University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1911-12-11

The leading function of the Uni
,ersity High School is to provide an
actual laboratory, workroom,
wherein the University student. en-
rolled in the School of Education,
may learn how to teach by teaching.
The School of Law has its prac-
tlce court, its briefing of cases and
its scheduling of docket; the School
of Engineering has it's labartories
for familiarizing it's students with
the everyday duties of the working
engineer; the School of Medicine
has its apothecary features, it's clinic
and its hospital; the College of Agri-
culture has it's barns and farms and
experimental plots; of the divisions
OF the University it remained then
for the ScnOol or Education to for
mulate a plan for a laboratory sys-
tenn whereby students who came to
the University with a view of becom-
ing high school teachers might gain
other than mere theoretical know
ledge in their chosen profession.
Established i'm 1904.
Accordingly, in 1904, a high
school was established for investigat-
ing and maintaining the best meth
eds of schoOI teaching and supervis-
ion. Only to seniors who have had
theoretical courses for three years
is this course open. When one re-
calls that to an eight-year grammar
school course and four-year high
school course is added three years of
work in the University, it will be
seen that the aspirant in pedagogy
is not fresh from the kindergarten,
at least. Years of systematic study
and classification, contracts with
scholarly mind and manner, have
given poise and control and tact that
surprise in the observer keen appre-
citation of the fledgling teachers
work.
That theirs is serious work and
is seriously met may be gathered
from some of the problems set for
them by the supervisor. First of all
they must learn to select appropri-
ate materials from the text book;
their ability to reject the Indifferent
is called into play; they must supple
ment this with matter from other
texts; they are to learn to organize
this material so that it may be clear
to the high school student and ap-
peal to his needs; then this material
must be presented effectively.
To secure high standards is
most difficult task that has to be
learned by the students-teacher, the
and beariI of the young
teacher Being effectual aids. The
ability TO study, the "hOw" to study,
engaged much of the attention of
the inexperienced. He must teach the
student what to get from the print
ed pages and how to get it; how to
secure telling results from the out
side assignments is another prob
lem upon which much time is spent.
A School With Eighty Teachers.
Each practice teacher, and there
are as many as eighty of them teach
ng an hour a day each week, is re-
luired to hand in a report of each
weeks work; the actual work cov-l
cred, the problems attempted and
he problems failed in are each faith
'ully pictured. A glance into them
IS they lie in loOse-leaf pamphlets
IN the superintendent desk, proves
hem to be interesting reading as
we'll as authentic reports. One said:
Il do not see far enough ahead into
he plan of this work to make clear
o the students the trend of this
Dhase of history. 1t doubtless is my
ack of understanding" Another
work: THE material is all here,
he pupils seem interested, but | do
lot feel able to get all that is in the
subject out of it." These excerpts
show the honesty of purpose and in
cut of these embryonic high school
.eachers.
A Latin teacher. asked what ans
ver she gave when a question arose
ipon which she was not sure of her
answered: Il do not
know; let us look it up for tOmOr-
-ow." This is somewhat in con-