Puslapio vaizdai
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ardized evaluation of quality in life. Dr. John H. Finley in an address before the N. E. A. at Milwaukee this summer, commenting upon a recent editorial in the New York Times which declared

that the events of which Aristophanes wrote were more modern than the days of the administration of Rutherford B. Hayes, said: "But this was simply because Aristophanes immortally portrayed the undying things in human nature, whereas the issues associated with this particular administration were evanescent. The immortal is always

modern, and the classic is the immortal, the timeless distillation of human experience."

This brings a second question which we as teachers must ask of ourselves: "Have I a quickening sense of human tendencies and relations gained through an acquaintance with the best in literature?" Emerson says, "If we encountered a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he read." We can know intimately few persons in the flesh, but our literary acquaintances are limited only by our aptitude for reading. Are you more kindly because you count among your friends Colonel Newcome, Silas Marner, Jean Valjean? Do you keep yourself growing upon ideas that fit your maturing capacity? Is there not too much narrow conscientiousness among us teachers? Are we not everlastingly "doing for our schools," slaves to the blue pencil, to long hours and the preparation of the next day's lesson? Why not take a spin not with the NC-4, but a shorter flight and come back refreshed with inspiration for our pupils? Do you know John Masefield's "Ships"?

"You should have seen, man can not tell to you

The beauty of the ships of that my city.

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Their tests are tempests and the sea that drowns,

They are my country's line, her great art done

By strong brain laboring on the thought

unwon,

They mark our passage as a race of men.”

In these long days of darkness, have you read with tears and laughter Barrie's "The Old Lady Shows Her Medals," in which a poor little London charwoman, grieving because she has no son and therefore no part in the great world war, adopts a stalwart Scottish Highlander whom she has never seen, and by her devotion to him thus wins her right to a share in this great struggle for democracy? Have you and I this craving to be a part of the whole and to share in its betterment?

the teacher's next task is to qualify her After qualifying as a world citizen, pupils. How shall we transmit this idea of citizenship in a world state made possible by the overcoming of the shallow and the provincial through the power of quality and internationalism? How does one cultivate a child's musical taste? By having him hear good music. How does one cultivate a child's taste for art? By surrounding him with the beautiful. By similar means shall we teach him quality in life by giving him quality in his friendshis literary friends. Since November, 1918, we face a new world and yet not a new world. The law of gravity is still in force; and the square erected upon the hypothenuse is and always will be equal to the sum of the squares erected upon the other two sides. So also in human relations: the labor unrest of today is merely a calling for the fulfillment of that implied promise made to Adam that he should receive the bread which he had earned by the sweat of his brow. Again and again. has labor because of ignorance tried in vain to throw off its oppressors. Yet at each essay the struggle is upon a higher plane and human laws are slowly becoming divine. The whole world is awakening to the fact that the schools. -your school and mine-are the modern Moses who will lead to the Canaan called Democracy.

What are Child Classics in reading? In a broad way, they are that portion of the literature of all times which the

child can comprehend. Dr. William T.

Harris once said that the whole of hu

man experience is to be found in Mother Goose. All militarism, as well as the "Three Wise Men of Gotham," can

be summed up in "If the tub had been stronger, the tale had been longer." In "Hey, diddle, diddle," the child enjoys nonsense just for nonsense and the tonic it gives to his nerves. When he arrives, as he will shortly, to a six-hour day of labor we shall find him seeking the community houses that he may have legitimate recreation and all because he has this merry little rhyme down in his heart. Another immortal for children, is Aesop with his wonderful cosmos. With the crafty Reynard forever outwitted in childish experience, a belief in the futility of

craftiness is established whether in grasping statesmen or in selfish nations. And would one be stretching the analogy too far to say that China, the tortoise, may yet win in the race for Asiatic supremacy? And so we can give folk tales, myths, proverbs, and stories of devotion to country and to ideals not only for the emulation to which they stimulate the child, but for the more powerful reason that they give him vicarious experience in living as a citizen in the world of the past and thus becoming qualified to be a citizen

of the world of the present and of the future.

pupils means the power to make of the To give that vicarious experience to

child a creator in himself. It is no idle

phrase to say of an actor that he reads his lines well. To read well, the actor or reader relives in his own person the thought of the author and thus becomes an artist. Instead of clay, or canvas or musical instrument, the reader has that subtler and finer material, the human mind and body. Our responsibility as teachers in this work of creating citizens cannot be overestimated. "Who is the Master?" says one. "The one who awakens." "Who is the scholar?" "The one who answers." What therefore must be the attitude of him who How must he ever conceive himself as dares to awaken the child to thought? creator and artist making for this child his spiritual body? He must plan that this child, his creation, shall fill his place in the world beautifully, graciously, unctiously. Nay more, he must forget to plan. So present must this ideal be, that all technique is forgotten in the impelling insistent ideal of man. And how shall you know a man? Says Confucius, "A man can never be hid."

(Note: The second article in this series will deal with the presentation of the Child Classics Primer and First Reader.)

The Organized Spelling Lesson
By Byron Kirby, South Bend, Indiana.

Spelling is one of the fundamental subjects in the curriculum; one of the fundamental needs in the experiences of the individual, yet we find that in practically no school, and certainly in no school system, is it given more than casual consideration.

It is argued that a majority of the people do not need spelling, that their experiences do not call for a written form of communication, or if they are called upon to write a page or two, a few misspelled words will be of little consequence, as long as the recipient of

the written page is able to determine the intended meaning.

But we, as educators, should bear in mind one thing; namely, that we must raise the educational standards, in fact, that it is our work to elevate the level of the entire intellectual plane. It is not our task to create a few geniuses at the expense of the rest of society, but it is our duty to give all a practical working knowledge of the underlying principles of human betterment. Every individual whom we leave behind in our great intellectual advance will be

handicapped-his hold upon happiness, upon prosperity, upon life will be insecure, uncertain, while the blame will be

ours.

There is a certain analogy between the results of bad grammar and bad spelling. We learn proper modes of speech so that we will not be offensive to our friends, and so that we may make a good impression upon those with whom we talk. As far as communication itself is concerned, we are able to understand quite well a person whose speech is characterized by mispronounced words, improper phrases, and unidiomatic expressions. But mistakes in grammar are repulsive to educated people; and the person who is addicted to this form of weakness is at a disadvantage—a disadvantage which will become more pronounced as we progress educationally. The errors of the poor speller will become, likewise, more and more repulsive; he will not stand an equal chance in business with those who can spell well; while with the individual who writes only a few letters, it will be still more important that he spell well, for the first impression is the lasting impression and in his case there will be little chance to redeem himself. Bear in mind that this article is based upon the presumption that we are rapidly raising the educational level; mistakes in spelling and grammar that attracted only a little attention yesterday may spell defeat to

morrow.

It is important, then, that we emphasize spelling in the schools,-that we give the subject scientific, systematic treatment. As a rule, the spelling lesson is given in much the same way that a dose of medicine is given-the quicker we can finish the task the better. Many lessons are given in six or seven minutes, while as a matter of fact, no lesson can be given in a justifiable way in less than twenty minutes.

There are six distinct phases in the art of preparing a lesson, namely: (1) The choice of words. (2) Pronunciation. (3) Definition and use. (4) Characteristics. (5) Study. (6) Writing the lesson.

(1) The choice of words is primarily the work of the teacher; she should choose words which the child needs in his particular stage of development and, also, those which are missed by the class in all forms of written work. It is also a good plan to permit the children to contribute to the spelling list, by suggesting words which they have found that they cannot spell.

(2) The pronunciation should be emphasized, for many words are misspelled because they are mis-pronounced. The words should first be pronounced by one of the brighter pupils, then the class should pronounce them in concert, after which three or four of the more backward pupils should be asked to give them independently. It is a mistake for a teacher hurriedly to pronounce a word that the majority of the class does not know. The skillful teacher will, through wise leadership, keep herself in the background and let the children do the work.

(3) A definition for each word should be given by some member of the class if possible. There is always some member of the class who can define one or more of the new words so that, generally, it is possible to get through a list without the teacher's giving much assistance. Each word should be discussed separately, all the definitions that the class can think of advanced, and the ways in which the word is used considered quite fully.

(4) If a word has any outstanding characteristics or syllables where one is likely to make a mistake, these should be noted and discussed. For instance, if the word "separate" is in the list ask the children where they are likely to make a mistake. Some of them will see that there will be a tendency to use "e" in place of the first "a." Calling attention to the fact will minimize the danger. "Receive," "believe," words with silent letters, etc., should be treated in this way.

(5) After this informal, interesting discussion the class should have six or seven minutes to study and write out the words.

(6) The words should then be pro nounced by the teacher to be written in pen and ink by the class.

Spelling work systematically pre

sented after this method, will be more interesting, more easily acquired, and more readily retained than that which is given in a haphazard manner.

Mrs. Josephine Corliss Preston

Third Woman President of the N. E. A.

Back to the snowy wintry plains and prairies of Minnesota dates the career of Mrs. Josephine Corliss Preston, President of the National Educational Association and State Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State of Washington. Back to the little oneroom school house where the students were foreigners unable to speak one word of English, Mrs. Preston then just a mere slip of a girl first received her inspiration to carry education and advantages to all the people. To this very day there is a motherly feeling in the heart of Mrs. Preston for every struggling one-room school and for the rural schools in general.

Josephine Corliss Preston was born. in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and when but fourteen years of age was teaching school. Not satisfied with her education she taught school a year and went to school a year. She was educated in the public schools of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and at Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota.

Mrs. Preston came to the State of Washington in 1892 and taught school in Waitsburg for four years and in Walla Walla for seven years. She was appointed Assistant County Superintendent and later was three times elected as County School Superintendent of Walla Walla County, serving nine years in all in this office.

During these years the closest subject to her heart was the rural school. How could she better these schools? How could she bring the best of advantages to the boys and girls on the farm, and how could she aid children, teachers and parents? These were the foremost questions that were ever being studied by Mrs. Preston.

The question of the school teacher "boarding around," the poor living conditions that she had to encounter, and the hardships she had to suffer, Mrs. Preston realized were not conducive to the best services that a teacher could give. So she conceived the idea of the teachers' cottages-a home for the teacher. The State of Washington was the first in the United States to have a teacher's cottage and Mrs. Preston was largely the inspiration of these "teacherages." Today nearly every state in the Union is building or has a large number of teacher's cottages.

"I have always made it a rule that the teachers should have an adult member of their family live with them in the cottages," said Mrs. Preston. "I do not approve of the school teachers living alone. One school teacher came to me at the beginning of the school term and said that she had expected her father to be with her, but that he was unable to come, so she would live alone. I told her she could not live in the cottage alone, so she sent to Kansas City for her married sister to come out and live with her."

Mrs. Percy V. Pennybacker, PresiIdent of the State Federation of Women's Clubs in Texas, heard Mrs. Preston speak on the Teachers' Cottages at the Council Meeting of the General Federation of Women's Clubs in Portland in 1915, and immediately hurried back to Texas with the message. The result was that the State Federation of Women's Clubs of Texas made a campaign for teachers' cottages and built more in one year than the State of Washington did in ten.

Community Center work has also been guided to a successful zenith in this state by Mrs. Preston. Teaching

and living in the rural districts soon taught her that country life needed a certain amount of socialization and naturalization as well as recreation to relieve the drudgery and monotony, and that the farm would be unable to hold the boy and girl unless the farm offered some pleasure as well as work. She immediately advocated Community Center work-today Community Center work is a national phrase and Mrs. Preston is a national figure in this work.

"Whether it is a spelling bee, an evening of music, debates, or any other sort of get together meeting," said Mrs. Preston, "Community Center work is simply the quickening and vitalizing of country life. It develops talent, that no one before ever had a suspicion of, it brings out a spirit of initiative and harmony among the people and tends to make better communities and better citizens."

The consolidated district is another of Mrs. Preston's pet hobbies. Under her supervision since she has been State Superintendent of Public Instruction she has seen fine model buildings take the place of the run-down country schoolhouse. She has seen the development of rural high schools that would have been impossible without consolidation. One of the examples of

a consolidated school district is that at

Morton in Lewis County of the State of Washington. It is the largest consolidated district in the United States. The consolidation includes fourteen districts. There is a city superintendent who is employed at the salary of $2640 who heads a staff of thirty-six teachers. Seven hundred and eight pupils are enrolled at the school and there are twenty different buildings. The tax levy is 6.7 mills and every educational advantage of an urban school is brought within the reach of the children and adults of this district. The assessed valuation is $2,990,000.00. This district is an example of what Mrs. Preston has been able to accomplish in the way of consolidation.

Mrs. Preston took special courses at Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington, and in 1914 this institution awarded her an Honorary Master's Degree for "distinguished work in the field of education." She was the first woman to ever be elected to a state office in the State of Washington at which time there were but three women state superintendents of public instruction. She has served in this office since 1913, being re-elected in 1916. In 1911 Mrs. Preston was appointed a member of the State Board of Education.

In 1913 she attended her first session of the N. E. A. at Salt Lake City. Just six years later or July of this year she went back and was honored with the position of president. From 1913 to 1918 she served as vice-president of the N. E. A., and has served on several different important committees treating on the rural schools. Last year when placed on the nominating committee she refused to allow her name to be placed for vice-president again as she was a member of the National Emergency in Education Commission which would take up a great deal of her time. Among the committees upon which

Mrs. Preston has served in the N. E. A. are the National Illiteracy Commission, National Rural School Commit

tee, and the National Committee for the Superintendents' Problems in Administration, the Emergency in Education Commission, and the Resolutions Committee.

Mrs. Preston has been for several years a member of the N. E. A. and was this year named vice chairman of that council. At the present time she is serving in the following five capacities: President of the N. E. A.; Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State of Washington; President of the Washington State Board of Education; Chief Executive Officer for the State Board of Vocational Education; and member of the National Women's Executive Committee for the National Republican party.

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