The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1891-01-17

"our Graded sous.- Of >tuay..
Tbs f1llowin. paper ON "OGr Graded
conrso OF study" WAS read bY Mns. l..
H. fintcl. principal Of the Mcekcr
School ut u meeting ol Tie Rio Blanco
County Teachers Association Oh Dee.
=. last. Mrs. finioi is an ardent sup
porter of the graded system aud her oh.
Ject Was principally TO bring before thc
teachers in the rural districts the n-crs-
Sliy Of planning ani graiin. their work
50 Is 10 produce lhe b,St results. Bciu.
a teacher with experience, she does
know whereof she Is speaking and her
words are at least entitled 10 careful
consideration
Most oi those assembled here tonight
are aware that We are furnished with
u graded course Of study. by tho State
authorities, designating Just what
biuiics the pupils or each grade are to
pursue; ani most ul you will agree iha,
I IL Is very good plan for - city school
whcr. there arc u large number Of
pupils ,o deal with. What you will not
~ readily coucodr land villa; believe
AM prepared Ia defend Is the fact iba,
this couus. Of study may BE- adopted aud
/ applied 10 all schools. We do not be-.
liusc tho greatest good Ia the greatest
number Is Obtained when school IL
classified as oun worthy citizen Of this
town informed us his school WAS. lie
lad seven pupil. and twenty eight
classes. believe know whereof am
speaking when | say that any teacher
'--.-.--s...s ss.. f..~,.s qualifications .s.t
the requisite amount pi executive ability
can ~ Into any country school. how
ever miscellaneous It's character. and
within three months time can reduce IL
;o some general system 1I classification;
aud believe further that that teachers
usefulness is doubled, II not lrcb!cl. hy
such classification.
II may be- argued that not nil teachers
possess the executive ability necessary
to carry out the general plan of clIssili.
cation.
II that BE- true, what can they ac-
complish without any plan II thcy lack
ability To adupi - plan already mapped
out, stamp 1t with their own indiv!dU-
ality and make 1t successful. they Ger
tainls lack the ability TO original. Il plan
aud make 1t successful.
The great trouble with so many Of our
schools of to-day Is that they have 10
plan ut all Tor their work. 80 much
hap.hazaTd work is done that the pupils
receive their knowledge In little im.
pala,ablc chunks making it difficult for
mental digestion.
Again. even granting that each teacher
capable OF originating and APPLYING
some good plan OF classification, the diff
ference of opinion ON the subject, COM
bined with tie common custom OF too
froquent changes OF teachers especially
IN rural dis,rictsl makes it very dntri-
mental TO the best interests of our
schools. may safely say that any bust
iness man in hiring "a clerk, or other
help. requires him To adhere to the EN-
ployei's general plan of work and the
sooner the powers that be- require the
same of their teachers, the better 1t will
be for the schools. IL is SAID that this
out in the country schools because of
the shorter terms OF school. aud because
the children are kept out of school TO AS
sist In the work at home during certain
seasons of the year. That is one thing
we want to do away wiih-this keeping
pupils from school. The schools are
maintained ut public expense aud the
country has right to demand of It's
future citizens that they improve the
advantages she has provided for them.
Besides, every parent is morally bound
by ties of blood rs well as loyalty tn his
country, TO devise means whereby his
children may be partakers of the op-
portunities offered by our public schools.
And usually the required stimulus il
furnished in the increased desire of
the children themselves to complete the
course of study in the given time. In
regard to the shorter terms, that is Il
serious drawback to any kind of school. I
graded or ungraded, but in our plan |
only so much work is required in so
many months: so. although il may take |
more years work. the same course can |
be completed. We usually find, how
ever, that the increase of energy de-
veloped By our plan a,ones, at least in |
part, for the shorter term. We usually 1
tiud. also, that they viii attend school
until the common school course. includ- /
ing arithmetic, geography, grammar. /
history and physiology, is completed; (
where under the old system they were |
continually dropping out as they tired .