, and sequence. What would you be especially particular about in con- ducting an examination? How much stress would you put upon appearance of paper and its English? Various plans for marking papers ; percent, letters, etc. Do pupils, as a class, do honest work in examinations? If not, how would you correct the fault ? The honor system as applied to examinations. Chapter XIV INTEGRITY Public sentiment toward strict moral standards. Cite instances of the effect of existing sentiment upon young people. 8 THE TEACHER What is your experience in school, both as pupil and as teacher, as to school standards of honesty ? Causes for one standard of honesty toward teachers and another toward schoolmates. How does the double standard defeat much of the best work of a teacher, especially in recitation ? Suggest remedy for existing evils. Respect of property rights of others. Is the honor system, pure and simple, possible or desirable in the general conduct of a school? Importance of high ideal. Progression in ideals of children. Biography of high and noble characters in establishing ideals. Make list of such characters. Tendency to organization helpful in sustaining ideals. Dangers in such organizations. How much responsibility belongs to teachers and how much to parents in such organizations ? School fraternities. Has the public put too much responsibility for these fra- ternities upon the schools? Formal talks for moral training. Write out a list of topics desirable for such talks. Personal talks with pupils. BIBLIOGBAPHY Ethics for Children. Ella Lyman Cabot. (Houghton-Mifflin Company.) Character Lessons in American Biography. The Character Development League, Success Building, New York City. (Sent free.) Moral Principles in Education. Dewey. Riverside Educational Mono- graphs. (Houghton-Mifflin Company.) Ethical and Moral Instruction in Schools. Palmer. (Riverside Edu- cational Monographs.) TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION 9 Chapter XV SCHOOL WASTE Our school system the outgrowth of industrial and social conditions of pioneer days. In what particular does it fall short of present indus- trial, commercial, and social needs? What has been accomplished through so-called fads? Who should go to college? Suggestions for economizing time in school through omission of certain work now in the curriculum. Outline a course in arithmetic, omitting non-essentials. The Montessori method. How may the needs of those who are compelled to leave school early be better met? BIBLIOGRAPHY The Montessori Method; scientific pedagogy as applied to child educa- tion in "The children's houses." Marie Montessori. Translated from the Italian by Anna E. George. Frederick A. Stokes Company. 1912. Disciplining Children. M. Montessori. McClure's Magazine. May, 1912. First Montessori School in America. A. E. George. McClure's, June, 1912. Montessori Apparatus. J. Tozier. McClure's, January, 1912. An Educational Wonder-Worker: The Methods of Marie Montessori. Josephine Tozier. McClure's, May, 1911. Chapter XVI ELIMINATING SCHOOL WASTE Ways of making your particular school plant more effective, through social centers, club work, and other meetings. 10 THE TEACHER Discuss the desirability of a lengthened school day. Compare length of our school day with that of the Germans. Can we justify our shorter session? Is a four term year of twelve weeks to the term desirable in our common schools? Attention to physical needs of children through medical inspection, care of teeth, examination of eyes, etc. How does this add to the efficiency of the pupil? How important is manual training? Is there danger of its encroaching too much upon legitimate studies? Special manual training and commercial schools. Is segregation desirable or is the work more effective when car- ried along with regular work ? BIBLIOGBAPHY Health and Medical Inspection of School Children. Walter S. Cornell, M. D. F. A. Davis, Philadelphia. 1912. Medical Inspection of Schools. Gulick and Ayres. New York Charities Publication Committee. Chapter XVII SPECIAL SCHOOLS What special schools have already been added to the pub- lic school system? Describe the work of any that you know about per- sonally. Discuss the gain to normal children by this elimination of special cases from the regular grades. Value of ungraded schools. Too great importance cannot be attached to the work now being done with the feeble-minded. This should be made a subject of special study and discussion. TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION 11 What are the dangers of special schools? Reports of the Superintendents of City schools in Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan, give an excellent idea of what is being done through special schools. Chapter XVIII A BALANCE SHEET Recall in detail the manifestations of hopeful attitude in September, both of yourself and of your pupils. Causes that lead to the mid-winter condition of mind. Ways of counteracting that condition. Cite special cases where, through your own wise attitude, you have helped individuals to a decided gain through the vear. Where have you failed to accomplish what you had hoped? Test your school and yourself by the questions in "The Trial Balance," page 279. THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW AN INITIAL FINE OF 25 CENTS WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY WILL INCREASE TO 50 CENTS ON THE FOURTH DAY AND TO $1.00 ON THE SEVENTH DAY OVERDUE. sEP 7 1*"- ' T5 pre!'?) LB JAN 14 1950 LD 21-95rn-7,'37 ID WtLdJ 267336 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY lifumm U[m urn wm k im m m m If 1 PI 1 Mm ! Willi ill [iff Hi