The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1924-06-05
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SCHEDULE
The Need of Revision in Rural Study
Courses
(By Ray C. CROSSE


Having gone through one year of
teaching according to the Wisconsin
courses of study for the elementary
and state graded schools, | have had
brought forcefully to me the cumber-
some schedule with which the rural
teacher is obliged to contend. Often
and wildly it has occurred to me that
the usual program, especially of the
higher grades of rural and graded
schools, might be changed for the
better with comparative ease. / shall
not attempt to NEEDLE with or alter
the things the course says are to be
taught, but only to suggest a rear
rangement of the teaching schedule.
Any rural or state graded teacher
can tell us of the bungling conglom-
Grafton of classes with which she is
inevitably forced to wrestle. have
always held, since becoming acquaint
ed with the situation, that the class
periods, at least for upper grades, are
far too short. 1t is extremely diff
ficult for the average pupil to take
his mind, for instance, from the his
tory he has been studying, adjust it,
to arithmetic, labor through the vari-
Gus "steps" of class procedure, do
some thinking, and possibly learn a
bit in the incrediably short time of
fifteen minutes given him. We may
have a few teachers who can give him
what is required in this abbreviated
space of time, but we do not want a
curriculum suited to this sadly small
minority. The necessity looms for a.
teaching-day program which will give
the ordinary teacher, who represents
the majority, good, easily workable
schedule better fitted to her abilities
and the students comprehension.
After a thorough scrutiny of our
teaching manuals it appears that, in
general, a plan may be formed by
which a longer period can be given
over to each subject. Such an out
| line would divide the year into
halves, each half embracing its num-
Der of the subjects to be taught that
term. and not carried along through
a whole year. This arrangement, or
similar one, should give time
enough to each class for thorough as
signment explanations, some thought
teaching instead of the usual snatch
of hasty exposure to a tangled mass
of approved" methods and devices,
and chance for special class study.
The objection may be offered that
thirty minute period would become
tedious to the pupil and fail to hold
his undivided attention and interest.
| This may be true with the lower
grades, bat | have often unintention-
ally, and sometimes purposely, kept
classes of seventh and eighth grade
pupils long past the regular time for
dismissal for the very reason that
they had become absorbed in the
work and were doing some good
thinking for themselves under bit
of probing and guidance. feel con-
fdent that these grades would bene-
fit from the longer periods and the
teacher be compelled, and given OPP
portunity, to put more preparation on
each subject where otherwise she may
too easily slip through fifteen-n1in-
ute recitation without first giving it
the thought and consideration it de-
serves.
In the following program for the
seventh grade of a state graded
school l have tried to illustrate the
point / wish to make. The adjust
ment might we'll be made more radi-
cal to the present course than is here
suggested. 1t will be seen than civics
and history are given slightly long
er study than the Wisconsin course
demands, with no serious infringe
ment on other subjects. This can be
done because of the time saved by
rescuing the pupil from the present
division of attention and allowing him
to concentrate upon fewer lessons
Several different and perhaps better,
revisions might be made.
First Half:
Arithmetic, 80 minutes
SReading, 80 minutes
Geography (1st months), 80 min
utes
spelling and writing-drawing-
handwork (last III months), 80 min
utes.
Second Half:
SLanguage, 80 minutes
Civics (1st months), 80 minutes
History Cast 214 months), 80 min
utes
Spelling and writing-drawing--
handwork, 80 minutes.
SReading and language may be adj
vantageously united and given a
thirty-minute period for the whole
term.
*The classes called spelling and
writing drawing -handwork" replace
geography after the third month and
run for the remainder of the year
They should be alternated, spelling,
dictionary work, etc., taking one day
and writing, drawing, or some form
of handwork the next day. This
period should have place in the reg
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