The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-11
School Methods i'm the
Years Gone by.
MR.. SWEETS "REMINISCENCES.
Wild VagarieS of Newly Pledged Re-
formers and Amusing Features
of Teachers Examinations.

|
II have had OCCASION" he said. sin re-
| Gently hunting up statistics to run through
the reports of city superintendent for the
! last thirty-six years.
THESE reports have brought to my mind
my own reeollections of the drift OF educa-
tional method during that period.
Il am struck with the steady succession
of educational hobbies that have appeared
and disappeared during that time.
''As the educational lesson to be drawn
from the history of these successive 'fads' Is
| not without some practical value and may
| prove of interest TO the readers OF HE
| CALL, Will give YOU brief resume OF the
| hobbies some of which were good enough
when not carried 10 extremes, while others
were the wild vagaries OF new -nedged
| educational ref0rmers.
up 10 1860 arithmetic. mental and writ
| ten, was the leading study. to which was de-
voted fully half the school time. The whole
| of the textbook, Including cube root,
arithmetical and geometrcal progression,
stocks. exchange, compound proportion and
mensuraton. all were crammed into the
'Self-Ieporting' in depor tment was a fad
| from 1859 to 1862. Ii was finally killed of
| by the protests of a few teachers, who
claimed that It trained children in system
| of white lies
"Map-drawing was run to extremes from
| 1860 to 1870
Official written examinations for deter
| mining promotions began 10 rage in 1862 and
| continued for twenty-five years. This fad
prevailed all over the United States. In its
| results It was one OF the most pernlci0us or
| ali bubbles.
I'm 1860 member of the board blossomed
out as an educational reformer. He dis
| covered that teachers could not be trusted
to keep an Impartial recitation record OF
| pupils.
'In those days class teachers were
| quired 10 work every recitation.
| Accordingly the board ordered 10000
| large recitation cards, one OF which was
given TO each pupil, who filed in his own
credits at his desk as check upon The
teacher.
This directors own boy was in my class.
and lie marked himself higher than did.
The official wrath Of the board fell on my
| devoted head, and | came within one vote
OF being removed as Incompetent
This reform soon died a natural death.
| Leaving cut the directors son, the pupils
refused OF neglected 10 keep their own
| record.
"Phonography was made compulsory in
the highest grammar grades from 1872 TO
! 1874.
"A director wanted to make place for
his friend at S2iO0 a wear. When the direc-
tor went out of Office the teacher OF
photography went with him.
'GeOmetry was introduced into the NTH
and sixth grammar grades in 1869 and faded
away three years afterward.
I'm 1867 the study of French and German
was introduced into certain schools called
COSMOPOLITAN schools In a few years
there was a small army OF special teachers
who cost tie department about $4,000
| year.
IAN attempt was mad by the board 10
| abolish French and German. The State
| Legislature compromised the struggle by
providing Tor the establishment of three
| schools In which the modern languages
should be taught
'At one time vocal mus was the fayorite
fad. One musc-Ieacher after another was
elected until there were seven special
teachers. Suddenly a new board, in a
| spasm of economy. swept them all out to-
gether and left the teachers TO manage their
| own music.
ia drawing first one teacher was em.
| pl0yed, then one more was added, next a
third was appointed. fourth. and then
they were all dismissed and the teachers
managed their own drawings.
"A special teacher of penmanshp was at
one time employed, but reform board cut
of his head. and thereafter teachers have
been left to manage their own writing.
I From 1853 to 1863 il was the delight OF
successive Boards Of Education 60 re-ex-
anime all teachers at the end of each year
In order To ascertain their fitness to teach a
common school one year.
! Certificates were valid for only one year
and the renewal Of a certificate was some
| thing unknown in these good old times.
II have hunted up my first certificate in
this city and submit the form rs an historical
relic of antiquity"
The certificate reads as follows
! We. the undersigned, the committee appoipted
for Tie examination Of candidates for teachers of
! The Tree common schools OF this city. do certify
that We have personally examined Mr. j.
| SWEET, and are satisfied that he Is OF good moral
character and OF sufficient learning and ability
| aud has competent apineSs and fitness for
certificate Of approval which shall continue In
force one year. unless sooner revoked by The
| Board oil Education.
| san Francisco, Nov. l, 1853.
| CHARLES O. WEST,
| HENRY j. WELLS. \ Committee
w. h. OGRADY. Supt.)
"Al the pioneer teachers" continued
MIR. SWEET, were examined at the end OF
every year 10 discover how much they had
forgotten and TO ascertain If they were still
fit to teach common school for the term
OF one year.
"Among the school principals for many
successive years were James Denman.
=. Ellis w. Holmes, Thomas 5. Myrick.
Joseph c. Morrel and myself.
Il Fall 10 mind one particular examina-
tion in 1856. 1t was held in the Mayors
office.
1.-THE Mayor was good New Highlander
from the city where witches instead of
teachers were once gibbe;ed He was ex-
ofiicio president of the Board of Educa-
ton. The superintendent was a Vermont
Yankee.
I'VE were arranged around the office in a
! row ike good boys and girls aud Ques-
toned once arOnnd in arithmetic once
around IN grammar and once around In
| spelling.
"He stuck the best mathematician in
the line by asking that unfortunate peda-
| gogue TO explain the reason Of inverting
| The diviSor In division of fractions But
we all passed and triumphanty marched
| out with our certificates
| Il remember another famous examination
! In about 1860. A cranky dentist on the
| board determined TO draw out our eve
teeth. That was red-letier day.
| The geography questions, a fair sample
| OF the Others, ran as follows:
| /. Name all The iivers OF the globe.
Name all The bays, CUFFS, seas, lakes and
| other bodies OF water on the globe.
3. Name all the cities In The world
4. Name all The countries in the world
| .. Bound all the States In the United States
| I'VE were allowed only one hour for an
| swering these very short questions Al the
| end OF that time some were still at work on
| the FIRST question, some on the second uues-
! tiOn, few on the third, one on the fourth
! and one on the fifth.
when the report was made we all stood
| exactly alike go per cent
Years a.terWard / hunted IN those pa-
pers from the musty records as matter OF
| curiosity.
up TO 1868 the old teachers were badg-
cred bv the examinations Of the 'butcher.
! the baker, the candlestick- maker who
happened to be members of the Board Of
| Education.
| There were other instances equally re-
| maTkable, but have given you enough to
( show what the teachers in the good old
times had to put up with"