The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-16

Among Alabama educators are sev- Il women who are recognized not ly as capable teachers but as eA- I.ptionally well qualified instructors O. teachers Of these women, one or Se most distinguished is Miss Gather 9s Gardener, principal of the depart Bsnt for training teachers, in the nor al school at Troy. Miss Gardeners tui5rk is now felt throughout the state vaerever teachers from that school tive gone and wherever there arc Vachers who have studied in her de- ,rtment at the university summer hool Miss Gardener nas been con ,cted with the latter for several sum ers. and her department there is al- Cays popular one. She is thought Sl student of child nature as well as "A able instructor in pedagogy and hool management, and so a discus Tron from her on "The Exceptional osrents, and to others who make a Judy of psychology or of children
 In speaking of the exceptional child, -r,ss Gardener says: T take 1t that the A optional child may be either above Rk W tn. average supernormal or
 Akal, the exceptionally bright
 the exceptionally backward.
 0 f these Is difficult to deal with
 present crowded routine Of
 luties
 ger. I am here saying nothing
 exceptionally bright child and ting my attention in this dis NcWS al ha a c.. i'd I shall also exclude those chll- dren, who, so Mark Twain says, are born short. mentally or morally those ,nfor.unates for whom there Is no hope save in special institutions where experts have been trained to deal with special classes.
 "The class of children am here dis cussing have some possibilities if pa tiently and intelligently dealt with shall venture to say that there is no school but has one such child out of every 10. These are the children that exhaust the nervous energy of the teachers, that hold back the average child that put the schedule out of commission and who, finally, because sative to cuffs from classmates and to frowns from the teacher, turn dog gedlv away from the school and say I hate school and I'll not go another day What a relief to the teacher and the class but what a loss to life
 q should say that the pupils whf are very much retarded in their men tal growth are under one of the three heads: First, those who have pool home advantages or rather have no en- coura cement from the home; second those who have some physical defect third. those whose quality of mind re- quires the most concrete treatment.
 The first class touches the mcthei heart of any true woman, and she vii take every opportunity 10 understand the child and to try to make him un- derstand himself She is in loco pa rentis, indeed He needs buoyirg up not censure; love. not frowns friendly touch, not a cun. It IS Wili that kind that a teacher needs to realize that she is in the schooiroom U teach child, not 8 subject, usualla children of this class are late in enter ing school miss a greet many day' during a term, and drop out before thu session closes hence their retardailon They have no outlook on life, no be lief in their own possibilities no al turing visions of a. future.
 with them the creative power Of teacher is taxed to it's utmost, for tn germ of ambition is necessary befor aught can be accomplished She mus work from within. outward. Nothing cal be accomplished from without. She mus build upon the native instincts of tn child, the natural instinct for emulation initiation, curiosity, play, and such traits Bv these she may discover the child t himself
 ..The second class are those who's progress is retarded for physical reason deafness. poor eyesight, adenolds, en larged tonsils, poor digestion, or defec tive teeth.
 s.The teacher once considered the phy sical nature of the child as entirely ou of her sphere, but this is not the cas today She realizes that the physical I the basis for the mental the two canno scientifically be considered apart. No soul helps body more than body soul Knowing the importance of the physica more clearly than the average patron it is a matter of duty and conscienc o., .l,a +aacbar to nlace the child S cas