The Daily Missoulian., 1914-06-15
DR.. Lotus D. Coffman Deliv-
ers Address at University
Which Is of Great Interest
to Teachers.

OF the seven lectures (which DR..
Lotus D. Coffman delivered at the
university last week the one on "The
Rating of Teachers" was OF particular
interest to the teachers who heard him.
The address is of great professional
Importance and should be read by all
teachers. 1t follows:
To know precisely what qualities are
demanded in successful teaching and
to be able to determine them with
relative degree of accuracy constitutes
rather severe demand upon SUPER
visors. The rating of teachers and the
criticism of instruction represent spe-
cialized functions that should be per-
formed only by those whose training
and experience render them competent
to exercise the functions intelligently.
Perhaps If more care were displayed
in these particulars the general reac-
ton would greatly increase the eff
cheney of the teaching corps.
In view of the fact that the teach
ing population is recruited annually
by approximately 100000 unframed
people, the school administrator is
compelled to assume the responsibility
of familiarizing them with both the
materials and the tchnique Of TEACHING.
Much az tM .rnhy shrink from the em-
/ pl9vment9 md pplication of a scheme
/ fof meaStrihg the efficiency of his
teach ere, he inVariably, more or less
consciously, classifies both the recruits
ana the old teachers in terms of eff
cheney levels. Some teachers are con-
sidered excellent others good. others
poor and still others as failures.
Returns from superintendent over a
wide area show that opinion rather
than definite instrument is currently
used as the basis for estimating the
worth of teachers. Although there is
a certain but unorganzed mass of
knowledge and opinion as to the quail
ties superior teacher should possess
and as to the character of the results
she should secure, sCperintendents
have few quantitative standards that
they can consciously employ in check
ing the efficiency of their teachers.
Researches in educational laboratories
have provided the progressive superin-
tendent with u number of units and
scales for measuring educational re-
suits in handwritingr arithmetic, COM
position and spelling. That superin-
tendent who refuses to use them is
either grossly ignorant of their signifi-
canoe or grossly derelict in the dis
charge Of his duty. These Units and
scales are really impersonal standards
not only for determining the individ-
ual variation of pupils in given abili-
! ties by also for evaluating the methods
and estimating the accomplishments
of teachers. That they put premium
upon individual initiative and re-
sourcefulness is the testimony of both
teachers and supervisors wherever
they have been used.
But in spite of the achievements of
small group of serious minded men
who have dedicated themselves to the
scientific Study Of education, we have
no adequate or accepted scheme for
: the rating of teachers. There must be
: a wide array of factors in addition
to those included in the various scales
now in vogue that contribute to effi-
cheney in teaching. The names applled
to these factors are usually mere
blanket expressions that cover multi
tude of underlined and subtle qualities.
Our ignorance in respect to these 1ac-
tors is appalling. No one knows, as
the result of a trustworthy study, how
the qualities that constitute merit IN
teaching should be arrayed; no one
knows the relative Importance that
should be attached to them; In fact
no one knows just what the qualities
are that should receive recognition by
school administrators. The lists that
nave been prepared are the a priorl
reductions of fertile minds or the re-
suit of a pooling of more or less re-
iated experiences. Our progress thus
4ar in this field must be attributed
4oY the sane opinions of wise leaders
But as education approximates a sci
ence the demand becomes increasingly
insistent that we have more definite
quahtitative analysis of the manifold
qualities that constitute the efficiency
of the individual teachers. Until we
have it, we shall not be sensitive te
the great variety Of uses to which II
may be put nor to its place IN the
general economy of school life.
Any attempt to secure well-definee
standard is complicated GD by the diff
feren,,es in the standards employed by
different school srperintendents; CD by