St. Paul daily globe., 1896-02-09
PROF. A. E.. wINsHIP, OF BOSTON,
TALKS ABOUT THE ST. PAUL
SCHOOLS
IN THE KINDERGARTEN WORK.
MISS STRONG SHOWS POINTS OF
SUPERIORITY OVER ALL HE
HAS EVER SEEN.
SPIRIT SEEN IN SCHOOL WORK
Might BE Expected From Teachers
Whose Responsiveness to High
er Ideal Was So Hearty.

Prof. A. E. Winship. editor Of the
Journal Of Education, Of Boston, Is pay
ing his third visit to the schools Of
ST Paul, he having previously gone
through them in 1887 and in 1892. He
made the present trip. so far as the in
spection of the schools is concerned,
largely on account Of a letter from
his personal friend, President G. STAN
ley Hall, OF Clark university, Worces-
ter Mass, whom he regards as. one Of
the leading experts of the country in
school matters. Dr. Hall said he had
never known any man who had such
grip on schools from the progressive
and philosophic standpoint as Prof.
C. B. Gilbert President Winship ex-
pressed himself to reporter for the
G o e yesterday as finding the work
in the schools here even beyond what
he expected from President Halls in
dorsement The attainmentS Of the
children who are but five months out OF
the kindergarten would not be believed
by one person in 1000 if they were
outlined to them. Their ability to see
the content of things and actions, to
read script and type, to think and
phrase their judgments orally and in
writing, is not only astonishing, but is
a revelation Of the possibilities with
trained teachers under skilled direction.
But Mr. Winship was even more
pleased with work two or three years
in advance of this. He says that many
schools have succeeded in launching
good ideas with little people, but they
have ofttimes failed to have sustained
this high standard. He thinks the
work of Miss Strong has more points
of superiority than that Of any other
one teacher whose work he remembers
ever to have observed. In her school
he saw at it's best the feature that he
had everywhere noticed, the genius of
adaptability by the etacher's leadership
and suggestion to the individual who
had special needs. He says there was
a delicacy of touch that called forth a
responsiveness in the children that
could only be compared to the power
of the brilliant pianist. There were
many things new and in every way
gratifying to Mr.. Winship in the nature
work, the drawing, the language, work
and especially in the spelling. He says
the electrical car service has made no
greater advance over the old horse car
lines than the school work of today has
over that which he first saw in the
schools of this city.
Mr.. Winship has filled his satchel
with specimens of the language work,
drawing, number work, course Of study
and other things from which to write
up the work for his own publication.
He has long been an ardent admirer
of the work of Miss Brooks, and one
OF his objects in coming to the city was
to arrange for a series Of articles from
her pen. He also says, that he has
been in the habit Of placing Miss Har-
rison, Of Chicago; Miss Hailmann, Of
Indianapolis, and Miss Lucy Wheelock,
Of Boston, as the kindergarten geniuses
of the country, but he says he has
never seen kindergarten that for pur-
pose and skill exceiled. even II he has
ever seen one that equaled, that Of
Miss Everett, and he would hardly be-
lieve that she had received her train
ing in this city. He says that there is
no parallel to this in the country. He
attributes the success Of the work in
the lower grades very largely to the
start the children get in the kinder
garten, which has the spirit Of freedom
which makes definite school results
possible.
Prof. Winship says that the work
already attained in the primary de-
partment simply shows the pOSS1b1l1-
ties when the methods and plans have
been worked out to their full limit. He
spoke to the teachers yesterday morn
ing on Reading" and afterwards met
them in an informal reception. He
says the spirit in school work every
where observed in the schools here,
under the inspiration Of which the
children are enabled to materialize the
highest possibilities without friction,
and without strain to either teacher or
pupil, is what might be expected from
teachers whose responsiveness to his
exhortation to a higher professional
ideal was SO hearty. He believes most
thoroughly that all other municipal in
terests are subordinate to the highest
good Of the city through the greatest
usefulness of the school. He ridicules
the idea Of the Chicago councilman
who expressed surprise at the fact that
the education of the children cost more
than the sewers, streets, and police
force. He says the contest in the West
must be between the greatest possi-
bilities through the education of men
and women, and the tendency to make
this secondary to material glory.
Mr.. Winship believes most ardently
in the kindergarten as the christening,
introducing the child to the possfbili-
ties of the school, as manual training
weds his scholarship to every phase of
the work Of life, whether 1t be mechan-
ical or professional.