The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1885-07-15
THE EXPOSITION IDEA.
Plea for Written Work In Our Public
Schools, BY T.. w. Galbrlth.

Schools, by T.. w. Galbrith.
It appears to me that one Of the most
needed reformations In the public school Of
Kentucky, is the introduction and use Of
systematic written methods, especially In
the country schools. This will be under
stood by any one who has conducted
written examination of teachers In this
State. There is such a lack Of neatnoss,
order aud congruity In the whole 'get up
OF papers as could not exist IL our public
schools furnished proper training for their
pupils. / do not claim that written work
should be used 20 the expulsion Of oral rec
itation, that the pupil should write every
lesson; but that he should be able to write
every lesson in a business-like manner.
The Geld Is far too broad for anything like
an exhaustive discussion, and I shall only
attempt passing notice Of a few Of its
advantages, which may be suggested to
those interested.
When the child FIRST enters the school
room as a pupil, he should have something
TO do with nis hands, something that he
can see and appreciate. BY allowing him
10 print OF write his lessons the teacher
not only secures better attention and reoita-
tiouB, but inspires and encourages, and,
with iudicious concentrations, may lead
him on from day to day TO do better efforts
auG the formation Of habits of cheerful in
dustry. Thus, In the very outset, the
school is made pleasant, and the long,
weary hours Of infantile torture, incident to
purely oral recitation, give place to the
exultation of success and conscious prog
ress. With little tact on the part of the
teacher, a spirit Of active emulation can be
inspired which will secure from the pupils
the greatest care in the preparation Of their
work. This will naturally lead 70 very
rapid progress in penmanship, not, as in
copy writing, merely the formation of let
ters and words, but In the neat arrange
ment Of sentences. The same advantages
may also be claimed as to spelling, punctua-
ton and Capitalization, for these likewise
will be acquired not by arbitrary rules, but
in the most thorough and practical manner,
learned and associated as used; for we must
keep in mind that a knowledge Of these
branches is comparatively unnecessary, eX-
oept when committing our thoughts to
writing.
Besides what has been mentioned there
is another advantage of probably greater
value. The written word develops the
habit of strict exactness. The pupil must
prepare his lesson without any Of the petty
promptings Of the class, and therefore de-
pend on his own resources, This will lead
to more thorough and minute investigation,
and careful and accurate expressions and,
consequently TO more exact and specific
criticism, on thepart of the class, till it will
/ be almost impossible for even the smallest
mistake to go unchallenged. In this higher
/ field of excellence the brightest will find
/ full employment for all their talents, while
the slower WILL by preparing their lessons
beforehand, be in a great measure relieved
| Of the embarrassment which their lower
place in the class too often entails upon
| them, and will have the satisfaction Of
| working out their lessons to a standard Of
| certainty. To the pupils these exercises
| are so many compositions and develop a
| readiness and accuracy in the use OF Ian
guage, and the power to prepare q written
! document in good business style. While
the teacher having the written recitation Of
the whole lesson by each pupil will be able
| to see exactly in what particular each needs
! instruction, aud to so arrange the class eX-
| ercises as to accomplish the most good.
| But we are only beginning to enumerate
the advantages. These papers are the
solution of the vexed question of "exhibi-
| tions." II the teacher will collect the
material thus prepared, it forms the very
best basis upon which to grade; and if
arranged according TO date, enables any one
| looking over the papers to see the exact
progress of the pupils throughout the en-
! tire term. Now let us suppose that one
written recitation, whether ordinary or re-
view, is taken up from each study every
week. Then, in a five-mOnths school, we
have twenty papers from every pupil in
each of his studies. If these are, as we
before said, arranged according to date
and bound together, though it be by simply
| tying them at the top, with ribbon, so as
| to preserve the idea of neatness, they may
/ be examined with care by parents. For
example, here is John Smiths papers on
/ the subject Of grammar. The first, like
the earth in the beginning, chaos of in
congrOus ideas, without form, and so on,
with gradual upward-tendency, until we see
the neat, clear page Of well-digested and
/ well-arranged matter of the twentieth reci-
/ tation. In like manner in your mind you
may pass through the pages Of any other
/ set Of papers with practically the same re-
suit. Fewer papers, say set every two
weeks, will show the same kind Of improve
ment, though in a less degree in a short
term, vet for a ten-months term / viii not
say one set in two weeks would not be sufti-
cient for the purpose of an exhibition"
These papers must show, when prepared
| the name and age of the pupil, and how
prepared, and the time used Also,
whether at home or at school. Some
papers, such as parsing and analysis in
grammar, and the solution Of problems in
mathematics, might be done at home; and
this is one Of the crOwning glories of the
plan that it does carry its inspiration be-
yond the schoolrOOm, and secures work,
because the pupil is interested and anxious
to excel
Will not this be much more satisfactory
10 the public than an examination and
much more interesting than the unfortunate
exhibition" -" which breaks all school work,
and accomplishes worse than nothing
But you may have it in connection with
your examination, and il will make amends
for the mistakes of your sensitive pupils.
The only trouble will be, that intelligent
parents will be more interested In your
papers than your oral work, and will thus
detract from It, but not to the detrment of
the school. Then again what a healthful
effect IL will have on the school to know
that this work, taken up from week to
week, In the regular recitations, will be put
on exhibition nt the end Of the term. This,
In itself, will be a continual inspiration to
better efforts, not only in the line Of study,
but I'm discipline and every effort in the
formation of character, The "eXhibition"
becomes, indeed, an exhibition of what the
pupils have accomplished, and is made the
climax Of @ beautiful series Of progressive
steps in the line Of true culture. And
Dnpanfg GAZING FrpRignlv what fhniF 0hil6rau