Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-06-22
TRAINING IN CITY SCHOOLS.
Mechanics Taught q Boys-sewing and
Coo&ing for Girfs-Lsctures-

" ihs tbf Fts-Lectufts
Manual training in the public schools
has gained a foothold and aroused an in
terest that seems almost incredible in the
short space of time that has elapsed since
it was introduced in New York. The
first trial was made in February, and in
four months fourteen different schools
the primary, girls or boys departments,
In the same building or same district,
counted as separate schools-were work.
ing out the principles established for this
industrial work. The idea originated in
Russia, and some of the features of il
came from the kindergarten methods of
Germany. The committee who first took
up this new feature Of education studied
well the work as il was carried on in
technical schools in this and other cities
They have striven to leave out all the
weak points as they were discovered and
produce a system that was superior If
possible to any other in existence.
Whether they have accomplished this
remains to be seen. They are free to
admit that they are still far from having
a complete knowledge themselves, and
experience is teaching them important
things every day. The schools are nearly
all private where manual training is
taught outside of New York, but a. the
benefits derived are felt it will undoubt-
edly come into the common possession Of
all the institutions Of learning. One
great fear entertained has been that in
establishing il, time would have to be
taken from other studies. Anything so
unsatisfactory has not been the result.
Instead of impeding progress in other
studies, it helps them by changing the
order of training for the better in every
department. Drawing is the funda-
mental study in industrial training; it is
the corner stone Of the entire structure
Of manual work as taught in the common
schools. 1t enters largely into the boys
department OF carpentry, and the girls
classes of sewing and cooking.
The girls, if they do o know how to
draw straight lines, will hardly be able
10 sew straight SEAMS, or make proper
hens, and in cooking will not be able to
know the value OF measurement. Draw
ing has already been taught for some
years, so the thee new features added
in the schools are the workshop for boys
and sowing n cooking departments for
girls, and there is promotion in these
just as in all the other studies.
Naturally q great variety of tools and
materials are needed, and even now the
supplies are not all furnished. The list
for the cooking class is rs complete as for
a family setting up housekeeping. The
great difficulty is in finding the proper
teachers for this sort of training. OF
course, it is easy enough to procure a
good carpenter, or a good cook, or a good
seamstress 10 show how TO work in these
departments, but the thing is TO find
some one who can teach these different
branches-a carpenter, for instance, who
no only knows how to saw a board, but
a explain the reason for saving il, tell
what kind of wood he Is using, and
whereof comes from. besides many other
practical points connected with it.
And so in each of the other depart
ments. But means will undoubtedly be
found TO meet each want as time goes on.
The children take a great interest in
manual training, and this is a great in
centive to teachers. The girls are allowed
TO have a small repast made of the things
that they have cooked OF helped TO cook,
and this increases their interest in the
performance to a vast degree. Then.
too, they are inspired TO try experiments
at home, which is, Of course. exactly
what is desired by the founders of the
work.
The principal Of one Of the best public
schools for girls has made reading aloud
a feature of her school-not elocution,
but reading in a simple and intelligent
manner She herself as a reward Of
merit reads to the girls oncea week on
Friday afteTnoOns-not Sunday school
stories or set pieces from school books,
but standard works. In that way she
hopes 10 interest the scholars in literature,
a study to which little time Is given in
the public schools.
Il has been felt for some time that the
teachers where this now manual has been
adopted ought to have some training,
too. They were assembled by the board
of education in the hall N the building
belonging 20 this body to hear a lecture
on the subject. A second meeting was
presided over by DIR. Paul Hoffman, the
assistant superintendent. who has the
manual training in charge. That gentle.
man has been a physician. an Arctic ex-
plorer, and is pronounced a man Of
genius-the right man in the right place.
He gained the confidence of the teachers
at once by his earnestness in stating that
he knew something more about the sub.
ject than they did, but not much. liz
was thoroughly interested in it, anC
would work day and night il need be, in
order to gain knowledge on the subject.
On them as well as himself depended
the success of the work. He thought The
way to teach manual training was to be
gin in the most primitive manner ant
demonstrate everything in the mos
practical way. He wished o child tc
''know" that a cube was a cube, not 'be
lieve" that it was because he was told so
In teaching, the sense of feeling could b.
called largely into play, and the child
must be taught how 10 see, not what u
see. He must feel Of a cube, its edges
and its points, and find u why II was {
cube.
"Children, he said, ''are great imi
tators and believe what you tell them. Il
you take a block Of wood in your hanC
and say, DO you see this lump Of ironl
each child will answer Yes when it |
--a Ill A.. Al. I.-.. Loo.