The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1909-08-28

we approach the millennium IN schoo
economy.
The first requisite Of a beautiful
school room is the cleanliness, not only
Of the school room itself but Of the
out door surroundings NJ we'll. True
In semi.arid New Mexico we cannot
do much toward beautifying our schoo
grounds, but we can NJ least remove
loos' rocks and rubbish. Many oi
our native plants are attractive and
beautiful, simply because they grow
wild on our plains is no reason why
they should not be appropriate for
school ground cultivation. | trust that
during the coming year some Of the
teachers will try the experiment OF
identifying their school grounds with
these native plants.
But, back to the school room. Thi.
should rival the ideal home in cleanli
ness, tidiness and beauty. I am well
aware Of the fact that in a new country
we often do well IL we have any kind
Of shelter in which 20 conduct a school
As It is not a palatial home that !,
always the ideal home, neither IL the
school housed in the most magnifcien,
building always the ideal school. A
school mouse may be Of the PLANES,
kind and the furnishings crude and
still II can be at least comfortable and
home like, n place where the children
love to be.
AS before stated, the school room
decorations must necessarily begin with
cleanliness Good pictures and other
decorations are not in keeping with
dingy walls and dirty floors. As a
matter Of course, every school room
is scrubbed or mopped once a year. I,
is kind Of religious drty. There are
undoubtedly homes where the same sys.
TEN Of cleaning is in vogue, but we
would scarcely call them ideal homes
A school room floor should be scrubbed
at least once month during the time
school II in session--once week
would he better. A good housekeeper
scrubs her bare floors at least once a
week, why shold not the school room,
with its thirty or forty children oc.
cupying IL daily, receive at least this
same attention. Especially Is this ne.
cesSity in this country with its FIRE
quent dust storms and moving popula
tion of all sorts, How many cases Of
diptheria or incipient tuberculosis
nigh, not he traced 70 this sourcef
One II the most unsight,y things
about school room il an unclean
blackboard, with it's streaks and bloth.
es OF crayon dust and scraps Of work.
The crayon trough full Of dust and
erayon fragments, erasers and crayon
on the hoor. These things should not
be. Erasers should he cleaned daily.
Clean erasers means clean blac kboard.
All work on the board should be neat.
ly and systematically arranged, es
pecially is this true of work that is
to remain on the board. A neat and
appropriate calendar may be kent on
the board and, Of cours changed n,
The close of each month. II the heightb
Of the blackboard will permit, a nea,
border may be placed along the top
Above the board row of children :.
work may be placed. such m weaving
mats, sewing cards, etc. Ia vacant
spaces between the boards the bes,
Of the childrens work may be displayed
as specimens of writing, language work
number work, etc. The effect in i'm
proved II this work has a background
OF dark cloth or paper. All work to b,
thus displayed should be neat, clean
aud symetrical in arrangement. 1,
should exhibit the childrens best ef
forts.
The hand work Of the children. some
times called busy work, must have M
educational value or IL is worse than use
less. Aimless work or play is the ban,
Of our schools. II is better for a chill,
to be out on the plains playing will
his dog than to fritter away his tim,
IN such an aimless manner, forming tn,
habit Of shiftlessness and Incidence, tn
effect OF which becomes manifest a
the child passes into the higher grades
Hand work, or more properly called
elementary manual training, has
high educational value when properl,
done, but must be done under tn
direct supervision of the teacher. Tn
child from the drst should be taugh
that the school room is u busy wor
shop. lie should be in m atmospher
of intalligently directed actively. Aue
Of this aimless, inferior worL a. eal
ried on in our schools under tie nam
Of Kindergarten WORK. What
libel on that magnificent system Of Cd
ucationl What would Father Frob,
say II he could visit some Of our &c
called kindergarten schools, with thei
aimless play, listless work, ehildre
studying Reading, Writing and Aritl
metie, where the spirit Of the kinder
garten is entirely wanting.
| But, lot us return 10 the questio