The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-23

pupil himself Instead Of forcing upon
him succession of distractions, with
the promise that some day, somehow,
they will be useful to him in later life,
We discover "A project which he has a
bent and motive for working out.
Then. in connection with that, We are
able to interest hun in related prin-
ciples.
Suppose boy wants to make HIM
self a work bench, is keen on making
, a work bench. We let him form his
ideas of the bench at 1t should be, and
then simultaneously he acquires the
geometry involved in the planning and
contraction. he does the mechanical
drafting and he sets about his project
with tools and wood.
Suppose that when he is sent to see
the mechanical drawing teacher he OBJ
jects that he can't draw the plans. why
can't you? 4 don't understand how to
use these Instruments He's shown how,
and left to go ahead. As for the bench
itself, instead of being made to copy
some one else's conception of a work
bench he is helped to follow his own.
Here's such bench"
Work Bench Not So wabbIy.
1t was nicely finished and polished
soundly put together, and Il stood
without very much wabbling on It's four
feet. At the same time 1t had certain
crudenesses which would have scam
dalzed a sober minded Swedish teacher
OF Sloyd.
"Of course 1t has" said DIR. Caldwell
1.-TWO years from now that bench won't
satisfy that boy. If he wants a work
bench then he'll want better one and
he will sec how this can be improved
l. LII.
bench is not the article itself but the
eduCationthe boy derives from and In
connection with making It," -
But" put in THE Sun man expert
mentally, 80 far this sounds like letting
the pupil proceed by elective affinity
Things he likes to do he's helped to
teach himself TO do. and things he
doesn't like to do hos not obliged TO do.
Is that it?'
mot exactly. You are aware that
there are two extreme viewpoints on ed
ucation. One favors tho elective affinity
business. The other favors making the
youngster toll over a set programme of
work. significant or not, for the benefit
OF his character. Teachers OF that kind
take hold Of a child of. say the common
type which is interested in art but has
no faculty for mathematics. And they
say to him, You're all right In these art
lines. You're ahead OF the field in these.
So we'll let them take care of them
selves and give you double doses of the
work in which you're DUH Or vice.
versa. The effect of that policy, pushed
TO extremes, Is an endeavor to kill what
life there is in the pupil. so far as the
school is concerned.
Our policy Is neither the one nor the
other We do not permit the pupil to
shirk hard. meaning distasteful sub
jects He must work in these subjects
for character discipline, or specialization,
or whatever you please to call IL. But
we try to find ways to correlate these
subjects with his interests"
All visitors to the Lincoln school are
asked on arrival TO register. and regis
tration item Is the purpose OF the visit
Invariably. After hav-
ing been shown about and having OBJ
served, one comedies in simple Justice
that this method of consulting the pu-
pills bent and enthusiasm does yield
some remarkable results
boy turning fifteen. being star bent
for election. had worked out a cross