The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-02-26

We are having our tecond cAamina-
ton this week, which closes our sixth
month. These examinations cost both
teacher and pupil much mental worry,
and there Is a time coming when they
will either be abolished altogether or
their objectionable features removed.
But at present We can not DO without
them. In some Of the best schools Of
the country examinations are not held
at all. and children are promoted to a
higher grade whenever the teacher
finds them ready for promotion; in
other schools examinations are held
only once or twice a year.
~
Il is not an infrequeni thing for the
teacher Of one grade 10 complain quiet.
ly 10 the superintendent that the pu-
pills promoted to her grade are not well
~ on the work aud that she must IN
part, at least, review them on last
years work, before she can take up
this years work. In turn this teacher
Is the Object Of similar criticism by the
teacher next above her. aud 10 on.
After several years experiences ia grad
ed schools We have come 10 the con-
clusion that teachers, In a school like
ours, should he divided into thr e
classes, primary, intermediate aud
high school teachers. The tesrhers Of
the first four grades should constitute
the primary teachers, tie next three
grades the intermediate teachers, and
the next three grades the high school
teachers. Tie teacher who has charge
Of the frs, grade this year q sould be
prome.,d with her class each year tin
ia, 4s the ffth grade when she
shy y return to the FIRST grade aud
again start on With another class
through the primary grades.
This orderof things should prevail 10
the grammar grades too.
In this was each teacher would he
with ore class three o. four years, and
would be responsible Tor its pfepara-
I lion 10 70 from lower to a higher de-
I partment. Then II she promoted a
pupil who was not PREPARED for higher
work her mistake would give her trouble
and not another. Again a teacher can
hardly learn well the natures of all her
pupils sooner than a school year, aud
80 about The time she has learned them
and has informed herself of the wishes
Of the papnts Of the children she must
give them up to soms one else. who
starts of by making bluuders that the
former teacher would not make
Last September the superintendent
promoted two teacher. with their
classes, aud nov both teachers ard pu'
pills are doing the best work they have
ever done, and We do not hesitate 20
say this would be the case Il the exper.
iment were tried ohener
But this order should not prevail 10
the high school, for there the work
should be laid out by studies and not
by grades The tesol ers there should
De specialists. The teacher Of languages
should teach nothing bus languages,
the teacher OF mathematics nothing but
mathematics and 20 on. We tried this
four years 10 school Of thousand
children and know ii will work we'll.
Some Of the lest schools IN Texas
ave adopting this plan and end that
the teachers can do moro work and
I better work than they can under the
old system. For insisnce give one
teacher the mathematics Of he nigh
school and let him concentrate his
I forces anil iesear. h along that line and
/ he will come to his classes daily fuller
Of bis work than he will d he bc re-
quired a. teach half dozen subjects.
The same will be true Of the scacher
OF science, or Of language. This is an
age Of specialists, and the sooner school
boards and superinlendents recognize
and apply this fact in the schools the
I better.