The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-13
THE SCHOOLS EXHIBITS.


THE SCHOOLS EXHIBITS.
Mayor Doran could put his en-
tire police force to no more profitable
work than corralling every father and
mother in the city and marching them
up to the high school there to see what
the schools of the city have done for
the education Of their children during
the school year now drawing to a
close A special order might be made
to have those curmudgeons whose one
sensitive nerve ganglion is in their
pocket, and which is keenest in it's
sensations to the touch of the tax
gatherer, also taken into custody and
compelled to spend a few hours in
contemplating the work of the
children of this city. Then especial
effort should be made to catch and
manacle that other set Of abnormal
people, generally classed as "old To-
gies," who really believe that improve
ment ceased with their youth. and that
there has been nothing but degeneracy
since. They should be made to do
double time in the assembly and other
rooms and kept constantly on the
march. Even they might come out
with conception that they did not
know it all, and thereafter they would
pirate less of "fads."
But the mayor has not the power
TO thus beneficially use his force, and,
In the absence Of it, the Globe makes
special appeal to every father and
mother who can possibly spare the
t1me-and the exhibit is open evenings
to those who cannot take daylight
hours from necessitous labor-to
spend at least an hour in the various
rooms. Go first into the teachers.
training rooms and learn how teachers
are taught both the science and the
art Of pedagogy; learn, if you ever in
your younger days taught school. how
that profession has felt the imnulse of
Improvement and has changed teach
ing from mere hearing Rotations.
keeping school, to studying Of minds,
dispositions, aptitudes, individuaIities
the lnterrelations of studies, in short
the science as well as the art. Pass from
there into the department where the
work OF the children in the kinder
garten is shown, beginning with that
or the first term, and on until the
primary grade work Is reached. note
the character Of the work, the evident
object of it and the results attained in
awakened and trained perception: see
how the individuality of the child ap-
pears, and how much the young mind
is absorbing Of useful knowledge while
atmosphere Of the room, the kindness.
the morality, the cheerfulness. the
good dispositions cultivated, the good
influence about these minds in their
first stages of development. could also
be added, no person, however soured.
could go from it's inspection without
feeling that there the foundations of
character were being we'll laid.
work from the first to the eighth
grade, note the increasing assurance.
self-confidence. Of the pupils and the
rate or progress made. Take time and
look over some Of the papers and see
how modern methods Of education are
making knowledge hunters of the
children, teaching them to INVESTIGATE
search, find and generalize for them
selves Ask yourself candidly If Won
could do as we'll if put to the same
task. Then go into the high school
work. Start with that much derided
branch, the Mechanic Arts, examine
closely the work these amateur arti-
sans have done. and ask yourself II
boys thus started will not go out TO
their life work we'll equipped. Inspecf
the joinery and see how scrupulously
well done the work is: look at the
work of the machine shop and smitbv
and see what this practical education
is doing. Then If a sheer s,afs-tbot
school fell from your lips ask TO he
forgiven. And SO on through the
academic work. noting everywhere
what the actual work Is and how 1t Is
done. And then go home and VOW that
you will not rest until all impediments
in the way Of keeping the schools UP to
past standards shall be removed. Rest
assured that you will know more for
few hours thus spent and be better
citizens for it.
MIUHAIJ,s NOTES. on .,r,<<