Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-08-26
What Is Efficient Teaching?
should make its way to a

PREACHING should make it's way to a
place among the "exact sciences"
thinks writer in the Chicago News
who apparently is echoing certain "efficien-
cy theories that have emanated from the
University of Illinois. Precise measure
ments, definite scales Standardization are
the ideals to which this clickingly calculat-
ing reformer would have teachers turn.
Measurement in education he AYERS
somewhat vaguely, "has two functions. 1t
defines the precise educational objective; it
exhibits the exact degree in which that OBJ
Jective has been reached in individual
cases. Further:
':In elementary schools in particular
there are exact processes to be taught
arithmetic writing spelling, read
ing, composition-which can be stand
ardzed to a high degree. There can
be set up an objective standard by
which all work can be judged, so that
there need no longer be reliance on the
teachers opinon-a vague good or
very good a prejudiced poor per-
haps-but the teachers definite meas
urement of work. She would become
in this sense an educational measurer
or accountant"
To the 1ayman's innocent ear this is the
'veritable chattering of Gradgrind. That
teaching has it's psychotechnic side and can
profit much from. efficiency systems is not
probably can be carried into a far richer
variety of types than the merely normal,
sub-normal and super-normal which have
proved useful, indeed benefcent, and for
which we have scientific measurements and
standards to thank. How helpful, for in
stance, it would be to ascertain by means
of established tests, as distinguished from
haphaZard observation and Inference a pu-
pills stronger and weaker points in mental
functioning, his temperament, his tastes, his
aptitudes for the divers paths of life-work.
There seems scarcely a limit to the service
which science with her keen eyes and scru-
pulous balances can render in such spheres.
But when the great art of teaching loses
that warm creative touch by which all art
is characterized, when it becomes a cold
process of producing certain ponderable re-
suits, certain mechanical or intellectual eff
fcencies, it is no longer worthy the noble
name of education 1t hardly deserves to
be called instruction. 1t is dehumanized
and impotent for vital needs. The objects
OF teaching are to impart knowl-
edge to develop abilities, and to arouse in
terests. The first of these is important; the
second is more important; but most impor-
tant of all is the third. knowledge and
ability" it has been we'll said "are DISPOSE
tons, but interests make them active" 1t
is in this last and supremely significant
realm that character and ideals are CHIEFLY
fostered; and it is there that teaching
must prove living art, not merely a cal
culating science.
The great teachers, from Socrates on.
have been great inspirers; not that they
were continually homilizing or dripping SUI
garyeprecepts, but because they knew where
OF they taught, because message burnt
high in their hearts, because a spark leap
ed forth from them to kindle and create
This is a standard to which teaching may
we'll aspire: and if this be lacking all eff.
cheney else is but the grinding of dead
wheels in dead grooves.