Evening star., 1936-10-01

Have Their
Trials, Too
Must Have Reserve of
Patience and
Endurance.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

MISS KATE read one composition
N after the other until the forty
fifth was laid on the pile. its neat face
checkered over with red ink symbols.
There isn't commas difference be-
tween them. AS alike as II they had
been poured out Of q mold. Abraham
Lincoln was born In Q log cabin Well,
they couldn't have much originality
about that subject anyway, but they
might have found different way Of
beginning. But just finding q different
way isn't what is needed. It's having
new thought that counts, and being
able to set its shadow on the paper.
I've got to do something to change
this. Put some life into this exercise
somehow"
1t is not easy to put life into the
compositions of fifth grade. Writing
to be full has to come from an over
flowing mind, and flfth-graders rarely
have overflcwing minds on such topics
as Lincoln, how cotton is grown and the
like. Miss Kate decided to pick a sub
ject that children could experience.
could knit into their personal expert
ences and color with their own emo
tions. "I'll take them through this
neighborhood. get them to see what
there is in 1t, talk about it, draw pic
lures, get inside 1t and over 1t and
under it 50 that they live it. Then we
can have a composition that has some
thing in it,"
That takes lot Of doing. To escort
groups Of children through a neighbor-
hood of community means hours of
tramping streets, going up and down
the land, poking into strange corners,
meeting new people, watching to see
that no hurt comes to eager investi-
gators who try out new inventions with
more interest than wisdom, talking
and listening and organizing expert
ences on the way. And this after a day
in school.
But 1t will be worth it. We will
gather enough experiences to make a
live series of composition. They will be
learning something, stretching their
minds. It's worth it." said Miss Kate
when here feet ached more than usual.
Each day the children made their
notes. planned the outlines Of their
weekly compositions in advance, adding
and taking out, polishing and bright
ening each thought. The whole class
was busy preparing for the big story
that was to 60 to the office at the end
of the month. N''How do you spell
freight Are you putting in the
drawbridge? Should park have .
capital? What do you call the man who
owns the parks?"
BY and by the finished composition
was packed, labelled and sent to the
office. mo two of them are alike.
Every one of them has something to
say and tries hard to say 1t. At least
they are lively stories and that's some
thing" thought Miss Kate.
In few days the package came
back to the class room with Q note
from the supervisor. '"Too many mis-
takes in spelling, Shows lack Of drill
in vocabulary. Punctuation needs at
tention, lbsence Of commas indicates
need Of dictation lessons using them.
Ten Of the pupils did not keep margins,
and many others have crooked ones.
Try to see that children skip . line
after writing the titles. Penmanship
needs attention. I'll look for improve
ment in these particulars next month" !"
"I hope you see them" said Miss
Kate to herself as she put the package
to rest on the top shelf. "Your eye
sight doesn't seem to be any too good
in catching other things. Maybe ]
ought to take. the examination for .
proof readers job and done with It.
Teaching doesn't seem to be the idea"