Evening star., 1923-03-18
BY GRACE BATcHELLOR.

What is a socialized school? And
why? There seem to be many opin-
ions on the subject and as many Ver-
sions Of 1t as there are people who
teach IL. But. at any rate, 1t is one
Of the many new ways of teaching
that have been springing up in all
parts OF the country since 1t has
been discovered that there is some
thing wrong with the schools and
one version OF II is this
1t is a school that is apparently
conducted by the children. They do
the opening and the closing, and all
that goes between. This does not
mean that one child Or certain chill
dren play teacher" for truly 50
cialiZed school is quite democratic.
Each child. although he may have
charge of one OF the activities that is
going on. is responsible to himself
and to the class. The class as a
whole conducts the lessons. They
ask the questions and answer them;
they bring in material and informa-
tion on the subject at hand; they
help the slow ones and commend the
quick: they have discussions. more or
less heated, on vital questions of
past. present and future-such as
conditions in Russia and Turkey. or
how TO operate sawmills, gold mines
way TO trap fox.
Ruled by Public Opinion.
There is in most classes some one
who knows something about each
subject that comes up. There is also
the child who can talk about every
talent to great advantage il he does
1t In moderation. with due regard for
his neighbor, who also may wish to
contribute something. II he SO far
forgets himself as to try to do the
whole lesson, he finds that public
opinion is against him. and desists
And SO he learns valuable lesson
in self-control. The child who, on
the other hand. is inclined not to do
his share on account Of shyness or
inattention, is helped by means OF
encouragement or disapproval. as the
case may be.
Now, all this would seem to be a
case OF no work and all play for the
| teacher. But this is far from true
The socializing process is not an
a week or in several. Young chill
dren or those who have been very
dependent upon the teacher, find il
hard 10 develop habits of self-reliance
Veloped. the children are apt TO run
amuck-off the track and into each
other. This is where the teacher
| must step in, to help establish stand
! ards of self-control and concentra-
! ton. Then. after a certain amount Of
skill in handling the process has been
acquired, and II is working smoothly
| and working fast. she has to work
| quite fast herself in order to keep up
| with the thing that has been started
Go AneId for Facts.
The children do not depend entirely
of course. upon the more or less ac-
curate opinions that are given by
members of the class. They prey upon
the public library. newspapers. maga
zines. parents. friends and strangers
Tradesmen OF the neighborhood are
pressed for details about their goods
and occupations. Even Lee Sing OF
the Chinese laundry does not escape
One accommodating "boarder" at the
home of pupil. who had just con.
veniently returned from South Amer.
| ica. supplied the class with facts
! about that country. for a period OF
| several weeks. While usually relia
BILE, the information obtained in thi:
! way is sometimes colored by the per.
| sonal views of the one who Furnished
it. as in the case of Herman Schneider
a stout child with blue Teutonic eyes
| who brought back a report that Eng
lish sparrows were Quarrelsome, bird.