The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-06-02

py other people.
In some of the larger schools spe-
clal attention is given and special
teachers are provided for the extreme
cases that come under division No. 3
But in our scnool, crowded as we are
teachers do not have time for much
| individual attention. A pupil in this
division may have TO remain in .
grade two years and may never get
beyond the 9Th grade. If there is
2nyone who believes that we teachers
should give the children more individ-
ual attention, please imagine Yourself
teacher in the high school. Here is
the daily program:
FRS: period, Sth grade boys, AZ on
the roll.
Second period, 9Th grade girls. Se,,
A, 81 on the roll.
Third period, 9Th grade girls, Sec.
B, 81 on the roll
Fourth period, 9th grade boys, 2G
Fifth period, 9th grade girls, Sc on
Sixth period, 10th grade boys and
girls, SO on the roll
You will handle 200 pupils in the
SIX periods of 40 minutes each You
hold an extra study period during the
day. Remember that in these large
classes, discipline comes in for extra
time and energy.
When a teacher handling the above
schedule is told that she is not giving
enough personal attention to her pu-
pills and that complaints are being
made, she replies with a complaint of
the fourth classification OF pupils,
namely, those pupils who conStant;y y
prey upon the nerves of the teachers.
such pupils know nothing about the
lessons and care less. Their motto is
to worry the teacher as much as pos
sIble, kill as much time as possible by
asking unnecessary questions to draw
the teacher off the lesson, make extra
noise, and when punished, try to place
the blame on the teacher. The father
and mother in some cases pity child
OF this class at the expense of the en-
tire school system ranging from the
trustees, superintendent to the jani-
tor. Right then and there the "goose
IS cooked" so far as that child is con-
ccrnei. If my classification of pupils
is correct in a general way, to what
class of pupils does your child belong?
DO you know that he or she has failed
on from two to five subjects?
Now each teacher in my building
has been required to file all eXamina-
~, P"PSiS anu nioulHIy IeSI paper
with. me in the office. If any mother
or father is not satisfied with the
marks as given in the report cards,
shall be glad to go over the papers
with him or her. We will get after
the facts in the case from a real bus
mess standpoint. | have tried to dc
scribe the facts as accurately as |
know how. But a discussion is not
complete nor is any criticism Just
without an explanation of the cause
and a suggestion of the cure. Do not
get the impression from what you
have read that l am seeking to place
the blame for the failures of the pu-
pills in schools on either the pupil, the
patron Or the teacher. 1t is my con-
victiOn that each of us should bear
our part but that We should get to-
gether to remove the cause. l do want
to say that | am endeavoring to get
at the facts in the case, and since
neither seek praise nor dodge COM
plants. am willing to bear the criti-
cism rather than have hard things
said about the lady teachers who
worked faithfully in my building. A
fair and square proposition on
strictly business basis is just as appli-
cable to high school asto any other
less important enterprise of a town.
l have been trying to keep the cause
and the cure before me in everything
that l do in teaching. But since the
great majority of school failures fall
in Class No. 4 of our division, it
stands to reason that more study is
the only sure cure. We have study
periods arranged for each class. I
visit the rooms to see if J. can catch