The age-herald., 1898-12-20
SUPERINTENDENT
 JOHN H. PHILLIPS Addressed the Teachers of the
 City Schools. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION And ndAdministrationw Touched Upon and Other Interesting Topics Dis cussed- Salaries for Third
 Month ofSession Paid.
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION

The regular monthly meeting of the teachers of the public schools of the city was held Saturday morning last at the High school building and besides listening to an address by Superintendent Phillips, the tutors were paid their salaries for the third scholastic month, amounting to sS,574 The regular exercises of the session were dispensed with on account of the payroll, except an address by Superintendent Phil lips, in which several topics relating to ad- ininistration and instruction were touched upon. Among other things, he said that the teachers of the schools must continually study the best methods of instructing their classes, and of adapting these methods to class and individual conditions They must always be ready to welcome candid criticism upon their work by patrons and all inter- ested in the schools. He said that where such important and varied interests are in volved, that it is not surprising if some of the criticism is captious or unjust, never theless it is our duty to ponder it patently, and whenever it is based upon ignor- ance of facts. to insist upon the critics vis- iting the school.
 Many valuable suggestions" he said, have I received from parents who come to ask questions or lodge complaint He regretted that sometimes patrons instead of coming to the superintendent or the prin- cipals to discuss certain matters preferred | to write anonymous letters in which ig- norance of intense prejudice was shown, and as the writer was unknown no help or enlightenment could be given. Such letters, l he sad were usually consigned to the waste basket. He had received one letter recently, however, which he appreciated very highly, on account of the intelligent criticisms it contained and the evident l spirit of sympathy with the work which pcrmeated it, but while he could read every word in the letter, the signature so com pletely concealed the identity of the writer that any personal explanation of specific points could not be given. Portions of the letter were read and the contents summar- ized as follows:
 l. Drawing, writing, copying, etc., to be done at school.
 2. Little, if any, extra work given during long review lessons.
 3. Home study not to exceed two or three hours, length of lesson determined by ca pacity of average scholar.
 4. Teachers to explain difficult lessons for | succeeding day.
 5. Study of music by note to be voluntary instead of compulsory
 The superintendent in commenting on these points said that the home work of the child must necessarily involve some writ ten work, but the amount of work of this or any other kind depends upon the grade and the ability of the pupil. As to the sec ond, third and fourth points, he said they were entirely reasonable, and, moreover, that the teachers of the schools had al- ways been enjoined to practice them. If | in any instance they were not practiced he had failed to discover it. The time for | home study depends upon the grade and the maturity of the child. Little or no home work Is required in the first two years; an hour of diigent application suf- fees for the average third or fourth year child, an hour and half or two hours for | the grammar grades. with two or two and a half hours for the high school. Some child ren, however, will contrive to spend three or four hours in apparent work, when by proper application they can accomplish the task in half the time. The teacher is not | a nearer of lessons in any sense, yet it is | impossible to teach pupil that puts forth
 no voluntary effort. With many children
 | considerable pressure from the teacher is necessary to secure any self-effort. The
 weakest scholar in the school is the one
 l who must have the teacher or the parent
 l do all the work for him. Teacher and par
 l ent should cooperate to stimulate the child
 | to self-effort. to do his own legitimate work
 1 whateve it may be. If that work is toe
 | much for the average child it can be cut
 l down; the work assigned must be definite,
 and adapted to the child in amount and
 1 difficulty. As to the fifth point he said the
 writer was entirely in error, and no com
 ment was required
 | The work of Professor Speidel in physical
 l culture was then spoken of and the teach
 CTS were enjoined to put themselves in full
 l sympathy with the work and to execute it
 l as outlined by the director.
 | Announcement was made that the winter
 | holiday recess would begin on Friday, De-
 | cember 23 and that the schools would re-
 l sume on Monday, January 2, 1S99