Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-10-22
"a NEGLECTED ELECTIVE"
Principal Whitsker's Address at the
state Teachers Association.


Principal II. H. Whtaker's address at
the State Teachers association at Wood
stock last Friday morning, given under the
elastic title of "a Neglected Elective"
was in its central thought protest against
the cast-iron rule of the so-Called new
education" and a plea for giving the in
dvidual pupil a chance.
The representatives of our new sys-
TEN of education, the speaker said
secure in their belief in the efficacy of
"normal methods. "child study" with its
deductions from data collected all too often
haphazard, strict grading and its short
comings, Representatives of such ideas
are largely holding responsible positions
and directing the training and education
of American youth Fortunately there
are many men and women OF clearer Wis.,
ion and better understanding who are ask
ing whittier all this is tending, and what
are the results? The usual test of the
work of our common schools is the gu IS
tior: Do they fit for college? | want to
propose another: Do our schools give
them the best fit for life at the least ex.
pense of time aud effort? Do they teach
that kno Wedge of self, that control
of self, which lies at the bottom
of all real manhood aud womanhood?
Is the boys interest aroused, his
attention fixed? Is he thoroughly dis
ciplined and master Of himself? Has
he learned the meaning Of education,
caught the enthusiasm for learning? Has
he acquired the means of future education
and growth? Is he ready for honest and
intelligent citizenship? If so, we have
reason to congratulate ourselves and rest
assured that We are realizing our mission
| III. Il
| lege and university of the common people.
| 1 for one am ready frankly to acknowledge
that we are not generally accomplishing
these results. The average boy who grad
yates from the high school lacks that
equipment for the duties of life which he
has a perfect right to expect, and which the
community has good right to demand. Too
often he goes out without much knowledge
of himself or his powers, and with no re-
sources within himself upon which he may
fall back in the hour Of need. Add TO this
! ignorance the cOnseq uently necessary lack
! of purpose in life, and your high school
! graduate becomes an object of commisera-
ton rather than congratulation. And II is
more than possible that the poor lad S
failure dates back to a time when his am
| bition was checked and his enthusiasm
killed by the demand that he stop and
mark time so that his slower neighbor
could catch him and the grading system be
saved.
The remedy will be found in the substi-
tuition of the individual for the system.
Instead of directing all her effort TO the
task of making the child fit a system, the
teacher must turn to study of the child
himself his nature, both physical and
spiritual, his tendencies and his possibili-
ties. She must no longer submit to the
demand for uniformity of results, where
there can be no uniformity of conditions.
From photographed investigation we have
learne that the physical processes of child
h 'od differ radically from those of maturity.
And it is plain that the logical order Of
thought processes in the adult mind can
not be affirmed of the child. Can the
teacher, then, go to her work with any
promise OF success armed only with the
dogmatic formulas of the mscalled normal
methods? Assuredly not. With the
principle OF individualsm clearly in view
she must guard against applying to excep-
tional cases a general rule, even though
deduced from data apparently common TO
all experience. The real teacher is he who
lives closet to the hearts of his pupils, en-
tiers most into their manifold experiences,
thinks their thoughts, lives their lives,
makes himself their guide and companion.
He must understand them, must sympa-
thize with them, must win and keep their
confidence. He must recognize the infinite
possibilities of the child's mind, must labor
unweariedly to realize them. No theories,
no systems, no dogmas, no laws of educa-
ton must blind him TO the pupils needs.