The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-17
WHAT 4 CH|GAGOAN
SAW IN OUR SCHOOLS
THE FUNDAMENTALS ARE NOT
NEGLECTED HERE.
The Minneapolis Schools High Reputa-
ton. Is Deserved, the Correspondent
Says, and It Is Evident That the
Money of the Taxpayers Is Being
Well Spent.

10 the Editor of The Journal.
In a, trip I,have just made to Mime |
apolis. T took occasion to visit several OF
YOUR schools and was so much impressed
by what I saw that it seems to me the
patrons of these schools who may not
have an opportunity of seeing for them
selves what the schools are doing will be
Interested. q.
Turnout the country the cry goes up
that the three RS are being neglected
and that the time which they should have
is being given to fads. / am inclined to
think that we are too apt to cry fad"
There are fads in everything that is
progressing. Every growing business has
its fads, some of which are discarded, but
those which remain are the very lift OF
the business. Rubber tires for vehicles
were fads before they became necessity.
But aside from this consideration be-
lieve any one who will visit the Mnne=
apolis schools for a few days will cease
to fear that the fundamentals are being
neglected. I saw as low as the second
and third grades reading that was clear,
accurate and expressive-reading which
many an adult might find 1T difficult to
'- duplicate. In the upper grades L heard
some work In formal grammar, the analy-
sis and construction Of sentences, that
was clearer, more rapid and showed a
than have ever heard anywhere. Evil
IDENTIFY then the "drill in reading is not
being neglected. +"'
In arithmetic, I happened upon a room
where an exercise in mental arithmetic
was going on and there was a rapidity
and accuracy In the multiplication Of
large numbers, some Of them containing
fractions which I would not have sup
posed children in the grades capable Of.
confess was mystified as to the process
which made this possible. I found that
they We're using a -'short cut method of
arriving at results. If there are pupils of
the old school awho care to try issues
- with these youngsters they have more
temerity than I.
~. The Writing System.
In the matter of writing was inter-
ested to find the whole system in the
throes Of a change from the vertical to
the slant system, change which is the
result OF the demand Of the business men
and which shows that the schools respond
to the needs outside the school. The her.
Culean nature Of this task can only be
realized by rejecting that teachers and
pupils have all been trained under the
old system and must not only learn the
new system but stamp out the established
habits of the old.
Mr.. Heeter, supervisor of grade work,
has this task In charge, and is going over
the entire city school system, consisting
of over fifty schools with average Of
fifteen or more rooms to school, and
giving a lesson before every pupil in the
city. y E - ~ :. - ~. 10y 5ss. :,
Let me, take you Into room, as he
starts one of these lessons. He has the
children seated at their desks and has
their attention i'm "a moment. He knows
how to get it. NJ
He commences by showing them how to
- hold their hands and arms and loosen
their muscles. Then they take pens and
practice for a few moments the arm mo-
ton. Later, with the ink they begin to
make capital Os In unison. He finds in
the hands Of one or two Of the pupils
what he calls lazy pens,' which won't
stand up in the proper position. This
produces a smile and a readjustment Of
pens all over the room.
Going to the blackboard he shows then
how easy it is to make free round ellipses
with the arm stroke and how impossible
with the finger motion. Then these cir.
Giles progress, each down stroke JUS
touching the next to the last up stroke
It certainly looks easy, for Mr. Heeter !:
very; skilful5 with the chalk. Now HI
turns his attention to capital T and will
a running fire of commentary joins the
strokes which form the stem of the let
ter together, using large ones and small
ones, and turning them this way AM
that way until, with a chuckle Of appre
citation, the children see the well, know
flying bird of ''penmanship'' evolving Of
the board and a good round of applaus
greets it's completion. -
Perhaps you ask, why all these curve
and fourishes and flying birds? Has tn
grade supervisor in great city the tim
to amuse the pupils with backboar,
art?"
The same question occurred to me. bu
u-ba hn oiY,o cir pl,iII foIy
up their pens for more loosening of tn
muscles and more capital Os, it wa
easy to see the difference in their man
ner. The whole subject had become In
teresting; they had a feeling that it wa
pleasant to do and worth doing and doubt
less many Of them let their imagination
on and not only pictured beautiful
penned letters but had visions of fame
calling cards, ladies' calling cards. deco
rated with superb flying doves. Their in
terest and their enthusiasm had bee
stirred and their future writing lesson
will accomplish five times what the
would without this wonderful stimuli
from within. = ~
Mr., Heeter's purpose was 'inspira
tional' the school people describe i
and it was certainly a half hour profit
ably spent--a half hour which will has
its results in the handwriting In the lei
ters and books of Minnesota bushes
houses ana Minnesota homes In a fe
years. 30 .. 80
This is true teaching, if understan
teaching. The Minneapolis schools hay
certainly as high reputation thruol
the educational world as any school sys
tenn in the country. So far as my oil
servation enables me to judge, the repl
tation is deserved and the money Of I'll
taxpayers is being well spent.
Visitor.
Chicago, Dec. IA.