Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-03-13
t PSYCHOLOGY OF VOCATION

AZ lHe MEETING Oh the lerTltOrlal
Teachers Association held last even.
ing President Arthur Maxon Smith
read the following address en- "Psy.
chology of Vocation:
The practical schoolman of today
finds himself travelling that great land
called reform" He is interested in
the scenery, all new and beautiful, es.
pecially the clouds. But in spite of the
apparent attractiveness of the new
country, his pathway is. for the larger
part difficult, thorny, full of rocks and
pitfalls, and were he able to take time
to orient himself frequently, he would
find doubtless that his course Is the
longitudinal section of q labyrinth.
But he joys hopefully and strenuous.
ly on, nothing doubling that in good
time and season he will straighten out
the devious pathway into Decline to
the glorious ideal. and new educa.
tional epoch, perhaps several Of them,
will burst upon him. 1t really is not
his fault that he is in this reformatory.
transition state. The very lively
American public demand for new in.
ventions, assisted by the rather gener.
al public feeling that there is a wide
gap between the school and practical
American affairs, togelner with the
confident and ION the whole) helpful
Efforts Of our psychological philosoph.
ical blazers Of the new path have fore.
ed him into this position; in spite Of
himself he must thread the way
rocks. thorns. clouds and all-and II Is
hard financially to kick against the
pricks. Most of the suggestions which
wise people make to him are either so
sweeping and drastic in their reform.
atory intent or so vague and unpracti.
cal that the poor teacher knows not
which way to turn or what to do next
and possibly. in this state of mind,
he is somewhat negligent of the old
things which experience and tradition
designated as good for a schoolboy to
learn. However, we may leave that
part of the diagnosis to Prof. Munster
burg. and go on to what is more popu.
Lara suggestion OF something more
new-a new course of study; one
more thorn In the flesh; another kink
in the labyrinth The apology for this
suggestion is the hope that it may help
to solve some of the difficulties which
already confront us, or perhaps serve,
both to the teacher. administering
curriculum, and to the student, taking
the dose. something of palliative and
corrective.
In High School Course.
We suggest what might be called
Tor lack OF more notwithstanding
title. a Psychology of Vocations; a
course of study to be given to the stu.
dent sometime during the many long
years before he finishes the High
School. This course need not contin.
tie longer than three or four months. II
should be void of all psychological ter.
minology and technicalities, but never.
tneless should be a psychological ex.
animation and study of the various
leading vocations in life which ordi.
narily attract the student, and which
exercise upon him together with his
childish caprice) the deciding influence
In his choice of electives as o school
preparation for life. Such a course of
study would give the student an intelli.
gent idea of the human powers brought
into play by the various vocations. II
would point out to him the mental
nervous and physical functions called
into activity by the different pursuits
and professions. In very simple
manner that various demonstrations
and experiments might be undertaken
In the class tending not only to Illus.
trate the activities involved in the va.
rious voCations, but as well the rela.
tive adapatability of the students to
the different pursuits. For example,
there is a wide difference between the
activities OF the merchant and those
Of the physician. These characteristic
activities, and the corresponding quail.
tiles of mind and nerve involved might
be easily studied, classified and made
basis Of psychological study with
the class. And so on through the va.
rious more important vocations Such
study probably could not be profit.
ably undertaken with class below the
eighth grade, and would be much more
valuable for the first or second year
class Of the High School.
What, now, are some of the Difficult
ties which Psychology o. Vacations
called by any other name as sweet,
II you wish-would remove, and what
are some of the positive advantages
u would afford7
The Elective System.
=" of the great new things in mod
ern education Is the elective system.
II Is here to stay. Whether we like IL
or not, American public sentiment dc.
mands today that a part Of the long
period OF schooling from the kinder.
garten (age three) to the glorious
High School commencement (age 49,
shall be utilized for the purpose OF
preparing the student for some special
vocation In life. Public sentiment may
be wrong and when we have univer.
sity-trained teachers throughout our
schools, thereby considerably shorten.
ing the period of primary and second.
AIRY schooling, public sentiment may be
less insistent on this point of special
preparation. But so long as the great
majority of High School students end
their school days wiln the completion
Of the High School course and enter at
once active life, so long will the High
School in particular be compelled to
afford students a special preparation
for some vocation. II the vocation is
a technical profession, requiring cole
glate specialization, then also will the
High School student be forced to a
certain extent to specialize in order to
meet the entrance requirements for
his special college work. 4 .Ius for
both classes OF students, those who in.
tend to go to college and those who do
not Dublic sentiment demands a Ger.