Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-11-14


Mexico. IL AN ackDowie lodged authority
on that interesting subject. An exhipi
hy Miss Watts department OF the nor
NAL university will he a distinct fea
ture Of the convention Of the New
Mexico Educational association which
IL soon TO meet in Albnauerque).
Unlike many other systems, thu
Montessorl system Of education is, ac
cordlng TO Or. Montessori's idea. de-
signed TO develop individual powers
The lock.step in education has nc
place in the system
In the ordinary school, those who
are alert mentally are required t.
mark time" while the average and
the slow are attempting TO keep pace
TOO many schools emphasize the me-
chanieal. An eminent school super
lntendent exemplifed this tendency
when he remarked to a visitor; ISM
Il an inspiring thought that ut ex-
actly 1915 a, m. every school day
every child In eighteen fourth-grades
In this city begins to study the same
arithmetic lesson?'
AT alrecent educational convention
one old and experienced educator
characterized the ordinary school,
when he declared; There are meth
DDS for the duh child, systems for the
deficient hut no chance for the bright
child"
We readily see that arbitrary classi-
flcatlon Is undesirable, but for the
most part we have been unable to
evolve an educational system without
il, on account OF the large number OF
pupils which each teacher must In
struct.
a keen intellect which readily
grasns the truths presented becomes
dulied by being compelled TO remain
In tho same class with slow ones.
while the slow ones lose interest by
not understanding the different les
sons thoroughly as they are taken up.
thus acquiring the habit OF mentol
laziness or of indifference to the sub
iect matter presented.
So long as this crowded condition
exists. little Improvement can be hop
ed for by the use of the ordinary
methods OF education. Mere passlyity
~ not good school spirit Something
must be done whereby natural curlos-
iiy and desire 10 be constantly active
may be satisfied in order Go promote
progress In proportion to the child's
age.
Yet educators are In search of a
system that will give the duh. the de-
floient, the average and the bright
child every possible opportunity 10
make the most OF their lines by devel.
opng individuality In the most effi-
Client manner.
one educator has said that the best
educated individual Is he who has
control OF the greatest number OF
muscles. II this Is the correct view,
IL stands TO reason that great part OF
education should give opportunity for
coordination Of mental and muscular
activity.
When FroebeI. after much thought
decided 10 call his school "kindergar-
ten" he gave TO us the most express
sive name which has yet been devised
In all his work he seems 10 have been
netuated by deep love for, and sym
pathy with children. And that, after
all. Is the keynote to all successful
teaching of small children. That is
the principal which melted n woman
10 such intellectual attachments as DR.
Montessori possesses, to observe and
experiment almost untiringly until
she formulated the system which Is
attracting worldwide attention. The
abuses OF the school room, the co
ercion Of the small child to tiresome
directions and tyrannical methods are
given no place in the new regime.
Frocbel was not responsible for the
ver-systematizing of his principles by
his would-bes followers. The enthu-
siasm of some of his followers has
carried them and the kindergarten
system to the point of absurdity. Yet
d reaction has taken place In the last
fifteen years which has carried US be-
Nond froebels mistake, yet preserved
the many good points IN his system.
Or. Montesson does not ignore the
gifts of Froehel, but approved the
use of them to supplement the mate
rial of her own system. Neither Is Il
claimed that the Moutessorl system
Is yet perfect or complete, for all adj
vance must be made by experiment
and investigation Of child activity by
an observer who has the spirit of q
true scientist
Heretofore an ironclad curriculum
has been prepared by iron-clad sys-
temists. and children have been the
Victims. The teachers business was
TO III all children whom she taught
into their system. The pupils were
to be made over for the syatem, and
not the system for the pupils.
Years before DIR. Montessori gave
expression to the idea Of educational
indlvidunlsm. John Locke promuleat-
cd a similar idea, as we'll as many
other ideas which Or Montessori adj
vecates. These are some of the points
wherein these two educators are alike
IN principle: Each mans mind has
some popularity, as well as his fac >
that distinguishes him from all 9TH
ers: and there are possibly no two
children VINO can he educated ~ OK
actly the same method childlen
should seldom be required to 4, even
those things they have an Inclination
to do. except when they have mind
and disposition TO do them. Thus q
great deal of time and weariacssl
would be saved; for the child will
learn three times as much when he
is IN tune as he will with double the
time and pains. when he gees awk-