USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1858-1867 > Part 5
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Some may think that their children should pursue more practical studies than those laid down in this course. By these are commonly meant studies which shall afford the scholar the information necessary to conduct the ordinary operations of business. Now this is all taught in the Grammar Schools. There the pupil learns all the gram- matical forms and arithmetical processes which are actually necessary to enable the merchant, the farmer or the me- chanic to transact the business of their several occupations. The High School course aims to do more. It seeks to per- fect that discipline of the mental powers which is so well begun in the lower schools, and it is founded on the belief that there is nothing gained but every thing lost by compel- ling a child to go through the same routine of studies after he has once mastered them. Youthful minds love variety, and often commence a new branch with a relish that awak- ens a true love of study. After Arithmetic, Algebra, which gives the same kind of mental discipline, naturally follows, then other mathematical studies in course, presenting con- tinually increasing and ever varying difficulties, to stimulate to active exertion and develop the highest faculties of the mind. Confidence in his own powers, the legitimate result of obstacles daily overcome, makes the student more ready to grapple with the real difficulties of after life, and contri- butes ultimately to his highest success.
As the study of the Latin language is one of the most important aids to mental discipline, it has been given due place in the High School course. A portion of the time for the two first years is devoted to it; not, however, with
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the expectation that in that period, a great extent of ground can be gone over by the pupil. The study of the elements of this language, under a competent teacher, calls into vigorous action every faculty of the mind. It follows the order of nature, calling first into exercise faith and memory. Much must first be learned, of which the pupil cannot see the immediate application, and he must rely implicitly upon the word of his teacher, that it will all be needed in the end. Then the constant repetition of words and grammatical forms, and the memorizing of rules and exceptions, wonder- fully enlarge and strengthen the memory.
Translating from one language into another, is a process requiring a constant exercise of all the powers of the mind. Hidden meanings must be searched out ; seeming differences reconciled; the proofs, adduced in favor of opposite read- ings, carefully balanced; truth perseveringly traced out, ยท after repeated failures; and all the sources from which light can come, patiently investigated; conclusion after conclusion carefully corrected, until the mind gradually gains an accurate perception of the whole truth.
Latin and Mathematics constitute the bulk of study in the High School. The experience of the past, and the tes- timony of the most successful educators of the present times, is in favor of these studies, as affording the best means for giving thorough mental discipline, and thus pre- paring our children to discharge most creditably the active duties of life.
The benefits flowing from the faithful use of apparatus, illustrating the sciences of Natural Philosophy and Chemis- try, are so great that we have not hesitated to make impor- tant additions to that which already belonged to the High School. The old apparatus was so much out of order that former teachers were discouraged in their attempts to ex- hibit it, and consequently the advantages to be derived from what the school already possessed were lost, for want of some repairs to make it available. The air-pump, which
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was never a good instrument, was worn out, and of course most of the pneumatic apparatus was useless. The wants of the school in this department have been supplied as fully as was consistent with due economy.
Every experienced teacher knows the difficulty, nay, the almost utter impossibility, in many cases, of conveying clear and definite ideas to the pupil, in the study of the experimen- tal sciences, without the means of verifying book statements by actual illustration. Our text-books of Natural Philoso- phy and Chemistry, contain descriptions of experiments, intended to illustrate theories, to explain natural phenome- na, and to exhibit the constitution of a great variety of organic and inorganic substances. Unless the learner can see the experiments performed, it would be better for him to omit them entirely than to burden the mind with a mass of bare, unsatisfying statements, which continually appeal to actual experiment for confirmation.
The waste of time and effort on the part of both teacher and scholar should be taken into serious consideration, for both, perhaps, must spend hours, the one in endeavoring to convey, and the other in trying to obtain, even a partial idea of the construction and use of an instrument, which would be comprehended in as many minutes, if the pupil could examine it.
The refining influence exerted by a case of elegant appa- ratus in a school should not be overlooked, and as a means of awakening enthusiasm, and of inciting to study and care- ful observation, it is invaluable.
It would hardly seem worth while to occupy much time in discussing the propriety of teaching Reading, Spelling, and Penmanship in a High School. But as the feeling is apparently gaining ground, that these branches should be almost, if not entirely discontinued here, as regular exer- cises, and give place to other studies, it seems to us that the subject should be at least noticed, with some of the reasons that have led us to revive these branches where they had, for a long time, received but little attention.
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While in the preparatory schools the children have re- ceived good training, and when admitted to the High School undergo a satisfactory examination. After having remained there for a year or so, they have almost invariably retro- graded in this respect, their reading becoming indistinct and lifeless, their spelling uncertain and erroneous, and their penmanship scrawling.
Now we feel that when a scholar graduates from the High School, it will detract very much, to say the least, from the credit of the school, if he is unable to pen a sentence neatly, or read it with appropriate expression, though he may be proficient in the dead languages, and capable of solving many knotty problems.
In youth the organs of voice are most flexible, the ear is most delicate, the muscles of the hand most pliable, and the memory most retentive. Let us have, then, that systematic training, so well begun in the other schools, kept up through the High School, and we shall have better scholars in all departments of study. We are happy to be able to state that the Principal of the High School heartily concurs in our view of the subject, and has now regular exercises in Reading and Spelling.
Last summer, while Mr. Beals had charge of this school, we engaged an able teacher of penmanship to give a course of lessons to the pupils, to which the teachers of all the other public schools were invited. Our object was to awaken an interest upon the subject, and give it an impulse which should be lasting. The result was very satisfactory. Pen- manship is now regularly taught in the High School, and the copy-books of most of the scholars show great improve- ment since last September, though there must be still more interest and effort, if they would excel some of the pupils of the Grammar Schools.
Believing that the study of vocal music should receive some attention, we engaged an experienced teacher to give two lessons in singing, each week, to the pupils of the
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Grammar Schools. That extraordinary results would be immediately obtained, was not expected.
Singing by rote has been practised in our schools for some years, under the charge of the respective teachers. This may be continued without danger in the Primary and Intermediate Schools, but scholars of the age of those in the Grammar and High Schools should be taught the cle- ments and gain the power of reading readily easy tunes. This, we believe, can be accomplished in the time which children usually spend in these schools, if they will faith- fully avail themselves of the privileges now afforded them.
The refining influence of music upon youthful minds, all will acknowledge; of its soothing and refreshing power, any one can be convinced, by visiting our public schools and watching the effect of a singing exercise upon the feelings of the pupils. As a means of eradicating a false and vitiated musical style, and cultivating a true musical taste in our community, the introduction of singing into our public schools commends itself to every good citizen.
It would be desirable that all our teachers should be competent to teach the elements of this art, but that cannot be expected at present. The Principal of the High School has taken charge of this department there, and we would mention in terms of high commendation, the character of the instruction which his pupils receive.
GRAMMAR SCHOOLS.
These schools are in fine condition. The teachers are energetic and faithful. Each school has excellent charac- teristics, which are due to the individual notions and pe- culiarities of its teacher.
There is among the teachers, marked diversity of opinion respecting the best method of teaching scholars to read, but all, we believe, aim to obtain the same results-an easy, fluent enunciation, and a full expression of the meaning.
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This difference in training in the several schools, leads us to make a few suggestions.
Much of the teaching, in the land, proceeds on the suppo- sition that scholars have, by nature, many faults to be corrected before they can become good readers. We do not think so. Healthy children have naturally clear, round and sweet voices, as any one may observe by watching a happy group at play, when their tones are invariably full, ringing, pure and expressive. Judicious training would preserve and confirm this tendency to perfection of utter- ance, originally implanted in the human voice and ear. From remissness on the part of many teachers, true enun- ciation, purity of tone and animation of manner, gradually give place to a careless, frigid style of reading, which is too apt to become permanent. Life should be infused into this exercise. The scholar, if ever so young or old, should be wide awake, his feelings enlisted in the sentiment of the piece, and his attention fixed, by proper explanatory remarks and corrections from the teacher. A distinguished teacher in elocution was once complimented on the fine reading of his child and the opinion expressed, that he must have bestowed unwearied pains upon her instruction. "On the contrary," said he, " I never gave her a single lesson. She has been in the habit of reading stories aloud, to her mother and myself on winter evenings, and the pleasure she felt she was affording us, together with her own interest in the exercise, has preserved and confirmed the naturally pure tone and lively style of childhood." Parents can aid the teacher in this department as well as in others, by encour- aging their children to read aloud at home and by assisting them to understand difficult passages.
In some of the schools we find the language of the text- book required, while in others the teachers draw out the knowledge of their pupils by copious questions.
" Word for word, letter for letter, and comma for comma," was the motto of Jacotot, and his system has been adopted
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by many teachers in this country, but we doubt the propriety of carrying it out in its fullest extent, in our Public Schools. Scholars, so trained, may be always ready to make a fine appearance, and the unreflecting may be easily led to believe an exercise, an excellent one, which lacked a very important element-originality. The power of memorizing is easily gained, but to relate a historical fact in neat and original language, to state a mathematical demonstration clearly, and to elucidate an argument not in the words of the text- book, but in one's own language, is a higher effort of the mind, which comes from true mental discipline.
This power of making clear and full statements can never be gained by the memorizing process. The learner's thought is so absorbed by words, that the sentiment becomes of secondary importance. The failure to recall a word is sometimes sufficient to destroy entirely the sequence of ideas in the scholar's mind, and cause a total failure in recitation. Teach him to deal with thoughts, rather than with words, with the sentiments of a writer rather than with the form of his sentences. Very young scholars, if not hurried as they too often are, from the mistaken notion of rendering them prompt, will soon acquire the power of arranging facts methodically, and of expressing them in neat and appropriate language. On the other hand, we see little benefit arising from the practice of extracting, morsel by morsel, a poor lesson from a forgetful scholar.
INTERMEDIATE AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS.
These schools are generally well conducted, and the children, freed from that peculiar restraint which must of necessity be imposed upon them, in the presence of older scholars, are happy and make rapid progress. The disci- pline is mild and the instruction patient and thorough. This may be said with equal truth of all the Public Schools in town. Our teachers prefer to rule by moral influences rather than brute force. Still cases will arise which seem
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to make a resort to corporeal punishment unavoidable. Children, who have been accustomed to acknowledge lawful authority at home, only when enforced by the rod, will not be likely to yield cheerful obedience, at first, under a dif- ferent treatment. The teacher, after exhausting all reason- able moral suasion, is perfectly justifiable in inflicting such bodily punishment as is necessary to polish the rusty moral perceptions of the delinquent and reduce him to normal subjection.
Some disciplinarians are still strongly in favor of admin- istering punishment in the presence of the school, for the sake of the example, whose influence, they think, is beneficial upon the other scholars. Others, it seems to us, with more prudence and wisdom, chastise the offenders in private, thinking that they can sooner make a child comprehend and acknowledge the justice of his punishment, when alone, than when his pride and resentment are aroused by the presence of others; that his self-respect will not suffer so deeply, as long as he feels that the affair is a matter purely between himself and his teacher. Above all, the teacher avoids that lowering of himself in the best estimation of his pupils, which inevitably results from engaging publicly in the infliction of pain. Children, especially of the female sex, shrink involuntarily from these exhibitions, and soon come to associate their teacher, in their minds, with something tyrannical and cruel. The magic influence is broken. The teacher is no longer, next to parents, the friend up to whom they look with affectionate reverence. Gradually fear undermines affection, and he who commenced to rule by the rod must continue to rule by it. There is a delicate sensi- bility to suffering in the minds of the young, which it is very desirable to cultivate as one of the safeguards of virtue. If the offending child makes determined resistance and is of necessity harshly dealt with, he almost always has the sympathy of the school, for human nature invariably espouses the cause of the weak against the strong.
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In our estimate of a teacher's efforts it is fair to inquire, by what means he obtains results, and what motives he brings to bear upon the minds of children, for the purpose of maintaining his rightful authority. Does he so develop the best nature of the unruly child into newness of action, that he cheerfully and affectionately obeys and loves good order and hard study ? Is there that familiar, yet respect- ful intercourse, between teachers and scholars, which is the foundation of all true discipline, causing the pupil to assume school duties cheerfully, and making those duties react with beneficial influence upon his mind and heart ? Does the teacher, in making the acquaintance of his youthful charge, seek out the dull, the diffident, the discouraged, and the despairing, and infuse by kind words and looks of encour- agement, new life, new hopes, new energies and new resolu- tions, or does he bestow his kind expressions upon a favored few, while a sullen gloom pervades the mass of young hearts, which would gladly respond to genial influences and glow in the love of a true teacher ? Rigorous discipline, without the redeeming qualities of gentleness and affectionate sympathy, lowers the teacher, exercising it to the level of a drill officer, and degrades education to a series of unsanc- tified intellectual efforts, performed under restraint and eagerly got rid of at the earliest opportunity.
An excellent teacher has given it as his honest opinion, after many years' experience and observation, that nine- tenths of the troubles in the public schools arise from the inexperience, indiscretion, or unfitness of the teachers. Another makes a broader statement still, and asserts that the success of a school depends, not mainly, but wholly upon the teacher. Yet how often do we hear the blame thrown upon the ignorance or neglect of School Committees, the indifference of parents, or the bad breeding of the children. Human nature is about the same everywhere, and in every community there is a fair share of common sense. Public opinion generally weighs a man pretty
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accurately and stamps him for about his lawful tender. And it is hardly just for a public school teacher to charge his failures upon the community in which he happens to teach. It were better that he should enter upon a rigorous self-examination, and endeavor to discover and correct those peculiarities which interfere with his success. The profes- sion of teaching is a laborious one; perhaps the most prostrating of any in its effects upon body and mind. There is often a strange indifference to his comfort, shown by some of his pupils. Ingratitude mects his most earnest and honest effort, and if he forgets, for a moment, that he is dealing with young hearts, whose impulses are not yet con- trolled and guided by the wisdom of years, while he has had the experience of manhood, he runs the risk of becoming unjust and tyrannical.
Teachers can no longer expect to gain the highest results, in the management of children, by severity of treatment. The admonitions of the Committee, corporeal punishment, sarcasm, and the fear of expulsion, may sometimes maintain order, where there is no mutual love, but the continued influence of such motives dwarfs the moral nature of the child and defeats the great objects of education. And this thought leads us to say a word about moral influences. Much has been said and written about the necessity of the teacher's imparting moral instruction. In most minds the statement is associated with the observance of religious services and the stated inculcation of religious sentiments. They seem to be insensible to the numberless opportuni- ties which occur, in the school-room, of correcting wrong impressions, of cultivating right habits of thinking, of grad- ually changing perverted tastes, of inspiring respect and reverence for the good and sacred, and love for the beau- tiful, of deepening the channel of the affections, of inculcating true notions of justice, benevolence, and charity, and of pointing out the evidences of the existence and goodness of the Author of Nature. These the faithful instructor will
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improve, and the good seed sown will spring up, blossom and bear fruit in the lives of his pupils. But to be faithful he must be a model of honesty, frankness, sincerity and virtue, or his words, however fitly and religiously chosen, will fall upon stony ground. We sometimes think that children get the true estimate of a teacher much sooner than older people. Certain it is that they confide more blindly, and if once deceived their confidence is gone for- ever. The teacher's presence in the school-room after this, is moral contamination. Instead of elevating, he depresses.
We once heard a teacher describe, with great satisfaction, his method of disposing of difficult questions, propounded by his scholars, which was to talk in such an indefinite and learned style as to utterly confuse the questioner, and then allow the matter to drop until he could examine the subject fully. To say nothing of the great moral wrong done to his own soul by such conduct, he ran a great risk of being detected, and consequently of exerting a pernicious influence upon his pupils. Children, however young, appreciate and love frankness, and there is no danger to the teacher in saying, plumply, " I do not know." " I will tell you as soon as I can ascertain." Such an answer never troubles them. They are always willing to wait and give the teacher time to answer their questions. However exalted may be their opinion of his acquirements, they have the good sense to acknowledge that he cannot be expected to know every thing. Perfect honesty must be the motto of the teacher, thoroughly enunciated by his whole intercourse with his pupils. A sacred regard for truth must shine forth in all his actions and words. The love of virtue is strong in young hearts, and if a constant example is set before them of the strictest integrity, without any repulsive features, the transition is easy from admiration to imitation. How important then that the teacher's character should be lovely, and his life pure and noble.
During the winter a Teachers' Association has been in
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operation in the town, and with happy results. Its mem- bers are such of the teachers and members of the School Committee as choose to connect themselves with it. The male teachers, without an exception, have shown a com- mendable zeal in availing themselves of the opportunity to better qualify themselves for the duties of their profession With two or three exceptions, the movement fails to excite much interest among our female teachers. The School Committee have no official connection with the matter, yet are pleased to see any proof of fidelity and devotedness on the part of our public teachers.
With a confident feeling that the Public Schools have made decided progress, during the past year, in all that pertains to good education, we leave them here in charge of our successors, trusting that the same generous co-opera- tion we have received from our fellow-citizens will cheer them during the labors of the coming year.
Signed by
GEORGE O. BRASTOW, NATH'L J. KNIGHT,
GEORGE H. EMERSON, GEORGE D. CLARK, CHARLES S. LINCOLN, AARON SARGENT, JOHN G. HALL, JOSEPH E. HOWARD,
JOHN P. MARSHALL,
School Committee for 1859-60.
REPORT OF THE SELECTMEN.
With the close of the municipal year, comes an occasion for a reckoning between the town and those to whom the management of its affairs has been in- trusted.
Believing that the wisdom of the choice of their fellow-townsmen could be confirmed only by fidelity and devotion to the interests confided to their charge, the Selectmen have endeavored faithfully to perform the duties imposed, keeping in view the fact that their position was to be considered in no respect an orna- mental one, or their obligations of a nature to be lightly regarded; and, while few occurrences of unusual importance have transpired, frequent demands upon their time and judgment have furnished occasions for the exercise of patience, prudence, and skill.
To meet such expenses as should be incurred under the action of this Board, the town, in April last, placed at its disposal the sum of $10,500, and, not- withstanding some extraordinary claims have been met within the year, a considerable portion of this amount still remains unexpended. Owing to the existing practice of terminating the municipal and financial years on the day of the annual election, no
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exact statement of the expenses of the town, or of the condition of its treasury, can be furnished at this time. Such a system not only renders it impossible for the Selectmen, or any other functionaries, to enlighten the citizens with an intelligent and satisfactory account of the transactions of the year, but prevents that scrutiny into the management of public matters which is so desirable to the citizens in making the yearly selection of their agents. It opens the way, too, for abuses which it may be found difficult hereafter to correct.
No very material improvement has been made in the appearance of the highways, nothing having oc- curred to favor unusual labor and expense in this direction. The roads are, nevertheless, in passable order, and may be kept in this condition, with no extraordinary outlay, for some time to come. This may not, and should not, satisfy the just demands of our own people, or of the residents of the populous communities about us. Is there not amongst us pub- lic spirit and ingenuity sufficient to devise and carry out an improvement in this respect, without too great . a tax upon the limited resources of the town ? Ledges of granite are to be found within our limits, and an economical plan for breaking stone of this kind would enable us to introduce a system of macadamizing, and to overcome in a great measure the difficulties inherent in the formation of our soil.
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