The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-04-14
]. IL DUNCAN
lcontInped trom page 8

places aEs 100 SLOW aDOuL sncn Ions
needed refonn.
School buildings should be wen
supplied win play grounds, gymnas-
ium apparatus free for the use Of
the children. Spartan children would
have enjoyed all OF this.
Ny heart throbbed with a heavy
beat as / looked upon some Of the
children Of these cities enjoying
themselves in simple play with all
that It means. You viii see swings,
teeter balls. tennis, volley bail.
croquet, rings, teeter ladders, trapeze
rings, giant stride. ten pins, Indian
clubs, jumping ropes, sand boxes.
horizontal bars, parallel bars, chest
bars. horizontal ladders, inclined
ladders. trolling rings, flying rings,
bucks, horses, climbing ropes, bas-
ket ball courts, climbing poles. in
clined poles, running tracks, ehutes
for sliding, punching bags: all these
have been furnished for the boys ana
girls to have in their play. Some one
may say that is all well enough for
big cities, but we must wait. Yes.
but wait, at the expense Of citizen
ship.
West Virginia would do well to fol-
low after New York state, and enact
"a law that no school houke in coun-
try. town or city schouid be built
without sufficient Fairgrounds pro-
viding for all children in their own
district. Nothing less than one acre
for a country school, and that in a
choice place. Each school such as
the Central, Garlic, Pierpont and
other suburban schools should have
the ground, they now hold partly
paved, graveled or cemented with
wide walks, around each building
SO as to be able to allow all pupils
to go out in march or play and get
fresh air as well as exercise during
good weather. This would be done
with very little cost.
1t is a mistake to omit yard SUPER
vision-pupils who are controlled in
the yard are more easily managed In
the school room. If children learn
evil habits at school, they do 50 cher
ly during the recesses and noon psr-
tods. The presence of the teacher on
the play ground should restrain what
is wrong, without in any way check-
ing the interest in heathful sports
and innocent recreation. Rough
games which interfere with the com
fort Of those who are engaged In
them or which endaager the limbs OF
those who are playing, would not be
INDUCED in under the eye of the
teacher
Where the schools have principals
they are supposed to take the gem
eral supervision, hence the reason
for havingmen do this work, in order
that they may enter into the play
spirit more and be there at all times
to Keep down trouble.
The teacher or principal should
not march UP and down with the air
of soldier on guard, but his pres
enee necessary in order that school
property is not marked or defaced
in any manner. The teacher should
prevent the intentional injury to
clothing, such as kicking of hats, get
ting down in the dirt or soiling
children's frocks. He should be there
to secure proper attention to Ian
guage of manner.
The absence of the teacher for a
quarter of an hour from any class
would not be more serious as a neg
lect OF duty, as absence from the
playground during the recess or
noon would be. The teacher should
Aot hold himself .aloof from his pup
lis while they are playing, The pres
ence of the teacher in the yard
should have double effect! it should
repress the evil and develop the
good.
The child never reveals his whole
nature as he does when playing. 1t
is sign of health and growth and
should be encouraged. His physical
mental and moral powers are all
called then into vigorous exercise.
On the playground the boy begins
20 learn how to struggle with his
fellowmen in the great battle of life.
His strength and his weakness both
manifest themselves there, so that it
pays to study him. The teacher who
fails to recognize these facts and
make the. most of them never be-
NOmas thoro,ivhI, ,oo,,,i,,.I ,.,.1. II,