The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-11-27
EDUCATIONAL.
SOME MODERN TENDENCIES

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was a greater tendency to study educa
ton in a thoroughgoing and scientific
way than now, and never time wher
there was greater zeal for improve
ment, Despite the conservatism that
characteri2eS many school men of the
older generation and despite the youth
fulness and poor training of the rank
and file of teachers the country over,
there is plainly discernible new spirit
new method, and new ideal in edu-
cation.
The new spirit is the democratic
spirit as over against the spirit of
benevolent despotism that has in the
past characterized most schools. In
that mild autocracy, the old time
school, the teacher was very con-
spicuous part of the school She made,
at least she administered, the rules of
the school. She assigned the tasks.
She tested her pupils to see if they had
mastered the tasks assigned, and she
saw to it that there was order in the
sChoolroom. In the main, the business
of the pupil was to keep quiet, learn
his lesson, and speak when he was
spoken to. If he did not memorize his
lesson or if he did not obey strictly
and promptly, he was punished. Doubt
less, good was accomplished by such
schools and often "A genuinely demo
cratic spirit prevailed. This, however,
was due to the characteristics of the
individual teacher rather than to the
general plan and spirit of the system
The new method of the schools is a
cooperative method under which pupils
take an active and important part in
the recitation and in the various exer-
ciSes and functions of the school. The
socialized recitation may be mentioned
in this connection. In this form of
school exercise the pupils ask questions
of one another. They help to conduct
the exercise, while the teacher is at
hand to give help and direction when
ever necessary When the democratic
spirit prevails as it should, pupils learn
to think of the school as their school; /;
whereas under autocratic management
they naturally look upon it as the
teachers school.
The new ideal of the school is the
fitting of our youth to enter into re-
ciprocal and cooperative relations with
their fellow men in an intelligent man
ner. The ideal in the past, at least in
the city schools, has been the fitting of
pupils to do the work of the next grade
or to be promoted into the next higher
school TO graduate seemed to be the
purpose and motive of our pupils rath-
er than living or preparing for life.
The seventh grade must prepare for
the eighth and the eighth for the first
year OF high school; the high school for
college or university. The new ideal
motiyates the work differently. The
school is part of Iifc-is life; the
school is also constant preparation
for life in a fuller and larger measure.
The aim of the modern school is to
develop initiative, good Judgment, and
right attitude towards ones fellows
good willy. The aim also include
knowledge of type useful in meeting
life situations and skill in performance,
either physical or mental. In the mem
tai side this involves the comprehension
and use of the fundamentals of scien-
tifc and historical methods A mod
ernized education is an education in
doing as well as in knowing; it is an
education that takes account of the in
dividual differences and needs of
pupils.
To develop initiative pupils must be
given opportunity to initiate; to cul-
tivate good will requires active CO.
operation with others; to develop skill
of any sort involves activity under
proper guidance. A good school is an
active school, but its activity is not
lawless or disorderly In its activity it
is economic, intensive, joyous. As
a rule such schools are not numer-
Gus, but the spirit is abroad in the cdu-
cational world and is bringing forth
fruit, often in the most unexpected
places.
The task Of making over our teach
ers, who were themselves in many cases
badly taught and badly trained; the
converting of the public to the new
way of viewing schools, the training Of
pupils in sclf-control and orderly be
hayiOr with a minimum of the old type
of discipline is difficult in the extreme,
and requires superintendent and teach
crs Of marked ability But if We wish
to fit young people to live in a democ-
rncy, the schools must be democraticed
not one here and there but all of
them. This does not mean that school
is to be modelled on the Soviet. Dem
ocrAcy has its laws and it's officers of
the law Neither does it mean putting
upon children duties and responsible
ties beyond their years and their train
ing, or permitting children to "run'
the school.