Smyrna times., 1898-03-09
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL GRADING.
Prof. Shearer's Flexible System Adopted in
All Departments Yesterday.


Through the invitation on the part Of
the president of the school board, Prof
w. j. Shearer, of Elizabeth. \. J..
made a visit here and on Friday even
Ing last, met the directors, teachers
and those interested in the cause of ed
ucatlon at Odd Fellows Hall for the
purpose Of explaining his Flexible svs-
TEN OF Grading. There was a good at
tendance present. Mr.. \. F. WiIds.
president of the Board, presided over
the meeting and in few we'll chosen
remarks introduced Prof. Shearer.
Not, however, without giving him a
high compliment for the work he was
accomplishing and the national repu-
tatlon which his new system was win
ming for him. In speaking of his svs-
TEN of grading, Mr.. Wilds made a
touching slmlle in the harnessinc to-
gether OF a fine trOtter and a draw
horse, the one anxious to 90 on. the
other dull and lazy holding the other
back etc.
Prof. Shearer arose and for the rest
OF the evening was paid close attention
while he explained the technical feat
ures Of his grading system. He star
ted OF, after brief introduction. bv
comparing his system to the grading
now used in our public schools. The
student instead of subjecting himself
to grading system, he cOntended.
should have grading system adapted
to to the needs of the student. The
tendency of the graded schools is to
Keep the classes together, crushing out
the individuality of the child, rushing
the bright and Indifferent along to-
gether and often bringing blame and
condemnation on the teacher. when
nine cases out of ten it is not the fault
OF the teacher, but poor supervision.
lie believed in developing the gifted
powers of the pupil in which wav the
Almighty had intended them to 90. and
this could only be developed in a
school room by placing that individual
upon his or her own responsibility.
Mr.. Shearer's plan is a system which
Will so combine the advantages of the /
class, group and individual teaching.
as to make 1t possible to suit the in
structlon to the needs of the individ
uals and make each to so Just as fast
as the work can be done and no faster.
lie then took up few of the char.
acterlstlc features. First was the
basis of promotion. This was wholly
determined by the teachers careful es-
tlmate of the pupils ability to do ad-
vanced work. He was glad the exam
NATION promotion was dying out. and
he spoke of his opposition to it in
strong terms. In classification, pupils
OF nearly equal ability were put to-
geather into small divisions. In the
reclassiticatlon a feasible plan is adop-
ted by which a pupil passes from one
DIVISION to another as soon as.thev are
prepared without affecting the least
change IN that division. A close rec
ord Is kept of each student in each di-
vision. The amount of work to be ac-
compllshed in a given time is deter
mined by the ability of the pupils and
no more. This does away with the
custom of rushing through book that
It might be completed in a given term.
The attention to individual needs is
one OF the most pleasing Characters
ties to the whole system. A pupil is
not crowded but allowed to 90 as fast
as II can asslmllate given instruction
thoroughly. The teacher and the
pupil are brought into closer contact /
with each other, the former minister
ing to the needs of the latter as the |
case may need.
After talking at length, Prof. Shearer
stated some beneficial results to be de- /
rived from this system of grading. /
He spoke how suited the instruction |
would be to the individual needs of |
the pupil; how in proper classification. |
the pupils could be kept busy and the |
tendency to idleness almost vanished; |
how the bright and the slow could be |
benefited and the constant copying |
from the brighter pupils could be stop |
ped. Through it all Prof. Shearer |
stated his plan effectively to the |
teachers and called forth remarks |
from Prof. G. H. LeFevre of |
the Smyrna High School and Prof W. |
L; Gooding of the Clayton Schools.
There was a general discussion after
the address which kept the meeting in
session until IL o'clock.
The next day Prof. Shearer met with
the principal and teachers of our Pub
lie Schools and outlined a plan of
changing from the present method
and each department The new sys-
TEN was put into effect yesterday and |
1t promises to TevolutioniZe our school
and put it at the head of any
In the State of Delaware. Our
principal and teachers are enthusiastic
over the work. Everyone feels indebt-
ed to Prof. Shearer for his efforts in
to Smyrna to introduce his
system and his act of kindness, which,
as 1t is all gratuitous, is greatly APP
preclated bY our citizens