Sharp County record., 1891-09-24
COLLEGE EXAMINATIONS
The Coach ~ m Element n ioadeFnie
Teaching.

Teaching.
The effect which WIS eT9eetaf from
he knowledge 1f sde .aacher7 work
which the svstam.of separate examiners
apparently should furnish has not been
secured. EEeout Ia matters of l1 -ie-
ueutarv sort and few -scHuical
branches of higher earning, 10 is very
difficult for an examiner 90 determine
the value Of the teacher work by lu
inquiry as brief ass these tests uecassa-
rilv are. However rusatiStaet0rv the
results NJ the examinations may be-
there viii be doubt as TO the place
where the blame should rest Where
the Instructor sends ID pupils VINO
write brilliant papers. there will re-
main the question whether the success
has not been due 20 an undesirable .im-
itation In the range Of the teaching,
or perhaps to au. 0veruloe adjustment
Of the Instruction TO the range of the
questions which are likely 20 be set III
tszsssaifisssi,}fi. 9i1s # the ar2m!u1Eg-
boards has come the sxaltatjon of the
coach or the professional man who uu-
dertaloes to prepare the student for the
trial he is TO undergo. His task is not
usually hate education. his business
Isl not even 10 instruct. It is III reu-
eral the simple function of providing
the man with the precise store of infor-
nation, ana giving him the desirable
speed in yielding the matter .u the
form required by the papers which are
likely TO be set In certain classes of
work., as, fOrinStance. in the Dreparar
tiOu Of men f0rthc honor examinations,
the coaches give Instructions which S
measured bv intellectual standards Of n
very high Grade. but g Is related not
20 large independent action as all uni-
versitv edueation should be. but TO the
immediate and essentially trivial sue
cess which is sought
As long rs the attainment of students
is estimated by the brief tests of the
examination room, the coach viii be
an element In academic teaching IN
der ow American system, where the
teacher is also the examiner, 10 is DOS
sihle f0r the instructor in a. measure 10
share and control the work of these
assistants of the students, or # he rs
willing 30 take the time for the -a3 ,S, to
deprive them of their patronage, bv Elv-
ing the members of his classes such an
opportunity of reviewing their studies
that the paid helper will be mueces-
sary TO the slowest- wftted Of the men.
So far as my own experience GOES the
coaches Of Harvard college have reuer-
ally proved helpful to the instructors.
The best of them serve as mentors tO
youths who need spurrIug 20 their
tasks, and all of them are glad TO co.
operate with the teachers In usuring
sound work on the part Of theircharres.
Under u system where the profit the
student was winning was continually
tested by a sufficient record OF his woric
from week to- week. these unnamed as
sistants would most likely, become en-
tirely servteeable in educative work..
Their task would no longer be TO dt the
men for the momentarv tria! of the exc
animation room To help them 40 all
they would have to devote their ener-
gies to true accomplishments.
Nottheleastof the advantages which
would Le gained by the proposed change
in the method of gaugiur the worilof
the students would De- The Increased
opportunity which 70 wou0d afford for
determining the real value of the iu.
tiueucc of the teacher dpon his pupils.
A present it is impossible t5 measure
this n % satisfactory way The exc
aminations are not likely fo reveal 10,
and general renute is of uncertain value,
for MANY clements of character enter
into the complicated equation which
constitutes the reputation of 70 man.
Given however system of record by
notehoolss bvtheses. and perhaps other
means whereby the studeutwill clearly
and continuously exhibit his progress
in the line of thought which the teach
ing Involves and we shall have "a sound
basis from which 20 estimate the quail
ity 0f the instruction From this rec.
ord the inspectors who represent the
governing boards of the schools could
readily form an idea Of the rauge and
scone OF the instruction given .u the
several departments 10 WIS once the
custom 1f the visiting committee 1I The
oversecrs OF Harvard university to ay-
anime the books ri which The answers
to the test questions verr written, 1ut
of late the inutilitv of the practice has
become so evident that 10 Is no longer
undertaken. Prof NJ s. Shaler IN At.
lantic