The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-04-11
SAVE TIME
Selected from the Ashland County
School News)

School News)
"But, dost thou love life? Then do
not waste time for that's the stun that
life is made Of" So eounseled Poor
Richard many years ago and still the
hurried school teacher wastes time as
the attempt is made to guide the lives
intrusted to her. No person perhaps
is guilty of more little wastes of time
than the rural school teacher. one who
knows how to avoid these aittle wastes;
which in the aggregate amount to enor.
nous amounts of time, is usually the
teacher whose sojourn in a community
is marked by results worth while.
Since it is true that it is the little
drains on her time that keeps the ave-
rage teacher hurried all day and leaves
her worn out at evening, let us consi-
der together how these wastes of per
cious time come about and how by q
little forethought they may be avoided.
Probably the most common causes are
as follows: allowing too much time for
SETTLING" after intermissions, indefinite
directions are given, time is spent talk -
ing to visitors, material necessary to
carry on the work of the day is cared
talks to much during the recitation
period, and the worst drain of all the
one which causes the greatest loss of
time, as well as much other harm to
the school work is lack of preparation
by the teacher for each days work.
Possibly the difficulty of settling
quickly and properly should be consi-
dered under the head of indefinite
directions" for most children are pre-
pared to take up the days work read
lily if they know exactly what is expect.
ed of them. This does not mean that
they need to know just what songs are
to be sung for General Exercises" but
it does mean that they must understand
talking in the building ceases Mt once,
that their business is to get into their
seats as quickly and as quietly as pos
sible and sit up in an orderly manner
waiting directions from the teacher.
Then the teacher must be ready with
directions that count if she is to save
time for the important work of the day.
The teacher who would conserve time
must have definetly in mind exactly
what il is she wants done in all activi-
ties of the day. For instance she must
on the first day OF school tell the chill
to pass to the recitation seat, she must
tell them where to put names and dates
on paper to be handed in, what to do
with books during recitation period,
where to put pencils, pens, paper and
so forth at the close OF a session These
directions must he given in clear cut,
definite, simple statements If the chill
dren are TO follow them intelligently
Monitors appointed to care for and dis
tribute material is an easy method of
handling the situation.
Wasting time talking to visitors is so
obviously unnecessary that no excuse
can be offered for doing so. Visitors
come to school to see work and not to
be entertained by the teacher no matter
how interesting conversationalist she
may be.
Since lack of preparation is RESPONSE
BILE for so much lost time as well rs
other evils in the school room perhaps
little consideration of it will be profit
able. 1t is necessary for High School,
Training School graduate TO prepare
daily to teach rural school children
reading, arithmetic and SO forth that
she herself can master in short time?
1t certainly IS necessary to prepare
daily even though the training has been
much greater than High School or
lTdlHiHE ocHDuis II - Hol IutAkloH
of whether the teacher knows the sub
ject matter but rather whether she
knows, by recent review just how much
of the recitation period should be spent
on certain phase of that particular
subject. SO often the unpropared tea.
cher wastes her own and the pupils
time on unimportant subjects and only
lightly touches upon or entirely ignores
the plth of the lesson.