The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1912-03-26
HIGH SCHOOL STUDIES
SHOULD Be VARIED
Too Much Sameness, Says As
SiStant Commissioner.

state are too much alike and should
be more varied, meeting local condi-
tions, was the assertion of Assistant
State School Commissioner A. B.
Meredith in an address Saturday be-
fore the Morris County Teachers as
sociation. The session, held in the
Maple avenue school building, was
also addressed by State Commissioner
Calvin N. Kendall and Assistant State
Commissioner George A. Mirick.
The teachers elected the following
officers: President, Charles A. Phil
hover, principal Chatham borough
school; vice-president. Frank e. Til
ton, supervising principal Hanover
towship; secretary, Miss Mary A.
Oliver, of Mendham; treasurer, Miss
Minerva j. Freeman, Dover. Ira w.
Travell. the retiring president, pre-
sided over the sessions, morning and
afternoon.
DR.. Kendall addressed the morning
session, taking for his topic the mean.
ing of and requirements for efficiency
in education. Mr.. Meredith conducted
conference for high school teachers
in one of the class rooms in the af-
ternoon and Mr.. Mirick conducted a
conference for grammar school in
structors.
M I, t<lI h Il hot
the high school was not an institution
by itself but common school depart
ment representing particular period
of children's development between
certain ages. The high school owes
it's first allegiance to the community
and state which supports it. That the
greatest variety possible of high
schools was desirable, asserted Mr..
Meredith, saying that his department
was not prescribing standard high
school that every community must fol
10y. The studies should reflect local
conditions instead of being, as he had
found, practically the same over the
state. He suggested the working out
OF courses typical of certain kinds of
communities.
There should be flexibility to the
course asserted Mr.. Meredith. Pupils
of only one year to spend in the high
school should get something definite
from that years work. He thought
that the attempt was being made to
teach too many things at the same
time to the same pupil.
DR.. Kendall said that the establish
ment OF habits in children that will
be useful to them in later life is a
prime essential. The erectness of
carriage and the habit of hard and
persistent work particularly by boys
in the high school were dwelt upon.
The course of study is not so es-
sential as how it is taught-what the
children do with it and their habit of
work. The character of the teacher,
her attitude towards life and towards
the child, her knowledge of teaching
principles, interest in the children are
the important points, not the course
of study, which in the last analysis is
the teacher herself.
DR.. Kendall traced the reasons for
changes in the course of study in the
schools. saying that it was something
the school board does not control but
rather the great forces that are max
ing history If her superintendent or
principal will permit her, it is of the
highest Importance for the teacher to
eliminate useless material from study
and from textbooks, the material
Many problems in arithmetic not ap-
plicable to practical life and parts of
English grammar in the seventh and
eighth grades are not useful for
proper writing and speaking and parts
Of United States history, too, could
be left out. The teacher should face
present day conditions. With the
newstands full of all kinds of litera-
ture on all kinds of subjects the peo-
pie have become a reading public.
Teach the children to read. The use
of the index in the textbooks should
be taught. 1t is the business of the
teacher to make herself useless to the
pupil, so that when she disappears
the pupil will be able to stand alone.
The teacher should subordinate her.
self, said Dr. Kendall, and teach the
children to talk good direct English,
giving them an opportunity to recite,
insist upon their doing their BEST be
sweet tempered, optimistic, interested
in being a better teacher this year
than last, thus being strong teacher
A superintendent or principal who
leads and inspires his teachers to bet
ter work is a great asset and the
same is true, asserted DR.. Kendall, Of
a school board member.
DR.. Kendall closed with a few
words about public sentiment and the
schools. In his judgment the parents
and the pupils in their school rooms
shoud, If possible, be brought closer
together. In parts of this country the
schools are far in advance of the pub
blic's conception of them. He sug-
gested open days, when parents could
visit the school rooms R,1f thare