Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-09
Experience Of One Teacher.


archipelago for schools and American
teachers.
Experience Of One Teacher.
The experience Of many of the teachers
has been novel. interesting and gratifying.
One of the first to come. who arrived in
the summer of 1901. has given me this
record of early adventures and Impressions:
Shortly after my arrival in Manila l
sailed for provincial capital in northern
LuZon. On landing at small port l was
driven eighteen miles in army ambu-
lance through rich and beautiful country.
Before we reached our destinatio terrific
storm descended and the road was flooded
with water With difficulty forded a
shallow river, which was rapidly deepen
ing and widening. reaching the town at
O'Clock in the evening. Fortunately 1T was
possible to secure accommodations the
floor in sort of hotel.
The next morning visited the presidents
of the town and explained to him that
had been sent by the American authorities
to open a boys school in his community.
He took me around to private dwelling
house. part of the basement Of which was
used as a school. The native teacher had
evidently been warned in advance of my
coming. and fifty or sixty pupils from FIVE
to fifteen years of age were in attendance.
also several pigs, flock OF hens and
number of native women pounding rice.
This was such a sharp contrast to Ameri-
can school Ideals that made 1t my first
endeavor to rid the room Of all superfiuous
live stock.
My Filipino assistant was exceptionally
well trained He had spent three years at
the Jesuit Normal School at Manila after
ward teaching for twenty years in and near
the capital few months before my ar
rival he had secured through the military
authorities few copies of a work called
Language Lessons. He now gathered about
him in Semi-circle a dozen boys ten or
twelve years of age and put them through
their PAGES. They had learned about six
lessons In the book in true Spanish style;
that is. they learned it by heart from be-
ginning to end. He had spent about six
months on six lessons.
I'm another part of the town 1 found an
Old teacher, who had spent thirty years In
the service He had daily attendance OF
about twenty boys There was no apparent
reason why his school should be maintained
and l discovered that tine reason lay in
the fact that the old teacher was a relative
OF the presidente, and must be provided for
l made It my endeavor, therefore to COM
bne the schools. The presdente, suave and
obuging in demeanor, failed to fulfill the
promise TO secure a building better adapted
for the purpose of school. The town in
which | assigned was in good circum-
stances financially. and l. therefore, en-
deayored to persuade the preSideute and
municipal council to hire a large and COM
modiouS building and devote it exclusively
| to school uses. He assured me- however
| that this building already rented. In
vestigation proved this to be false. For
luudtely, the lOWH was StlH under military
control, and succeeded in having the pres
idente directed to hire the building.
Organized Boys Brigade.
ut was task Of some weeks to correct
| the nabit. universal in past times, Of study
| ing aloud. The schools were like the hum
of busy beehive. or rather like a saw-miIl
| in active operation. There was no system
| of grading ella sses, the instruction being
almost entirely individual. / found that it
would be necessary to make the public
school more popular than 1t was l there
fore organized a boys brigade, drilled them
and marched them about the town, and
soon children began to flock to the school,
SO that within three months about 1J0 were
| in attendance.
'"lhe characteristic of American school
work that seemed most to impress both the
native teachers and the public at large was
the industry Of the American teachers
| The old teacher could see no good reason
why he should not smoke in the school
room during school hours. He submitted
as gracefully as possible. for the space of
few weeks. to the privation Of dispensing
with his native cigars and enforced indus
| try, and then he smilingly and as grace
fully resigned.
Altogether 1 found the hardships and
novel experiences of the first year interest
ing rather than trying, and the progress
of the pupils and the response of the COM
munity all that could be expected in all
circumstances" One Of the barefooted bows
Tho stood IN the little Scm1c1rCIo which the
. native teachers assembled about him ON my
first arrival Is now studying in the high
school at Riverside, Cal. He Is the son of
a poor widow. with no advantages of social
standing or influence. At the examination
given for Filipino students who were to be
sent to the states he carried off the honors
of his class and now writes me from
America interesting letters in good En-
| glish. The little school under subsequent
and better teachers has grown to be the
largest boys school In the Philippine
Islands, and had last October an average
has also been established, which now has
800 pupils.
Duties Of Teacher
THE duties of an American teacher as
signed to a pueblo are many and require
ccrtinual and close attention outside as
well as within the schoolhouse" said one
| of the district superintendent. 1.-The most
important thing for him to do at the begin
ming is to grasp the whole situation and as
sure entire responsibility for the schools
before the natives have an opportunity to
express their plans and ideas. He cannot
ait in his schoOlroOm and allow the same
proceediugs and methods that existed be-
| fore his arrival IL he does he will have
much to overcome. He must know and
recf enixe the habits. customs and pretu-
| dices of the natives and their ways of look
| fnr at life The high-class Filipino has Am
itated mary of the Spanish characteristics.
He n polite courteous and concfliatory;
| social Amenities and agreeable personal
qualities 70 q srsAt way with him."