The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-01-26
BACKWARD BOYS
GIVEN LESSONS
Special Teacher for Pupils Be-
hind in Work Here,
MISS FRANKS IS TEACHER
Individual instruction Taught
to Students,
BY Aletha Barr Taft.

tor the girS, 100 IL u All
unsual thing to bring 20 ones mind .
for in all OF Oklahoma City there IS
lust one such room. An interesting orc |
il is, too, full OF strapplng big boys, |
the most OF them The majority oi
these are gallant enough to vote a
preference for the presence OF young |
aides. When the time comes that they |
are given the opportunity OF gong into |
other rooms they balk and make ter
riblc fuss so the presumption IS thai
they desire the girls TO come to them
which is net 10 be.
At Washington School
This amusing state OF affairs exists
in the special or irregular room III the
Washington school, which is open to
boys all over the city, who tor va
rious reasons, illness. avoidable or un-
avoidable absence, or lack OF oppor-
,unity. have fallen behind in their
school work Here they are able to
do special work and make up their de-
iicieneies. Also in this room are many
boys who have 70 strong personality
for the regular machinery OF the
grades. These boys are sometimes
troublesome under too strio, routine
when under less eXac,ing conditions.
they are in time easily handled. For
just such, then, has this room been
established
IL is room OF irregular work where
the boys number from fifteen to eigll-
teen, the ages running from II to ~,
and the grades from "A to 8B. As lar
as possible the grades are put together.
Most of the time, however, this is i'm
possible and the result IS achieved
through personal attention and super
vision. This is much simpler on ac-
count Of the smallncss OF the number.
Miss Mamie Franks, the teacher OF
this special room is excused from all
other school duties. that she may
give her entire time to this personal
work. She is III her room early before
school These pupils are permitted to
go in to her for work. while the reg
ular students are excluded until school
takes up" She always holds one
language lesson anyway before school.
Results Remarkable.
The results have been remarkable.
In some cases the boys have been able
to make up three semesters IN the time
Of one. One certain boy, who had been
in bed for seven years with paralysis.
and who could never have been able
70 do much work, starting IN as big
boy way down in the grades with the
li,,le tots IS now doing creditable fifth
grade work. Another boy, ~ years
old who found IL necessary TO work IN
the afternoons. but who could not have
been allowed 10 be absent in regular
room. was able to hold shis job, make
up his work and reci'e IL at irregular
intervals to Miss Frank. thus holding
his own educa,ionally. lie was healthy
and could be pushed. so he made rapid
progress Another case OF l9-year- old
boy who started to school PRACTICAL,
for the first time this fall and who
knew only his multiplication tables and
a little addition. has been able to work
clear to the sixth grade, What II he
had been required to start in the sec.
ond or third. or even fourth grade
which work would have been very hare
for him' He would not have stayed
in the first place. II he had no, beer
afraid OF the ridicule he would hav,
been too bored Not to mention the tim,
lost by that course--for him.
Individual Work.
In the cases OF the one or two sub
normal or even defective pupils th'
work is especially profitable. The dis
cipline does not have to be Of the sam,
sort of routine strictness as in q regu
lar room, which would naturally b,
hard on such children, and they hav,
more individual work. help and under
standing. Also they may be Showr
here far more easily than in othc,
rooms the leniency they need.
The advantage is that the weak ma,
be helped and the strong pushed more
|, is theory OF Miss Franks that ther,
are no really radically bad boys. Tn,
problem boys who have found their wa,
to this room are those who have beef
up agains, it, and for some reasoI
or other have lost faith in life--younl
as they are-feel the world agains
them and naturally are at outs" will
the world
So she appeals to their sense OF hon
or, puts the responsibility on them, an
is generay successful.
Many Work at Night.
Many times these problem boys ar
self supporting aud work late at night
coming to school tired. And every on
knows the disposition depends muc
upon physical strength
The one aim of this room is to be q
,, the greatest assistance TO any and al
of its pupils and to advance them jus
as fast as each one can be advanced
to the limit of his physical and men,a
ability. regardless OF courses, tim,
system or red tape. e
The work in,erlaps in such manne
e that il is impossible TO he outlined. Th
, one purpose is progress and results
, The moment pupil is ready for Nh
next step he is given it. Personal in
I dividual attention, almost such as
private tutor would give, is wha, ,hes
boys are getting. aside from the yer
| (,,.st ,,f moral training