Keeping up teachers' attainments

Title

Language

English

Source

The Philippine Craftsman Volume V (Issue No. 7) January 1917

Year

1917

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

RELATED SUBJECTS. KEEPING UP TEACHERS’ ATTAINMENTS. By Andrew W. Cain, Division Superintendent of Schools, Pangasinan. Every year a considerable percentage of teachers leave the service, and their places are taken by new appointees who often have not had the advantages of any special training. Nothing can put them in touch and in sympathy with their new duties so quickly as attendance at a normal institute. Here they see in dustrial materials prepared, articles in various stages of com pletion, modes of organizing work, devices used, and methods of instruction which should be employed. More than all, perhaps, they catch the spirit of the work and go out from the institute determined to succeed. Without the instruction and the inspira tion received from the normal institute, the new teacher finds himself greatly handicapped. The standard of work in the public schools is being raised so rapidly that teachers must make substantial advancement. Those who began the work with thorough training have but little trouble in meeting all requirements: but there are many good teachers who entered the service with low attainments, and who have been compelled to give constant attention to their professional growth in order not to be crowded out by younger and better-trained applicants. Without the normal institute, this class of teachers would soon be lost to the service. There must necessarily be frequent changes in designs for industrial articles, with resulting modifications in appliances and methods of work. Even the best-trained teachers must make efforts to keep up their preparation. As the normal insti tute gives a resume of that which is most essential in industrial work, it is unequalled as a means of affording instruction in new subject matter in its relation to what has been previously learned. A mistake is often made in review work by assuming that it is a hasty skimming over of subject matter that is already par tially but imperfectly understood. A review should be based on actual weakness as previously determined, and should seek to remedy certain defects in knowledge or in teaching: the case should first be diagnosed, and then treatment should be applied 498 RELATED SUBJECTS according to the diagnosis. Teachers who are all-around in efficient should be given up as hopeless cases, and better appli cants should be secured to take their places. The course of each teacher should be so definitely prescribed beforehand that he will reach the institute with materials pre pared and equipment ready to begin work on a moment’s notice. His assignment card and classification should be complete in order that he may be ushered into the classroom at once, and that he may begin work in the first period of the first day. In addition to the courses usually given in the institutes, there should be special classes in efficiency for the purpose of giving instruction in time-saving devices and methods. A great deal of time is lost through the dawdling of pupils and the easy going methods of certain teachers. It is stated that in the United States the capacity of bricklayers has been increased sixfold by the application of efficiency methods; and it is believed that results almost as remarkable may be secured by special attention to devices, to methods of work, and to speed in certain industrial subjects, such as handweaving and basketry. In connection with the classes in general methods, every insti tute should maintain at least one model classroom. This room should be visited frequently by teachers in order that they may form correct conceptions as to the arrangement, appearance, and work of a model schoolroom. Institutes should be held in places that are centrally located, easy of access, and large enough to accommodate the visiting teachers; they should be provided with adequate buildings, gar dens, and playgrounds. If there are several such places in the division, it is not a bad plan to hold the institute at different places in different years. Such an arrangement adds novelty to the work and carries the good influence of the institute into more than one community. It would doubtless be of great benefit to the teachers to hold a general conference during the last week of the institute. The open sessions for general discussions might be scheduled for the evening when everybody could attend, and the sectional confer ences for supervising teachers, for principals, for primary teachers, for industrial teachers, and so on, could be arranged for such hours as would not interfere with the regular class work. These conferences would reverse the pouring-in process which is so commonly practiced in class instruction and would enable the teacher to present some of his ideas. During the inspection trips over the division, the superin500 THE PHILIPPINE CRAFTSMAN tendent and the industrial supervisor may hold round-table con ferences with the teachers in each municipality and thereby accomplish a great deal of good, as the problems of the imme diate locality can be considered in a concrete way and at a time when they are pressing for solution. This practice is followed with excellent results in the division of Pangasinan. The weekly or biweekly meetings, conducted by the supervisor, afford constant help to the teachers while they are engaged in their work. It is believed that these meetings are indispensable in any district that aims at the highest efficiency. However, it is not believed that they can or should take the place of the normal institute, but rather that they should supplement and extend the work of the institute. SOCIAL FEATURES OF TIIE NORMAL INSTITUTE. By L. P. Willis, Acting Division Superintendent of Schools. Oriental Negros. The program for a normal institute should make suitable provision for social activities. “The schools should give right habits, methods, and ideals,” says W. H. P. Faunce; “if we educate the man for the job and for the job alone, there will be one set of men to work with their hands and another set of men to work with their brains. This is a condition that no * * * community should tolerate. It means the permanent stratification of society. I want to educate the man for his life as well as for his living.” Every effort should be made to develop a capacity for the appreciation of the beautiful in art, literature, and life. When teachers go back to their schools from the normal institute, they should carry with them a resolu tion to do better work. They should have a deeper understand ing of the joy which comes to a person who feels that his labors will be of some real service. Arrangements should be made sufficiently ahead of time, to permit a general program of social activities to be published in the division circular which announces the plan for the institute. The success of these features depends greatly upon the individ uality of the persons in charge. For this reason it is advisable for the division superintendent to appoint a committee, selected from among the best teachers in the division, to arrange for and look after these affairs. Good music is an absolute necessity in all normal institutes. There are usually a large number of teachers in any division that play such instruments as the guitar, bandore, violin, and flute. They should be requested to bring them to the institute,

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