FOREWORD.

This manual and outline course of study for the elementary schools of Alaska is submitted to teachers and administrators as a textbook which is to be used in standardizing and unifying the work of the elementary schools. No attempt has been made to cover every subject completely or to set maximum standards. At the same time sufficient detail is presented to enable teachers to determine whether or not the work which they are accomplishing meets minimum requirements. It is to be used by teachers both in schools in incorporated towns and in the smaller schools situated outside incorporated towns. Certain portions, therefore, will be of interest only to one class of teachers.

It is incumbent upon every teacher to familiarize herself not only with those parts dealing with her immediate class work, but also with those preceding and following the work of her own grade, that she may know with what preparation children come to her and for what she is to prepare her pupils.

In all the work teachers should ever keep in mind that the child, not the subject, should be taught. The tendency in teaching is away from complete dependence upon the text. The project and problem should occupy a large place in subjects to which they are adapted. Journals, bulletins and books afford much supplementary material for the wide-awake teacher.

Courses of study from different states have been consulted in the preparation of this manual and adaptations will appear throughout the publication.

LESTER D. HENDERSON,
Commissioner of Education.

MANUAL

AIMS AND METHODS.

The aims of the various subjects taught in the elementary schools and the methods and devices which have been found valuable in the realization of these aims are so well covered in a number of books which can be procured by any teacher, that no attempt has been made to discuss them in this manual. Each school should have on its library shelves a number of such books for the use of teachers. Every growing teacher will read at least one or two professional magazines and thus keep abreast of the best educational thought, as it affects not only her special subjects, but also the whole field of education.

Following is a list of books which will be found helpful:

"How to Teach" by Strayer & Norsworthy—Macmillan (1917).

"The Technique of Teaching" by Davis—Macmillan (1922).

"Teaching in the Rural Schools" by Woofter—Houghton-Mifflin (1917).

"Modern Elementary School Practice" by Freeland—Macmillan (1920).

"Pedagogical Pep"—F. A. Owen Publishing Co. (1922).

"Teaching the Common Branches" by Charters (Revised)—Houghton-Mifflin.

"Child Life and the Curriculum" by Meriam—World Book Co. (1920).

"The Elementary School Curriculum" by Bonser—Macmillan (1921).

BALTIMORE COUNTY COURSE OF STUDY.

The course of study for the Baltimore County, Maryland, schools (1921 edition, Warwick and York, Baltimore, publishers) has been selected for supplementary use in the Alaska elementary schools. This course is very complete and is a veritable compendium of information on educational method and practice. The material presented on each subject is the work of specialists in grade teaching, grade supervision, and in the general field of education. The teacher who will actually study this course and use the helps and suggestions presented will find her effectiveness as a teacher materially increased.

Reference to the supplementary course will be made from time to time throughout the outline presented. In some instances the subject matter covered in a certain grade and subject of the Baltimore County Course may not exactly coincide with that outlined in the Alaska course. This fact, however, does not preclude the use of the helps and suggestions contained in the former at what-

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ever time and place they best fit into the program of work outlined for Alaska.

Attention is called particularly to the list of reference books for teachers listed in connection with each subject.

## THE KINDERGARTEN COURSE.

No course of study is being outlined for kindergartens, in view of the fact that, at the present time, there are but four maintained in the Territory. It is recommended that schools interested in this subject secure Bureau of Education Bulletin, 1919, No. 16, entitled, "The Kindergarten Curriculum." This publication contains a complete course of study in Community Life and Nature Study, Manual Activities, Art, Language, Literature, Music, and Plays and Games.

It is recommended, further, that Bureau of Education Bulletin, 1922, No. 15, entitled, "A Kindergarten—First Grade Curriculum," be secured for supplementary use in kindergartens and for the use of first grade teachers in communities in which a kindergarten is a part of the public school system. This bulletin is valuable as a means of showing kindergarten teachers how their work functions as a preparation for the work which is to follow. It also assists first grade teachers in making the transition from kindergarten to first grade work without loss to the pupils.

## NEW CLASSROOM TOOLS.

The reader of educational literature will not proceed far until he comes in contact with such expressions as "socialized recitation," "motivation of school work," "the problem method," "the project," "supervised study," "the doctrine of interest," and the like. These all represent more or less new tools with which the modern teacher must be familiar if she is to produce the best possible results. It is important to know when to use these tools and when to lay them aside. Educational periodicals devote considerable attention to a discussion of these devices. The following books provide a rather extensive treatment of the subjects discussed:

* "Modern Elementary School Practice" by Freeland-Macmillan (1920).

* "The Project Method of Teaching" by Stevenson-Macmillan (1921).

* "Project Work in Education" by Stockton-Macmillan (1921).

* "How to Study and What to Study" by Sandwick-Heath (1920).

* "Motivation of School Work" by Wilson & Wilson-Houghton-Mifflin (1916).

* "Socializing the Three R's" by Weeks-Macmillan (1919).

* "The Socialized Recitation" by Robbins-Allyn & Bacon (1920).

## THE RECITATION AND ASSIGNMENT.

One means of determining the success of a teacher is by the method of the recitation and by the care with which assignments are made. The teacher should make careful preparation of the

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lesson to be presented. Both aims and plan should be determined. Such teaching makes the teacher independent of the textbook and seldom fails to interest pupils and to stimulate them to do their best work.

Dr. Frank McMurry in his book, "How to Study," stresses the using of ideas in the recitation. He says: "One fundamental weakness of the customary recitation is that it tests only the presence of facts in the minds of the pupils; while the outside world tests their ability to use these facts." Dr. Dewey in "School and Society" says: "The recitation becomes a social meeting place; it is to the school what the spontaneous conversation is at home, except that it is more organized, following definite lines. The recitation becomes the social clearing house, where experiences and ideas are exchanged and subjected to criticism; where misconceptions are corrected, and where lines of thought and inquiry are set up." Dr. Bryan in his book, "The Basis of Practical Teaching," says: "A good recitation is characterized by the birth of ideas, by conscientious thought, by great tension between the pupil's mind and the subject under discussion."

An excellent treatise on the subject of the recitation is "The Recitation" by Betts (Houghton-Mifflin). This book should be read by every teacher at least twice in every school year. One chapter is devoted to the lesson assignment.

The lesson assignment bears a very direct relation to the growth in power to study on the part of the pupil. Dr. Betts in his book, "The Recitation," says: "Upon the proper assignment of the lesson depends much of the success of the recitation, and also much of the pupils' progress in learning how to study. The assignment of the lesson thus becomes one of the most important duties of the recitation period. Too many times this is left until the very close of the class hour, when there is no time left for proper assignment, and the teacher can only say, "Take the next four pages," or "Work out the next twenty problems."

"We forget that children do not understand how to go to work at the lesson as we know how. The result is that they come back to the next recitation listless and uninterested, with the lesson not prepared. Or, it may happen that the less timid ones, when they come to study the lesson, call upon the teacher to show them how to go to work. The teacher has then to take time needed for other things to show different individuals what should have been presented to the entire class when the lesson was assigned. Such a method is comparable with giving a set of tools into the hands of novices who do not know how to use them, and then, without any instruction in the use of tools, expecting them to turn out good work, without loss of time."

The assignment need not necessarily be elaborate or long drawn out. However, it should be explicit and discriminating and

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adapted to the length of the study period and the ability of the pupils. It should be so explicit that no pupil can truthfully say, "I did not know what we were to do." It should be discriminating so that pupils may use their time to the best advantage in mastering the essentials of the lesson.

## THE PLAN BOOK.

A plan book should be kept by every teacher. The importance of such a book can not well be over-emphasized. (1) It is of value to the pupil in that it makes possible a more profitable recitation, more forceful and vigorous teaching, and more carefully selected and prepared work. Much time is wasted by children and many poor lessons result because the teacher does not know, or has not made plain to the class, of just what the new assignment consists, what preparation is to be made, and how to study the lesson assigned. A teacher must be continually ahead of the class in her plans if she is able to do this. The preparation of all lessons at least a day in advance and laying out the plan for the same insures that the teacher will keep ahead of the class and be more definite and less slip-shod in her work.

(2) It is of value to the teacher in that she receives the benefits which always accrue from careful preparation. She is relieved from all anxiety, as to what to do next. Her work is definite and positive in character.

(3) It is of value to substitutes in that it makes easy the task of taking up the precise work of the day. In one-room schools where the plan of alternation of classes is carried out it makes it easy for a retiring teacher to prepare a brief outline of the work covered by the various classes for the information of her successor.

(4) It is of value to superintendents and principals in presenting a bird's-eye view of the teacher's and pupil's work.

A plan book is by no means a panacea for all the ills to which pupils and teachers are heir. It must not be regarded as an end in itself but rather as a means of obtaining the desired results. The intelligent planning of work is for assistance in teaching and not a thing apart in itself. The details of plan making depend upon the individuality of each teacher and should be such as she has found to be of assistance to her. The minimum plans should include the following three points:

(1) Aim of lesson. This should consist of a brief statement as to what the teacher expects to accomplish—the purpose of the lesson. This may be the same for a series of lessons.

(2) Outline of subject matter. A brief outline of the main topics to be emphasized should be prepared.

(3) Method of procedure. This should consist of a brief statement of how the teacher expects to use the subject matter in order

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to accomplish the aim. This may be the same for a series of lessons. Sufficient variety, however, should be introduced to stimulate and sustain the pupils' interest.

## DISCIPLINE AND MANAGEMENT.

The ideal school is an earnest, cheerful, hard working community without any serious internal strife or discord. If such a condition is to prevail, the residents of the community, the school board, the teachers and pupils must all work in harmony. Personal, petty matters must of necessity be kept in the background.

The teacher's fitness for her work is shown in the tact and ability with which she organizes the various elements to which reference has been made and secures the hearty cooperation of all. The schoolroom should at all times be quiet and orderly—not a death-like stillness, but the quiet which results from strict attention to business on the part of everyone. Good order has been defined as the state of activity which is in accord with what is taking place. A study period will differ from a formal recitation period which in turn will differ from a period in which the entire room is converted into a manual arts class.

The teacher should constantly keep in mind that she is taking the parent's place for a portion of the day. Consequently she has a parent's authority. She is also responsible for the conduct of the pupils during the recesses and the noon intermission. On the way to and from school the teacher and the parent have "concurrent jurisdiction," and hence the teacher has the right to reprimand the pupil for bad conduct. In this matter of school discipline the teacher and parent should work together if the desired results are to be obtained.

An excellent treatise on the subject of school management and discipline is "School Discipline" by Bagley (Macmillan).

## CLASS MANAGEMENT.

1. "The interested attention of all must be secured. Teachers are too careless about holding the attention of the whole class. Laxity of attention is a striking weakness of the schools. In oral recitations, where no textbook is used, everything depends upon attentiveness. Involuntary attention depends upon interest in the subject; make the subject interesting. Voluntary attention depends, first, upon the will of the teacher; secondly, upon the will of the pupil. Insist upon attention.

2. Each pupil must be held responsible for each answer, and each recitation. Each question or topic should be discussed silently by each member of the class, and each individual who fails to object to an erroneous answer is to be held as agreeing with it.

3. The pupil must answer in his own language. From the earliest teaching, the pupil must be held to translate everything

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into his own language to insure his thorough understanding of the subject. He should use the language of the book but rarely.

4. The teacher must never do for the pupil what he can manage to have the pupil do for himself. Only novices solve the pupil's problems for him.

5. As a rule all assistance should be given to the pupil during recitation. The teacher should have a general study period during each day when he is free to give individual help.

6. Train the pupils to be honest, independent, and thorough.

7. The pupils, and not the teacher, should do the reciting. Teachers should not defraud their pupils by the use of leading questions by helping out the pupil when he hesitates, by repeating or paraphrasing the question or the answer of the pupil, or by solving the pupil's difficulties as soon as they present themselves.

8. Manage to reach each pupil during recitation. The certainty that the pupil will be called upon is a stimulus to preparation. When classes become too large to make this possible, they should be divided.

9. Oral and written exercises should occupy about equal time. Oral work should predominate with young pupils. Much written work is needed in the advanced grades. The wise teacher uses the blackboard almost constantly. Much written work can be brought to class and disposed of in the recitation.

10. System, vigor, and vivacity must characterize class management. Let the teacher have them in abundance.

11. Loud and persistent talking by a teacher is to be avoided. A teacher should be brief and master of his tongue. The more the teacher is in the habit of talking, the less the pupils will think. The habit of repeating questions for inattentive pupils, or repeating or paraphrasing the pupils' answers is vicious. The teacher should not explain anything he can get some member of the class to explain.

"The teacher is in the class room to get work out of other people."—Idaho Manual.

## HOW TIME IS WASTED.

1. "In not having a well defined plan of work. The teacher should have ideals, clear views of the ends to be attained, and should press the work forward to their accomplishment.

2. In lecturing too much about good order, behavior, rules, etc. Rather execute promptly and steadily the requirements which have been made. The teacher must be the master of his system, and not forget to keep it working.

3. In not planning and executing promptly room and class movements. In not having the pupils trained to do these things quickly and quietly. Lack of forethought and lack of training result in confusion and disorder.

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4. When good physical conditions are lacking. Do not try to teach children when they are tired, sleepy, or nervously unstrung. Monotony, tediousness, and too-long-continued exercise waste time. Give the pupils recreation—calisthenics, general exercises, or reading by the teacher or an appointed pupil. These conditions are often due to improper heating, ventilation, or lighting.

5. In not keeping the whole class at work. Some become idle or careless and the work must be done again to the loss of time of the whole class.

6. In scolding children. Those conditions which demand a remedy should be remedied. Action will be better than scolding. Lightning strikes; thunder merely makes a big noise and never does anything.

7. In repeating or paraphrasing the answers of the pupils. Cultivates inattention also.

8. In trying to teach the facts of a new lesson before the related thought in the last lesson is reviewed and refreshed.

9. In spending the time upon the development of facts not essential to the main thought of the lesson.

10. In indefinite questions which result in too much guessing. Often the meaning of a word would better be given by the teacher.

11. In trying to force an answer from a child who is unable or unwilling to give one. Treat with the child alone.

12. In permitting the children to criticize each other's work, and thereby wasting time upon trivial errors.

13. The teacher talks and explains too much.

14. In disputing with pupils.

15. In loose and unpremeditated assignment of lessons. Thus question, disputes, and explanation arise."

—Charles McMurry.

## ART OF QUESTIONING.

1. "Questioning is a difficult art to learn. It will be acquired by thorough preparation, by presence of mind, and by after-thought. Absent-mindedness is the cause of much poor questioning.

2. Think twice before asking a question. Do not vary, modify, and correct questions.

3. Make one question go as far as possible. Questions should produce thoughtfulness and reasoning.

4. Questions should be to the point, clear in their meaning, and distinctly stated. If the lesson requires deductive treatment, arrange the questions in a deductive order; if it requires inductive treatment, arrange questions in an inductive order.

5. Avoid questions which can be answered by "yes" or "no." Avoid all questions which suggest the answer. Make the question as brief as is consistent with clearness.