Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-30
law. OF course
school

were surprised, felt hurt, and |
in person or by some next friend came to me to |
know WHY this Was so. To these the answer |
was: "Come in and look over the papers with !
me.'' Then, patiently and in the best possible |
spirit, showed them why. l heard appeals, |
and, where good reason seemed to exist, gave
another chance. l gained one point-absolute |
certainty that the examination should be calmly
judicial and the judgment open to the inspec-
lion of all concerned. Private examinations
sappeafed and the certificates gave an ap-
proximate Indication at least of the work the
teacher had done. Public sentiment seemed to
approve. got credit for being ''strict,' when
IN fact, had been very lenient. few of
those who failed, threatened to so ont If the
county and teach, some of them did, and some
went to school again.
This experiment related to the method of ex-
animation. It was based upon the principte
that the teacher should be able to tell with the
pencil what he could tel by word of mouth, and
that the examiner shall record results as he
found them. 1t put stop to imperfect, flip
pant, and numerous answers, except where the
latter were unconsciousiy SO, and brought the
work down to seTions and thoughtful basis.
The public exami atiops became as much
atty as the session Of law court. The oral ex-
animation required by law was used as kind of
side-light to throw the subject into relief.
Teachers were at liberty to ask me any questions
they pleased, with view to developing the
meaning OF any written question.
This gave me opportunity to question in turn
answering or not the original inquiry-but l
found no way to put this oral work into the tab,
| ulated results. I do not now understand how
| oral questions and answers be made Available
il a system of examination where results are TO
| be reduced to decimal scale.
So much for tie first experiment. Observa-
ton during the summer convinced me that the
work begun well begun. Certainly no i'll
/ feeling towards the method was developed and
| teachers were ambitious to undertake their work
( in larger and better way
! The fall examinations gave the occasion for a
| second expert ment.
| | had been working at a course OF study for
| the county schools. 1t had become apparent
/ that prior requisite was course of study for
| the teachers of these schools
did not seek course for the schools built
of text books to be taken III doses-so mrch
| this term SO much ne1t-so many books for this
| grade, so many for that, but rather course
based on rational ests-such stage of fairly
harmonious growth truly attained should tech
nically be the basis for an advance of 'grade. -
Teachers must then know something of this
growth in order to appreciate it.
| When the state questions came to hand it
seemed proper occasion for directing inquiry
Howard methods of teaching and the relation
Eof the topics to mental development. As before,
and properly enough, the state questions related
teacher, it was the usual thing. Markings alone
were to decide between second and third grades.
! But to tell the exact line between the north and
northwest side-just when it was to blow second
grade and when third was too much for my nau-
tical Skill 90 points one way, IL another. l
cut my moorings and stood out to sea, i. e.,
took my shears and cut off the readings and call
the whole business third grade. The way to
establish better standard was to establish q
| different one. Then, the fit being on, [ sat
down and wrote a set of second grade questions
and sent them to the printer. They began gen
orally with an opp or ''W,'' The printer
complained that he ran ont OF these small caps
ana had to open a font. What 1 wanted to
know was show and why" The
dstinction in grade made SHARP
to oe definite and yet not difficult. Fearing !
might have to answer my own questions made
me cautious. They were simply such questions
as naturally suggest themselves when it is tax en-
for granted that teaching is a trade to be
| learHed-an art, if you please, with basis OF
| known facts and laws. What plan have you for
teaching this? what special preparation for
| teaching that? What is the relation of this fact
to this other? In arithmetic what are numbers ?
How is the idea of numbers developed? etc
what is a language lesson? What plan have you
for exciting an interest in the study OF history
What preliminary work would you do before
beginning the study of geography as such?
These are not the questions used, but more
generel ones indicating the line of inquiry
| adopted.
A few text book questions were presented.
was not particularly proud of these ques-
| lions, more af aid that they would not ac-
complish my object. My theory was that a
third grade certificate might we'll be one that a
bright school boy or school girl could take
| But second grade must mean that the person
taking it knows how to teach intelligently, the
common English branches named in the code.
| Ant: the first grade that there was added there
to higher English, also that such teacher should
have some coherent plan of teaching these
branches and know some of the reasons support
ing such plas.
The general remark on examination day was
that they never had had any of that kini before.
don't know that it helped matters
any for me TO state that there were no cut
and dried answe to them. There was no
| "old'' or new about it. wanted to know
what they they knew about these matters
Knew we'll enough to tell. Every rational
answer should have due credit; every definite
plan should be received and marked impartially.
II wanted not exposition of the Quincy
scheme or any other-except their own
take pleasure in saying that good work was done
l-some solid thinking. Two days were given in
every case-three were taken at one period.
| Not enough applied to make the test as extern
sive as l could have wished, as our applicants
come in principally in the spring. and only those
who had confidence in themselves undertook the
task. The nut ber sufficient, however, to
enable me to reach some conclusions, and to
show that in the main the line OF inquiry was
necessary and proper-proftable alike to teach
ers and taught.
In marking l adopted the basis used in the civil
service-giving each answer possible 100 with
view to noting as accurately its excellencies
and defects of manner and matter-complets-
ness and accuracy being the final test 1 made
all topics ordinate for the sake of simplicity,
as first trial.
The result as stated by one teacher put it,
was, that "seemsd to find out all they knew y
Certainly at the end of my work felt could
rest my case on the papers alone. If had net
found out all they knew, I had got we'll inside
| their lines of thought and had seen enough to
Judge of their range and extent. And it seems
| TO me- after some months of furt.er observa-
ton, comparison and reflection that the results
thus attained are for all practical purposes
accurate and sufficient. Upon my register in a
brief comment entered while my IMPRESSIONS
were most vivid, what 1 may cali my net i'm
preston, the resultant of the examination. l
| was able to give but few unqualified second
grade certificates. Numbers were carried
| through by taking both grades, second and
third. The minimum was put for both at 20
per cent and no branch below SIS per cent. But
not to be unjust on account of insufficient no
tice, I encouraged both, that high markings On
third grade might ''foat'' the lower on
second. In all such cases the certif-