Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-24

4
l where. l will say that of the teachers,
they are not inferior to any have seen
| Mr.. Gage-"0ur whole scheme demands
and supposes the highest grade of scientific
| teachers; yet, when the superintendent
| comes before a class of teachers he talks
| to them-oftentimes have felt and so have
| blockheads."
| Poorly Trained Pupils.
Miss E. K. Scott Of the Henry building
| spoke Of the poorly trained pupils that come
! to her eighth-grade school.
MY school is representative she said,
| for it SO happens that 1 have transfers
| from ten or eleven schools in different sec
| tons of the city. For instance. have two
pupils from the third division one from the
| the first division, one from the seventh and
others from various schools in the second
division. can conscientiously say that l
have not received more than five pupils
| from all those seventh grades that l con-
| slider qualified for the eighth grade"
Miss Scott spoke of the teaching OF geol-
ogy, and said:
| II think all the teachers in my division
will bear me out in this. There is but one
| teacher in the division who knows anything
about geology. l myself do not know any
| thing about geology. Our knowledge is
| gained entirely from textbooks, no two of
which appear to agree
The Chairman-"I would be surprised to
| find geoiogist in any department or in any
dent. There are very few living biologists
today Are you required to take course
\ in geology?"
| Miss Scott-'Mr Powell engaged Prof
| MCGEE to take the teachers out on field ex-
cursions. but you know acquire but
| little real knowledge in that way
The Chairman-"Is he paid for taking the
teachers out?'
Presents for MCGEE.
Miss scott-"No; think the teachers
olyaI !. 1it%1
tesy.'
The Chairman-"Of money!
Miss Hendley-"Yes; We sent him a
check"
Miss Scott-"Of course, that is merely a
matter of courtesy 1t is not in the way of
pay: it is entirely voluntary"
Miss Tichenor-"We have three meetings
during the year, called by the superinten-
dent. We know nothing about what we are
TO teach until we attend those meetings,
and then the subjects are sprung on us,
and we are expected to prepare ourselves
IN me pest way we can at short notice to
teach those subjects
Miss Scott speaking Of textbooks on
geoiogy)-"And no two textbooks agree"
agree?''
Miss scott-"Our textbook is very badly
written "
The Chairman-"Whose work is that7,
Miss Steele-'It is by Shaler, but he wrote
1t in hurry-while on a European trip
Miss Hendley-"The children are taught
according to textbooks in the hands of
teachers. Mr.. Powell went so far one dav
as to say that If a child understood the
structure of mountains, etc, he would he
readily able to tell where Paris or Berlin is
without any teaching"
Miss Scott have an ayerapa eoboo,
as said, a very representative one and
think l can say that my school knows
hothlng Whatever of arithmetic. 1 have
,a. teaehlns, not reviewing, fractions
lately, and found that there was not one
cnlld IN the whole school who could give
me any explanation as to division of frac-
tons. the reason for the inversion of terms
ma many who cannot possibly give me a
correct answer to the simplest kind of prob
lens. They cannot do anything 1 had a
section in my class working two days. for
over two hours. On four simple problems"
Know Nothing of Arithmetic.
Miss Chesney-"Miss SCOTS experience
with arithmetic is the experience of all
eighth grade teachers with whom 1 have
spoken; and yet fractions are trifed with
even in the first grade. In fact that is
the trouble; they are trified with in every
grade, but learned in none"
Miss Hendey-"The teachers are afraid
of Mr.. Powell, there is no question about
that. This feeling of fear is largely brought
about. think, by the attitude of the su-
perintendent at our meetings. He talks to
us III II way lQat Is Very Illuminating, IL
you knew the subject You could teach 1t,
but you don't; or, If you knew the subject
of algebra, you could finish it by Christmas.
but l will give you until Easter'-remarks
of that kind. If anyone interjects a Ques-
ton. Mr.. Powell takes it as a criticism, and
says something that is cutting.
The Chairman-"If you ask a question for
information
so that no one dares to ask a question in
meeting
The Chairman-"You have weekly meet
ingS, do you not?"
Miss Hendley-"No, sir: we have those
three meetings a year with the superinten-
| dent in which our course is outlined"
The Chairman--"And at those meetings
you are not at liberty to ask questions?''
Miss Hendey-"We are not told not to-
but the rest of US have felt sorry for
those who have ventured that We refrain
and ask no questions. l would not think
OF consulting Mr.. Powell. and / think that
is the way most of feel the subject.
If we accord with him absolutely he is very
pleasant. If we question, How must this
| be done?' or, Why should this be done?
Mr.. Powell takes it as a criticism which
makes a free discussion impossible 4 sys-
TEN of notification of his presence exists
| in many of the buildings. An eX-teacher
on leaving a building one day saw the su-
perintendent and hurried back to notify the
teachers
Teachers Reduced to Mysteries.
| of occasions when the superintendent has
said harsh things to a teacher in her school,
sometimes before the class. In one of the
| buildings in division during a visit two
| of the teachers were reduced to Mysteries
| by his criticisms. They sent for tie super
visor, who found the whole building in ex-
| element. Now, half dozen such cases as
that will make every teacher dread SINH
lar experience. l have taught under two
superintendents-Mr Wilson and Mr.. Pow
| ell. Mr.. Wilson was liked by all the teach
ers. When he was in the building we would
| all go to see him. ask him to visit our
schools, and If he went away without COM
| ing in would take it a personal griev-
ance"
| Miss Scott-"My teachers, as a rule, when
| they know that Mr. Powell is at the High
| School or see his buggy at the school,
| which is in the same block come to me and
| beg me to send them word when he comes
| in, and they simply stand about their rooms
| and trembe until his visit Is over. There
| is a concerted signal in some buildings,
| though not in mine"
| Miss Lamborn-" Or rush around and get
| development lesson ready" ~.
| Miss Scott-''They take pains to have some
| lesson that they think will please him"
| Miss Hendley-"After the supervisors