The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-13
BY FLORA MINER HARRISON

I think we didn't do much drawing in
the primary grades, but remember those
same big girls and big boys drew most
beautiful flowers and designs under the
inspiration of Miss Mary Now We
have special supervisors for these sub
jects.
Even our lunches have undergone an
evolution. Now we have something nice
and hot served for lunch in many OF
our school buildings, for the small sum
of cents; or lunches wrapped in paper
napkins are carried from here. Then
we carried our lunches in baskets or III
pals, buckets. We carried large lunches,
for recess was an important period in
our day. remember brother and sister
in my class who lived way out" near
the old reservoir, in the direction of the
Barker school. They always carried the
biggest bucket and in that bucket a
bottle of syrup and the latest biscuit.
They pressed holes in the biscuit, filled
them with syrup and ate it while those
of less fortunate looked longingly on.
One day the sister gave me bite.
I'VE had double desks in those days.
which meant a desk mate, and that in
turn meant all the joys, the sorrows
and the uncertainties in 1aily life that a
partner entails. Now we have single
desks, and in many buildings adjustable
ones. Many of our primary rooms are
equipped with kindergarten chairs and
tables, thus allowing change and a NOV
ing around of active restless little bodies.
On. the walls of most of our primary
rooms now are beautiful pictures, chill
dren's classics, placed there sometimes
, by the women of our school improvement
associations and sometimes by art loving
teachers. In most of our buildings are
pianos and graphonolas, making 1t posi-
BILE for all our children to listen to and
to learn to love good music.
Our primary teachers now spend much
time in collecting materials, pictures.
nature subjects, and in making charts ana
cards for their work.
But even without modern conveniences
and appliances, and kept in though We
sometimes were, those were good old
days: for
Life was like story, holding neither
sob nor sigh.
In the olden, golden glory of the days
gone by"
The New Ways
when DIR. Phillips was elected superin-
tendent he began to organize the present
system. He had been a student of mod
ern methods in Columbus and Cleveland
o., and in other cities, and when he
came here he looked for a suitable pri-
mary teacher to put into practice some
of the new methods that were meeting
with such success elsewhere.
Now it was thought in those days that
Just anybody could teach the little chill
dren. Consequently our women of cul-
ture and ambition aspireu to high school
positions Miss Louise Calvin a bright
young Birmingham girl who had just
graduated from college. had been elected
to teach here, and Dr.. Phillips selected
her as being adapted In temperament for
primary teacher, besides, he said, 'Shs
can tel story. Or. Phillips instructed
her In the methods he wished inaugu-
rated. gave her literature, and SO she be-
gan teaching what is known as the word
method. This was the first time II had
been taught in Birmingham, and per-
haps In the state. ~.
Miss Calvin entered into the work with
the enthusiasm and energy OF fine
spirit. She was especially successful In
her work in phonics-another departure
as new as the word method IF teaching
!. reading. At first parents were very much
concerned as to why their children were
not learning their A, 3, Cs during the
first days at school. but when in very
short time those children were able to
read and to write and to max out words
by their sounds. they became In a meas