Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-03-04

counselor may arrange to secure for
him three or four successive positions,
each OF which will furnish part OF
the training needed for the desired
career. Each Is held until It's contri.
button toward the necessary training
has been mastered. Meanwhile the
counselor sees that by attendance at
evening schools the academic part OF
his equipment Is secured. "
THUS a boy who is forced to leave
school at fourteen or sixteen may.
through this process of guidance, find
himself at maturity with fair Eng
lish education, an adequate knowledge
Of the theory of his chosen vocation.
and more complete and practical
knowledge Of it's actual processes than
he would have been likely to obtain
in even the best industrial or technical
schools. Meanwhile he has been self
supporting from the first instead OF
being q burden upon the taxpayer, and
he has had q very practical demonstra-
ton of the art of profiting by oppor.
tunities in a situation which, ut first
thought, seems to offer none"
Jesse B. Davis OF Grand Rapids has
adopted the plan of using English
children while yet in school to think
seriously about q life occupation. In
his courses in oral and written English
he has dropped the convention themes
and every piece Of English writing is
made personal. Giving an outline OF
the plan Mr.. Davis has tried out 80
successfully in Grand Rapids, MI.
Mearns says:
In the eighth grade the first topic
is Ambition. The object is to arouse
q desire to be somebody; to look for
ward and not live for the present. As
a help the lives Of good men and wom-
en- are made the subjects of brief talks.
This Is followed by the Value of Educa.
ton, where the aim Is to encourage
these l2-year-old and 13-year-old chill
dren to take steps beyond the require
laws. Here catalogues of high schools
and trade schools are closely examined
and explained, and the industrial pit.
falls for the unskilled are specifically
pointed out.
In the next year confidential themes
are written on personal experiences,
environment, association, tastes and
ideas-all aimed to reveal to the teach
or the qualities of the student. This
is followed by a study of the elements
of character that have made for sue
cess in the lives of strong men and
notable women.
In the tenth grade the topic is The
Worlds Works; Call to Service. The
occupations of Grand Rapids are listed
and many Of them are written up from
inspection at first hand. Toward the
end of this term-the children are
concluding their second year in the
high school-there is a definite choos'
ing Of vocation. Individual confer
ences are held with the teacher OF
English-who has already prepared a
chart of the abilities of each child
with the principal of the school and
with the parents. I'D
Aided by special reference library
the student is brought face to face
with the personal qualities needed for
his chosen nfework-the special equip
ment of education and skill-and is
made acquainted with the limitations
of the calling and the conditions o.
success In it. College catalogues, the
prospectuses of professional and tech
meal schools, trade journals, vocation
bulletins, labor reports-these are the
textbooks. -.t@-
The new trend in school activities
all over the country is to seek out
means of helping the boys and girls
who have gone to work before entering
high school. or before finishing high