The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-11-20
Educational
Department
=. ), Finley, Supt of the City
schools, Editor.

brunswick, Russell Gomez House ana
Nicollet hotels, and very soon all pro-
ceeded to the splendid new court
house and city hall where Superin-
tendent Charles M. Jordan has his Of
fee.
This gentleman had just disposed
of a delegation of teachers from Al
gona, Iowa, and had resumed the &C.
cupation of removing his Office effects
to permanent quarters ON the third
floor of the building. This work was
suspended, however, till the visitors
we're separated into groups and start
ed out to see how the schools are con-
Quoted in a city Of more than ordin-
airy reputation as an educational CEN
! ter. A number of the educational
writer's of the country and authors of
text books have been connected with
these schools and numerous educa-
tional ideals have been worked out
here and thoroughly tested under the
leadership of such teachers and d.
rectors as Sarah Louise Arnold ana
Supt. Jordan.
Perhaps it would be well to say a,
this time that no teacher who is cap
able of seeing things could visit as
our teachers did in Minneapolis and
st. Paul without becoming stronger
and better qualified for her RESPONSE
BILE duties. 1t is not theory, but the
real thing one gets in watching the
work in another's school. 1t is better
so far as it goes than the norman
school, excepting that part of the
school known as the training depart
ment, where pupil-teachers are In
Quoted into the practical side OF
school work. Just as the young law
student is benefited by his study and
clerical work in law Office where
business is done every day, so the
teacher is helped by breathing in the
atmosphere of a good school and ali
sorbing, as it were, the matter so
much of which will be found re-
sourceful in the days to come.
There were forty-five Of the Oska-
losa teachers in our company and
forty from other points, besides Mr..
MooL of the Abba scnooI board, WHIT
took a lively interest in visiting the
schools, Mrs. Moon, Mrs. Holdings
worth, wife of Supt. Hollingsworth Of
Abba, Mrs. Finley, Mr.. and Mrs. Gin,
Mr.. and Mrs. Beaman and otheri,
making total of 100. The visiting
teachers, representing all grades from
the kindergarten to the high school
inclusive, inspected the work most
suited to the needs and we believe
all were earnest in their search for
the light and knowledge which would
aid them in performing most worthily
the duty regarded by many wise men
as the most responsible which any
one can assume.
All of Thursday was spent in the
schools of Minneapolis but on Friday
most of the teachers went over to St.
Paul where Supt. Smith and Assist
ant Supt. Bond had kindly arranged
a program 70 the days visit. Those
above the fourth grade met Mr..
Smith at the Longfellow building in
Merriam Park, a fine well ordered
school, while the others went on to
meet Mr.. Bond at the training school
on st. Adams Street. At noon the
large company assembled at the
Board of Education rooms, where two
parties were formed for luncheon and
the afternoon visits, headed by the
superintendent and his assistant.
The writer went with Mr.. Bonds
party to the John Erickson School,
where, it is claimed, five-sixths of the
children are of foreign parentage,
mostly Scandinavian, and where the
industrial training has T cached a
higher degree of proficiency, perhaps,
than in any other grade school in St
Paul. The children Of both cities
have regular lessons in the industries
and in sense training just as they
have spelling and arithmetic, and
hundreds of them work at their
looms or weave baskets or other ar
ticles of cane and raffia. The docil-
ity and order of the little Swedes and
Norwegians was a revelation con-
trasting in a marked degree with the
freshness and pertness SO often OBJ
served in children Of American par
entage.
While not attempting to follow the
groups of teachers or 10 look through
their eyes over so wide field Of OBJ
servation, the writer did some lively
''hustling'' to see for himself as much
as possible. With some effort we
were able to spend about two hours
in the East Side Minneapolis High
School Thursday morning. This is
the largest and perhaps one OF the
best of the four secondary high
schools OF the city. Its eight or
nine hundred students are under the
direction OF a strong corps OF teach
ers and the equipment Of the school
is excellent. In all these high schools
there is ample provision made for
manual training including all sorts OF
machinery and tools for work in both
wood and iron. Not only the boys
but also many Of the girls take adj
vantage of the opportunity to do
manual work. The sessions OF the
high schools begin at $3.50 a. m, and