Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1928-02-09

breaking of the usual routinel Now,
will you call class in-er-geOgra
ply, we'll say?"
"You'd laugh at me-"
"But look here! Will you tell me
what you do here all day If you don't
teach?"
"Oh, l do teach-of kaws-courrse
l teach! But you see"-she suddenly
picked up courage and launched forth
FL have my own original way of
teaching-and II you're the conven.
tional school man, originality would
be highly offensive to you"
snow you make me very curious
Let's have a sample of this origi.
nalityp'
you see. hold that children should
be taught" she discoursed airily.
adopting somewhat the tone of plat.
form lecturer what is for their i'm.
mediate use and pleasure. rather than
for the future, for only so will they
grow. You don't grow by what you
store up. but by what you use and
assimilate. So I"
"Wait! Is this your own, or re.
cited from some textbook of modern
pedagogy?"
ENTIRELY my own that I've forged
out for myself-though others may
also have forged 1t out-that I can't
say. The goal which set before my
pupils is not marks and grades. but
knowledge"
Excellent! Knowledge of what.
for instance?"
"Of whatever interests them
They're not much interested in arith.
metic and grammar and spelling. You
can interest them in science. history,
geography geography only when
taught entertainingly, as teach it,.
poetry. stories. plays"
sounds so good, I think I'll come
to school to you! Do call up a geog.
raphy class"
II don't know so much about geog.
raphy. really-do you know" she
smiled, until quite recently thought
the North and South of the Civil war
here in the United States were divided
by the Mississippi river! I"
She stopped short in dismay-now
she had given herself away! No
American on earth had ever supposed
such thing as that!
"My sense of direction" she muir.
INJURED with nervous laugh. twas al.
ways weak! +"
No use-you couldn't explain away
such lunacy. Might as well keep quiet
and let him draw what conclusions
he would
He made no comment He had given
her one swift, penetrating glance; but
at her obviously painful embarrass.
ment had mercifully looked away.
KINDLY call up a geography Glass;"
he urged after moment, In tone
which, though courteous, was q com.
mand.
"rd rather not, If you'll kindly ex.
cuse ne. The one thing these chill
dren seem to need" she said, revert
ing to her lecture-platform tone in her
effort to divert him from his yearning
to hear her teach geography. "is to
have their imaginations reused Be
fore came they didn't know the com
monest, most familiar stories-Cinder
ella. Jack, the Giant Killer, Arabian
Nights. Imagine American children
so benighted! Those children knew
all the multiplication tables and all
the capitals of the 81 states"
"Forty-seven,"
~ mean forty-seven, of ksws-
courrse-though strict accuracy in I'm
important details always did strike me
as rather a fault than virtue In a
teacher, for good teacher should
have mind above Insignificant
facts
"Ten of these United States is not al
insignificant fact exactly. I'm afraid
I must insist, Miss Schwenckton, upon
your calling a geography class. Ev.
erything you say makes me more anG
more eager every minute to hear you
teach q class in the geography of the
United States"
I'm sorry not to .oblige you, Mr.
Creighton I'll be very glad to allow
you to examine the blackboard work
you'll find it quite creditable-"
"But this. Miss SchwencktOn. is in
subordinatiOn Remember I'm your
| superior officer!"
"But. you see. we modern teachers
we normal school graduates, do moi
believe in co-uh-ciOn and fawce. IT
nv government of this school. for in
stance. I try to have all co-urr-sior
come from within. not from without.
"Fine; if you can work it can you
And this idea Of yours-teaching chill
dren what is for their immediate use
| (and pleasure believe you added?
is it for their physical or menta
growth that you are striving?-fo
what saw as came in here appeared
to be violent gymnastics or an eKecu
ton of the charleston
II was acting out play for them
Barrie's "A Kiss for Cinderella wal
at the ball"
"Um-mm," he murmured "Acting?'
Trying to-"
But you'll have these sectarian par
| optc m vour no oly Tho spIo;n' DanpIo