The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-10-31
TRE PUBLIC SCHOOL WORK.
A PLAN FOR IMPROVING THE
ABILITY TO BOTH TEACH
AND LEARN.
AN EXC DINGHY INTERESTING SUGGESTION.
II is Suggested to Begin School at 7:45
a. m. and Dismiss at p. M, linus
Getting the Full Benefit OF the
Best Part of the Day.
ro +ho Editor of The Statesman:

Public education is so important 'h"'
to provide for its proper conduct Is
function of government. The schools are
the concern of every enlightened cltizen
whether he have children in them or not
Every municipal government makes spec
ial provision for the education OF all wlth-
in its corporate limits, being unwilling 10
leave it entirely to the care of the state
To the cities we owe the best develop
ment of the American public school. Ihe
civ is the civlizer. 1t is so often SAID
that the leaders in the city were born
and reared in the country. True, but they
had TO come to the city to develop their
latent powers. The city awakens' IN
snires, polishes. elevates-and at the same
time unfortunately-de mankind.
Eoch CITY has its individuality and is
complex resultant of many forces, INDUS
trial, commercial, political, social, educa-
tional. religious. Each city is RESPONSE
BILE for it's own educational growth. Aus
tin has an excellent system or schools,
and expects it to improve and keep pace
with progress in other fields. There are
many problems unsolved in teaching,
nroblems for whose correct solution the
pedagogue needs the aid of the. states
man, the philosopher and the physlolo-
gst. I'LL. ;.n,o
tion in schools is an important question.
How many hours, what hours, and how
should the time be distributed! Morn
ing is par excellence the time for study,
for intellectual exercise and growth. Inc
brain and nervous system are i'll their
nho RI
mental energy or nerve force. Nine
o'clock is too late an hour to commence
school work. Half the morning has pass
ed. Much of the best time is thus lost
to study School work is the business OF
childhood, and an important business 1t
is, too, it goes without saying. And the
importance of it demands that it COM
mence earlier in the day, when 1t can bet
ter be done. The present school day in
Austin begins at 3 am. and continues I'M
til $3.50 pm, with morning intermlsslon
of Is minutes and a midday intermission
of one hour from 1890 to 1870, for din
ner This leaves 3 hours and 10 minutes
time for actual school work. Probably
10 minutes of this time is consumed pre-
pairing for the noon recess, passing out,
forming lines and passing in, leaving D
hours and minutes. Now, if school
opened at $40 a. m. and continued until
1 p. m, with 20 minute intermission at
from, say, 1O:4O am. to IL am, more
efficient school work would be done with
less friction between teachers and pupils,
and with a gain of energy to both teach
er and pupil. The advantage can be
briefly and and clearly set forth
First-Discipline would be more easily
maintained. Pupils are more easily man
aged in the morning. In the afternoon
confinement in the usually poorly venti-
lated school rooms has become irksome.
Pupils become restless. Nature herself
speaks out against the artificial restraints
Of the school room. The pupils there need
relaxation, recreation. If there is any
mental effort it should be along the line
of the pupils inclination. Reading, mu
sic, games, might occupy part of the
time. Manual training classes might APP
propriately occupy some part of the af-
ternoon. Some part of afternoon and
early evening could be devoted to prepare
ton of lessons for next morning, Il work
in which the intelligent parent can be of
great service, not by doing too much for
the child, but in advising, directing and
in wise suggestion, inspiration and en-
enlargement.
To the teacher such an arrangement
would prove God send. The American
school teacher, the bulk of whom are of
course of the female sex, are proverbially
overworked. Nervous debility and nerv-
Gus breakdown are not uncommon among
them. Teaching, even under the most
favorable circumstances (Which are rare
ly met with), is distinctly difficult work,
a trying one to the nervous system. 1t
calls for a daily exercise on the teachers
part of great will power, thought and en-
thusiasm. 1t is strain upon all three
of the great departments of the soul-the
intellect, the sensibilities and the villa
constant strain and consequent drain on
the vital energy. If the teacher could go
home to dinner, eat q hearty dinner at
the proper time of day midday, then be
relieved of the strain of the school room
and allowed relaxation and rest, recuper-
alton would at once set in and nervous de-
bility would disappear. That fretfulness
and lrrltability so common among teach
ers would no longer be chara The
careful preparation, exact, logical,
methodical, which each teacher ought to
make, and which the conscientious teach
err does make, for the next days work,
ease. The actual work in the school room
is but part of the scientific teachers la
Dor.
The school room is the stage where the
successful teacher plays well and effect
lively very important part, important
to herself, to her children and to soci-
ETY.. But behind the scenes" at home
she makes up" gets ready herself and
her material, arranges all her work, both
what she shall do during each recitation
of the day and what her pupils are to do.
All must be so arranged as to harmon
ize as to time and as to the capabilities
and advancement of the pupils. Inc
needs of individuals in each branch are
to be studied and specially provided Tor.
The progress of the whole class IS to be
maintained. The course of study, the
rules and regulations, the requirements
of the superintendent, the board and the
principal are to be kept in mind. The
idiosyncrasies of pupils, of parents and
the sentiment of the community can not
entirely be disregarded. The teacher of
arithmetic in an agricultural community
would not emphasize the same phases of
his subject as would the teacher of the
same subject i'll seaport town or in a
great commercial center.
The true teacher is an artist; each
days labor is picture painted in various
but harmonizing colors on the canvas
of immortal minds-living, sentient cam
eras--indelible pictures. And the pic
lures from day to day form series, each
bearing proper relation to the preced-
ing and all blending in one grand COM
pOsite, which is the summary and epitome
of the teachers work. Woe to the
teacher and woe to the child if the re-
Sulting ComDOsitp is NOT distinct c1ear