The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1893-01-19
Devoted to the
Teachers of Cobb County.
AIM OF EXAMINATIONS.
Permanent impressions on the
Pupils Minds---Not to
Confuse, but Help.

The purposes of examinations as
to pupils are to afford an incentive
to study /; to train to expression and
to grasp of subjects in a compreEen-
slve way; to influence methods of
study by indicating the essentials
to be remembered.
Their purposes rs to teachers are
to reveal the deficiencies of the
class; to furnish comprehensive re-
views adapted to making a pecma-
rent impression en- the pupils mind !;
to furnish a record to parents; and
to test their own ability.
The questions should not be va
que, nor should the form or extent
of the answer be doubtful. The pu-
pill who knows his subject should
know when he has met the require
ment5 of the examiner. The uues-
tions should not follow stereotyp.
ed form or fixed line OF thought, SO
that they can be readily anticipated
by those familiar with the examiner.
Every set of examination ques.
lions should be made out upon
plan as definite as that of sermon
or an essay. 1t should be searching
and difficult enough to detect super
fciality. Every question should
afford ignorance and thoughtless-
ness a fair chance to fail, but should
leave little to chance or luck. The
examination should lead the pupil
to recast in his mind as a symmet
rical whole some portion of what he
mas learned. Such gathering up
and binding together ones knows
edge is beneficial effort, so that
time, opportunity, and encourage
ment ought to be allowed; the ex-
animation should search for train.
ing as we'll as information, and
should not only know how much
pupil knows but how he knows it.
An examination should seek for
fundamental principles, general
laws, comprehensive summaries, and
not for detached facts, minute de-
tails, or special items of knowledge.
Just what is wanted should be
very clear to the examined. Shocks
to stupidity and thoughtlessness are
legitimate in the recitation, but in
an examination, What does he
know? What can he do are the
questions; not, How can he be
tripped or confused?
There will of course be prelimi-
nary examinations; in arithmetic,
fair rapidity and great accuracy in
fundamental rules should be secur-
ed and their possession proven, be-
fore the pupil is allowed to UNDER
take the examination for promotion
beyond this point; so with common
fractions, 50 with decimals, so with
percentage, SO with fair recogni-
ton Of the parts Of speech in ordi-
nary relations, etc.
In an ordinary examination,
enough simple questions should be
asked to allow a diligent but not
very capable pupil to pass, and the
remaining questions should be more
difficult, testing the powers Of the
very best in the class. This saves
poorer pupils from encouragement,
and yet gives the brighter ones no
room tor contempt for the examina>
ton as too easy.
To neglect examinations by q
supervising authority permits many
teachers to sink into indifference,
affords no check to the career oil
hobby riders, omits one incentive
sometimes needed by pupils, and
deprives them Of means of self
knowledge, deprives us Of a valua.
BILE means OF distinguishing the eff
fectiye from the Ineffective, whether
of teachers or of methods, and ailows
the higher classes of pupils to be-
come composed of elements too di-
verse for collective instruction.
! Condensed from II. s. Tarbell.