| Show 1 e E o V BY ELLA WHEELER WILCOX WILCO Copyright 1911 Journal Examiner F all aU people In the world I r feel reel O OF most moat sympathy for tor school teach teach- I ers era Their position is so Important their influence so vast ast their Intentions so I philanthropic their usefulness so handicapped han han- by The parents and b by the time school boards Not long ago I read the cry sent forth from a n man teachers teacher's heart about tho the difficulties he lie encountered in trying to instruct his children In manual trainIng trainIng train- train Ing Ins lessons Th The pupils were so badly brou brought t up at horne home so wilful BO so ungracious ungracious un un- un- un gracious so Inattentive that he had to give ghe a large portion of his time timeto to to training training- them in the tho small matters motters which should have been learned at home and the tho manual methods had to wait walt In con consequence consequence Such a teacher Is 51 situated like a achet chef chet who Is asked to prepare a g good od dinner In a short time and who receives from rom market not the expected chickens and vegetables all read ready for tor the grill or kettle l-ettJe but fowls and vegetables right from the soil unwashed unwashed unwashed un un- un- un washed and untrimmed If It his dinner IB is late by an hour who nho Is in fault fault- Surely not the chef Most children are arc sent to school chool raw row rowand and mentally and ond morally unwashed untrained In the common courtesies of or dati dally daily life Impertinent and Im Impolite Impolite im- im polite and lacking all Ideas of ot obedience obed obed- train these children Into 7 To 10 o attentive and interested students requires much and and more patience effort than thon to take them through two school years ears after atter they are trained There are arc too tom many young youn children sent into tho the s school rooms of or America A physician In Boston n 1 has stated that more than 1000 children n under ten years cars of ot age wear eyeglasses In ln thru that city He lie thinks It duo due to being taught taus-ht too young to study books 1 Tho 1 ho oyes a of the tho children were nero not intended for tor such work at that age Now ow comes a anew anew a anew new Idea In schools and it Is to be be hoped It will grow into a a. generally y I accepted accept d method of or teach teaching In tho the village of or e Ala across the bay bag baY f from Mobile b c is ia a a. little school that IB is often orten called a reform m not school not to reform form the a children Idren but butto butto butto to reform the methods of ot teaching There Is a k kindergarten n for tor children under seven soven years of age ge doing doing- the tha usual kindergarten work worle but no dictation dictation dicta dicta- tion nor close work nor finished t ric work for tor exhibition is to from seven seen thirteen Children years of ot age constitute the j life liCe cla class 8 where live 1 os as happy PP and wholesome whole whole- wholesome the they simply possible Ible J- J some a ute life as Si In the first ot of the time mo lite doss class thu children under hm lUlle no books the os es except as they the desire to to read Instead of the th formal learn loarn to I work nork of if rending reading an and writing g and ond numbers num- num tn have 0 1 bers era the children that music Is I singing pretty songs adapted to their 0 of pleasure singing years for the tho not I to be able ablo to read music or write mu mu- sic They They often orten act out or dramatize some song or poem Many poems are aro committed b by tho the children not as a 11 task but b by hearing the teacher recite re recite recite re- re cite the same saInt poem a number of times They have exercises In fundamental conceptions of ot number dally daily Stor telling Story occupies an Important place on the tho program In which the children become acquainted with all the best fairy fain tales legends leg folk lore and find myths and great stories of ot history In tho the most natural delightful way without danger of impairing the time eyesight eye eyo- sight ht b by bending over oer a book hook Spoken language langua o is cultivated in the story hour German Merman Is also taught b by the conversational method One of ot the most roost delightful Items of or the dally daily program pro- pro Bra gram braIn m Is tho walk No X-o definite order is followed but the direction of or tho the walk Is determined b by the Interest of ot the th-a day Sometimes a a. neighboring pond Is visIt visited vis vis- It d to watch tho the development of or tho the tadpoles Into frogs Sometimes the woods a aro are scour scoured d to discover the elusive elusive elusive elu elu- sive pistil of ot tho the pines Tho The identification identification cation of or trees in iii winter occupies occupieR man many walks In the the- spring sprin the appearance dally daily of or some new blossom occupies the tho Interest for many days Then there thero IB is the building of ot the birds nests to watch and all of or th the tho interesting bird mo Ufe to observe An outdoor gymnasium affords ample opportunity for tor acquiring many bodily accomplishments One period dall daily Is given to handwork handwork hand hand- work and ono also to tho the development of ot conceptions of ot color form forum etc Paper Paper Pa Pa- Ia per cardboard construction scissors Bors sors and paste cIa clay water colors and pencils arc are used Experience In growing growing- plants Is given given en every cry child Plots 0 of ot f ground are arc laid out In which ever every child ma may Plant what he choc chooses es and cultivate it In his own way woy with the assist assistance ance anco of ot the time teacher and the presence and activity of ot his t fellows to stimulate hiD hie perseverance A well-equipped well manual training department affords employment for tor both boys and girls a as soon as they are aro old enough to use tho tools The older division of ot the life Ute class class class- from ten to thirteen years eara of or age age age- continue the tho activities and experiences of or tho the younger group groups but they come Glad gradually to books This school began with Sift m eight pupils It now has Such schools should nature bo be established cs- cs all over o tho the land and ond no little child under ten should ever be besent besent sent to a school chool where the use of or books Is Imperative Any child who studies nature under wise teachers until ten ton and begins then to learn his letters will twill stand as high as others of ot his hisa a age e when he reaches the high school period And his iris health and powers POwer of or concentration exceed the average c. c Experiment and soo 0 Y |
