Smyrna times., 1923-01-03

- n IN - n IL - - = -
the day. Only short time was left |
to visit the Chemistry class which he
observed was giving a good and well
connected recitation on the subject of
Balanced Equations" The first class
in the afternoon was in Commercial
Arithmetic. This was a large class
and was reciting in room not we'll
adapted to the purpose but used be-
cause it was the only room in the
building large enough. to accommo-
date the numbers. Three people only
could be accommodated at the black
board. The rest were working on pa
per the problems which were proposed
by the teacher. This on a whole was
a good earnest class and the work of
the supervisor was limited to suggest
ing a few better methods of handling
certain processes. At the close of the
period he took up with the teacher the
possibility of improving the class by
raising the plans of the work from
that of mere calculation to a general
form represented by the formulae
which could be applied to the cases
involved. Arithmetic in high school is
different proposition from Arithme-
tic in an eighth grade. Unless prob
lens of sufficient difficulty and prob
lens requiring more Independent
thought are used it can hardly be con-
sidered as a high school subject.
How the Languages Are Taught
The second period of the afternoon
he visited the eleventh grade, English,
where the work was oral composition.
The material for the composition was
to be found in the copies of the Liter
airy Digest in the hands of the pupils.
The method here was to have pupils
in turn rise and deliver their speeches
on subjects of current interest pre-
viously assigned to them. The sup
ervisor's suggestion here was that in
asmuch as the material suggested had
not been we'll mastered that more ele-
mentary material might be given in
order that the main purpose, namely,
an oral expression could be more
readily obtained. In all high school
classes the basis for criticism is:
"What is the purpose of the recita-
ton and is that purpose accomplish
ed" This form of criticism was well
illustrated in the class in Caesar which
was next visited. The pupils had
worked out their transpations well
and in general made reasonably good
English of it but there was lacking
that rounded out English which should
always be the final result of trans
lation from foreign language. By
means of a few words with the pupils
at the close of the period the super
visor secured from them the Statement
of the main purpose of all Latin trans
lations which is "a good English state
ment of the idea obtained from th'
Latin test" When this was done th'
criticism for the teacher was merel!
to emphasize what had been said t.
the pupils and impress upon her tina
the rounding out should come from tn
pupils rather than from her, as ha'
been the case.
5 Work in History Made Interesting
: The last period was the tenth grad
: in European History. Here a goo
: teacher was handling an importan
: subject in way that showed that he
r purpose was worthy. She was striv
5 ing to give the pupils a connected ide
= on the movement known as the "In
S dustrial Revolution" as it sprea
I throughout all the countries of Europ
4 and over to America. The supervise
on occasion put in a question whic
e caused complete difference of opinio
d on the part of members of the class o
: the matter of the recent Revolution
d Italy. At the close of the period th
s teacher informed him that those pupil
S should proceed to find out the facts
S the case and would come back to til
n class prepared to defend their variou
! positions. This is exactly in line wit
e the best teaching and of course wa
y encouraging. This rounded out flu
udy Work, except 1or lne peI1ou
: which representative of the Re
S Cross on her weekly visit was givin
: to class of girls instruction in HON
S nursing. During this period the supel
e visor went over various subjects COZ
K nected with the school affairs with tn
S Principal. All of these criticisms al
n written up in letters to the teacher
g copies of which go to the Principa
These letters are kept for reference s