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PRIMARY DEVICES
BY
MYRA KING
AUTHOR OF "LANGUAGE GAMES" AND i"TALES OUT OF SCHOOL"
INTRODUCTIONS BY
DR. E. C. MOORE, J. B. MONLUX M. C. BETTINGER
WAYSIDE PRESS LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
COPYRIGHT, 1918
BY MYRA KING
INTRODUCTION
LOS ANGELES CITY SCHOOLS OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
Testimonials.
Miss King's little book will be an aid to anyone who will read it thoughtfully. She is a wise teacher who has medi- tated on what it means to teach, and has arrived at under- standing. I know that what she has written here, will be of use to others. It is particularly important, because it deals with the littlest children and what affects them is the chief concern of all.
E. C. Moore,
Dated at Los Angeles, Cal., August 7, 1918.
To Teachers:
Miss Myra King is bringing out another little book for teachers of primary grades, that will be especially helpful as it brings out in a helpful way, some of the most important habits that should be taught to the children, such as the ideas of self-government, respect for law and order and for the rights of others, respect for authority, etc., as also the ways and means of securing better results in the teaching of writing, spelling and allied subjects.
These ideas have been developed thru actual experience in the school room and are full of life and interest.
I know you will like it.
J. B. Monlux
Acting Supt. L. A. City Schools.
5
August 10, 1918.
As in former publications, Miss King has again in this book, shown herself a real teacher by keeping within the current of nature and therefore in the current of child nature. It is an effort to help teachers, especially young teachers, to get away from the notion of imposing knowledge and information upon children by a power from without them, and to get into the current of child mind development
In doing this, she aims to get and keep "the whole child in school," — his emotional life as well as his mental and physical. Truly, one of our gravest errors has been the idea that the schools were concerned only with the mental, or at best, with the mental and physical. The emotional life is the life of the child which makes or mars, and it should have its full share of attention in the rchools as well as elsewhere.
This book attempts to do that, and it should be of great assistance to teachers, especially beginners.
M. C. Bettinger,
Assistant Superintendent of School, Los Angeles California.
CONTENTS
Habit 9
Law 10
The Question of Flowers 18
Spelling 23
Appreciation of the Beautiful .... 29 Running Races with Themselves . . . .34 Seedtime and Harvest ...... 37
The Noon Hour 43
Courtesy . ...... 46
Retaliation or Getting Even . . . . .51
A Spelling Method ...... 54
Writing a Slow Race .57
"Don't" 60
Time Savers 63
Welcoming Committee ..... 66
Teachers 68
The Teacher's Holiday 71
Expression ........ 74
"Secrets "or "Surprises" 79
Co-Operation . . . . . . .88
PREFACE
A primary teacher, more perhaps, than any other person has to be on the alert every moment, always equal to an emergency of any kind, from a torn apron to a broken heart, and from the application of the multiplication table to an explanation of the causes back of the sunrise.
For these reasons, an unlimited supply of helpful sug- gestions are a necessary requisite to successful and timely encounter with these problems.
This little book is intended to furnish a variety of such helpful hints, which have proved their value in actual service, along the different lines of primary work.
MYRA KING
PRIMARY DEVICES
HABIT
The children will love to do things correctly when they have formed the habit of so doing. So the essential thing is to find all the little means and methods that can be used in establishing correct habits along all lines of speech, thought and action.
These little devices are nothing in themselves —only a means to an end and as soon as they have served their purpose they should be dropped.
The child is continually forming new habits, either good or bad, habits of industry, habits of independence, of success, of application, etc., or their opposites, habits of idleness, dependence, failure, etc., and it is the teacher's business to see that the habits formed are correct ones, for valuable as the subjects taught him are to be to him in the future, the habits formed in his school days are even more valuable, for after all the whole process of education is merely a habit- forming process.
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LAW
The place to establish right habits of thought and right modes of action is with the very little people. Their willingness to be guided and their eagerness to learn the right way make it a delight to guide the little feet to higher planes. We do not have to wait till they are in the upper grades before they can study " Civil Government." They can and should begin in the 1st grade to learn about "law," and this will not be a hard- ship or an added burden either to the teacher or to the children but a joy and a lightening of burdens as their highest sense of law is made practical by applying it to their school problems in all their details.
The first requisite is to make them understand that law is for the good of all — to enlarge the liberties of all — and to limit nothing but wrong. In other words they should be taught to love law. Then the next step — the keeping of the law — will become not merely a duty but a pleas- ure. This is the time to teach them to respect law. This is the time to teach them that they
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PRIMARY DEVICES 11
can neither break or evade a right law without injuring themselves as well as others. This is also the time to teach them their individual responsibility in helping to make good laws.
This work may be begun by showing them that the universe is governed by law, that without law chaos and confusion would reign. And this need take very little time — only four or five minutes in the morning and as much again in the evening.
To illustrate, the following sample lessons are submitted.
After the children are seated and the attend- ance noted on Monday morning, say to the class: "How many saw the sun rise this morning?" Immediately many little hands will be raised. Then ask: "How many saw it rise yesterday?" Again there will be a display of hands.
Then say: "Did you ever think how regularly the sun gets up every morning? It never forgets — it is never too late and never too early — always just on time. Suppose it should forget sometimes
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and so be a few hours early or a few hours late?"
Instantly a number of little hands will signify a desire to talk on the question. Allow a minute or two for the children to express their views and then say: 'The sun gets up just at the right time every morning because it is obeying certain laws which goven it. Now we have laws to govern our school which we must obey if we would have everything pleasant and everybody happy. Who can think of one of these laws-' A number of uplifted hands will evidence a recognition of your meaning.
Perhaps some child will say: "Miss Smith (the principal) told the boys the other day that we must not get a drink after the bell rings. Isn't that a law?" If this seems the best law to choose from among those given, explain to the children why "Miss Smith" made it. Show them that the boys and girls are apt to get so interested in their play that they forget all about a drink till the bell rings. Then all rush to the water, so causing confusion and consequently
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delay in getting at their work. Show them that this "law" is for the good of all and they will be eager to keep it.
Then say: "Now I am going to see how many keep this "law" today. I am going to write "Monday" here on the front board and this evening just before we go home, I am going to ask how many have kept the law.
Nothing more need be said on the subject till the close of the day. When the children are all ready to go home, go to the board where the word "Monday" is written and say to the class: "How many kept the law today?" Count the number of uplifted hands and write the number after the word "Monday." Then show an en- thusiastic appreciation of their effort by some such commendatory remark as, ' 'Oh, I'm so glad there were so many who remembered. They 11 be the men and women who know how to keep the law when they are big." Don't say anything about those who didn't keep it.
On Tuesday morning write the word ' 'Tues-
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day" under ' 'Monday'7 — this may be done with colored chalk — and say to the class: "I'm going to ask to-night how many have kept the 'law' today." When evening comes write after ' Tues- day" the number of those who kept the 'law" that day. Make some appropriate, appreciative remarks as before — much depends on this.
Repeat this every day during the week and by Friday almost every child will be "keeping the law."
The next Monday take up some new "law"- being sure to let the children have their part in selecting it — and follow the same method as in the previous week. Say to them, "We are not going to forget to keep this old 'law ' while we're keeping the new one so I'm going to ask how many have kept the old 'law' each day although I'm not going to put the number on the board."
At the end of two or three weeks the "old law" will have become so well established — so habitually kept that it may be spoken of only occasionally, but it should not be forgotten or
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neglected. As often as possible the teacher should speak of it. This may be done by some such remarks as these: "Oh, you don't know how happy it made me to see how many of my boys kept the law about getting a drink this noon.77 or "I have been noticing for some time how carefully John is keeping that law about getting a drink after the bell rings." This will be espec- ially effective if John is one of the boys who was slow to keep the "law" in the beginning.
Some of the "laws" of which the children will readily think may be: "We must not throw paper in the yard," or "We must not go off the grounds without permission," and they may be established in the same way.
After the class has worked in this way for some weeks and they begin to understand the meaning of law they may profitably commence making laws for themselves.
Before this is attempted the teacher should explain in a few words what it means to vote and then ask the class to name some laws which they
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think it would be well to keep. Usually a num- ber will be given as: "We must not whisper/' "We must not waste any time" or "We must not say any cross words."
After the teacher has selected one of these the children vote on it by raising their hands. If it becomes a law it is kept before their thought as were the others. In the evening find how many have kept the ' law" and commend them heartily, with some such words as: "What a glad or busy day this has been — the quiet pleasant room has made it so easy to get our work done, etc., etc." Perhaps some one will say: "But, Miss Blank, Jimmie had his hand up and he didn't keep the law." The most effective way to deal with this will be to say something of this kind: "Didn't he? Well that's too bad. I didn't think Jimmie would do that way. He can't be very happy." Then drop it — say no more about it and ' 'Jimmie" will be pretty sure to "keep the law" the next day.
One of the most important things in this work
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is to be sure that the teacher does not condemn or in any way discriminate against those who do not "keep the law" but that she gets her results by commending those who do. In this way the public spirit of the school will soon be a power for good which those who may not be in- clined at first to "keep the law" will not care to disregard.
It is generally admitted that early impressions are the most lasting and if the children get this right concept of law before they hear wrong and prejudiced concepts from their elders much will have been done for them.
If this method is adhered to throughout the lower grades much of what we call discipline in the upper grades will have become unnecessary.
It is absolutely necessary, however, in order to make a success of this work that the teacher be alert, loving and tactful.
"THE QUESTION OF FLOWERS"
The question of flowers is often a puzzling one to the primary teacher whose artistic sense is daily offended by the conglomerate mass of short- stemmed blossoms, held tightly in hot little hands, which find their way to her desk every morning.
But it need not trouble her for there is an easy, beautiful and satisfactory solution to this as to all other problems when we look for it earnestly. This is offered as one way — doubtless there are many others which each teacher will discover for herself — it is to have a "flower committee" appointed at the end of the week to serve for the following week. This committee should consist of four or five members and should include boys as well as girls.
When this method is first adopted the teacher will have to be wise in her appointments as some of the children, especially the boys, may be timid about bringing out their ideas, but if she begins by selecting those who seem to have a natural aptitude for bringing out harmonious conditions along this line, soon every child in the room will
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be available for the work and in due course each one should have his part in it.
It shall be the duty of the members of the com- mittee to be on the school-grounds as early in the morning as the rules of the school will permit. Each child who brings flowers must find some member of the committee on the grounds and deliver to that member his donation. The mem- bers of the committee must have the privilege of coming into the room as the flowers begin to arrive and there will soon be an abundant supply.
When "school begins" part of the time allowed for opening exercises should be given to an ap- preciative consideration of the results of the work of the committee. The primary teacher here, as elsewhere, must be an enthusiast. She should look for and commend all the little individual touches and original effects calling the attention of the class to the harmonious results attained.
One morning, perhaps, she will find that a single beautiful rose has been placed by itself in a tall slender vase. This will give an oppor-
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tunity to show the children that the beauty of the rose is dependent on its form as well as on its color, also on its freedom to display not only its form and color but the grace of its motion as well. To illustrate — the teacher says with gen- uine pleasure which at once communicates itself to the class, "Oh, see the beautiful red rose in this tall vase — see its nice long stem. And aren't we glad that we had this tall vase to hold it! Now/' giving the vase a gentle shake, "watch it nod its head. It think it is saying 'Good morning' to us. It couldn't do that if it were crowded in with a lot of other flowers. It's just like boys and girls — they couldn't do their work properly if they were crowded so close together that they couldn't move. I'm so glad out com- mittee arranged this rose just this way, for I think it's just beautiful, etc., etc."
Another morning she may find a long branch set with flowers trained up the wall, over the blackboard or across the window. This will be another opportunity to show the advantage of picking the flowers with long stems.
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Still another time there will be a great bunch of poppies or other flowers all of one kind. This will afford an occasion to teach the children how much more pleasure they will get from their flowers if they do not have too many kinds to- gether.
Sometimes they may have a "rose day" or a " violet" or "wild flower day" confining their decorations to the one kind of flowers.
Of course the committee must understand that they are responsible for the appearance of the room — floor, tables, etc., before their work is finished and that all old flowers, litter and other waste matter must be properly disposed of as a part of their work.
Very soon the school-room will begin to be a bower of flowers — will begin to ' 'bud and blossom as the rose." The children will get an unlimited amount of pleasure and profit from the work, the teacher will be relieved of caring for the flowers, and not only this but the influence of their awakened thought will be felt in the homes
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and the lessons in bringing out harmony, so learned will be invaluable to them throughout the years. And last, but not least, there will be a marked effect on the discipline in the room.
SPELLING
Most of us as primary teachers have had long and protracted struggles with the spelling prob- lem in the lower grades, and, as long as we must teach children to spell by the old hard method, are always grateful for any suggestions that will make the work less laborious for teacher and pupil and will at the same time bring about right results.
The important thing in this work is to find a way to keep every child eagerly, honestly and persistently at work till the lesson is learned, which will not take long if they are working in the right way and in the right spirit.
The following method has been found very successful.
Arrange to have ten or fifteen minutes, more if possible, to devote to the study of the day's spelling. Then say to the class: "Now, I am going to give you three, four or five minutes," as you can afford, * 'to study, while I sit here and watch to see who are the good workers."
Every child in the room will instantly go to
work with a will.
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When the given time has expired, the teacher, who is watching the clock as well as the children says: ' 'Who is ready to spell for me?" Then she selects from those who think they are ready, one whom she "saw working hard" saying some- thing to this effect, ' 'I think I'll try John — I saw him doing some good work."
John comes forward to the teacher's desk and spells the entire lesson for her at the same time watching to see who among his classmates is giving his whole attention to his study.
If John succeeds in spelling all the words he then becomes a teacher and asks who is ready to spell for him. He chooses from among those who raise their hands, as the teacher did, one whom he saw at work, as Ben. He and Ben stand a little distance from the teacher's desk and Ben spells all the words for John, both boys keeping a close watch to see who among those at their seats are doing good work.
When Ben has finished he and John are both teachers and ask those of the class who are ready
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to spell to raise their hands. Then each teacher selects one whom he saw working hard as "Tom" and "Fred." These boys come forward and spell while those at their seats continue their study.
When Tom and Fred have finished spelling, they select four more good workers who spell for them and so the work goes on. In a short time every child in the room has spelled all the lesson and has done some good study in order to be able to do it.
The teacher will have general supervision and if one of the " teachers " chooses a child who has not been working she will have to say: "I didn't see Dick working hard enough. You'll have to choose someone else."
This spelling is done aloud and after several are on the floor spelling, there will be a general hum of voices, but the children soon get used to that and those at their seats will go on with their study ,paying no attention to those who are spell- ing.
After they have become accustomed to spelling
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in this way, it will be helpful to let them — those who wish to do so — commit to memory the whole lesson and spell it without having the words pronounced. Then they may be allowed to commit the list backwords and in other ways of which they will often think themselves. This will give variety and interest to the work.
This ten or fifteen minutes will be a time when the teacher will have to speak loud to make herself heard, but it will be a busy time when every child will be giving his every thought to his work and the result will be that almost every child will have a perfect spelling lesson in the written work which follows.
If, during, this busy time, the teacher wishes to be heard, she taps the bell and instantly every child is quiet till they have her permission to go on with their work.
It is well to have this study period immediately precede the written spelling.
Just before the children are dismissed in the evening the teacher reads the names of those who
PRIMARY DEVICES 27
had perfect lessons and returns to them, their papers marked "100" in red ink. Before long, almost every child in the room will have a paper with "100" on it to take home, and they will treasure these papers very carefully.
Those who have made mistakes do not have their papers returned but the teacher keeps a list of all misspelled words and repeats them in the next lesson till they are learned also. If the class is spelling from a book, the assigned lesson should be shortened to allow room for these misspelled words which are placed on the board.
This will soon do away with the need of keeping children after school to learn misspelled words.
With the aid of some little paper fasteners and their colored crayons the children will enjoy mak- ing little decorated book covers the size and shape of their spelling papers in which to put their perfect papers so making a book of their "100's."
During many years of work in the primary grades, I have never found a method so successful in getting right results in everything that has to
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do with spelling as the one here outlined. The children not only learn the spelling, but they learn how to study, how to apply themselves to their work, even when surrounded by the hum of voices and they learn that they can have perfect lessons and learn to expect that of themselves habitually. Then there is no opportunity here for dishonesty — each must depend on his own effort and he learns to do it.
APPRECIATION OF THE BEAUTIFUL
Many of the little people are able to appre- ciate— in some measure, the natural beauty around them when they first come to school, but more of them, coming from homes where only the so-called practical is counted of importance, will never be even conscious of the beautiful in nature which greets them at every turn unless they are definitely taught to look for it and this also must be the work of the school.
Much may be accomplished along this line with very little time and almost no preparation. The teacher, however, will have to be an enthusiast here as elsewhere.
Many little opportunities will offer every day for directing the children's thought to some phase of beauty in their surroundings. A few suggestions are here offered.
Say to the class some morning when the dawn has been especially beautiful: tll wonder how many of my boys and girls saw the sun get up this morning " or "I wonder how many were ahead of the sun this morning and were up before
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he had dried up all the dew," or some other similar thing.
Perhaps John will raise his hand enthusiastically eager to tell you that he got up when Father did this morning, before daylight and that "every- thing was so still — you couldn't hear a sound till the sun came up, when suddenly all the birds began singing at once as if they were telling the sun 'Good Morning'."
Or perhaps Mary will tell you that the sky in the east this morning was "just the color of the big lilac bush in our back yard when it is in full bloom."
All these little evidences of the recognition of beauty should meet with the teacher's sympathetic appreciation.
The same plan may be followed in awakening them to observe the sunset.
Say to them some morning, "How many saw the beautiful sunset last night?" Perhaps several will have noticed it and will be eager to tell you that it looked "just like a great pile of roses" or "a great sheet of gold," etc. Let them talk
PRIMARY DEVICES 31
just a minute and then go on with the other work. The chances are that the next time you talk about sunsets, which should be within a few days, you will find a larger number prepared to talk on the subject.
These little talks need occupy only two or three minutes but will be far reaching in their results.
Perhaps Tom will come in some morning, just at the last minute, his face beaming with smiles, and his hat full of big red apples l 'for the teacher " or he may come bearing triumphantly the ' 'big- gest bunch of grapes in the vineyard." Tom has favored the teacher with these, his best, because "they are good to eat," but the wide awake teacher will see herein an opportunity to direct thought to the beautiful and while she shows her appreciation of Tom's thoughtfulness by some fitting reamrk as, "Won't they be fine with my lunch, etc.", she may hold them up before the class calling attention to their beauty — beauty of color, form, arrangement, etc., so that Tom may learn that his gift is valued not only because
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it is "good to eat," but because it ministers to a higher sense — the love of the beautiful — as well.
Again some glorious spring morning, when the air is odorous with the breath of spring flowers, and every little head is bent intently over its daily work, suddenly the school-room may be flooded with melody — the overflowing joyousness of the little feathered songster swinging on the branch just outside the window.
This will be another opportunity. Very quietly the children's attention may be directed to the little musician and they may be invited to put aside their work for a few minutes and enjoy this "free concert." If this kind of thing is done frequently and in the right spirit by the teacher, there need be no fear that the children will take advantage or be disorderly — on the contrary, they will grow more reverent toward the good and the beautiful in everything and will respond to the trust placed in them in a most satisfactory way.
There will be no days that do not afford some
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opportunity for recognizing beauty of some kind On a cloudy day attention may be called to the great piles of white clouds that look like snow- covered peaks, or like ocean billows, or to the long rows of black ones that look like distant mountain ranges, etc.; on a rainy day to the soft patter of the rain drops as they quietly do their work of cleansing and refreshing; on a cold day to the clearness of the atmosphere; on a hot day to the gentle little breezes that mitigate the heat, etc., thus teaching the children to look for and to find some redeeming feature in every situation.
They may get much pleasure from watching the growth and development of their house plants or in daily noting the unfolding of a rose. One rose bud may be kept by itself in a vase, appro- priate in size and shape, and its daily unfoldment will be a delight to the children. If picked early and with proper care it will last two weeks and unfold gradually and naturally.
These are just a few of the many little oppor- tunities that will come into every teacher's experi- ence— others will abound as both teacher and children begin to look for them.
RUNNING RACES WITH THEMSELVES.
One of the most necessary things and sometimes one of the most difficult things to secure with young children, is application. They mean to do — and they mean to do their best, and they mean to do it now — their intentions are always above reproach, but things around are so inter- esting, so insistent in claiming and holding their attention, though they intend "to look only for a minute" that before they realize it, the time is all gone and the spelling isn't learned, the examples aren't worked, etc.
For this reason, a variety of little devices for teaching application will be welcomed by the primary teacher.
One thing that may be done frequently and in a variety of ways is to let them run races with themsalves.
Have a short study period which the whole class is to devote to the study of spelling. Stand before the class and say: ' 1 am going to give you just one minute to study spelling and want you to keep account of the number of times you go
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PRIMARY DEVICES 35
over it" —they can do this with their fingers, by making little marks on papers, one for every time they go over the lesson, or in any way that they may think of. When the minute is gone, tap the bell, at which signal all study must stop, and allow each child to tell you how many times he studied the lesson. Then give them another minute letting them work and stopping them as before, but with the understanding that each is running a race with himself and is trying to get over the lesson more times than he did in the other minute. When this minute is gone, allow all who accomplished this, and so Mwon the race" to raise their hands and to tell you how many more times they studied it this time than before.
Immediately let them run another race and another race till all the study time, perhaps ten or twelve minutes has been consumed. By this time, almost every child will be ready with a perfect spelling lesson and will have learned , unconsciously, a valuable lesson in application besides.
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This method may be used with one or more of the particularly hard words in the lesson, with the tables, memory gems or any other memory work.
SEED TIME AND HARVEST
The primary teacher, perhaps more than any other individual, needs to remember that the harvest cannot differ essentially from the seed, and that the child-thought is the fertile and tillable soil in which she is daily sowing seed which must sooner or later in the very nature of things yield fruit of a like character.
Great responsibilities and great privileges are those of the primary teacher and while she should not allow the sense of responsibility to make her work burdensome yet she should be constantly alert that her sowing be of a kind that is worthy of reproduction.
To many children, "the teacher " is the highest authority on all subjects and if "the teacher said so" there is nothing more to be said on the sub- ject— no question to be raised — her word is "law and gospel'7 to them.
For this reason the teacher should be very careful what she says and how she says it.
In the hurry and press of a full day, it is very easy to say some little thoughtless, impatient
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thing which is immediately forgotten by the busy teacher, but which takes deep root in the childish thought and sooner or later bears fruit, after its kind, of which could she see it and know it, as the result of her sowing, the teacher would not be proud.
The following little story is a case in point.
A boy of sixteen — a good, industrious, well- meaning, intelligent boy, whose father was a man of intelligence and of some influence for good in the city, had fallen so far behind his class in mathematics in its various branches that he could not be promoted. This had happened several times, till now he was two or three grades behind the boys and girls of his own age.
In the city where this boy lived, the school authorities were especially awake to the children's needs and left no means untried to do the best they could see to do for the progress of each in- dividual child.
This boy, therefore, had special help in an ungraded room and every other advantage that
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the loving thoughtfullness of those in charge could devise.
But the boy continued to fail in that one par- ticular branch of the work.
Living on the same street with this boy's family was a teacher who taught in the district in which the boy belonged although he was at that time, attending an ungraded room at some distance.
One morning early, the mother of the boy came in tears to this teacher. "Tell me" she said "what to do with Rob — he is walking the floor, swearing, and declaring that he will never go into a school-room again. What shall I do?"
"Why" answered the teacher, when she had questioned a little, "there's only one thing to do — teach him till he begins to understand the subject — begins to have a grasp on it and so begins to have confidence in himself."
"But" answered the tearful mother, between her sobs, "he can't learn arithmetic — a teacher once told him so — neither can his older brother — it runs in the family, etc., etc."
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"Yes, but he can," answered the teacher whose experience with children had been long and varied, "get right at work and teach him."
"I don't know how" said the mother, "will you do it?"
'Yes," answered the teacher, "send him over this evening."
In the evening the boy came over and had his first lesson. They began at foundation principles but the teacher's special object was to find out, by careful questioning and loving patience, just where the trouble lay.
Finally it was disclosed that when the boy was in one of the lower grades and was one day having a severe battle with what was to him a stupendous problem, the teacher, who was trying to help him, becoming impatient with the slowness with which he grasped her explanations, turning hurriedly away to another child, had left him with the remark, "Oh, you can't understand it — you'll never be able to learn arithmetic anyway, etc., etc."
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An older brother having had a similar experi- ence previously — having been told the same thing —it was very naturally concluded that inability to ' 'learn arithmetic " was a family failing.
The older brother after many struggles, had yielded to discouragement, given up school and gone to work. Now the younger boy was con- fronted with the same situation. He said, ' There's no use — I can't learn arithmetic — I may as well quit and go to work."
The teacher, realizing that the boy was so discouraged that he could not make any effort, began with what she was sure he did know. She talked with him also — told him that he was a bright, intelligent boy and needed only to apply himself, etc., etc. Gradually she advanced to new subjects, tactfully and lovingly helping him over the hard places till he began to have confi- dence in himself and consequently courage to make the necessary effort. The transformation was wonderful.
At the end of a few weeks, he came as usual,
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one evening for his lesson. His face was all aglow. "Miss Gardner," he said, 'Tm going back to school." Needless to say that they rejoiced together.
Miss Gardner, being at that time principal in the district ,was able to keep loving watch over the boy's progress. The result was that he went steadily forward and graduated from the Grammar school with credit.
This is only one of the many instances that might be cited where impatient or thoughtless remarks — careless sowing — by the teacher has yielded a crop of weeds that had either to be uprooted as was done in this case, or that grew and multiplied to such an extent that they occu- pied the whole ground and so choked and starved the good seed that it has been unable to find any sustenance or any room for growth.
Surely a primary teacher must look at her work as a sacred trust and must act accordingly.
THE NOON HOUR
Time is money. This old saying is a trite statement of the generally accepted fact that we can not afford to waste or idly squander, even a moment of this precious possession. If we can not afford to waste time then it naturally follows that we can not afford to do worse than waste it — to fill it with harmful thoughts, words or actions.
There is, among teachers in large school build- ings, an almost universal custom of congregating in one of the class-rooms or in a specially provided ' lunch room" and so spending the noon hour together. This time, if properly spent, may be of great benefit to both the teacher and to the children whose intellectual and moral advance- ment she is directing. Such time will be profit- ably employed either in pleasant social intercourse or in the exchange of helpful experiences and useful suggestions along the various lines of school work so that the individual teacher may return to her afternoon tasks with some little gleam of inspiration gleaned from this mutual giving.
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It is to be regretted, however, that such results are not always the outcome of these noon gather- ings but that just the reverse is often true.
Not infrequently the course of procedure is something like the following: Jack's teacher relates in the most graphic manner all Jack's midsemeanors for the day — she has related all the previous ones previously — and closes her recital with some such statement as, ''Well, I don't know what's to become of the boy" or 'Td not be surprised at anything from him." Then the other teachers who have dealt with Jack in the lower grades rehearse his past mis- doings and encourage his present teacher with such reminders as, "You know I told you that you'd have a time with him, etc."
All this calls forth a similar recital of woes from Jimmie's teacher and similarly consoling remarks from Jimmie's previous teachers. And so the conversation proceeds.
When the noon hour is over, both teachers return to their class rooms fully expecting some
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form of wrong doing, and Jack and Jimmie feeling instinctively the distrust and fearful expectancy of the teachers, immediately proceed to fulfill that expectancy. And who is to blame? Are not the teachers as much responsible as the children?
' 'Do not look for wrong and evil, You will find them if you do;
As you measure to your neighbor, He will measure back to you."
1 'Look for goodness, look for gladness— You will meet them all the while; If you bring a smiling visage To the glass you meet a smile." These words of Alice Carey, indicate the right attitude of the teacher toward the children in her care, and any conversation which dwells unnecessarily on their shortcomings will unfit her to keep this attitude and so interfere seriously with her getting the best out of the children.
COURTESY
The hearts of the little people in the primary grades are so overflowing with that love and good will to all of which true courtesy is the natural expression, that it is a delight to so direct their various activities that they may become naturally and habitually courteous.
And the school room affords many and varied opportunities for making practical application of this teaching.
The following are some of the ways of reaching definite results.
Perhaps the teacher has learned that the Super- intendent, Mr. Smith, expects to visit her room to-day. After the opening exercises are over, she may talk to the children in some such way as this: "You'll never guess what nice thing's going to happen to-day." Immediately a number of little hands will signify a desire to ' 'guess." Let them guess for a minute. Then if no one has ' 'guessed" it, say: "Mr. Smith's coming to see us to-day. Aren't we glad? Now let's think what we can do to make him have a good time.
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You know how he spends his whole time going about from school to school or in some other way doing something to help the boys and girls. So we want to do all we can to make him happy when he comes to see us."
At once nearly every child in the room will set himself to thinking seriously and many ways of "helping Mr. Smith to have a good time" will be suggested.
Possibly at this point some child, voicing the results of home influences, may say, "Well, he gets paid for it, doesn't he?"
This will be an opportunity to bring out a right attitude toward public service and public servants. "Yes," she may answer, "he is paid for it but, you know, money can't pay for the thoughtfulness and kindness with which he is always planning and searching out better things for the children in our schools, etc."
When this phase of the matter has been suffi- ciently discussed, then definite plans for Mr. Smith's entertainment may be begun.
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The teacher should be careful to see that the children have their part in this discussion and that the plan outlined for "the entertainment of Mr. Smith "• is evolved by the children under her guidance and is not an arbitrary arrangement by herself. She should also be watchful that no least, timid suggestion be overlooked or under- valued. If some child suggests something that is not practical or for some other reasons can not be carried out, the teacher should explain the reasons and thanking the child for his willingness to help, avoid giving him a sense of discourage- ment which might prevent his giving expression to any other helpful idea which presented itself to him.
The plan, when completed, might be something like the following. Of course, this in only sug- gestive and may be enlarged upon indefinitely.
Certain definite things may be given to certain children. For example: Mary will take Mr. Smith's hat. John will get Mr. Smith a chair. Harry will give him a book if the class is reading when he comes, and there will be other little
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courtesies of which they will think which may be assigned to certain ones.
But this will not satisfy them as by this time, each child will feel that he must have some part in Mr. Smith's entertainment.
The question, then, will be to find something that will please Mr. Smith in which all may par- ticipate.
By careful guidance from the teacher, the children will see that "Mr. Smith couldn't be very happy if he had to sit and look at lazy, idle boys and girls — so everyone can help in that way —everyone can work. Then, of course, Mr. Smith will enjoy people who have nice quiet feet, nice quiet lips, people who are kind to their neigh- bors, etc., etc."
The result will be that Mr. Smith will have a most delightful visit and will probably say so. If he does, the children may tell him how they have planned to make him "have a good time0 which will add to their enjoyment of the occasion.
After a few such planned "entertainments"
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the children will perform these little hospitable offices spontaneously and naturally and a visitor to the school-room will be welcomed as cordially and entertained as graciously as a guest in the home.
And to many of the children who have little or no such home training, this work in the school will open up ways of usefulness and thoughtful consideration for others that will be a continual delight to themselves and a source of joy and restfulness to all with whom they are associated.
RETALIATION OR "GETTING EVEN"
The desire to "get even" for an offence imagin- ary, or otherwise, is often as strong with little children and forms as great a problem to those dealing with them as to those dealing with the so-called mature thought.
Tom says, ' 'John took my pencil and I'm going to take his pencil" or "Ben called me names and I'm going to call him names, etc." and it seems hard to impart to Tom's disturbed thought, smarting under the sense of injustice and injury, any desire or sense of the necessity for applying the Golden Rule.
However, in this as in all other problems there is a right way.
One way which has been tried and proved effective, is to place the suffering for the offence where it properly belongs — with the offender.
Show Tom that the boy who does the wrong act is the one to be pitied and that the one thing for him to do is to be sure he does right himself.
The little folks are very logical in their reason-
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ing and will soon grasp the truth in this view and will gradually learn to apply it.
The following experience is to the point.
One day, a primary teacher, who was trying to use this method in her own work, was on duty on the yard during the last part of the noon inter- mission.
When the children began to return from their lunches, Freddie, a little seven-year-old, who was not one of her pupils, and so not accustomed to her ways, came to her in great distress, the tears running down his face, his clenched hands showing the intensity of his mental disturbance, and said, between his sobs, as he pointed to another boy, standing at some distance, "Miss Blank, that boy makes faces at me all the way home."
Without seeming to recognize that there might be another side to the question, the teacher, putting her arm gently around Freddie, and looking pityingly at the other boy, said, t 'It's too bad, I'm so sorry for him. I don't believe he's very happy, do you?"
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That was a new point of view to Freddie. With unfeigned astonishment and a quick, com- prehensive grasp of her meaning, he dropped his arms, dried his tears, and looking at her question- ingly for a moment, bounded off to his play with- out another word and that was the last she ever heard about the "faces."
A SPELLING METHOD
Every teacher knows that every child in the class can learn the spelling lesson assigned him. She knows also that when his work is not done, the failure is due in almost every instance, to neither lack of ability nor lack of time but to lack of application. The problem then, is, not to in any way change the work given him or to either force or persuade him to give more time to it ,but to find some way or ways to teach him to use to the best advantage the time he has, in other words to teach him how to apply himself to his work. She will therefore, find use for a great number of ways and methods of keeping the class persistently at work and yet keeping their interest from flagging.
One excellent way to accomplish this result is to have each child "run a race with himself/' They may "run races " with each other but that is apt to encourage dishonesty as the teacher cannot give personal supervision, and may also bring about a kind of rivalry which would result in discord.
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This may be arranged in this way. Each child may have a little book, which he can prepare himself, made of several small pieces of paper pinned together.
When the study period arrives, the time to be devoted exclusively to the preparation of the spelling for the day, each child with his little book on the desk will begin his study while the teacher gives her attention to the other class.
A certain number of times for the study of each word will be agreed upon as five times or ten times. Each child will go over the whole lesson, studying each word the required number of times. When he has studied the lesson in this way once, he will put down in his little book, on the page devoted to that day, one straight mark.
Every time he goes over the lesson in this way, he will add another mark, thus keeping account of the number of times he goes over the lesson.
When the study period has elapsed, the teacher will walk down the aisle, stopping beside each desk and so helping each child compare today's record with yesterday's.
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If this work is continued for a week, almost every child in the room will find that his record shows a steady increase in the number of times he has been able to go over the lesson and he will also have made an advance in the habit of appli- cation that will be worth much more than the mere learning of the spelling lesson.
In this, as in all the other devices here presented, the teacher's enthusiastic appreciation of every effort as well as of avery achievement is absolutely essential to right results.
WRITING A Slow Race.
In almost every department of school work, the teacher's endeavor must be to encourage greater activity — greater speed in getting accurate results. This is the aim in the spelling work, the number work, and much of the other drill work that makes up the problems of each day.
In teaching writing, exactly the reverse is true. The tendency with the children will be to rush through page after page of copy-book or paper, giving little or no attention to the forms of the letters. Any devices which will offset this ten- dency, will be welcomed by every primary teacher.
One very helpful thing which may be used quite often, is a ''slow race."
When the class have been given their writing materials, books, papers or whatever is being used, the teacher may say: "We are going to do something new today — going to run a race — a new kind of a race — a 'slow race.' '
Then the teacher will explain: "I am going to give you just so many minutes (five or ten)
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let you all begin at the same time and see who can write the smallest number of lines without wasting any of the time."
When the "race" begins, the teacher will have to keep very careful supervision that some of the children do not stop to look around and see how others are getting along or they may even stop a minute to let others get ahead. The teacher will have to guard against this and may do so by having it understood that anyone who is found not writing all the time, will not be counted in the race.
If this "slow race" is used quite often, the children will soon become observant of the letter forms — first because they are trying to write slowly and finally because they are interested in making them correctly.
When the time has expired, the teacher may write on the board the names of those who wrote the smallest number of lines.
Or when the race begins, the teacher may designate a certain number of lines, as: "Now
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let's see how many can write fewer than three lines" in the given time.
All who do this, have "won the race", and may have their names on the board.
It will add to the interest if these names can be left on the board and every time a child ' 'wins the race" a mark of some kind placed after his name.
There comes a time in older grade work, when practice in rapid writing is necessary, but with the little people the essential thing is to form their letters carefully and correctly and this little device will prove a great aid in helping them to do this.
"DON'T"
"Don't" is a little word which might profit- ably be eliminated from every teacher's vocabu- lary. The only good thing that can be said about it is: "Don't say it"— "Don't use it."
The use of this word in the school-room is not so common as it was in the last generation, but even so there is still opportunity for wisdom in "it's disuse."
The kind of goodness which results from its frequent use is a negative kind of goodness — goodness resulting from fear of the consequences of wrongdoing rather than active, energetic good- ness resulting from love of right.
The constant use of this word tends to paralize originality and activity if it does not cease to have any effect whatever. In correcting wrong habits or errors of any kind, it will be found much more effective to recommend the right course of action than to forbid the wrong. It will be found better to say: "John, see what a nice straight back you can have," rather than: "John, don't stoop over your desk in that way" or to say: "John, see how still you can keep your feet,"
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rather than, "John, don't make so much noise with your feet."
This constant use of ' 'don't" continually, directs the children's attention to the very thing which you wish to correct, thus, with those who endeavor to be obedient creating a fear that they will disobey and so bringing to pass the very thing they would avoid while with the careless or unruly it serves to keep the matter constantly in thought when the only way to destroy the wrong habit or action is to first eliminate it from thought.
At the close of the day, if the teacher has ob- served ever so slight an effort on John's part to have quiet feet, she will find it very effective to make some little comment showing her appre- ciation of John's effort as: "You don't know how much I have enjoyed John's nice quiet feet today," or "How much John has helped us all today by having such nice quiet feet." A few such little remarks will do more for John's feet than all the "don'ts" you can crowd into a term.
"Yes," someone may say, "but the children
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should do right just because it is right and with no other incentive/'
True, but which of us older ones has yet risen above the need of occasional incentive in the way of encouragement and appreciative recognition of our effort? And while the one object should be to teach the children to do right for the love of right only — while that should be the bright and shining goal, yet there are camping places on the journey there — rest places where they may turn for food and drink — and perhaps for shelter before they march onward with renewed energy. And these occasional words of encour- agement from those we know love us and would help us, are such rest places on the road.
Many of these little ones never hear an encour- aging word in their home life — many times the mother is too busy caring for the material needs, to think of this greater need, and sometimes she doesn't recognize that there is such a need, so oftentimes the children are heart-hungry for that little bit of loving recognition which may transform the most difficult and distasteful task into an endless delight.
TIME SAVERS
While we do not want our children to be ' 'time servers" we do want them to learn to be "time savers" for many an otherwise well-equipped youth has suffered defeat solely because of his inability to take care of the minutes — his lack of appreciation of their value and importance.
The person who pleads lack of time as an excuse for failing in certain duties, will frequently find, if he will stop to consider the matter, that his failure was due not so much to lack of time as to lack of wisdom in using his time.
The school-room is the place to teach the value of time and there are many little devices that may be used to advantage in establishing time- saving habits.
Here is one that will be found helpful.
Frequently when you can spare a few minutes between recitations, two, three or sometimes even one, stand before the class with watch in hand or directing children's attention to clock, show them with pointer just where the minute hand is now and just where it will be at the end of the
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next two or three minutes or whatever the time you wish to use.
Then say to them, ' 'Now, I am going to stand here while you study spelling. Each one get a piece of paper and your pencil and every time you go over the spelling once, put a mark on your paper. Don't look at the clock and when the time is gone I'll tell you and then I'll let each one tell me how many times you studied it. I'll tap the bell when the time is gone.
Immediately every child will go to work with a will — there will not be an idle thought in the room.
When the time has expired tap the bell requir- ing every child to fold his hands on the desk. Then run down each line quickly allowing each child to tell you how many lines he has on his paper. Commend those who have done well- both those who have gone over the lesson many times and those whom you saw working hard. Then point out to them how much has been accomplished in these few minutes and then drop the matter.
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Do this as often as convenient, always dwelling on how much has been accomplished in the short time.
This time may be put on some specially hard word or words in the spelling, on the tables or on any other part of the work that requires special attention and may in that way be made to do double duty.
Then it will be well to refer to these experiences occasionally, always calling attention to the fact that it was "only a minute'7 and yet that much work was done.
This will be particularly helpful to the child who habitually says or thinks, "In a minute" or "Wait a minute."
WELCOMING COMMITTEE
Many of the children in out schools come from homes where the finer things of life are entirely lacking, and all the training they will get in these will have to come through the schools so the school should be on the alert always, that it may sieze any opportunity to help uplift.
A tl Welcoming Committee" will be prolific of good with these little people.
This committee may consist of two or three members and should be appointed Monday morn- ing to serve during the week.
The teacher will have to use wisdom in her appointments, especially at first, choosing only those who have confidence and are not afraid, later the timid ones may gradually be pressed into service.
When she first appoints the "committee", the teacher should give a few general instructions as to their duties and then leave them free to be as original as they like, and she will be delighted to see how many thoughtful, kind, courteous things they will think to do.
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The general directions given the "committee", should be such as will enable them to make any visitor feel "at home" and comfortable among them. Some of these will be to go to the door when someone knocks or enters, to offer a chair and a book, take a lady's parasol and packages, or gentleman's hat and cane, etc.
Of course, the other children must attend to their work and it will be understood that only from among those who do so, will the committee for the next week be appointed.
This will not only be of great value to the children, but will also be a source of great pleasure and satisfaction to the guests.
TEACHERS
The primary teacher cannot have too many ' 'devices " for securing sufficient drill on spelling and on the different number combinations, tables, etc.
This has been found a very successful method to be used occasionally.
Suppose the teacher has two classes in the room, and one of the classes is learning the tables. During the study period which is assigned to this class while the teacher is giving her attention to the other class, much may be accomplished by letting some child "play teacher."
The teacher should begin her work with the other class, allowing this class five or ten minutes to study their work, tables, spelling or whatever the work may be.
When the time has expired, she should allow someone, whom she has seen working all the time, to attempt the task assigned — she may suspend her work with the other class long enough to hear this one "say his table," "spell his words " or do whatever else the work calls for.
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If his effort is a success, then she should place a little table in the front of the room — by her desk, allowing this child "to be teacher " for his class while she goes on with her other *work.
This " teacher*' will quietly watch the class for a few minutes to see "who is working hard" and then, by some sign upon which they have agreed and which will not disturb the work of the other class, he will signify his desire to hear this child recite the work he has been preparing.
In this way he will go on hearing each in turn, till all have had an opportunity, always being careful to select one who has "been doing good hard work."
There should be somewhere in the room and easy of access, a supply of books — story books or other books of interest to the children and as they do their work to the satisfaction of the "teacher*' they may each select a book for him- self, and devote the rest of the time to his book.
If any child fails, he must go back to his work and apply himself to it till he can show the results
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of work in his recitation. Then he, too, may have a book.
This will keep the class profitably employed while the teacher is busy with the other class and will also be of great value in giving much practice on difficult phases of the work and in doing this in a way that will be a pleasure to the children.
The teacher should be careful in her selection of a "teacher", choosing one who is not only capable but just, impartial and independent as well, and as fast as practicable each child should have his opportunity.
THE TEACHER'S "HOLIDAY'
One of the mistakes most frequently made by the mother in the home, is that of taking all the care and responsibility thus allowing the children to form the habit of depending on "Mother'' for everything. Then when the children are older, the Mother cannot understand why they have so little regard for her comfort, remembering as she does, how her one thought was to spare them all care and she does not see that she is but reaping the result of her wrong methods.
In the school-room, the same wrong method is frequently followed, and the children are not taught to regard in any measure, the teacher's rights or comfort.
To be sure, both teacher and pupils may argue, "Yes, but the teacher is paid for her work for the children and it is her business to see that all their school needs are cared for."
Yes, truly, and it is for that very reason that it is part of her work for them that she endeavor to teach them a due regard and consideration for those who serve them. Many of the children
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will never learn it at all if they do not learn it at school. Gratitude to public servants for un- selfish and efficient service, is something that needs cultivation among our American young people.
There are many little devices which the teacher can use to bring out a better sense in this regard.
One of these ways is to have an occasional ' 'holiday" herself.
Some morning at the beginning of school, she may announce to the children: "I have been teaching every day for a long time and now I feel as if I'd like to be company today and let someone else do the teaching."
This will delight the children and they will all want to "be teacher. "
Then the teacher may select someone in whom she has confidence to hear the first recitation, while she sits back in her chair playing company, and turning the school, as far as possible, over to the children.
She may select some other child for teacher
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during the next recitation, and so on till she has been "company" long enough. When her t 'holi- day " is over, whether a day or a part of a day, she should tell the class how much she has enjoyed her "holiday" and commend their every little effort to make her l 'have a good time."
If the children have been allowed a good deal of freedom in the school-room, they will think of many little things to do. One child may go out and get her a drink, another, if it is a warm day, may offer her a fan, etc. All these little courtesies should be received in the spirit in which they are given and with a grateful recognition.
If something of this kind is used frequently, the teacher will soon see a marked improvement in the children's attitude toward her and it will not be only on her special "holidays," but there will be an increasing thoughtfulness for her com- fort each day and every day.
EXPRESSION
Of course, it is advisable to have the children learn to bring out the meaning in what they read, as early in their study of reading, as possible.
The reading methods of today in which much preparatory work is done on the board and in other ways, before books are put into the hands of the children ,does much to bring about right results in this matter.
And yet, with all this drill and careful prepara- tion, the teacher will frequently find that as soon as the children begin to use their books, the ten- dency is to "say words " and give little or no attention to bringing out the meaning. It is usually of little help to tell the child to "bring out the meaning" or to "use expression" as these interruptions only serve to confuse and discour- age him. There are, however, many little helps in this work which every teacher finds for herself and the following are some such helps that have been proved in the school-room.
Every day, just before the reading from the books, it will be found helpful to have a little
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preparatory board work. The teacher may write on the board, two or more short sentences formed from some of the longer sentences in one of the paragraphs of the lesson. For instance, she may write: "John had two apples." Then she may ask some child to read it, telling him to have some "strong" word in it. In reading this sentence, this child may make "John" the "strong" word and read it in this way: "John had two apples." The teacher should commend this reading and lead the class to see that this way of reading it, shows that it was not Tom or Ben who had the two apples, but "John."
Then she may ask who will volunteer to make some other word the "strong" word. Perhaps Henry volunteers and reads it, making "two" the "strong" word in this way: "John had two apples." The class will readily see that Henry 's reading brings out the number of apples John had — not three or four — just two.
Another reading, making "had" the "strong" word and bringing out the thought that John had
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the apples but hasn't them now and still another making apples the ' 'strong" word, and bringing out the thought that John had apples, not peaches, pears, or anything else — just apples, will help the class to see that much depends on having some ' 'strong" words and also on making just the right words "strong" words.
Then when the class turns to the book and reads about John and the apples, a number of the children will apply what they have learned, some- times almost unconsciously, and will so inevitably put more expression into the lesson.
If this method is used persistently, the class may go to the extreme of having many ' 'strong" words and "very strong" words, and will some- times make the reading of a very simple passage quite dramatic. But this need cause no alarm, as any such extravagance will gradually be modi- fied and even if it were not, it would be preferable to the monotone which so often becomes habitual.
Another help in this work is to tell them to talk" the reading. It is not well to talk to
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them about ' 'expression " as that sounds big and hard to them. They may be allowed to read a sentence — the sentences for this work should be short — then shut the book and "talk" it to the teacher.
Then when some child can read some lesson especially well, he may be allowed to take his book to the office and read it to the Principal, if she has time to hear him. Another time, the Principal may be "invited" to come and hear some specially good reading, and one or two of the children who are to do the reading, may take her the invitation.
Then, by special arrangements among the teachers, these little ones may be allowed to read, occasionally, a well-prepared story to one of the upper grades who will get no less pleasure and frequently no less profit from these occasions than do the little ones themselves, whose sweet- ness and genuine simplicity will be a source of delight to the older ones.
Then again, they may sometimes be allowed —
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children in the third and fourth grades — to read a particularly interesting story to the first grade. These are only a few of the little helps that will make the reading work both more pleasant and more profitable.
' 'SECRETS" OR ' 'SURPRISES"
There is nothing that so pleases a child as to "have a secret" and to "have a secret with the teacher" affords him the greatest delight.
This tendency of the child-thought may be so gratified as to bring about very satisfactory results.
Some of the ways in which this may be used are here presented.
Suppose the class in numbers has been having hard work with some of the tables — the 8's for example, say to them some morning, "Wouldn't it be just fine if we could all learn that table so well that Miss Green (the teacher) could put a big red 100 on every paper- Then we could put them up on the front board and ask Miss Rivers (the Principal) to come in and see them. Wouldn't she enjoy it- Suppose we try it. Let's all work just as hard as we can, and the first time we all have 100, we'll call Miss Rivers in to see our papers."
As soon as the class has decided to attempt this achievement, Miss Rivers may be invited
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into the room and acquainted with the fact that a surprise is awaiting her — is preparing for her. She may also be informed that at present it is a secret. She may then be induced by a little outside explanation from the teacher, to come in frequently to "see if that surprise is nearly ready " and ' 'if she is soon to be let into that secret."
This will help to keep the children enthusiastic and they will find all kinds of ways to practice "saying the table. " They will take the work home. Father and Mother, big brothers and sisters with other members of the family will be pressed into service and called upon "to hear me say my table."
Every day the teacher will find a few minutes for this subject, will distribute slips of paper to the class, asking them to write the table, allowing a certain length cf time in which to do it and collecting the papers at the end of that time, whether they are finished or not.
Perhaps the "surprise" may be delayed by the laziness and idleness of Tom and Kitty,
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which results in their daily failure to attain the standard of perfection. The class will soon be come awake to this — will soon recognize what it is that is delaying matters, and "public senti- ment " will become so pronounced in the class against idleness and laziness that Tom and Kitty will be glad to get to work in earnest and so will soon bring sufficient effort .to bear to enable them to reach the required standard.
Then, when the unbroken line of "big red 100 V is displayed across the front of the room, Miss Rivers may be called in, told that the ' 'surprise " is ready and so "let into the secret."
Her enthusiastic appreciation of the occasion will delight the children and as soon as she has gone there will probably come from all parts of the room, "Let's do it again," and "Let's give her another surprise."
The teacher will, of course, encourage these aspirations in the right direction and various other "surprises" may be planned.
In this way, many of the otherwise "hard
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places " may be made a pleasure to the children.
Other tables, those that seem especially hard, may be used as a basis for these ' 'surprises" and the manner of presentation may be varied— indeed must be to hold the interest of the class.
One ' 'surprise" with the tables may take this form. When every child in the class can repeat this particular table, then Miss Rivers may be called in, the children may stand, arranging themselves in two rows as for an old-fashioned spelling match. If the class is about evenly divided between girls and boys, it may add to the interest to have the boys on one side and the girls on the other. Then each child will repeat the " table," first one on one side and then one on the other, as in the spelling match. If a child fails to do it readily, he may sit down. When each child has had his chance, then it will be ascertained how many on each side were able to stand. But the object of the "surprise" will be to prove to Miss Rivers that everyone can do it, and the "surprise" will not be considered an absolute success if any child has failed.
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This method may also be used in spelling. A list of the words habitualy misspelled may be kept and drills of various kinds may be used with them and then when every child has mastered them all, they will be ready for another ' 'surprise."
Miss Rivers may be called in and each child in turn allowed to stand and spell all the words, they may write them on slips of paper, the teacher marking the 100's in some conspicuous way, or in any other of a variety of ways show that they have mastered these particular words.
The effort and the work required in preparing these ' 'surprises " will so fix these things in thought that there will be no danger of their being forgotten and will, moreover, establish habits of persistence, application, industry and originality that will be invaluable to them, not only in all their school work but also in all the work of all the years that follow.
This idea of "secrets" and "surprises" can be used effectively in many other ways of which the teacher will think for herself.
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One way is for the class to have a ' 'secret " with the teacher which, when the preparations are all made, is to be disclosed to the ' 'Fathers, Mothers, etc." The children will each inform the members of his family that an event of im- portance is approaching and that they are to share the secret when the right time arrives. This will arouse an interest in the family and so stimulate the child 's activities that he will be able to bring out speedy and desirable results.
These tl surprises" for the family should con- sist of exercises taken from the regular school work, and especially from those parts of the work that have presented special difficulties to the class or to any part of the class. These things should be dwelt upon, practiced and reviewed till the children have mastered them, then they may be made into a program to which "the family" is invited.
Perhaps John's weak point has been spelling. Then John can practice on a particularly hard list of words till he is sure of them. As John's
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part of the " entertainment " he may stand in the front of the room and spell these words as they are pronounced by the teacher and nothing will so gratify John's mother, who knows his struggles with spelling, as to see him come off victor in this encounter.
Jack, who has had to do good work to memorize the tables, may do special work on these, and so be prepared to repeat several of the more difficult tables.
Several of the most interesting lessons in the regular reading work, may be read by children, who have worked at them till they can read them well.
The "memory gems'7 which have been learned during the term, may be recited, some in concert by the whole class, and some by individuals.
The songs they have learned may be used in the same way — there may be a chorus or two and then ' 'solos/' "duets," "trios" etc., etc.
Some of the children may tell stories — either something they have found for themselves or something told to the class by the teacher.
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Many other helpful plans and devices for these ' 'entertainments*7 will present themselves to both teacher and children, but everything having place in these programs should be part of the regular school work.
In this way, the parents may become familiar with and interested in, the daily work of the children and this will result in a healthy spirit of co-operation between the home and the school besides calling into interested activity the child's best efforts in all the lines of school work.
Programs for these occasions may be prepared by some of the class who do neat, careful writing. The teacher may write the program on the front board and, giving these children each a number of papers of uniform shape and size allow them to make as many copies as she thinks can be used, and this work may constitute their part in the "entertainment."
There are many other ways in which this ' ' sur- prise " method may be used.
The girls may be allowed to come into the room
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early some morning and decorate with flowers and greenery as a surprise for the boys and the boys may be permitted to do the same for the girls or perhaps their manual work will furnish something pleasing and helpful with which to surprise the girls.
Sometimes some individual child may have a " secret " with the teacher and prepare a surprise for the whole class as some interesting story, some pleasing song, etc., etc.
The teacher, by a little consultation and mutual adjustments with the teacher of the class just above or below, may arrange for one room to ' 'surprise " the other.
If it is approved by all, principal, teachers and pupils, these little ones may even be allowed to prepare a surprise for one of the upper grades.
This kind of work will bring about a spontaneity and originality of thought and action among the children, the value of which cannot be estimated and will also inspire a spirit of unity and mutual understanding between teacher and pupils which will be a basis for co-operative work along all lines, while at the same time it will secure the necessary drill and review on the difficult parts of the work without making that drill irksome.
' 'CO-OPERATION'7
Mucn a» it is in the home where Mother does everything — attends to everything — is responsible for everything — thus depriving the children of their share in the responsibilities of the home- making which is their right and which should be their preparation for intelligent and efficient service in the world's work — so it is in school.
The teacher, forgetting that the school is for the children and that a little work done by them is better than much work done by herself or that even poor work which is the result of the children's best effort is better than perfect work, the result of the teacher's years of experience — impatient with their awkwardness or their clumsy results- finds it easier and more satisfactory to do many things herself which should be done — no matter how imperfectly — by the children, thus defeating in a measure, the very purpose of the school.
Suppose the children's work is imperfect- amateur — we learn by our mistakes. * 'Experi- ence is always victor."
The wise and the conscientious teacher, there-
88
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fore, will always be on the lookout to see how much of the school problem in all its varied phases she can turn over to the children. And she will find as she does this, that new ways will be con- stantly opening by which the work of the school, government and all, may be given over into the hands of the boys and girls. She will find, to her delight, that in the degree in which she learns to trust them and learns to expect them to be reliable and efficient, in that same degree they will begin to manifest self-reliant trustworthiness. This will also develop that spirit of co-operation between teacher and pupils which is so essential to obtaining right results in any line.
There are many ways in which she may begin to make the children feel that it is their school and that they are responsible for its success — also to establish a pride in their work which will be far-reaching.
One helpful way to begin this work is to leave the children alone frequently.
If the teacher has no excuse for leaving the
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room ,she may go outside the door and stand in the hall for a few minutes. Before doing this, she should tell the class that she will be gone only a little while and that on returning, she will ask how many worked all the time she was out and tried to do just as nearly right as they would have done had she been there.
The first time she tries this she will probably find that in answer to her query every hand in the room will be raised. Then there will immedi- ately follow a sudden outburst from a half dozen indignant little citizens: "Why, Miss Blank, John had his hand up and he didn't work at all," or "John talked all the time, Miss Blank, etc., etc."
The best way to deal with this, will be for Miss Blank to answer in some such way as this: "Did he? I'm so sorry! I didn't think John would do that way. I don't believe he's very happy, etc."-— then give her attention to those who did do right allowing them to tell how many times they studied the spelling or the table or whatever their work was — pay no more attention to John
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and the probabilities are that the next time she leaves the room, John will do his share.
Possibly there will be others who do not work and who do not raise their hands. If there are those who do this, the same treatment given John will usually prove effective for if they have dis- turbed no one, there will be no incentive to further wrongdoing.
The teacher should give much attention, how- ever, to those who did their best, referring to their work frequently and calling attention to it whenever opportunity offers.
Very soon she will find that she may leave the room for an indefinite length of time and the work will go on as harmoniously and uninterruptedly as if she were there.
Of course, this kind of work is valuable beyond price in helping to establish habits of self-govern- ment, self-reliance and honesty.
Someone may object, however, and say that a self-reporting system encourages dishonesty and deception. That may be the tendency in the
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beginning, but as the method already outlined is carried out, it will be found to eliminate rather than encourage these things.
Many other little ways will be found every day by which the children can co-operate with the teacher and they will do it heartily.
Suppose a little table holding a bowl of roses is to be placed where the roses will appear to the best advantage.
It may be easier and take less time for the teacher to place the table and have the roses on it when school begins, but it will be more helpful to the children to "talk it over" with the class and let them help make the decision. And they will not only have an added lesson in co-operative work, but will also profit by having their artistic sense guided and quickened by the experience.
Perhaps curtains are to be procured for the windows — "talk it over" with them — discuss color, style, etc., and so make them feel an inter- est in the selection of the curtains and a satisfac- tion in them when they are obtained.
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These are only a few of the many little oppor- tunities which every teacher may use to advantage in establishing a spirit of mutual and loving helpfulness between teacher and pupils which will help to make school days a joy and also will establish habits that will be priceless in the years to come.
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