Milford chronicle., 1929-08-30
URGES TRAINING
In MATHEMATICS
CCeHtinHed from first bAgsJ

ers in the State school system. The
letter follows:
'It is great pleasure to welcome
into our system those of you who are
now with us. We hope that each
of you will find your place enjoyable
and that you will be able to do work
which will make you happy. To
those who are coming back to be
with us again 1 extend my most cor
dial good wishes for another sue
cessful year.
Another school year is about to
begin. What it means to the boys
and girls of our State is impossible
to estimate, but when we realize that
each of them is faced with the stu
pendious task of catching up, in
twelve short years, with the fourth
decade of the twentieth century, we
may get some glimpse of the job and
the opportunity. Remember, too,
that each of them must go on living
here and now while he is catching
up. And high grade human living in
the present makes demands upon
him which are insistent and legiti-
mate, therefore, we have the pres
ent individual and the potential citi-
izen on our hands.
"It is a SOLDERING thought; let's do
something about it every minute.
Here are some of the ways in
which we can do better the good
work which we have been carrying
on:
First: We can make the first day
of school a real school day. Each
school has a tentative schedule of
classes. Let us use that on at least
a 30-minute basis. I can't see how
we can help using that much time in
getting acquainted with the pupils
and making them acquainted with
the work at least the first few weeks.
we have provided these
pupils with place to work, teach
er and, in many cases, transporta-
ton to school. Don't send a single
one of them home feeling that he
need not have made the effort to |
come. Beside, nothing sets teacher |
up in his pupils estimation so much |
as a real, businesslike start.
Second: We can give our objec |
tives an overhauling look what we
are doing in the face and weigh it |
in the light of the second paragraph |
Of this letter. During the first two |
months each of you will be asked to
submit in writing the revised and
list of objectives of his
courses as he sees them.
Third: We can insist, day by day, J
)n thorough mastery of the things
which society and the school has de-
,ided are necessary for the good life.
The standard tests which we gave
ast spring show some encouraging
results but much is still unsatisfac-
.ory as far as real mastery is con-
;erned.
Fourth: We can read some more
good books. suggest, in addition to
hose on last years list (Practice of
in Secondard Schools, Nor
'ison; Creative Learning and Teach
ng, Harry Lloyd Miller; Better
Methods of Teaching in Secondary
Schools, E. Clarke Fontaine), this
me now, more later:
"The Nature and Direction of
learning" w. H. Burton, D. Apple
on and Company.
'It is a good book to study, be-
ause it gives in such clear and spe-
ific language the distinct between
he different kinds of teaching and !
earning, and because it exemplifies
n its own makeup a good method
# attack upon the problem of learn
ng how to study and to teach. Make
point of studying it soon.
FINALLY, the opportunities for
.ood work were never better in our
'tate; let's make the very best of
hem " ,