The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-10-03
ARE Yor a sOoD CITIZEN?
lReparted FOR the Tanarackl


Parents Of students and students Of
Tie Libby High school viii be in
terested in the new attempt At he dc
pertinent problem which will be tried
out this year. We believe that good be-
havior is recognized by both parents
and teachers as one Of the major learn
ing outcomes of any educational pro-
gram Because Of its Importance,
naturally students and parents wish %
know how the students are getting
along" in department, conduct or, as
we have labeled it on this years card
citizenship. If mark has to be given,
it necessarily follows that the teacher
is the only one to make the report. 1t
is a very difficult problem to make a
report of this sort on the basis of the
A. B, c. d scale There is 40 course
given i'm conduct nor is there test or
examination upon which teacher may
base such a report. 1t is purely
subjective thing based upon the teach
er's observations Of the student as he
is contacted. 1t is recognized that in
any form Of subjective judgment the
reliability Of giving one student an a
and another B is questionable. The
student receiving the B often wonders
why he should have that B while his
/ friend across the aisle rates an A.
Parents probably ponder the same
question. II is this relative grading on
subjective basis that the faculty hope
! to reduce to a minimum by substitute
/ ing satisfactory and unsatisfactory
mark in citizenship. 1t will still be a
subjective mark but not nearly SO in
volved as in the old method
If visitor should spend a few days
in the high school, we believe he would
agree with US when we say that over
80 per cent of the students are good
citizens He would base his opinion
upon the fact that the great majority
pass to and from classes and otherwise
conduct themselves as young men and
women ought to- He would note, too
that the great majority in the study
! hall are busy with their work and pay
little attention to anything else. If he
were put in charge of that study hal
he would observe that if ii were no.
for few--a very few students-his
presence there as policeman woulc
probably not be needed However, JUS
as organized society has an officer 4
watch the few, so a school needs some
one To guide, coax. correct, and direc
the few who have not yet learned how
important it is to have quietness in
study room for the best study results
1t becomes the duty of the teacher il
charge to devise some means of keep.
ing the few in line One of the nos
widely used devices is the citizenship
mark A low or unsatisfactory mari
removes certain privileges from tina
student who does not cooperate.
: In the Libby High School this yea
student is either a good citizen or h
is not good citizen. He either need
watching or he does not. There ma
be such thing as an IS per cent or
rs per cent citizen, but there is at TIL
time no objective way of marking sue
citizen in school anymore than ther
is a method of marking on a scientif
basis the people of Libby A, B,
D citizens. If every student would as
himself the question, DO need watch
ing?" and then be able to answer
the negative, he could rest assured tn
the faculty would take pleasure in ri,
ing him a satisfactory mark After a
if students would stop and think no
impossible discipline would be if ever,
one were given the privilege Of viii
pering. laughing, walking on hee
chewing gum, etc, they would make
greater effort TO be orderly and quis
Great men have alW7vs done the
clearest and best thinking away fro
noise and other distraciing. stimuli, b
- cause they realize that TIC human ner'