The Washington herald., 1915-02-12
By MARY MARSHALL.

school, and What She Makes Out
of 1t.
By MARY MARSHALL.
Kindergarten teachers retain their
youth. in looks and manner and feeling.
longer than any other class Of women
workers So says a kindergarten expert
who ranks at the head of her profession.
Their enthusiasm and happiness is pro-
verbal. they enjoy more than the aver
age standard OF health. and their work
ing hours are shorter than in almost any
other profession.
Such are the inducements for kinder
Garten work that face Il young woman
in choosing her vocation. Here might be
added a statement made by a leading
masculine authority on the subject. that
may serve as an added inducement:
Kindergarten teachers are the most
maria ageable of all women. both because
they are usually, for some reason, attrac-
tive, and because the woman who would
naturally choose kindergartening-thc
most motherly and wOmanly Of all Occu-
patiops-would, be the one most likely
later to choose to marry and have
home of her own"
Nowadays kindergarteninG has grown
to be one OF the specialties in education
and practically all the kindergarten
training schools. including the free city
and State normal colleges. require a high
school diploma for admission.
The course in the training schools is
usually two years. though in some cases
il is three. and in other cases where the
student is graduate OF a normal school
or of a university or college one year in
the kindergarten school is all that is re-
quired
In Washington a normal school candi-
J.to ha nF
ed high schoOI-that is to say. a Wash
ngtOn high school or one of some OtheiH
place approved by the normal school
and she must he able to pass a physical
examination. The course in kindergar-
tening in the normal school extends over
TWO years. On graduating from the nor
NAL school the kindergartener is given a
number according to her ranking and
her appointment TO a position depends
upon her numerical ranking in the list Of
graduates.
In such normal schools supplies. books,
stationery, etc. as well as tuition, are
usually supplied at the expense Of the
taxpayers. In a special technical school
the rate of tuition is usually from 500
TO $50 a year. and here the cost of books
and stationery could be covered by about
so year.
Before you decide to become a kinder
gartener one thing you must make sure
of and that is that YOU like children
that YOU belong to what the men who
have studied the subject call the ma
ternal type Of woman
The very fact that YOU are a woman,
YOU may say. is sufficient evidence that
YOU have maternal instincts which In
the kindergarten training school could be
developed But as kindergarten train
ers will tell YOU. theS maternal type.
though the most normal typS Of woman.
is not so common az you think. and wOm-
en- not infreQuently fail to hit the mark
in understanding because they haven't
enough Of the inborn mother love in their
makeup.
The successful KindergdrtenNT must
love children well enough not to count it
drudgery to get down on the floor with
the children she is teaching and help
them on with their hats and coats and
rubbcrs. She must take even the poorest
and meanest of the children who come
into her care into her arms and teach
and train them with as much patienc
as she would her own children.
Granted that you are attracted to chill
dren and have the necessary hiSh school
diploma. there is one other requirement
that must be considered. You must have
at least an average musical ability, not
2 good singing voice of necessity nor
skill on the piano but enough musical
ability to be able to sing and play chill
drcn's songs inteligently and with SYM
patny. While no hard and fast musical
examination is usually given for entrance
in the kindergarten training schools
fair knowledge of music will greatly aid
you in the musical training that is al
ways included in the kindergarten train
ing course
The ideal Kindergarten should also be
at home in the realms of art and liteTa-
/ ture. and should be free and graceful in
her bodily movements. But If you do not
already SHOW signs of such talents you
may rest assured that by the time you
leave the training school you will have
made great progress in these directions
provided Of course. that kindergarten
teaching appeals sincerely to you.
The possibilities for employment for
the graduate Kindergarten are every
day increasing. In the first place, you
may. upon satisfactorily passing an ex-
animation. go into a public school, either
hero or in other places. where you will
begin in the large cities At from 500 to
ST2O a year and reach a maximum of
about $500 or. under the new equal pay
provisions in New York City. $500 a
year. II YOU are a graduate OF college
besides holding 4 kindergarten diploma
schools you will be eligible. upon passing
examinations. to the position of director
of kindergarten with salary of from
$3.50 to S}C0J a year in several Of the
large cities.
The private schools. too, offer pleasant
occupation for kindergarten teachers
5and though in this field there are the
disadvantages of slightly lower salary
and less chance of advancement than in
the public schools. there is the advan-
tage of a four months vacation instead
schools. a fair salary in a prlvate lie
school would range from 500 to 500 a
year.
Another growing field for kindergart-
ners is in the homes of the wealthy who
are beginning to see the value of trained
kindergartners for their children. either
as nursery gOvernesses or as mother s
helpers. In a position of this sort, with
the services of maid free at hand and
very often decided social advantages and
all expenses paid. young woman would
make from $50 to $40 a month the year
round.
Fairgrounds and fresh-air homes. too.
are demanding the services of kinder
gartners. Another interesting field of
work for the Kindergarten is in the So
cial settlement. where, because of her
ability at story telling. and holding chill
dren's attention. she is exceedingly sue
cessful in various sorts of club work
kitchen and garden training and play
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