The Glenwood post., 1905-12-02
TEACHING THE
YOUNG IDEAS
A Post Representative Visits the
GIenwood Schools IaCoa., and
Finds Pleasing Conditions
Discipline Excellent
SCHOOLS ARE BETTER THAN EVER

You, busy man of affairs. when you
find your work growing too large for
your own attention employ clerk to
do it for you. Or you, madam house,
wife. employ maid to assist you
and you both pay considerable atten-
tion to see that they do their work,
don't your What do you know of the
persons to whom you are entrusting
the education Of your children? You
simply see that the youngsters get off
before the last bell rings and then
you have done your duty, eh?
wonder what you would think
after paying visit to the big building
up at the end of Blake avenue and
spent few hours in going through
the various rooms as the writer did
one recent day l know you would
think, for there is plenty of material
for reflection even for an old bachelor
after having seen the youngsters busy
at their books and Papers. and had
considered the surroundings in which
they were working,
The writer stumbled on a conference
between Superintendent King and Mr..
Weidenhammer, who sometimes is a
janitor and sometimes truant officer,
and who seems to be general guardian
angel of the school grounds.
On the occasion in question, he
happened to be truant officer and the
two were discussing a particularly
tough proposition in the hockey line.
The boy played hockey with the con
sent and one might say sbetted by his
parents, and-but the question is to
be taken up by the school board them
selves. and it is probable that the
compulsory education law will soon be
given test, so that NO more should
bs said abont the case here.
Mr.. Kings Office walls we're covered
with an interesting display of school
work. Here were specimens of the
first efforts of numerous youngsters at
composition. or at drawing and even
at water color work. Who knows but
that some future Shakespeare or Emer
son or Maxfield Parrish or Charles
Dana Gibson is represented in this
display. "We have something here
from each of the first six grades,
said MIR. King. ''the display is in.
tended to show what the children are
doing, and it also has the good result
of stimulating them to better efforts. -
Then we went through the school
rooms. In the first grade lot of
little tikes were just marching up for
a reading lesson. 1--WE just received
our books this week. explained the
teacher, and we are very proud of
them Somebody's Johnny read
few pages for US, and read them we'll,
and then Mr.. King led the way to
another room, and then to another
and still another. Down among the
tots there was some restIessness when
the visitor entered the room. but they
soon settled back to work. There was
on.y time for momentary glance at
OdSh iOoL 1ouI tAo ILoe lhihS thht
struck the visitor was the fact that
the children we're working. Here
and there a mischievous youngster
was inclined to show off little, but
a glance from the teacher settled him
Wherever a recitation was In prog
ress there attention was concentrated
on the work in hand. If an answer
in chorus was called for, everyone
spoke up. If volunteers were called
for to explain problem, arms shot
up in the air everywhere. The
scholars were absorbed in what was
going on. and when any particular one
answered. he or she spoke with the
air of confidence begotten by thorough
conception of the lesson. The next
thing that struck the observer was the
appearance of the room. In each room
specimens of the work of the pupils
was ranged along the walls. There
is something here from each pupil,
said Mr.. King. "Good or bad. all
must have something OH display. and
we hope this will make the careless
ones try to do their best. The
visitor, after an inspection, decided
that the medicine was working all
right. Another thing, the display
was arranged with an eye to the
decorative, and WAS helped out here
and there with clusters Of autumn
leaves or drawings on the black boards.
In one room there was cabinet. in
which was lot Of sea shells, minerals,
etc. etc To catalogue the lot would
Gil a column, but there were some