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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 1904)
m 1 1 III " 22 sap ' : vl I 4 4 ifhv ,' - i S . r l' ftr- -"fife R ' III It. til .':--X l!iff.l!f lf-i SR -..rV" ' r v.v -r mrm-w w aw rW.-W'- -C5ff School 1 t JOLIB ROf EKTHflL Durley "Sihool f BLiesr Tuzzoip goww wzry ojyca,' &z,oc&'. MflKERET reflZIEff .S?SSL iEAOHER'8 R9t on a new rown!" 0 VI I Juat what la the peculiar potency In thlt I I eager cry that makei It always the hanpkeit JL I of auffurtea In achool life la a question which la attracting; not a little' attention among- Chi cago teachers. That It has an Influence which Is far reach ln and much wider than just the fact that It varies the monotony of an uneventful day la conceded gen erally by educators. Many and varied are the explanations of the bappy effect not only of variety In dress but of taste ful dressing generally given by the different principals and teachers In Chicago. Perhapa to none of them, however, la due the attention which ahould be given to what the small boy aaya about It himself. He Is the one who hurries eagerly Into school when this " news " gets about to aee what It portends. He walks side ways and backwards while tugging to get his overcoat off li order to lose no tlms In taking In the details of the teach er's " get up." And he hurries through the Intervening cloak ' room ths sooner to get to bis seat and make a critical in erection. His explanation la convincing and to the point ' She's never cross when she's dressed up." " We like to have our teacher look better than the other kids' teacher." " O, we get tired of looking a,t that same old dress all tba time." She never keeps us after school when she's got her. 6unday clothes on." And from two. .Utile girlsthe first with a rapt sigh of .Imlratloo: j"0, I hardly ever saw 'anybody look aa lovely as our teacher doea when she bss on her blue dress." " I tell my mamma about the teacher's best dress and be fixes hers that way, too." What Is said her Is what Is said over again In language taoresclentlflc and comprehensive by older, and wiser heads, ' who classify this Influence of dress as follows: '- First It creates an atmosphere of pleasure and admira tion that makes the child easier to handle. Second It atrengthena the teacher's Influence by the pride which he feels In a well dressed teacher aa compared to others. Third Awakens Imitative powers which can be most1 easily turned to account In matters of dress and which In some districts are greatly needed aa an educator. First and most important Is put the fact that the teacher, like everybody else, is bound; to be pleased with herself when she looks well and that she at once gains half the battle by the pleasing effect which she exercises over the children. " Even the worst boy who comes back at noon on mischief bent feels a disposition to ' stand In ' with a teacher who looks ' swell,' as he expresses It," said one teacher, who has bad more than usual success with the bad boy element. " It Is a fact that she Is pleased with herself and so radlatea an Influence which causes everybody else to be pleased," Is said by one of the principals to be the secret of the mysterious Influence which he admits Is exerted by pretty gowns in the schoolroom. " She Isn't ' cross,' as the -boy says, and ahe doesn't keep them after school because there Is no need for It She has been at her best herself and she has gotten the best work out of them. Then there Is an other thing In the sense of proprietorship Ifhich a girl and usually a boy, too, feels In his teacher. She ' belongs ' to him almost next to his mother. When she looks well It reflects ci edit upon himself. This he Is not slow to appropriate, aa Is seen In the boasts he makes to other children. Teachers find this out, too, when they hear how they are extolled a at home, not only as to what they wear, but as to many Other virtuea which the children either Imagine or discover that they possess. Children love bright things and pretty things, anyway, and dress Is something which anpeals to them at once, and when It Is considered what an effect It has upon the rest of us It will be seen that It raises a teacher4 (n the estimation of ber pupils In a way that can hardly be overestimated." st - Good Taste a Duty. Says another principal, Mr. Leach of the Burley school: " We all respond to the Influence of the teacher who comes to school In an attractive dress. I like to see It my self and there is no question of Its good effect upon the chil dren. There is another thing about It too. If a teacher comes to school dressed for some occasion which la different from that of every day she brings something (ft another atmosphere with her which widens her Influence and also the outlook of the children. To those whose environment Is limited this Is especially educative. The fact, too, that many of the children will copy the teacher's dress as far as possi ble makes good tsste on her part an Imperative duty. For Instance, If the teacher la addicted to an overloading of beads and Jewelry It will result In an Immediate attempt at over decoration on the part of the children, while the teacher who stiows ths best tsste In the matter of good style and the sim plicity which usually goes with good dressing can often get direct results In the dropping off by ths pupils of cheap Jewelry and tawdry lace ruffles. For this reason it Is worse, perhaps, thsn In any other business for a teach tr to 'wear .out ' her old finery when she Is at work. It la a mistake, too .often made by women ' teachers, which Is not fallen. Into ) Zs t -iw.ii.,i- aim ins mm IMJD JOHNSON Ctfi'V OXFVff S&ZOOZ cZZCKEr zind szzFfzr zzz7z?rzzz retr? 1 Minimi lAvjwz, vjiuv iiettienowt ucnoo. mi 3ZtfejrzoJW or vozzz trzrzz yoztzz7 az ZTFcwyYJvz) vzrzrzrrjTzzozr-roczezz oz7 eozozr zzz Z3czczrzz: jrzrzjzzzr oz7zzzk eczrzoiz "zzzieocZzr cprzzx-y by men, who, of course, could not wear out their own evening, clothes In this way. But if a teacher goes to the opposite extreme of too much plainness In her dress the effect Is al most as bad. I have had some teachers that I have actually wished would wear ribbons or something of the kind, they were so somber." a J Ribbons Effective Pedagogically. This sentiment Is the common one voiced by the principals, who claim that their best teachers are the ones who give the most attention to this matter. The teachers themselves also take It seriously, though the use of dress aa a factor in the school work is seen to be from different standpoints. For instance, there Is a teacher who wears occasionally a whole set of gay ribbons, including a hair " top knot," for which a friend criticised her as doing something which was Inartistic and not like herself. " I Just do it for Its effect upon the children," was the answer. " Their response to the bright colors is so direct In its results that I wear them here, even though I might consider them crude to wear elsewhere. They are the most effective Instruments I can use In the school room." Others who do not share this view are found to be even more emphatic In declaring that only the most Immaculate of well cut tailored stocks should be worn with the school shirt waist. Miss Julia Rosenthal Is one who does not believe In de scending to the child's liking simply for bright colors unless the change In dress Is up to the teacher's best standard for other occasions. " We see enough that Is Inartistic," said Miss Rosenthal, "without ever letting1 a child see anything that we know to be so If we can help It I think it Is Just the same about this that It Is In other matters of decoration. There should never be put before the children any wrong effects that it is possible to avoid. In the same way I think It is a mistake to put up little cheap chromos and pictures that are not good as to either treatment or subject. Just for the sake of having something bright In the schoolroom. Bet ter something bright In the way of flowers In the window with a white background in the curtains and no other decora tions at all. The same with curtains. If they are not hung artistically they would better not be up. And as to dress, I think the teacher is In duty bound to exercise the best taste that Is In her, In her dressing for school. Just the same that she would for other places, even though It is In simple ways." Impressed by Chiffons. An example of the fact that the taste of the children Is to some extent In need of cultivation was shown by a group ot children in front of one of the schools the other day. "Boys, who Is the best dressed teacher In your building?" was the question asked, the answer coming promptly anu loyally: "Ours, you bet. She's a peach." A glance de veloped the act that this teacher of all others In the build ing was addicted to the tawdry effects classed by the more advanced In the matter of dress as "chiffons." Chiffons and messed finery In general have In times past, say several of these teachers, been altogether too commonly worn by the teachers at their work. "At one time." says an up to date young woman of the Burley school, " any old thing was considered good enough for school, put now most of the teachers are adopting a dress which Is Just as distinctly of a business character and at the same time as well made and attractive as do women engaged In any other line of business. That any little varia tions and festive touches, however, are narrewly observed and appreciated no one knows better than the teacher her self. She often has the experience of seeing a fashion be coming popular which sho has set Some little time ago one of the teachers parted her hair on one side for a little while and pretty soon the older girls were all wearing It that way. Little turnover collars and cuffs freshly and attractively. worn by the teacher are one of the things which will quickly become a habit with most of the girls In the room. And it Is so with many little things, like veils and ribbons and belts, and even the place of tucking the handkerchief. "The slightest change is not only noticed but any little Itarmonlzlng of color Is appreciated and admired. A teacher Hho always wears black, for Instance, even If It Is well cut and In the best taste. Is not apt to be popular with the chll-l dren. They will like anybody better who wears something pleasing and different for them to see. But the teacher who In In the habit of 'dressing up' often during the term wants to look well to It that she has something In reserve for the last day of school. For then a great deal more Is expected of her than from one who Is not In the habit of wearing pretty things generally. A more disappointed set of children It would be hard to find than those not long ago In the room of a teacher who had the reputation of wearing unusually pretty clothes, but who came the last day of school In the same dress she had worn the last two or three days. They are so enthusiastic, too. In their appreciation that any effort that la made to dress for their benefit Is warmly repaid." 4 wrrwHzr' yoSVzwz) zazsvzzy. 'si