The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1914-01-29
EDUCATIONAL.
(BY G. w. MEISNEsT.)

ent CafyS letter to inspectors, and
will be good reading for every teacher:
| The most important thing about a
school is its spirit. This is felt rather
than seen. A good spirit in school
means harmony, good will, good order
without any creakingof the machinery.
A good spirit in school means good,
wholesome atmosphere for growing all
sorts of virtues and social ideals. A
good spirit includes the spirit of earn
est work Good nature prevails, but
the school is workshop where every
body attends to his own business and
has plenty to do. DO not mistake foot
ball enthusiasm or undue expenditure
OF energy and time in social affairs for
good spirit. If good spirit is lacking,
what is the trouble? Can you suggest
| remediesp
A good school should show good
housekeeping. Are the janitor, the
principal and the teachers good house
keepers? If not, who is at fault? Can
you bring about a change?
A good school should show good at
tendance record. How is it with this
school? 1t anything is wrong, who is
responsible? What can you do about
it?
Have the principal and the board ex-
ercised good judgment in selecting
teachers? If not what was the
trouble? Low salaries2 Did theyneg-
lect the matter too long? Enploy rel
atlves? Were they misled by schools
that train teachers, or by other school
ooardsF Or was it simply lack of
gumption? What is your advice to
themp
Recitations. Were they thought
provoking? Was the subject matter of
the lessons evidently worth while, or
lid you have your doubts? Was the
method used appropriate to the class
and the topic? If drill exercise, WAS
1t sharp, incisive and rapid? If adevel-
opment lesson, was time given for
thought, and was thoughtfulness mani
Test on the part of all or nearly all the
members Of the class during the whole
periodH Was the period of the proper
length? Did the teacher utilize mon.
erly the past experience of the pupilsY
Dld she illustrate well? Did she use
the blackboard or material of any sort,
or was it all verbal? Did the teacher
succeed in getting the pupils to do a
large share of work? BY many ques-
tlons, or by few? Did she show skill in
guiding the thought of pupils in the
right direction? Did she show skill
and judgment in assigning the next
lesson? Were the pupils beyond their
depth?
DID you find out anything about the
pupils habits of study? Is time enough
taken? Does study in this school mean
memorizlns? Do the pupils seem to be
working on real problems in which
they take a vital interest, or is school
work Hat stale and Improbable so far
as they can see? If the work is not vi
tai and full of interest for its own sake.
what is the troublep Hardly with the
pupils, unless moral conditions in the
community are very bad. Are the
teachers OF the perfunctory, routine
sort? Are they too lightweight for the
task they have undertaken? What
can be done to improve conditions?
Are the pupils entering high school
well prepa red? Is the grade work in
good hands and well supervised.
Is the principal real supervisor, or
does he keep away from his teachers?
II he visits them, does he fail to point
the road to a higher degree OF successp
Does he train his teachers and assist
them, or is he merely an onlooker
while teachers succeed or fail as the
case may bep Does he unity the
schoolY If not, is it because he is tim
III, or simply incompetent? Is he n
good organizer and manager?
The habits formed in school are OF
more Importance than the knowledge
acquired. What is the nature of the
habits pupils are forming in this
school? Are they such AS will be OF
great services in life or are they going
to be detrimental? Are the pupils
learning the habit of using reference
books freely and intelligent!y? Are
they forming habits and ideals OF doing
well whatever they undert AXE? Ar,
they forming the habit Of self-control'
Otcourtesy2 OF system2 Ofattendng
to their own business all the while?
Like q good physician, the inspector
viii try to diagnose the case correctly
will try TO get at the root Of the diIlcul
ty If school Is not In the best condi
ton and emphasize that as the thing tC
be looked after diligently, and will use
the bad symptoms largely to illustrate
the ways In which the chief difficult,
manifests itself. For instance, veal
principal will have disorderly schoo
and this will show itself In a multitud,
Of ways. A community that takes nC
interest in the schocl will react on tn,
school in variety Of unfortunate ways
To get school to function properly, t,
keep 1t in good health, is the end TO b.
sought BY all concerned.