Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-17

come when every institution that has to
do with the preparation of teachers
must provide not only medical de-
partment in which a better, broader
knowledge Of practical knowledge or the
vital energies that have to do with life
and growth, good knowledge of these
marvellous bodies in which we live in
health, knowledge of the childs ply
sical condition in the different stages
of growth, a thorough ingrounding of
the fact that activity is the law of
growth, so that we will not be guilty of
the heinous offense of repressing every
evidence of buoyant life; also, the most
patent evidence at least of weaknesses
and disease, an alertness in detecting all
evidences that the child is unfit, for the
time being, at least, for strenuous eff
fort and the general signs of contagious
diseases.
Begin at Wrong End
"It seems to me that we begin at the
wrong end in our work in physical train
ing. We are content to give elaborate
work in this subject in the high schools
providing costly equipment and excel
lent teachers, regardless of the fact
that in the main and cream of the school
in physical and mental strength rises
to the top in the school system, and will
keep on rising to the college and uni
versity, but the growing children, who
need most care and attention, have need
to have their bodies trained and moulded
and perfected"
Under the classification of Rural
Schools yesterday afternoon, j. H.
Ackerman, superintendent of public in
struction for Oregon, made an address
on "How to Judge Good School," on
the standpoint of a superintendent visit
ing a school. He said in part:
ST would endeavor to visit a school be-
fore it began in the morning and OBJ
serve the children at play, for the atti-
tude of the children at play will largely
reveal the moral tone of the school and
also the grip the teacher may have on
the children, for if she can control her
school during intermission without undue
severity, the probabilities are that she
is fully master of the situation in her
school room.
"As I enter the school room I observe
whether the teacher meets her children
as they come in with kindly nod of
recognition and pleasant word, or 9TH
erwise.
Desk an Indicator
'"Then ! would glance at the desk of
the teacher to see whether she had a
place for everything and everything in
its place would then ask for the
school register and If the desk was in
order and the record accurately and neat |
ly kept, I would then know that the
teacher in that room was neat. tidy, |
orderly and systematic in all her work.
AS I glance about the school room |
would hope to find in all things neat
and attractive appearance, appropriate
though not necessarily expensive pic
lures, curtains, etc., the school room
properly warmed by a jacketed stove,
underneath which the fresh air is adj
mitted through tube; well ventilated by
means of light boards placed at the bot
tom of the window extending from side
to side with an inch space between the
board and the window, and well lighted
from light coming from the left and
back of the building.
"The pupils should be comfortably
seated with desks the tops and seats of
which may be raised or lowered TO meet
the different sizes of the children, with
the necessary apparatus at hand ready
for the successful prosecution of the
school work.
Mark Keppel, superintendent of county
schools, made an address explaining to
the teachers the distribution of the
school funds.
All sessions will begin at 9SO a. m. and
1 go p. M, except that of Wednesday
evening, which begins at s.