The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-03-22

In an address before the Contra
Minnesota Educational Association al
st. Cloud Friday, Supt. M. D. Ay.
garn of the Sank Centre schools
spoke on Supervised Study. The ad,
dress appears in full below. Supervis'
ed Study is a new departure in the
field of education, but bids fair to be
successful and practical. Supt. Ay-
garn invites criticism on the plan.
We are proud of The fact that we
are working in Americas greatest in
dustry. Nearly 25 million students and
teachers are working together
to mould the future Of this country
Is there any army of workers that can
make that boast? But that is not all
We have competition that is keenel
today than ever before. Our great
industries are organized as never be-
fore. What they tolerated ten years
ago has been changed. Everything
has bee re-organized; new methods and
devices have been employed to meet
modern demands, because this was the
only way in which it was possible fol-
them to exist. is not the same true
of our schools? Can we afford to SIT
idly by and let other industries become
more efficient than our own? 1t is this
fact that has brought out so much
criticism from newspapers, magazines
- ri
true that some of the criticism has
been heaped upon US because they
have linked US with the schools of the
past; but that is not reason to justify
our present standard as all-etf 4cient.
Just the same, 1t is food for thought
and unless we are willing to do ana dC
things now, some Of it may well be dl-
Eected ana justified.
We are in the habit to proceed some
what in the following way: First, We
place before the pupils a we'll admin
istered and directed program, with IT'S
daily r. citations. Second the text is
placed in the hands of the pupil; the
lesson is assigned. Third, the COM
mand, "there is the lesson; get It,.
It has been tolerated for years and is
TOLERATED. today to a great extent. The
Ladies' Home Journal for 1915 COLI
tanned some articles condenlnirg the
methods; ether editorials going so fal
as to advise pupils and parents to g.
on a strike.
We have 5ecn in the habit Of plac-
ing BEFORE our children eaCn year &
well administered program with its
daily Rotations and class assign
menus. Inc cnIldren are urged to take
their books home and study. The mex.
mCrning they come oack to school,; We
spy upon them to find out wnaI hey
know ABOUT TIE lesson; we assign al
other lesson; send them home. Again
and again we listen to what they have
to say. The father and mother ar
urged by their children to help them
solve the difficult problems supposed
to be handled by tne expert teacher
in school. The hone was never buli,
for a study place. That is what Cur
school houses are for. The home is
no more built for chiluren's stud!
place than for banker to do his bank
ing or a merchant to sell his mel
chandise.
So we have been forced to rcorgal--
IT, as ,Li.-I u4uus I'll S have u ,..e>
the demand for Ell .clency. And the
answer so l4r has Deen: Supervise
(. ldy, Wnlcn for convenience sake la.
been divided into two part, tn7 A.~.
cnanlcal ana dynamical.
The first relates to the reorganiza-
ton OF the school day. A correspond
ing change in the hours Of .tatlon
d ,nands d heightened day. | belev>
that tins faLcol Change can be enecC-
lively made without adding much f.
the cost. Indeed, an academic day ex
tendllg Iru.n 500 a. m. till A p. m.
with short noon interllission OF MO-
crate length, seems to Da feasible an,
study CAN be eliminated, or at leas
10 q minimum. Sixty minLt>
PERIODS ur n r is desirable. The fr
part of the period to be given to til
recitation; the second part to assign
ment of the lesson and the directions
fer studying the same.
Inc uy.l,.l,c or the force or energj
that shall give the required results is
the important question at issue. 1t
is here that we must look to the teach
err as the vital force as never before.
She must necessarily see clearly the
methods to be pursued. She must pos
sess the skill in determining the char
act r Of the progress being made by
the pupil while studying. She must
possess the proper skill in stimulating
and aiding this progress by means of
questions and suggestions, without as
sisting too much. do not think there
is question but that home study as
now planned and administered is not
assured, effective and economical. The
proper place for learning lessons is in
The school under the supervision of
,rained experts, not in the homes
admidst confusion with little or no
4a