The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-11-23
TEACHERS TOLD
OF ADVANTAGES
IN JUNIOR HIGH
Indiana Principals Hear
Dean PeChstein of
Cincinnati.


BLOOMINGTON. Ind, Nov. %
THE junior high school is un-
usually we'll adapted for coping
with the critical aspects of adde's
scent psychology and operating
sanely, this school can bring most
adolescents through these critical
times of maturing without abnor-
malities manifesting themselves"
Dean L. A. Pechstein, Of the Uni
versity of Cincinnati college Of edu-
cation, said this afternoon in an
address on Critical Aspects Of
Adolescent Psychology" at the
eighth annual Indiana high school
principals conference under the
auspices of the Indiana University
school of education, which will end
today. Approximately 200 are in
attendance.
Lists Three Points
"Adoiescent development has
three very significant aspects" Dean
Pechstein explained, namely, the
capacity factor, the maturity as
pect and the health aspect" Con-
corning these. Dean PechStein spoke
in part - S"-ows:
with the maturing Of capacity
or gens-~r' Intelligence, the indi-
vidual differences in powers TO learn
reach a maximum. This challenges
the school to handle, in the light
Of the scientific evidence at hand,
the problems Of segregation, CLASH
fication and NATURALIZATION.
Adolescence is primarily the time
for maturing. Significant maturing
are as follows: Sexual, moral and
religious, emotional, vocational, in
tellectual. The scientific facts re-
garding this maturing point directly
to approximately year Is as being
critical for guidance and choice.
with health powers at low ebb,
and the tremendous downward Shift
OF curricular materials, with result
ant strains upon the rapidly grow
ing organism. the health aspect be-
comes remarkably critical"
ElNOOu TIulCipdt Spans
President William L. Bryan and
Dean H. L. Smith of Indiana uni
versity, welcomed the visiting prin-
cipals. Miss Marie ThurSton, prin-
cipal of the Elwood junior high
school, spoke on Social Guidance
of Girls in the Junior High School"
Miss Thurston explained that the
social life of the school must be as
nearly normal as possible and that
pupils obtain social training from
many subjects in the regular school
work. Subjects such as English,
history. civics, art, music and
manual arts contribute more to the
pupils social development than
other subjects do she said.
I'm caring for the individual girl,
it Is necessary to know" Miss Thurs
ton said. name, abilities, accom-
plishments. home environment, as
sociates. facts about her health,
strong points, weaknesses, interests
and ambitions.
Two Groups Considered
1T must be remembered that
there are two classes of girls with
which to deal in the junior high
school. One type expects to con-
tinue her education in senior high
school and in a college; the other
type is the girl whose goal is her
sixteenth birthday, for on that day
she may be released from school.
The training of the latter must fit
her for marriage, motherhood, and
other social responsibilities. The
guiding questions should be: How
much longer will we have these
children? What is the individual
girl gaining from her school eX-
perience which better enables her
to meet her life problems and to
make her contribution to the group
life of family, community and ma
ton?
1.-THE personnel work should be
in the hands of a staff consisting
Of a principal or a dean, visiting
teacher. doctor, nurse, psychiastrist
and other experts. This group in
vestigateS the causes for the mall
adjusted and anti-social girls and
similar problems.
1.-THE social program should in
clude both the care for the indivi-
dual girl or personnel work and the
organization and administration of
a character making program for the
school