Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-07-19
THE SCHOOL QUESTIONING. z.
To the Editor of the Ledger:

VI ~ ANahOas
Passing over the present, Mr.. Picket's
greatest effort at ~extricating the schools
from the rut, to-wit; his famous " course
Of study" l wish to call the attention of
the people to a few points Of interest tc
them as parents sad guardians. Mr..
Picket instructs his teachers that it is
error to correct a blunder Of a child in
reading" that "a word miscalled BY the
pupil must 90 uncorrected" and, gene
rally, that lin reading no mistake must
be noticed; that the excellencies only
should be pointed out" 1t is rather re-
markable that the opinions and practices
of teachers, superintendent and educa-
tors generally should be ruthlessly set
aside by the superintendent in a matter
OF such Importance as this. See the
effect Of this order. A child in reading
a paragraph, accidentally or ignorantly
miscalls a word. The teacher, under in
str%uctiens, must not correct. The pupils,
twenty or thirty in a class, see the blum
der made by the reader and are amazed
that the teacher does not notice it. An
other pupil reads, makes blunders, is not
corrected, and so on, through the entire
class. If perchance any bright child,
any remarkably fRe reader gets along
well he alone is to be spoken to, he alone
is TO be encouraged and eomplimented.
The recitation is over, the class is dis
missed and the errors are uncorrected.
The impression made on the pupil is
either thatthe teacher does not know how
to arrest, or knowing, is so careless and
Indifferent that she ought not to attempt
to teach a school. The child who has
thus missed his lesson and who has not
been corrected, goes home, and may be
is called on by father or mother to read
over for them the lesson of the day.
The child reads, makes the same blum
ders and mistakes as at school, and when
their attention is called to them by the
parent the child insists that the teacher
called it so and so, as he has called it.
An argument arises, and the teacher is
set down as incompetent, ignorant aud
worthless. Little do the people know
the trials the faithful teacher goes
through. Hedged in by Instructions,
silly and absurd though they be, from
the Superintendent, she feels that she is
doing no good; hat she is teaching
against common sense; that she will be.
dismissed as incompetent if she follows
orders, aud dismissed for ~insubordina-
ton and want Of cordial cooperation
with the Superintendent if she does not
follow orders. These instructions as
to the Rotations in reading are equally
as Objectionable as the order in regard
to the manner of conducting the lessons
in spelling. The people will remember
his instructions that the separate sylla-
bles of a word must not be pronounced
by the pupil in spelling" a fact referred
to in a former paper. Again, under the
old system in teaching mental arithme-
tic the teacher adopted a certain, fixed
and uniform method of analysis. To
this the Superintendent objects and en-
courages as many different forms Of
analysis as there are teachers. This
policy is in conflict with the interests of
| both teachers and pupils, because as a
child goes from one teacher to another
in the line of promotion he will meet
with different methods of analysis which
will necessarily confuse and puzzle him.
The superintendent in his normal lee
lures should have made some effort, and
with his great talent and experience"
should have had some success 10 bring
ing about a uniformity of teaching.
Unfortunately, alas be has never been
able to rise above self-the all absorbing
sutherland the welfare Of the schools.
has been entirely lost sight Of.
Your obedient servant,
H. C. SLAUGHTER.