The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-09-15
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! However Important the unity or teachers
with each. otber may be TO the whole sys.
TEN. 1t Is OF great Importance to the
teacher that there should be unity In his
| school room, Whether or not there be
unity In school. it's presence can be felt
/ the moment the experienced teacher en-.
| tiers the school room. There Is an atmos-
phcre which pervadcs the school room
where the teacher and pupils are In unity.
We have learned that wheYe pupils are In
ter sted In their work this much desired
1 unity will exist We have furiherm1re
learned that interest must arise from tne
4 subjects taught, Whenever ANYTHING comes
! between the pupil and the subject TO be
/ taught II weakens the desired unity. when
| pupils are made 10 feel that they should.
! study In order TO get high marks, we do.
a great Injustice | have long been of the
| opinion that our system of marking Is
| wrong. We can not estimate by figures
ANYTHING but pages, memory work" facts
learned and reclted. There Is no per cent
system ever invented that can give In
! numbers the value of effort. The trouble
| with the per cent system is that It pro-
poses to. dc. the impossible, to measure de-
| sire, emotion, motlve-t0 weight charac-
not get along without this unnaturai slim.
AUS ions But 5hfre Is 70 necessity f9r 4
| searching for the truth aud In the Joy of
discovery there is no need for unnatural
/ Stimulus. The great trouble Is It comes in
| between the pupil and the subject aud de-
| stroys the unity which must exist. / have
! wondered for some time how this marking
! tion find that the custom OF rating the
scholarship OF pupils by the per cent sys.
tenn originated about thirty-fiyc years ago.
/ lt was the custom for outside persons to
! be appointed by the State or city officials
! to 90 into the schools and investigate the
pan OF setting down the results In figures.
/ The Idea Was then adopted by supcrin-
1 tendents, school boards and teachers to
! record the results OF examinations and
rotations In this way originated the
/ nf a,naff, tf,,Y,
| ten recitation with certain per cent &c
1 cording as the recitation might please the
one who heard 1t. The custom spread
throughout the colleges, universities and
! pubic schools OF our country. Everywhere
| the teacher might be found sitting behind
! MS desk with his book ready to grade each
| pupils answer. This artificial stimulus ap.
pied TO scholarship had IN evil effect 1t
| led to a feVerish desire to secure high
marks. The real and natural stimulus to
| secure knowledge was in large measure
lost sight of. About fifteen years ago the
reaction naturally came. The perncous
/ system of marking every recitation and of
! putting pupils on the rack Of long exam
| nations began TO he condemned This feel
! ing in condemnation OF the marking system
mas gone on until in the most advanced
| SCHOOLS OF today the per cent system of
| marking scholarship has been Abandoned
! we still have this per cent system In our
! schools and II H. a frequent matter that |
! hear children and parents speak of getting
/ SO many fiveS and OF receiving - cents for
/ each I'VE. No two teachers can possibly
! ard What one teacher would mark high
/ another one marks low. These reports
are sent 10 the parents. They do not give
] rclihble Information and often we do not
! nave the sympathy and cooperation Of the
/ parents, and ! am of the opinion that il
would be better II the per cent system
| were abolished. During the coming year
We shall lessen the evil us much as pos
sible by sending three reports to the par
ents the hrst term and three the second
We need new spirit in the pupils Of
ms CITY In regard to the destruction of
that any building which is vacated and left
empty for week or more at a time has
me windows broken out In some mysterious
way ! was told by member of the build
Ing committee of the school board that In
one school house this summer he had to
IN. These lights were broken out at diff
ferent times some during the vacation and
some som, during the school session. | believe
tMat this wanton destruction of school
knew a school where never Il light was
broken by accident or In any other way
without the teachers ana principal being
able 70 md out who did IL and having
II replaced If hoy breaks a light by nc,
cldeht while playing a game, the otherS
should assist him in paving for the light
such would he the case a!sSzys H. the right
spirit Of vandalism Is not confined alone
70 breaking window lights, bur the mark.
Ing Ing of desks, ths mqlarking, of the buildings
passing during the last school term by a.
ueautllM building OF pressed brick, pri-
left there BY tine hands of children. The
care Of school books is matter too.
which should engage our attention. There
especially since the school board win fur
nish this year the first four grades with
children looked after their books hnd kent
them scrupuously clean. Each one took
marked an scra9he ei0 ana b PaT 6 obSH
IN a most careless manner | am persuad-
ed to believe that in this matter we can
OF the public schools. This utter wanton
carelessness with public and private prop
erty should not continue. 'a.
The schools can make great gain along
one other line In connection with the con
duet of the pupils. A few pupils who in
schools are giving the schools a bad repu-
tauon. This Interference with the paSsers-
by Is no new Development. | know there
are times when reports are magnlhed and
incorrect Impressions are given OFT with
! ! hold that there is no excuse whatever
for any passer-by to be interfered with
by any pupil in the public schools There
Is Fundamental principle Involved, respect
for the rights Of others. This matter TO
be carefully handled and, to stop any crlti-
clsm and any complaints from passersiby
vision on the part nj. teachers and prln-
eipal;; q,ast, year, old man hoy nearly
matters In the right way we will cer-
tainly get the cooperation Of the pupils
( anu Etl u utN spirit OF SrIlpSDpct into
the schools, II all depends upon the way
matters are presented 10 peonle You can
get them to do almost anything In rea-
son II You 60 Mt them In the right way
Let me Illustrate what / think is a right
way: For number OF wears there has
/, -hccn u pnth across the High school yard
This path was the nearest way across
Stobs have been driven down, wires haye
been stretched and notices put UP, but
the path continued. This summer two lit
tie sign boards were put, one a. each en-
trance to the path with these words:
please help us 10 protect the grass" This
had the desired effect. for the path is now
no longer a path, but well covered over
With green grass II you cAa make people
feel that they are cooperating with YOU,
that they are doing YOU favor YOU can
accomplish far more than command. The
command would not work because there
was nobody there to enforce It,
| trust that during the coming wear we
shall also gain the active cooperation OF
the pupils in the proper adornment Of The
school room walls buildings and grounds
We shall take one day this year which
shall he set aside for tho discussion of
methods and means Of decorating the scnoll
rooms and grounds. 1t Is well that we
give some attention to the aesthetic cul-
ture derived from the contemplation OF
beautiful pictures and flowers would he
glad II we could all adopt as Il general
principle the idea that no picture which