Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-03-18
HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS
RAPED BY TEACHERS
One Aim in Life Seems to Be to
Get BY With as Little Effort
rs Possible Declare Speakers
at Conference --- College Stu
dents Also Slackers

/
| Friday at The opening OF tho fifteenth
| conference Of the schools of Vermont
| with the State University. This year the
| subiect was "The Teachers Daily Work."
and grade teachers "a we'll as high school
| teachers were present. Professor j. r.
| Messenger was in charge OF the confer
cnce and Dean G.. II. Perkins Of the col
J lego OF arts and science gave the well
coming address Dean Perkins dwelt espe-
| cially on the subject of the personality
| Of n teacher and showed how the teacher
| through her personality could influence
| the spirit Of 1or school.
Professor Messenger suggested that
| though projects and all the new ideas
| on education were very good. lot of
good, old-fashioned studying is good for
anyone.
Principal !. S. Kingsley of Fairfax was
tho first speaker He talked on Getting
the Spirit of Study Into the School" In
opening he said that Dean Perkins spoke
of the personality of a teacher and what
II means 20 the student and az he spoke
he was unconscously representing that
very personality The teacher. he said.
must put herself on the same level with
her pupils IN order to succeed. This he
did not mean morally. not to lose culture
or dignity hut to nut herself in such n
position that she would be allowed to be
a member OF the clan 10 which the chill
dren of her school belonged.
He then told tho difference between the
quantity teachers and the quality teach
ers saying that both were good in their
way but each lacked something. "One
Of tho prohen1s before us to-day" he
said, IS Just what shall be our standard
Of quality and quantity in teachnR7"
Children" he said. should grow up
with the big problems OF the day. Study
is d solving of problems and IL they grow
up understanding just what tho big ques-
tons are they will be more able to help
to solve them.
Mr.. Kingsley advised against tho
practice of allowing pupils to skip grades,
for, he said, naturally the brightest child
in class leads the class and II you
push her ahead she will lose that leader
ship for children will not follow a
younger leader, and it Is leadership that
the world needs to-day.
Professor ]. w. Sprows. Of the Uni
versity Of Vermont spoke on Tho Teach
, er's Preparation in Subject Matter"
The public" Professor Sprowis said,
expects the schools to solve all prob
lens. no matter what they are, and the
schools try to do that just because the
dear public expects it.
But just what is education? Education
| is high word it is the preparation for
knowledge. Nowadays" he said, 1--WE
have too many teachers who can teach
| only one thing. Every teacher ought TO
be able to teach at least one major and
two minors, Most OF the teachers to-day
are too analytic when they should be
synthetic. Teachers, too, are faddists.
they are didactic. they worship the text
| books and the overestimate subject mat
! ter"
Clarence u. Kingsley, supervisor of tho
| high schools In Massachusetts, was 10
| have spoken in the morning in place of
Commissioner Payson Smith of Boston,
who was unable to be present but as his
| train was seven hours late his address
was postponed until afternoon.
Mrs. Mary NJ Deyett opened the sub
ject of The Teachers Difficulties" which
! was presented in the morning instead
! of the afternoon as planned. Mrs
| Deyette said that she thought that the
most serious thing for the teachers 10
| consider was the mental attitude of the
| high school pupils toward education in
| general and toward their own education
in particular. Their one aim IN life, she
| said, seemed TO be to get by with as little
| effort ms possible, striving nor to learn,
| but to earn points for their diploma
| This. she said she thought was true of
| college students as we'll.
Superinte ndent S. c. Hutchinson of
Montpelier said he had found this same
| fault with pupils, but that he also would
edd that they showed a spirit Of careless
ness, lawlessnoss and inattention and
| that they took for granted everything
| was due the pupil, with no effort on his
| pnrt, '"rhese are serious problems for
| the teacher" he said. land in order to
overcome them we should teach pupils
| the true meaning Of liberty. democracy
| and Americansm, and show them how
detrimental such habits are 10 all three 4"
Principal Kenneth sheldon of Proctor
| also talked on this subject. lively
discussion followed In which many of the
teachers showed that these problems were
common to all schools Miss Mary E.
| Bresnehan of Proctor who was TO have
| spoken, was unable to he present be-
cause Of illness in her family.
! AFTERNOON SESSION
| At noon the nonresident teachers were
guests of the university at luncheon in
! the gymnasium. In the afternoon Clar-
ence y. Kingsley. State supervisor OF
| $,
the subject Seven Objections of Educa-
ton" Mr.. Kingsley il chairman of the
commission on the reorganization OF
secondary evucation appointed by the
National Education association. This
| commission. Mr.. Kingsley stated, Is at.
! tempting to show how high school educa-
ton may be more thoroughly adapted to
| the needs of our present democratic So
ciety TOO long have We regarded edu.
cation as consisting OF preparing students
to pass examinations, Instead of this
conception we should regard education
as a process whereby young people will
acquire those habits, powers, knowledges
interests and ideals which they need in
order TO be useful and intelligent members
! of society. Evrry teacher must be to
an extent philosopher, He or she must
have some conception Of the real needs
Of society and no able Ia adapt educa.
ton 10 tho meeting OF those needs.
we cannot determine the methods @,
the content OF education unit! we have a
clear idea Of the aims OF education"
! Mr. Kingsley stated that the commis.
sion of which ne ia chairman has set IN
the following as the main detectives OF
education: health. command Of such tools
az the three RS, worthy home member.
ship, vocation, citizenship, worthy Use
OF leisure and ethical character. The
realization Of these eims viii call for q
new emphasis in education As. however
our school work is modified In accord.
ance with these aims IT will be possibl,
for us 10 convince larger number Of
pupils and of their parents that educa.
ton is really worth while, Many stu