The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-03-31

think it has run to fads. Per-
W. L31lls.zz haps they are right But
some of the so-called fads they take exception to
inspired by good sense. particularly those that
express for the training of the individual
child, for the reaching of latent weaknesses and
capacities. Then too there is increasing attention
to physical health, and its relation to the mind
and character. Best of all, the children trained
develop initiative, the remarkable quality that
so often dierentiates those who give good service
in life from those who fail.
The other day l heard story of teacher
that illustrated defective imagination. l suppose
we arc all imaginatively defective. If we could
realize one another's feelings as keenly we
realize our own, we should be saved from many
a blunder. This teacher is trying to train in the
use of English children of all ages varying from
10 to II. Once week presumably for the pur-
pose of training them to observe accuracy and
to express themselves clearly, she asks the chill
dren to tell what they did on the previous Satur-
day.
In some ways the idea is good 1t is in line
with tho method of teaching English followed in
some OF our best colleges where students are en-
couraged to write about their everyday expert
cnccs that is about the things that they find cspc
cially interesting. In this instance, however, the
teacher allows no freedom of choice. She makes
the children stand up and discuss their private at
fairs. One result is that the children feel con-
siderable embarrassment. The friend that told me
Of the practice said the little girl that told him.
do all the children tell the truth about what hap
pencd?' The girl smiled and replied: I'm afraid
they don't-always." Then she said: Some of
the children won't get up at all. They'd rather be
marked poor for the lesson" AS William James
remarks somewhere in his lectures to teachers the
wise teacher avoids such situation.
1t is strange that experienced teacher, how
ever unimaginative, should make mistake OF this
kind. Surely she ought to know how sensitive
children can be in personal matters and how re.
served. In some ways, they are more sensitive and
reserved than grown-ups But so far from under
standing is the teacher that she even makes the
blunder of crticizing the children for what they
do on Saturday Besides, her criticisms don't show
good sense. When one girl expla aimed that she
spent Saturday morning in doing housework, the
teacher said: That was foolish way of spend,
had been helping her mother. Another girl gave
an interesting account of walk in the country.
The teacher looked puzzled. did you take that
Last Saturday." No" said the girl, turning
red, "onc Saturday last summer"
There is another unfortunate feature of this
practice. 1t gives scope to an unpleasant express
sion OF the competitive spirit. As most parents
know, children arc very competitive. While they
arc still hardly able talk they trained IN the
competitive spirit that prevails in most homes. 1t
is startling, for instance to see how quickly they
learn to make social distinctions. They merely
initiating what they hear said and what they see
done by their elders. In that English class, the
we-to-do children are able to appear to better
advantage than those who poor They tell OF
automobile rides and of visits to the thcater. More
over. all the children carry from the classroom
to their homes something OF the competition en-
wish them to make good showing. One mother
that happen to know about takes good deal
of trouble each Saturday in order that her child
may have something eredtable to tell about IN
the English class
The worst feature of the practice, in my opinion
is its disturbing effect on the children: On Sat
urday, when they not helping at home, they
ought to be carefrcc They ought to play about.
not for the sake of study. but for the sake OF
play The moment they turn their play into
consciousness and of effort. In this way. what
must have been the purpose in that teachers mind
encouraging the children to react into speech
from spontaneous ENTHUSIASTICALLY defeats
itself There are professional writers who would
find the task by means easy.
A far better way would be to let the children
make a selection from their experience not OF a
dren to give an account of days experience is
to make hard requirement The commonplace
details of life require for their illumination con-
siderable skill. To expect children to deal with
them with anything like skill would be absurd.
But there are reactions from experience, particu-
larly strong in children that make even quiet
children burst into narrative and description.
Those reactions give the clue to the best ma.
teral for this teacher S purpose. They are, OF
course, modified by circumstance. Many things
that children would like to tell about at home
or to their companions they would not care to
relate to a classroom. The reserve of children
ought to be respected by teacher. And there
surely ought not to be any school exercises likely
to develop the snobbishness that causes the self
exploitation of the well-to-do children and the
embarrassment of those children less fortunately
circunlstanced. OF all places in the world, school
ought to be the most democratic.
Gary Schools Beat Chieage'a
In the first of series of articles on the school
system Of Gary, Ind, Randolph S. Bourne writes
in the New Republic:
T.. .r1N IL. II kAa