The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-01-04

der such conditions, are not doing as
thorough work as they should do?
How can we expect the high school
pupil to master his studies when ne
has so many r~ecitations a day, and
when many of the subjects are beyond
his comprehension? Or do we really
believe that boys and girls sixteen
years old have reached that stage of
mental development at which they can
understand fully the abstract reason
ing Of demonstrative geometry, can
appreciate the literary excellence of
Cicero and Virgil, can enjoy the logic
Of Burke and Webster, or can assimi-
late the philosophical teachings of
Shasepeare and Goethe.
Alone with this increase in the num-
Der of subjects required to be taught
there have been great changes in the
methods of teaching. The scholars of
a preceding generation had only a few
subjects Of study, III these they were
expected to master by their own eff
forts. Now the pupil has many sub
jects Of study, and the teacher is eX-
pected to make the paths of knOWl-
edge very smooth for the hating feet
Then the scholar had to solve his pro-
blems in arithmeti for himself, and
carry them to the teacher for inSpec-
ton; now the teacher spends much
time in explaining the problems to
the pupil, after which a number Of
problems is assigned for home study.
OF course no teacher ever suspects
that the pupil gets his p arents to solve
all his problems for him. In the I'M
graded school of tina time every schol-
ar advanced in his studies according
to his individual ability; in our mod
ern graded system the bright pupil is
held back with his grade, and the duh
pupil is DRAGGED along with his class.
Then the scholar was trained to be
self-reliant and to depend upon his
own unaided Efforts: now the pupil,
in many instances, depends upon his
teacher, his parents, or his classmates
to do his work for him. Then the
scholar was required to do much
studying at school under the eye Of
the teacher; now the pupil does the
greater part Of h is studying away
from the school, if h e does very much
actual STUDYING anywhere. Which
method do you think will develop the
more progressive self-reliant student?
In political campaigns we often
hear the slogan, Back to first prin-
ciples.' If the old-time school, with
it's fe~- subjects OF study and it's old
time methods of teaching, did more
does the modern school with its up-to-
thorough work II developed a more
self-reliant spirit in it's scholars than
date methods, then it would not be
amiss for US to study carefully some
of those old-time principles. To be
sure we have for several years been
energeticalIy lambasting these meth
DDS, and have been NOclferOuSly leer-
ing at those who dared to speak up
for the ungraded school and it's work.
1t would be very lmlliating to our
pedagogical pride to have to admit
that those old fellows did, perhaps,
do some things better than We are
doing them. By-the-way. is it not sur
nriCjpO thar Jp2nN n + GgT lt2 Gi ~
schools are going back to the blle-
back speller with its oral phonetic drill
on syllableS and words? Is it not
strange that many prominent teach
ers are now advocating the use of the
diagrams, analysis, and parsing in
Reed and kellogg's gramrnars? And
what shall we think OF those educa-
tors who Oddly say that our boosted
graded system does not develop the
spirit of individual effort on the part
of the pupil as did the old ungraded
school? Why some even go so far as
to say that the more nearly we can
"et our school ~ungraded, broken up
into small groups or sections, the bet
ter the work can be done.
The proof of the pudding is in the
eating. If it be true hat our schools
are not doing as thorough work as
they should do, then it is high time
that we begin to study these dueS-
lions in all seriousness and Without
any bias or prejudice. If we are try
ing to teach too many subjects in
our schools, if we are FRYING to do
in the elementary schools work that
rightly belong to the high schools,
then we should make q change in our
courses of study If we are trying
to teach in our hish cloOls subjects
that can be taught more successfully
in college, then We should make q de-
mand on the colleges to take back the
work that belongs to them. If our
methods of teaching do not train the
pupil to do his own work. to be self
reliant, and to depend upon his own
efforts, then We should change our
methods. Or il The trouble is not
along these lines, but is to be found
at some other point in our school
economy, then we should strive dill
gently to remON the trouble and TO
bring about a change for the better.
We have made great progress IN many