The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1902-04-11
Superintendent's Report.
To Board Of Internationally Of
Milbank.

the last regular meeting of the board
before election and your reorganiza-
ton as a body. l therefore take this
opportunity to submit the following
report: =
Up to date this year we have enroll
ed the following numbers of pupils:
Room /, teacher, Miss Black, 81:
room 2, teacher, Miss Jones, Sc: room
3, Miss Reinert, As; room 4, Miss
Thomas, 60; room 5, Miss Hutchinson,
81; high school 81.
Last year as you know, it was
thought best not to promote pupils
into the high school until they had
satisfactorily passed what is consider
ed the common school studies and had
received the common school diplomas
issued by the county superintendent.
Hence no class entered the high school
from the grammar school department,
which accounts, in part at least for
the decrease in number of pupils in
the high school room. A large part
OF those formerly numbered in the
high school were scarcely good gram
mar school pupils. The lower branch
es seemed in many cases to have been
passed without mastery. A good
many had little, if any, discipline in
study, and very little self-control in
department. They were not prepared
for high school work and discipline,
so one after another of the poorest
have become disguised, perhaps, and
passed out, which leaves our high
school in better working condition.
The majority now are doing we'll in
study and the things that go to make
up good s~tudentship.
Notwithstanding the Catholic school
we still have more pupils in the lower
room than a be accommodated for
the health, comfort and utmost sue
cess of the workers therein. This we
all know. | think | can bear witness
that every teacher has accepted the
situation and has done her best under
the circumstances. Not more than
forty pupils should be in any one
room at the same time.
No one a reasonably accuse us
of spending our time in "fads." Even
kindergarten has been limited to
what everybody of any school knowl
edge considers essentials. The work
has been put mostly on the ''three
rs" and I think no ''patches'' will
be left for succeeding teachers. Every
teacher is trying to do we'll and finish
completely the work that belongs to
her grade. The school is we'll graded
and lines drawn definitely so that
every teacher knows her work and
place.
Great pains have been taken to i'm
prove in some things heretofore evil
IDENTIFY neglected, as reading, writing,
spelling and accurate work in arithme-
tic. In all subjects clear definitions
have been urged; definitions are nee
essary to clear thinking. In arithme-
tic especially reasons for steps taken
or close analyses of processes have
been required. In the lower grades
constant drill on combinations and
and tables and processes have been
asked. We have desired to make our
pupils accurate and neat in all their
work. 1t is hard to overcome years
of bad habits, but l think you may OBJ
serve progress all along the line Of
our grades in this respect. "Passes"
and high marks alone may yet satisfy
some, but | have desired to instil into
pupils a higher object Of study, real
merit in work and department, instead
of just "passing."
As to the amount of work in each
grade, some parents complain that
there is too much; others want their
children to take more, so you see the
impossibility of pleasing all. We are
not to hold pupils back, but we are
not to let them pass over unfinished
work. We do not allow skipping, and
we use all alike in this respect. Some
undoubtedly should take less than a
grade in a year on account of some
disability. Some few with extra
strength may take more to advantage
possibly. We have sometimes undue
pressure brought upon US to give pu-
pills double work or permit them to
''skip a grade" against our judgment.
1t is seldom that a parent asks us to
let his child have less than full grade
work, however weak the child. Too
many parents consider quantity and
measure by books and pages passed
over rather than quality measured
by discipline and real knowledge. It
is q temptation to teachers to mark
high and let ali pass and thus please
everybody or those who are inclined
to find fault. But the true teacher
cannot conscientiously yield to this
temptation.
1t is possible that we might keep
more pupils if we should let them have
more time in school for play and re-
quire less of them in the way of study
and department. But we cannot do
this with our ideas of education. If a
low standard only be required, a low
average will be reached. Some few
will do better than commanded: but
the many need the external force of
requirement, especially till we'll dis
ciplined. Teaching would be quite a
different thing if all could understand,
parents as we'll as children, that
growth and discipline of the. pupils
come from the exercise of their own
powers. It is not so much what the
teacher does. as what she can induce
the pupils to do. 1t is generally
easier to do than to get things done
properly. 1t is easier to explain to a
pupil than to draw a pupil out to
think for himself. 1t is much easier
for a teacher to talk than to get pupils
to talk, to answer a question at once
than to lead the pupil to see the result
and answer his own question or that
of the teacher in a proper manner. It
is much easier to read and place re-