-f , ? ' '
Conservative *
ing , but for the care and condition of
their buildings.
It'is probably not politics , but it
scorns very bad management to lay
off a number of teachers some little
time after they have been employed
for the coming year on the ground
that a change in the system of teach
ing is required. I am informed that
this has been done several times in
the past few years. Then , too , a
continual discussion of the cutting of
wages of the teachers must necessar
ily be detrimental to the school. The
best results can only bo obtained
when the teachers feel that they have
stability of employment and a defi
nite salary. As the merit system
becomes more firmly established in
practice and more heartily supported
by all the people the evil of partisan
politics will practically disappear.
Individual Effort.
It is absolutely necessary to arouse
the curiosity of the pupil to
keep him interested in order to
obtain the best results in the
school room. Individual work by the
teacher with the pupil is the best way
of insuring this interest. In our
crowded school rooms , with from. 50 to
60 pupils in a room , and sometimes even
u greater number , it is very difficult ,
if not impossible for the teacher to
give individual attention to each
scholar. One of the dangers ever to
be avoided by teachers with large
classes is the temptation to teach the
pupils in a body and not as individu
als. How easy it is for a teacher to
do this when all the scholars in the
room are divided into one or two large
classes 1 The pupil may not be called
upon in a given study more than once
or twice a week , and then if the
teacher is not fully awake to the im
portance of the work stereotyped
questions may be asked term after
term which would be satisfied by
formal answers and high marks given
therefor. This mehod' teaching
necessarily results in placing a too
high estimate on the value of instruc
tion and in under-estimating the value
of self-activity on the part of the
scholar. The most successful teacher
is the one who stirs up his pupil to
do the work himself , thereby causing
mental activity and growth. Our com
mon schools should not bo carried on
for .the purpose of making our boys
and girls encyclopedias of learn
ing but rather to so train them that
they can think and act for themselves.
The difficulty of giving individual
attention to individual scholars is per
haps more the fault of the system of
carrying on the schools in our large
cities than the fault of the teachers
hence the teachers must be over on
their guard that all the pupils are
not put in the same hopper year after
year and the same grist in character
and education ground out. It has al
ways boon the boast of our people that
" ' "
you could find in anyu"community'in"
dividuals who wore fitted to do any
work or fill any position that Amer
ican civilization was especially adapt
ed to develop an infinite variety of
character. Wo all know that if wo
iako two children of marked charac
teristics and strong individuality one
with a mathematical turn and the
other a "dreamer" however long we
may teach them the same things in
bho same way to the last their distinct
individualities will be plainly marked.
"You may grind them both in the
same self mill ,
You may bind them heart and brow ,
But one will follow the rainbow
still
And his brother will follow the
plow. ' '
The School and the Home.
Our public schools have not been
established to make our children great
scholars , but their highest end and
aim ought to bo to co-operate with the
home , and with the religious and
social environments , in forming and
molding character , so that the great
body of our citizenship may be honest ,
wise and virtuous. The success of
our schools will depend , not upon our
magnificent buildingsfortunate as we
are to have them ; not upon the best
text-books , important as they are ; not
upon any course of study or system in
managing schools ; all of these things
are worthy of consideration and can
do much in assisting to bring about
the best results , but after all'has been
said and done the final success of our
schools has always depended and will
always depend upon the character and
ability of our teachers. The influence
of the teacher upon the pupil is more
than all other things combined. Per
sonal contact by the teacher with the
scholar is what wo need and must
have in all our schools and colleges.
It was in this way that Socrates and
Dr. Arnold molded and formed the
minds and characters of their students ;
it is in this way that all great teach
ers have left a lasting impress upon
humanity. It is this personal attri
tion of mind upon mind and character
upon character that makes the mother
so potential in home life. It is what
the teachers are more than what they
teach.
If the great body of our teachers
are in the work simply for the money
that is in it , if they are careful only
to get to school in the morning as
early as the rules require and leave
in the afternoon as soon as the rules
permit ; if the work in the school room
is merely routine and each day they
are anxiously looking at the clock to
see when they will be released from
their prison ; if they are not inspiret
by seeing boys and girls transformed
under the magic touch of a live teach
er , then no matter how perfect the
schools may bo in all other respects ,
they necessarily fail in their highest
objects. Give us as teachers , live ,
earnest , enthusiastic men and women
with high ideals , who love their
work , who believe in it as one of the
greatest professions , then our schools
will continue in the future as they
liave been in the past ono of the
greatest influences for good in our.
country.
Our common schools in the great
cities bring the rich and poor togeth
er. Here the boys and the girls , what h
ever their home life , are all on a com
mon level. The public school sys
tem has shown itself so flexible and
pliable , even with its many uniform
requirements , that it has worked
smoothly and successfully in the Bo
hemian , Polish , Italian , Gorman And
Scandinavian sections of our city , as
well as in those portions where native-
born alone attend the schools. Our
public schools have been the greatest
agency in making American citizens ,
and making them rapidly from foreign-
born children and the children of for
eign-born parents.
Go into any section of the city
where most of the children are of any
of these various nationalities and you
can hear them sing "My Country ,
'Tis of Thee" with the same spirit
that we sang it in school in our
young days. They take a deep inter
est and are very enthusiastic in the
stories of Washington , Lincoln and
McKinloy. They are rapidly becom
ing American.
If it wore not for the transforma
tion accomplished by them with these
children of foreign-born people , I
should almost despair as to the future
success of popular government in
great cities.
These lasting and beneficent results
have been brought about , in spite of
the defects in our present school sys
tem , very largely through the earnest
and unselfish work of our teachers.
These weak spots have been pointed
out , not in a spirit of hostility , but
with a confident belief that a fair dis
cussion of them would tend to
strengthen the schools. The reforms
necessary to do away with such defects
can be brought about by the united
and determined efforts of the members
of this association. To do this you
should direct your energies at a given
time to one fault or defect and that
fault the one which the majority
agree is the most serious. Then our
schools , more successfully than ever
before will give to the children ' ' in
the best manner , and at the least cost ,
either of the public revenue or of the
time and energy of the pupils , the
instruction which is needed by all as
a condition to the reasonable perform
ance of their duties as citizens. ' '
The past great history of our schools
is secure ; their future is bright with
hope.
. " . * *
