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The PARKER A where the candidate is individually con

RECOMMENDING AGENCY

Teachers Agency

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sidered for specific positions upon the direct request of school officials. The service of two Agencies at the price of one. If you are not familiar with the "Parker" waydifferent from all others-write either office at once for free descriptive literature.

THE ALBERT TEACHERS' AGENCY,

C. J. ALBERT, Manager

623 South Wabash Ave., Chicago, Ill.

Twenty-sixth year. Best Schools and Colleges everywhere our permanent clients. You want to read our new booklet
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Realty Building, Spokane, Washington.
Idaho Building, Boise, Idaho.

Western Offices:

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ABOUT YOUR POSITION FOR SEPTEMBER

Write, stating your qualifications and expectations and we will give you our confidential opinion of your prospects through our service.

The Clark Teachers' Agency,

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STEINWAY HALL, CHICAGO.

Northwestern Office:

PEYTON BLOCK, SPOKANE, WASH.

TEACHERS'

S. J. Race, Manager
Ella K. Smith, Ass't Manager

Operates in all the Northwestern states.

AGENCY

Minneapolis, Minn.

'Can assist Wisconsin teachers who are University, College, or Normal School graduates to choice positions. Needs a large number of well qualified teachers of Music and Drawing, Manual Training, Domestic Science and Commercial subjects.

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Speak of your education and experience.

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EDITORIAL COMMENT

BY PROFESSOR M. V. O'SHEA, THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN.
THE TREND OF THE TIMES.

About one year ago, the World's Work invited its readers to express their views on the education of both the boys and the girls of to-morrow. Generous prizes were offered for the best articles which might be submitted. Over three hundred persons responded to this invitation. In the April issue of the World's Work, the editor gives the general impression which the reading of these papers made upon him. He says:

"There is a practical unanimity of opinion shown by these three hundred educational writers, who range from college professors to teachers of country schools, that the school will get greater and greater emancipation from "methcd" and theory, will pay less heed to dogmas of "intellectual discipline" and memory work and examination-tests and all such things, and that it will drive ahead more directly toward training the young for the life that they must lead and the work that they must do.

The prevailing opinion is that nothing will be lost in this change. Intellectual discipline, culture and all the old aims will be served better because they will be directed in channels that more directly interest the young, and that much will be gained by making the school a part of life and not something apart from life. There is no mistaking this drift which is strong enough to warrant being called an aducational revolution. The old pedagogy has lost its fight againts those who would make the school a more practical preparation for life."

It is within the bounds of fact to say that the educational trend in Wisconsin is in harmony with the general program outlined in these three hundred articles, which undoubtedly reflect the best contemporary opinion respecting educational aims, values, and methods. There are some among from the ancient standards; but we are not moving from the acient standards; but we are not moving any more swiftly than the changing social conditions require. Fortunately things are more plastic and mobile in this new state than they are in some of the older sections of our country. The

No. 5

present writer was able recently to make comparison between the work of several cities in our own commonwealth, and some of about the same size and wealth in New York and Pennsylvania. In the latter states, the chief aim seemed to be to teach the older subjects so that their so-called "disciplinary value" might be realized to the fullest extent. But in the Wisconsin cities one felt that on the whole the superintendents and teachers were striving to find what branches, and what methods of teaching them, would give pupils most directly and impressively the kind of experience which would make them efficient in their life outside of the schoolroom. In certain of the eastern states the predominant ambition is to conserve the traditions of the fathers. Among us one feels that, speaking generally, teachers believe the golden age lies ahead of us, and we must keep pushing forward toward it. It seems that in this respect we are in accord with the ideals presented in these three hundred essays to which reference has been made.

THE NEWSPAPERS AND THE SCHOOLS. One does not have to turn back very far to reach the time when teaching did not vitally concern anyone outside of the profession. Parents sent their children to the schools, and often forgot about them while they were there. The typical citizen of yesterday could not see why he should take an active interest in the every-day work of the schools. The newspapers then found more interesting topics than teaching to present to their readers. But how the times have changed! It sometimes seems now that the papers give more attention to the schools than to any other institution in the community. Teaching is no longer regarded as a dull, uninteresting subject for newspaper discussion. From the great dailies of the

big cities to the weeklies published in the small towns, the subject of education appears to be of genuine importance. And as a rule the newspapers seem to be coming into line in support of the new program which teachers are proposing.

Often one finds in the newspapers editorials showing considerable insight into educational needs., The following from the Durand "Entering Wedge" is typical of sentiments constantly appearing in the smaller newspapers throughout the state. We may here quote it with approval of the main points, but without endorsing its propositions in every detail, or recommending its rather picturesque and dynamic phrases for general, indiscriminate use, by novices especially:

"To make the high school course a success the gaff will have to be vigorously applied to dead and useless subjects. Practical subjects like manual training and agriculture for boys and domestic economy for girls will have to take the place of technical trash, such as advanced chemistry and physics, geometry, Latin, biology and ancient history in detail and critical analysis of English. Formal grammar in the grades is a fogey's dream.

The trouble with modern education is that it lives in the past. The graduate knows more about the Appian Way than the way of modern politics, the Roman of Ceasar's time than the Dagoes of modern railroad construction gangs; and while they can trace minutely the events in 2000 years of ancient history they are ignorant of what is going on today, and not one in ten can lucidly tell what is meant by New Nationalism, 16 to 1, Progressive, Reciprocity, difference between Democracy or Republicanism, or be trusted to write correctly a hundred word composition, or figure up the cost of half a ton of hay.

The real dignity of labor cannot be impressed too deeply on the pompous high-school student who thinks he has a first mortgage on the earth, and a corner on wisdom when he spouts Shakespeare or some other borrowed high-falutin expressions on the day his sheepskin is handed over to him. The man who raises hogs still has the kibosh two to one on the educated dude when it comes to hard cash, and unless the dignity of labor goes up he will have it four to one pretty

soon.

One idea that must be gotten away from is that book learning alone will develop the thinking faculties. A problem in geometry may call for concentrated thought, but so also will the practical problem of why hogs went up to the highest mark last fall in forty years; and Canadian reciprocity at present calls for good reasoning. The editorials in modern metropolitan dailies contain better English than is found between the covers of many a book, and besides being up-to-date contain sound logic in imparting knowledge of timely and important current events."

THE STOUT SCHOOLS.

The teachers of Wisconsin, as well as of the whole nation, have been anxious to learn the future of the great institution founded and fostered

by the late Senator Stout. The writer has heard educational people in every part of this country express the hope that the Stout Institute would be endowed so that it might be unhampered in working out new ideals and methods; but evidently this nation-wide hope will not be realized. Mrs. Stout has indicated her intention to discontinue contributions for the support of the school. Instead she has asked the state to take it off her hands; and a bill has been introduced into the legislature, the purport of which is to make the school a state institution under the supervision of a board representing various educational and industrial interests.

In some respects the state is to be congratulated upon having an opportunity to acquire this school. It is unquestionably the best of its kind to be found anywhere in the world to-day. It has demonstrated the practicability and the utility of educational work designed to apply science to the problems of every-day life, especially in the home. The school has become known throughout the world, because it is working out concretely certain educational conceptions which have been in the minds of people for some time. It will occupy in educational history some such a place as Pestalozzi's schools at Burgdorf at Burgdorf and Yverdun, Froebel's institute at Keilhau, Sheldon's school at Oswego, and Parker's Cook County Normal School.

FREEDOM OF EXPERIMENT.

If the Institute is taken over by the state, it is inevitable that its experimental and pioneer work should be curtailed, and perhaps entirely eliminated. Apparently no state is yet willing to support an educational experiment station. Every state now supports an agricultural experiment station, mainly because the benefical results of investigation in this field can be directly observed and calculated with considerable accuracy in dollars and cents. But the results of educational experiments are altogether too subtle to be appreciated ordinarily by those who make our laws. It is possible, however, that if the Stout school is managed by a specially constituted board it will not be hampered in its experimental activities. Logically it would seem that it ought to be placed under the board of normal-school regents; but if it should be put under this supervision it would almost certainly be hampered. The normal

schools are now conducted in a uniform way. And their aim must be, of course, to prepare teachers for the actual conditions which they will meet in schools. The normal schools must above everything else be practical institutions. They must rather followin a good sense-than lead in educational progress. But it would be a calamity if the Stout Institute should, at this point in its history, cease altogether from pushing forward beyond current practice in educational matters. Let us have the Stout Institute, but let it be governed by a board. which will give it large liberty in testing the value of new materials of education, and new methods of teaching.

A GOOD PIECE OF WORK.

One year ago, there were four separate school systems in Manitowoc. In each system there were graded schools and a high school. The superintendent in each case went his own way, which was not always a safe and sane way. No two of these systems accomplished the same work. There was unholy rivalry between them, with little regard for the real welfare of the children of the city.

Now all is changed. In a few months, Superintendent Zimmers has unified the work of the entire city, and without serious protest on the part either of the teachers or of the citizens of the city. The four high schools have been consolidated into one good one. The city as a whole has become interested in the study of efficient educational work, whereas previously some of the teachers were mainly concerned in trying to be different from their colleagues. Superintendent Zimmers has put before his teachers the aim of teaching for efficiency, and they propose as a body to try to work out their problems in view of this ideal. It seems to us that whenever a superintendent and his assistants all get to thinking and studying along the lines of efficiency in respect to all details of their work, there is certain to be continuous healthy professional advancement. Our congratulations to Manitowoc and to Superintendent Zimmers and his assistants who are helping him to give their city a modern educational régime!

GOOD NEWS.

Since our last issue, in which we had something to say about commencement festivities and display, the papers have reported that in several

high schools the graduates have voluntarily agreed to make everything simple, so far as expense is concerned. At Green Bay, for instance, the girls have decided to wear simple white dresses, which will be of uniform expense, so that no girl will feel that she is not attired on graduation night as attractively as the other members of the class. This sort of thing is of advantage for various reasons. The girls will not be so excited as they otherwise would be over the question of dress, so that they can devote more time and energy to their studies and to the exercises which are proper for commencement. And what is of even greater importance, parents will not be unduly pressed to meet expenses which ought never to be incurred by a child while he is in school. The public school is no place for the display of wealth. A rational educational system ought to check the impulse toward personal decoration for the mere purpose of display. Of course, most social functions tend to encourage this impulse in pupils, and it is an achievement when the school can counteract it successfully.

EDUCATIONAL LEADERS.

One can attend teacher's conventions in some counties of this state in which the teachers are alert, enthusiastic, responsive. They show in their faces and in their attitudes, as well as in all their expressions, that on the whole they enjoy their work, and they have a pretty good time in the performance of their duties. There is good fellowship among the teachers, evidence of which you can observe at intermissions, and on every occasion when opportunity is offered for social intercourse. In these counties the teachers look forward with pleasure to educational meetings, for they expect to hear and to see things which will interest them, and perhaps help them.

But one can attend meetings in other counties where the educational atmosphere is very different. There is a kind of solemn woe-begone attitude on the part of the teachers in these counties. At the opening of educational meetings, they are apt to appear glum and uninterested. They seem to say: "Now we are in for a miserable time of it for a day or a week," as the case may be. They evidently do not expect they are going. to hear anything which will be of the slightest in

terest to them. They have come to regard educational meetings and the like in a pretty melancholy light.

It seems to us the marked differences in the attitudes of teachers in various places, in the cities as well as in the counties-are due mainly to the attitudes of those who lead them. In some localities, teachers are continually scolded. Their leaders talk to them as though there was little in teaching that can really be enjoyed. The tenor of their talk is generally austere and critical. can trace the influence of a leader like this in every schoolroom in his city or in his county. On the other hand, one can observe the more exhilarating effect of a different personality upon every teacher in any school system. It seems to us that those who determine the attitudes and feelings of teachers ought to make a special effort to give them an optimistic and cheerful aspect of their calling. Even if one has despaired of life himself, he should conceal his gloomy emotions while he is shaping the views of his teachers. We have not visited many localities in Wisconsin where pessimism and austerity predominate, but there are a few such places. There ought not to be any in this state.

THE BACKWARD PUPIL.

It is a pleasure to be able to quote from a Beloit paper the folling views regarding the treatment of backward pupils. There is not a community of the size of Beloit in this state in which the ungraded school recommended should not be established.

"The school board should go ahead with the project of establishing an ungraded school for the benefit of backward pupils. We believe such a movement would be approved by citizens generally, for it would result in good not only to those pupils who are unable to keep up in their studies but to all other pupils as well.

The problem of the backward student is a serious one in all schools. Often the dull student holds back the brighter members of the class to a greater extent than he should. The teacher sometimes spends as much or more time on such a pupil as on all the other members of the class put together. To be shown such special attention is often embarassing to the slow one and at the same time is an injustice to the brighter ones. It is also taxing to the patience of the teacher and thus, in every way, interferes with the efficiency of the school.

Were a separate school formed for the backward pupils, these children could be given special attention. Were all more nearly on a par there would be less humiliation and the brighter pupils left in the regular schools would not be held back. The matter would have to be handled delicately by the authorities, but this is not the

only delicate question the school heads have to deal with. The benefits are so many and so obvious that we think the board should not hesitate to proceed with the reform."

THE ART OF SPEAKING.

The writer is in receipt of a letter from a teacher of English in a high school who also has charge of classes in "public speaking." She says she has no difficulty at all with her classes in English, and she is satisfied with her achievements in this work; but she can not arouse any interest in her instruction in public speaking. She asks whether it is possible to make this subject of interest to boys. Are they ever in earnest about it? Do they ever take seriously the advice one gives them? Do they ever attempt to do the work in any but a formal and mechanical way?

We have looked on at a good many attempts to teach the art of public speaking to classes of highschool boys, but we have observed only a few instances of marked success in this undertaking. We have seen some pupils who are enthusiastic over their tasks, but we have seen a greater number who make fun of them. In practically all cases where the wrok has been a failure, the teacher has been a young woman whose chief interest has lain in some other field. She took on the public speaking because no one else had time. or taste for it. What she has attempted to do in her instruction has been to teach rules and formal principles of speaking. Rarely have we seen such a teacher who has known how to help boys to be natural in their speaking, and to arouse a genuine interest in expressing themselves in an effective way.

It is highly probable that boys can not be got interested in exercises in formal elocution. In order to arouse

any enthusiasm for speaking, they must be placed in situations where they are strongly stimulated to express themselves effectively, and they can then appreciate any assistance which a competent teacher may give them. Ordinarily they are more responsive to a man's teaching than to a woman's in situations of this kind, though this is not always the case. But it must be acknowledged that public speaking is not an art for which the feminine temperament is particularly well fitted.

A good teacher of public speaking will always develop his work around the debating society, or something on this order. He will create situa

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