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PLAY WITH THE CHILDREN.

Much of what is pure mischief, a large part of real wrong doing will be done away with and our problems of discipline will vanish if we learn to play with the children.

In this beautiful May weather, let us spend the rest periods out of doors. Let us be glad with the children out where the flowers are blooming, the birds building, and the sun shining.

Here in one good game for the playground. I have played it. I have seen many children play and enjoy it. One good feature of it is that everybody may take an active part.

London Loo.

The child who is "It" stands in the center of the yard. All others stand at one end of the yard. "It" calls "London!" The others answer "Loo." Then they run to the opposite end of the yard. "It" may tag as many as he can touch once, before they reach the goal. All who are tagged form a circle near the center of the yard. They call in chorus "London!" The others reply as before with "Loo!" The children in center break circle and each tags as many as he can. The last one tagged has the privilege of being "It" for the new game.

TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS.

Do you know the trees by name when you see them growing?

To really know a tree is to love it. Get acquainted with trees and you will find that you have some interesting friends. Get into the habit. of planting trees now and then in the "bare and open places." They will grow as you grow and when you are old you will have some friends which you can call your own to give you pleasure. It doesn't make any difference whether the land the trees are growing on is yours or not, you will enjoy them anyway. Plant, too, for others' enjoyment. Plant that generations coming after you, may have something to give them pleasure. You may not be able to do such great deeds as to leave behind you a name that will be entered in the "Hall of Fame," but you can all leave living monuments if you will but plant trees. "He who plants a tree plants a hope."

ARE WE DOING OUR PART? Recently I listened to a discussion of the weakness in language and composition of pupils enter

ing secondary schools from the elementary grades, by high school teachers. They pointed out the faults they had observed and named what they considered some of the causes.

They said we expect too much from pupils in their first attempts, and thus make them so self conscious that they do not express themselves with freedom and ease; that we accept poorly prepared work and do not compel improvement; that we make bad assignments, for instance by simply calling for a composition to be ready on a certain day.

One person said that our work is too aimless, in other words, we do not have a definite purpose for each exercise.

Another said that too many of the lessons lacked the proper preparation on the part of the teacher and the pupils. This statement suggested the idea that children are not taught how to study properly.

Someone said that we do not pay enough attention to children's language habits in their recitations other than in language.

Perhaps these high school teachers are over critical and expect too much of us, however, we can think over their criticisms and perhaps profiit by them.

MAKE THE SCHOOL THE SOCIAL CENTER.

All over this broad land of ours, thoughtful people are awaking to the fact that the "state" is not doing enough for the social uplift of the people. In different places the local governments are attempting to solve social problems by establishing playgrounds, vacation schools, courses of free lectures, concerts, etc.

They are gradually coming to believe that there is no good reason why the schoolhouse should be locked sixteen hours out of the twenty-four.

As the city schoolhouses are coming to mean much to the lines of the urban populations, so the rural school may be made to play a much larger part than they now do in influencing the social life of the country people.

Someone must be the pioneer mover in this work in each district and it would seem as if the "teacher" is the one who is in the best position to take the lead.

Among the things that may grow out of using the schoolhouse as a social center are these:

1. Better informed citizens as to local needs and conditions resulting in civic spirit and interest in civic improvement.

2. Sprit of sociability among patrons.

3. Appreciation by the foreign born of American institutions.

WHAT I LEARNED FROM A READING LESSON.

Yesterday I saw a very good reading lesson in the third grade. Perhaps I can describe it in such a way that you may be able to discover some of the things which helped to make it a success.

In a very informal way the teacher told the children what lesson they were going to read and just what the plan of procedure would be.

The aim of the recitation was good oral expression of a selection that did not present many difficulties on the mechanical side. No "worddrill" by the teacher preceded the reading, the only preparation being that which is described below. The teacher did not speak of "good expression" but placed as a motive for preparation that they would. later read it to entertain the visitors.

Every child left his seat, passed to where the books were piled and took one with just as little formality as if he were in his own home, and with. absolutely no disorder. This "move" gave children a much needed bodily exercise.

The class then broke up into several groups, each containing about five children, to study the lesson. In each of these groups there was one child who acted as leader or "pupil teacher." These groups took positions on the floor in different parts of the room. The lesson was read aloud by individuals in each group to please each other. If a difficulty arose which no one, not even the "pupil teacher" could overcome, the room teacher was called in to assist. She wasn't needed very often.

When sufficient time had been allowed for the pupils to read the whole story, the leaders of the groups met with the room teacher and discussed the difficulties they had discovered in the lesson.

Then all gathered in one large group and with the room teacher sat on a large hempen rug which is provided for the purpose.

The substance of the story was then presented

by different members of the class. The characters in the story were described and passages to prove statements made were quoted from the printed page. Questions were put by the teacher in such a way that when the pupils answered them by reading from the text, she got the right expression from them.

Pupils were now ready to read for the audience which they proceeded to do again under the leadership of the pupil teachers, after getting a physical rest by changing positions. They read to a most appreciative teacher who now and then put a question when their expression left the least doubt of the meaning of the text, as well as to the visit

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How is Mexico ruled? officer at the present time? trouble in Mexico just now? is right? Why should the United States soldiers and war ships be sent to the border lines and bordering waters? Who gives the order to the U. S. army? Who gives the orders to the U. S. navy?

The U. S. Navy. What is the meaning of the word navy? Why does the United States need so many war ships? Where do we get them? Of what are war ships made? With what are they equipped? Where and how are leaders for the U. S. army and navy trained?

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ARITHMETIC AND IMITATION.

Leading psychologists are declaring that we are carrying rationalization too far in teaching the fundamental processes of arithmetic.

Mastery by deductive reasoning of processes in

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is practically impossible.

Children learn these processes best through imitation. Teach them to put steps together that should go together. Give them habits. Be sure they got the right habits and secure skill by practice.

The important thing in the early years is not that children understand the processes of the four fundamental operations as discovered by the past generations in the slow process of social evolution, but that they are able to use them skillfully and know when to use them. We waste time here in insisting too much on the "why." Let us center our efforts on teaching the "what" and the "when."

FROM MARJORIE'S ALMANAC.

Robins in the tree-tops,
Blossoms in the grass,
Green things a-growing
Everywhere you pass;
Sudden little breezes,
Showers of silver dew,
Black bow and bent twing
Budding out anew;

Pine tree and willow tree,
Fringed elm and larch,

Don't you think that May time's
Pleasanter than March?

MAY.

The voice of one who goes before to make The paths of June more beautiful.

-H. H. Jackson.

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DO YOU SEE THE STARS?

"Alas for him who never sees

The stars shine through his cypress trees;
Who, hopeless, lays his dead away,
Nor looks to see the breaking day-
Across the mournful marbles play
Who hath not learned in hours of faith,
That Life is ever Lord of Death,
And Love can never lose its own!"

-From "Snowbound."

Who wrote "Snowbound?" Why was he called the Quaker poet? What is the story? Could you dramatize some of the pictures you see in "Snowbound?" Which are the best for representation? What did the poet mean by the stanza quoted above?

Who will make the move for playgrounds in Wisconsin?

The California State Playground Association has adopted the following resolutions:

"1. We believe that a child has a right to a place of his own for play.

2. We believe that the playground is the best

Use a heavy weight manilla tag board. Choose pictures with "action" in them. Mount them at one end of the card as shown in the illustration. Write or print-better print-a few sentences admitting of dramatic expression. Use the cards occasionally for rest, amusement, and incidentally for "drill."

preventative for tuberculosis.

3. We believe that the management of a playground should be in the hands of a commission.

4. We believe that trained leaders should be in charge of the playground, a woman for girls and a man for boys.

5. We believe that the salary of a play-leader should be comparable at least with that of a teacher.

6. We believe that adults should be encouraged to play."

Why not start a state playground association in Wisconsin? Here is a great work for someone to hegin. Who will make the move?

GRADE TEACHERS WANTED FOR THE NEXT

SCHOOL YEAR.

This is the time when the wise teacher enrolls for a position for the next school year. Already superintendents have lodged with us requests for some good, strong grade teachers for the school year 1911-12. We have a special offer for all who register this month. Write for our 1911 booklet.

THE PARKER TEACHERS' AGENCY,
Madison, Wisconsin.

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BLACKBOARD DRAWING FOR MAY.

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""Tis come! I smell the spring!" said he.
The violets were all in bloom,
The lilac tossed a purple plume,
The daff'dil wore a yellow crown,
The cherry tree a snow-white gown,
And by the brookside, wet with dew,
The early wild wake-robins grew.
"It is May-time," said the bee.
"The queen of all the months for me.
The flowers are here, the sky is sunny:
'Tis now my time to gather honey."
May brings flocks of pretty lambs,
Skipping by their fleecy dams.

-Sara Coleridge.

POTATOES.

"If potatoes could see with all of their eyes,
And if corn could hear with its ears;

They'd grow in one season so wonderously wise,
They'd never be eaten, my dears."
"Only a little shriveled seed,

It might be a flower or grass or weed;
Only a little box of earth on the edge
Of a narrow, dusty widow ledge;
Only a few scant summer showers,
Only a few clear shining hours,
That was all. Yet God could make
Out of these, for a sick child's sake,
A blossom-wonder, as fair and sweet
As ever broke at an angel's feet."

-Henry Van Dyke.

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