The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1896-11-14
Which Succeeds Best?

1t is q current question whether the
college graduate or the normal school
graduate succeeds best in school work.
The difference between them arises in
the larger scholarship of one as set yer
against the professional training Of the
other. Each has it's respective advan-
tage. and also his respective shortcom-
ing. The logical conclusion is hat every
teacher must have the liberal scholar
ship of the one and the professional
training of the other-should be a grad
uate of both schools. One of the most
pleasing and hopeful signs in the edu-
,cational growth of Indiana is the large
number who take both the normal and
university course.
But 1t is not my purpose to speak Of
his matter in general, but to call at
tention to the conspicuous defect of the
college graduate for public school work.
This defect is that of failing to take ac-
count Of the psychological, or chrome
logical factor in education. He has been
absorbed in the logic of the subject for
Its W sake, and when he IN to
teach it the only factor in the process
which he is accustomed to consider is
the subject itself. He teaches as he was
taught. If he began his work in zoology
with the microscope and protoplasm, it
must begin thus to whatever grade Of
pupils it is taught, Notwithstanding
that the child naturally and necessarily
begins with the external facts of color
and form and parts, in action and hab-
its Of the animal. A scientist Of the
State once insisted that for the child to
study the color, forms and external
structure of leaves, as was being done
in the schools, was worse than a waste
of time. He held that a child should
begin with the inner, the vital principle
of the leaf, by microscopic study, and
thus construct logically the botany of
the leaf. Yet, up to the time Of enter
ing school, mother nature had taken an
opposite course with the child. An
eminent teacher of botany in a univer-
sity, who is a graduate of a normal
school, said recently that his students
do not teach botany well in the public
school, because they take the order
which he pursued with them to the
proper order to pursue with pupils in
the grades and in the high school. This
university professor differs from the
one referred to above, in having consid-
cred the child's order of learning in ad-
dition to the subject matter to be
learned.
Everywhere the logical order of the
subject has been forced upon pupils; so
that just now there is q general and
heroic effort to readjust the course Of
study to the natural order Of the child
in learning. We are no longer satisfied
to follow, in the curse Of instruction,
the logical order Of addition, subtrac-
ton, multiplication and division; or
that of arithmetic, algebra, geometry
and trigonometery. While grammar
logically precedes composition, the
school course reverses the order. His
tory must not be deferred till geog-
raphy is completed. The recent fruit
full agitation Of the question of the
course Of study-enriching it, correlat-
ing it and concentrating it's only an
effort to the psychological order Of the
growing pupil.
4AC COIACSC SLduudlC lS dpL W uldhc
a mistake in management similar to
that which he makes in instruction. He
tries to manage children as he would
young men and women. He assigns
lessons to the child and the adult in
the same way, and assumes that chill
dren will prepare a lesson by being told
to do so. Little p%recaution, therefore,
is taken to secure the full effort of the
pupil during the study period. Since
college students prepare their lessons
at home, the same custom is carried far
into the public school. Recently a COL
lege graduate was superintendent Of
the schools Of a city, and he required
| the pupils Of the high school to meet
only for the r~ecitations, and that in the
forenoon. This superintendent was
| succeeded by a normal school graduate,
who Immediately changed the plan and
required the pupils to attend the full
day, and to prepare lessons under the
direction of the teacher. No matter
which of these was right, their differ
ence illustrates the poin. under discus
| sion. One who manage ! a school sue
| cessfully must consider the develop
ment of the pupil. T. iere is a time
when the pupil should nave the most
minute and direct attel .tion from the
teacher during the PREF aration Of the
lesson; and there comes, a time when
such attention would not only be USE
less, but harmful time when the pu-
| pill should be left wholly free to choose
his W time, place and manner of pre-
pairing his lesson.
The college mar makes in many
ways a college out Of a high school. He
breaches, or has 1t done, a baccalaure-
ate at commencement. He calls his
classes freshman, sophomore, junior,
senior. They must organize and have
class presidents, and, above all, class
colors and class school yells. They have
football teams and oratorical contests.
Are they not soon to don the cap and
gown at graduation? l do not mean to
say that these things are bad, but to
nniDf ont a natural tan6oncv NJ tho oil