The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1942-10-30

4 Will lHc ueCcSslly VI ludhiuS SOihe
very fundamental adjustments II
their behavior patterns. We teachers
were faced with the task of helping
these children gain emotional stabil
J ity, and of guiding them in their eff
forts to make a place for themselves
in the group. Some children were at
first extremely ill-at-ease among other
youngsters of their own age level. They
responded by being either too-adult
or too-babyish. Some children had
been so rigidly disciplined at home,
either by parents or by older brothers
play school, they went to the opposite
lextreme of complete disregard for the
wishes and requests of others. Hap
PLY, these instances of anarchy were
short-lived. AS soon as the child had
convinced himself that he was an in
dividual who could command respect
he again became the pleasant, coop
erative youngster he had been, with
the advantage, however, of having
gained identity and self-assurance
Still other children came to the school
from an environment apparently COM
pletely free from parental restraints,
and soon learned, from their group
experience, to respect the persons,
property, and rights of their asso-
ciates.
| We teachers did have the very con-
siderable satisfaction of seeing sew
eral of the problems quite adequate
ly solved, and the equal satisfaction
Of receiving continually increasing
aid and interest from the mothers of
children attending the school, 1t was
very evident to us, however, that the
almost limitless possibilities of the
pre-school program could not even be
tapped unless the school could be pro-
vided with supervisory staff more ade-
quately supplied with training expert
ence and with time to be spent on the
job. Thus, our fondest dreams were
realized this fall when the re-organ-
ization of which DR.. Tascher wrote,
took place, and the Laboratory Play
School became unit of the Univer-
sity Nursery School. 1t now enjoys
the supervision of well-trained and
widely-experienced head teacher, and
larger cadet staff, as we'll as the
more adequate housing facilities af-
forded on the University campus.
The Students Have Desires
Let us be very assured of these |
facts: Students are hungry for meat, |
and they'll eat it right to the bone. |
They want responsibility, and a
chance to experiment and weigh the
values of the theory they learn, while
they are learning it. This Sitting
process has customarily been the pro-
fessor's activity. However, the stu
dent who is alive and truly curious
about facts, wants the chance to
prove for himself the truth of what
he hears
Where is he to secure the theory
which he will need in order to give
himself confidence in his own ability
to meet situations? Where is he TO
obtain the necessary orientation into
the field in which he is practicing?
The time-honored custom has been TO
open to the student limitless library
Of materials, and instruct him to cover
as much of it as he can. This, it has
been fondly believed, is introducing
the student to the field, and if he
is sufficiently interested in his own
advancement, he will read as much
Of the available material as he posi-
bly, can, whether or not he can use
all or even most of what he reads,
whether or not he is able to apply in
actual field practice what he has read,
and whether or not he even under
stands all he has read. In the labor !
ltory, we have learned that unless
he reading can be understood, unless /
t is practical and applicable to real :
ife situations as we shall meet them, S
lnless it is closely enough related to !
'ur experience to be meahingful for ,
is as individuals, then the reading is {
wasted time and energy
\ Students Viewpoint II
Let me put forth my Students Z
Viewpoint on education" as I evolved :
t during my Laboratory experiences: :
A student must live the problem
,efore he can solve it. He must be
.ctive in the field which he is study
ng. He must have field practice. He
must put himself in position where
lie is faced with problems, and with
rises which accompany the job, and
e must equip himself to meet these E
ituations and to make each crisis a
tepping-stone to substantial gain,
9th for himself and for the work.