USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > Town annual report of Quincy 1865-1872 > Part 4
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The Coddington Schoolhouse still remains unpainted. The Committee, consisting of the Selectmen and the School Com- mittee, appointed to carry out the vote passed at the last March meeting to provide a new room for the second Primary School in this District, have as yet taken no definite action in the matter.
The suggestions made in the last Report with regard to the Stone Schoolhouse have been mainly carried out. The lower room has been enlarged, provided with a new floor, and fur- nished with seats and desks of the most approved construction. Besides this, the playground has been considerably enlarged by the temporary addition of a tract of land lying on the southwest side of the building. We recommend that this land be either purchased, or hired again, for the ensuing year.
We have found a slight change for the better in the West District Schoolhouses. There are still wanted, in some of the rooms, clocks and blackboards. We are sorry to say that the very important repairs in the Third Primary Schoolroom, allu- ded to in the last Report, have not yet been made. When a District appoints a Prudential Committee, not only the selec- tion of the Teachers, but the care of the Schoolhouses is in his hands.
CHANGES OF TEACHERS.
In the High School, Mr. Putnam and Miss Dow have been succeeded by Mr. Edward W. Howe, Principal, and Miss Cora A. Chapin, Assistant.
In the Point District, Mr. S. H. Haskell has succeeded Mr. Comins as Principal of the Grammar School.
In the South District, Mr. Gage, the Principal of the Gram- mar School at the beginning of the year, was succeeded by Mr. Martin, and he by the present incumbent, Mr. H. F. Allen.
constructed and managed is coustantly pouring into the rooms a supply of fresh, moist air ; and even without ventilators, or opening of windows, ensures a better ventilation than can readily be obtained with the use of the close stove. But it is essential that the furnace be rightly constructed, properly set, and wisely managed.
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In the North District Grammar School, Mr. Bunker was succeeded by Mr. Warren, and he by Mr. Lewis F. Hobbs, the present Teacher.
In the Neck Primary School, Miss Emma A. French has succeeded Miss Baxter.
Undoubtedly, as a general rule, Schools suffer from frequent changes of Teachers. Almost all the changes of the past year in our Schools have been caused by Teachers leaving us for higher salaries. Whatever we may have gained, we have certainly lost several valuable instructors, simply because their services have been deemed worthy of higher remuneration elsewhere.
GRADING OF THE SCHOOLS.
The system according to which our Schools are graded im- plies the establishment, in each District, of two grades of Pri- mary Schools, one Intermediate School, and one Grammar School. In some Districts, however, owing to local causes, we have not been able to carry out this system to perfection. Thus in the North District, where there are only two Schools, the higher of these two necessarily partakes somewhat of the char acter of an Intermediate, and even of a Primary School. At the Point there is but one grade of Primary Schools ; hence the Intermediate School there is partially Primary, and in the Grammar School some studies are pursued which properly be- long to an Intermediate School. Again, at Germantown, is a Mixed School, containing scholars whose ages range from five to fifteen.
THIE PRIMARY SCHOOLS.
These are not the least important of our Schools. Here is laid the foundation, and it is of no small moment how it is laid. No trifling responsibility rests upon the Primary School Teach- ers. They are helping to form in their pupils habits which will cling to them through life. Here are formed, very much ac- cording to the character, capacity, and zeal of the teacher,
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habits of idleness or industry, of attention or inattention, of good behavior or bad, of obedience or disobedience, - nay of willing or unwilling compliance with the law of right. So great has seemed to some Committees the importance of secur- ing competent teachers for Schools of this grade, that in several Towns they receive as high salaries as any of the instructresses, excepting the High School Assistants. We have not followed this custom, because of our feeling that it is easier to govern the little children of a Primary School than the larger ones of an Intermediate School. And yet, as will appear from what has been already said, we are by no means insensible to the impor- tance of obtaining first-rate Teachers for the youngest children. The Grammar School, nay, even the High School, feels the good or the evil effect of wise or unwise teaching and training in the Primary School.
Of our Primary Schools as a whole we can speak with much pleasure. We rarely fail to find, in our visits, good order and excellent deportment. Almost always the little faces are bright and eager and happy. Rarely is there any evidence of antago- nism between pupils and Teacher ; rather do all appear inter- ested in one common object, and working for one common end. Almost always do the children evidently look upon the Teacher as a protector and kind friend, and rather side with than against her, when any instance occurs of flagrant disobedience, or con- tempt for the rules of the School. And moreover, we have generally found the recitations very good indeed. All this is very gratifying. And yet we see large room for improvement. Let us briefly indicate where and how improvement may be made.
In the first place, we believe that children are usually sent to school too early for their own good. We venture without hesi- tation the assertion, that if two children, of equal abilities, begin to learn to read, the one at five years of age, and the other at seven, the latter will be as far advanced as the former when they shall both have arrived at the age of twelve. The
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sudden transition, at a very early age, from the freedom of the home and the playground is too great. The little limbs grow tired, the whole body suffers from the confinement. Still farther, the mind, which has hitherto been subject to no special training, cannot readily bear the heavy burdens laid upon it, - finds it hard to undergo the strain of fixing the attention upon any one subject for many consecutive moments.
The children in the lowest Primary Schools are taught mainly Reading and Spelling ; and a great many of them read and spell very well. But it is a quite mistaken idea that it is desirable to hurry them on from one lesson to another, and from one book to another. There need be no hurry at all. Every child who goes to school should undoubtedly be taught habits of study and close attention ; but it is only a very few minutes each day that a little boy or girl of five or six years can easily give to real study. During the greater part of the school hours, effort should be made by the teacher to interest and amuse the children while she instructs them. Not a half, not a quarter of the time should be spent in mere recitation. Let there be plenty of oral in- struction, in which the whole School shall be simultaneously inter- rested. Let there be talks upon all sorts of subjects. Whatever the little children learn or fail to learn from the text-books, let them not grow sleepy, or dull, or tired, or find the Schoolroom anything but a pleasant place. At very frequent intervals, let them have gymnastics and singing. Get the principle of curi- osity thoroughly awakened within them. No matter how little in comparison they may have learned from the book. No mat- ter if, at the end of the first two years, they shall be able to read only a few easy sentences. It will be vastly better for them than if they had become prodigies of learning. They will be far less likely to have degenerated into incipient book-worms ; rather will have developed into wide-awake inquirers, fond of their school, thirsting for knowledge, every day better prepared for the harder tasks that await them. One thing must be heed- ed, however, - whatever is learned from the book must be well
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learned, and thoroughly understood. Not one syllable should be passed over whose meaning is not fully comprehended.
Now we cheerfully admit the progress that our Primary Schools are making in this direction. In almost all cases the recitation consists, not merely in the reading or repeating of the lesson, but in talks about the lesson, and about subjects connected with it, and about the pictures,- of which, by the way, the books can hardly contain too many. Only there is not enough of this. Slates have also been extensively used during the last two or three years ; and the children learn to print and write, some of them with remarkable neatness. We have witnessed very fair specimens of drawing on slate and blackboard. There is scarcely any limit to the use of the slate in the Primary Schools.
Very early in the course children may and should be taught the rudiments of many branches of learning ; of Geometry, His- tory, Geography, Arithmetic, Natural History, for example, - and this without any irksome labor, but with only unvarying in- terest and delight.
In farther explanation and illustration of what is meant by Object-teaching, we make the following extract from an excellent School Report which has fallen under our notice.
" Variety and change are elements in the child mind, and their lessons should therefore be brief and often changed. Their men- tal aliment needs this spice of variety ; to them novelty is pleas- ure. The whole of Nature is a volume where a leaf may be daily turned for gathering knowledge and to teach the heart. Natural History is full of interest to the young ; a cow, a dog, a cat, though familiar objects, would always excite an interest and afford them pleasure and instruction. They must be taught to spell the object spoken of, for instance : ' Skin ; what do they do with the hide ?' ' What is leather, and how do they tan it?' ' Hair' ' spell it ;' ' what do they do with the hair ?' ' What with horse hair,'-' What is soft hair called ?' ' What do they do with fur?' ' Spell hoof.'' What kind of a hoof has a cow, a sheep, a hog?' ' What a horse ?'' Butter; cheese, how is it made?' Each interrogation would be, as in cultivating the
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ground, -like digging and putting in the seed, - mind would grow and become productive under such methods of mental cul- ture."
" Again ; a most useful and interesting plan of instruction has latterly grown into disuse, and should be revived, that of lessons by means of pictures. While conveying other knowledge they may be made to aid in moral instruction
With short lessons, daily given, with never-ceasing variety, knowledge would soon accumulate in the storehouse of the young mind, by the due exercise of its several faculties, without hazard of injury. Spelling lessons by dictation might always be a ready means of changing the exercise, not forgetting to use the powerful principles of association to help the memory by classification. Spell the following actions of the limbs ; Slap, to strike with the palm of the hand. Tap, to strike lightly with the finger. Thump, to strike hard. Kick, to strike with the foot. Stamp, to strike hard with the bottom of the foot. Butt, to strike with the head. Rap, to strike with quick blows."
" Name the limbs and joints of the body, while elevating or touching them ; arms, elbows, hands, fists, thumbs, fingers, knuckles, wrists, shoulders, legs, feet.
Then let there be a spelling lesson by touching the pupils, spel- ling whatever the teacher touches, they naming it, which serves to teach the pronunciation of words, a practice apt to be neg- lected in first lessons in orthography. Example : chair, table, window, card, door, floor, boy, girl, book, stove, &c.
" Such lessons, it will be at once perceived, may be infinitely varied, and they would inevitably enlighten, instruct, and please. The intellect would be constantly and pleasurable quickened, and the powers genially directed into those channels of attention, observation, reflection, and comparison, which are to constitute the grand substructure of all substantial cul- ture in after life."
In old times sewing used to be taught in schools. And in
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Boston special Teachers of this branch are employed in several of the Districts. We recommend that the girls, in our Primary Schools at least, be henceforth instructed in sewing. Hence will result both pleasure and profit, as all mothers will readily confess.
In the upper grade of Primary Schools, the pupils are older and can, without injury, study somewhat longer and harder. Yet what has been said will apply very generally to these Schools, as well as to those of the lower grade.
We think that the instructors of these Schools, in teaching Geography and Arithmetic, should depend less upon text-books. The outlines of Geography can be easily learned by the use of globes and maps, and the elementary definitions can be given orally as they are needed. The four tables in Arithmetic can be committed by having them written on the blackboard, or on slates ; and simple examples in Addition, Subtraction, Multipli- cation, and Division can be performed orally.
A word about Reading. Evidently it is not enough to repeat the printed words. The pupil must be persistently drilled, until, entering into the spirit of what he reads, and understand- ing every word, he delivers each sentence with the proper accent, inflection, and emphasis. Better half a dozen pages read in this way than a whole book repeated in any other way. And we must add, that we have never listened to better reading any- where than that which we have now and then heard in some of our Primary Schools.
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THE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS.
These schools, as their name indicates, stand between the Primary and the Grammar Schools. There are four of them in Town. Taking them as a whole, there are no Schools of which we can speak with more satisfaction than of these. Here the pupils are old enough to devote a large part of the school session to hard study, and old enough to appreciate the importance of study. Here, besides Reading and Spelling, they continue Men-
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tal Arithmetic ; and for a year past have been required to begin the study of Written Arithmetic. This latter requirement puts an end to one complaint that is sometimes made about our school system : That pupils learn to do very difficult examples in Oral Arithmetic, and are not able to perform the simplest operation upon the slate.
And here we would remark, that, in promoting pupils from one School to another, it will be better, in future, for every Sub- Committee to make a careful examination, and promote none who are not really fitted to enter the higher Department. Let none pass from the Primary to the Intermediate School who do not know the four tables perfectly. Let none enter the Gram- mar School who are not able to perform on the slate simple ex- amples in Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division.
And still farther, with regard to the study of arithmetic, we would say that we are not desirous that the pupils in the Inter- mediate Schools should finish Colburn. We shall be better satisfied to have them complete but one half of it, or even less, really comprehending all that they learn, than to render them- selves able to solve mechanically all the problems it contains. Some parts of this book are too difficult for the comprehension of average Intermediate pupils.
In this Department, pupils begin to write with pen and ink. The writing-books are generally very neatly kept, and many excellent specimens of chirography are to be found therein.
Considerable time is given to the study of Geography in the Intermediate Schools, and considerable time is wasted on this subject. Our text-books are among the best that have been published, but they are not satisfactory. Knowing the frequent practice of examiners to ask only concerning progress in the book, and to examine only from the book, - equally pleased whether the subject be Affghanistan or Massachusetts, Tobolsk or Washington, - so that a great many pages have been com- mitted to memory, and can be recited glibly, - we take this occasion to declare emphatically that we do not wish the Teach-
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ers to confine themselves to the text. Let them make large omissions, and wise supplies. Let the child be taught the out- lines, the most important definitions, the names and the relative situation of the great divisions of land and water ; then let him be occupied principally with his own Country, and his own State. He can learn all that he need know at present, or can easily re- member, of the rest of the world, in a month or two at most.
THE GRAMMAR SCHOOLS.
The Grammar Department completes our Common School system, and fits pupils for the duties of active life. Here the studies of Reading and Spelling, Geography, Arithmetic, and Writing are carried on, and brought as nearly as possible to perfection. English Grammar and the History of the United States are also studied. We have determined upon the intro- duction of Physiology and Book-keeping.
A good deal of hard work has been done in this Department during the year, and the Examinations have passed off very creditably.
Pupils have been too much in the habit of leaving the Gram- mar Schools too soon ; and applicants for the High School have been admitted there before they were properly prepared. It ought to be distinctly understood that the Grammar School completes a certain stage of the education of the majority of the children of the Town, and that very many never go to any higher School. It is important then that they learn here all, or nearly all, of Arithmetic and of Geography that it is needful for them to know as men and women. With Arithmetic they should be so thoroughly acquainted as to understand all the principles of the science, and so be able to perform with facility miscella neous examples not set down in the book. Then they should have such a practical knowledge of Grammar as will enabl them to write a letter without grammatical errors, and to speal correctly. The study of text-books in Grammar is generall begun too early. A pupil can learn within a very short tim
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all the rules that it is necessary for him to know. Nothing but persistent practice in correcting false sentences, and in writing compositions of some sort, will give him that mastery over his lan- guage that he needs to acquire. Very few of our well-educated men and women, in whose speech and writing one can hardly detect an error, can give readily the different rules for the for- mation of the plural, or even the names and precise signification of the different tenses of the verb. It is habit, practice, that has made them perfect. And so we would have children, even before they enter the Grammar Schools, and especially in these Schools, express their thoughts in writing, and write dictation exercises. It is a good plan to study Grammar in connection with Reading.
We prescribe a certain text-book in this branch ; but we say to Teachers, - Use as little of it as you consistently can.
In some of our Grammar Schools, Geography is far more wisely studied than it used to be ; even now, however, too much time is given to it in comparison with the amount of knowledge gained. It will not do to crowd the mind with too many names and figures. Only those should be learned which can be re- membered.
By a recent change in the time of the Annual Promotions, we are enabled to raise at once the standard of the Grammar Schools, as well as that of the lower Schools. These Promo- tions will take place, in future, immediately after the close of the Summer Vacation.
THE HIGH SCHOOL.
The statutes provide that every town containing five hundred families, - that is, about twenty-five hundred inhabitants, - shall maintain a School in which shall be taught " General His- tory, Book-keeping, Surveying, Geometry, Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, Botany, the Civil Polity of this Commonwealth and of the United States, and the Latin language. And farther, that every town containing four thousand inhabitants shall main-
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tain a school in which shall be taught, besides the branches mentioned above, - Greek, French, Astronomy, Geology, Rhetoric, Logic, Intellectual and Moral Science, and Political Economy."
This enumeration plainly indicates what our High School should be. It is neither an English High School, like the Eng- lish High School in Boston ; nor a Latin High School, like the Latin High School in Boston ; but a combination of both. It is provided for those pupils who wish to pursue certain studies in addition to those taught in the Grammar Schools, - who wish to enter college; or to become teachers ; or to prepare them- selves for what we may, without invidious distinction, call the higher kinds of business ; or who simply wish for self-improve- ment and self-enlightenment. So far from thinking that too much attention has been given to the Languages in this School, we believe that they have not been sufficiently attended to. Latin and French, to say nothing of Greek, are properly excluded from all the Schools excepting this. It is surely un- wise, as well as contrary to the spirit of the law, to assign to them an inferior position in our course of studies here. We believe that the study of Greek has always been optional with the pupils. And of the two languages, Latin and French, if one is to be made elective, we should prefer that it be the latter rather than the former. Knowing how much better acquainted with their own tongue men become after learning the Latin, and how much easier the knowledge of it renders the acquisition of the modern languages ; and remembering too that if any of our High School pupils are to enter college, they ought to study Latin from the very beginning, the Committee decided last year to require pupils to begin this study in the first year of the course.
If we had double the number of Teachers, we might divide the school into two Departments, an English and a Classical ; but the greatly increased number of classes which such an ar- rangement would involve, renders. a substantial adherence to
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our existing system necessary with our present force of instruc- tion.
Meanwhile, although we are very far from wishing to deter pupils from applying for admission into this School, we would discourage the idea that the main object of the Grammar Schools is to fit candidates for the High School. Nor would we have any think of entering the latter Institution, who do not fully un- derstand the conditions of remaining therein, and who are not determined to pursue with diligence all the required studies.
Our new arrangement with regard to Promotions will raise the grade of the High School, as well as that of the other Schools. The Examination of Candidates will take place henceforth in the first week of the Summer Vacation.
GYMNASTICS.
Very satisfactory has been the working of our new rule en- joining the practice of gymnastics upon all the Schools. We have been greatly delighted with the pleasure and pride which the pupils, in many instances, take in these exercises ; nor can there be any doubt whatever of their highly beneficial result. Let a skeptical person enter a schoolroom in which the physi- cal exercises are about to be performed. The pupils have be- come a little tired and cramped from their long sitting. Some of them are really unfitted for study. Scarcely any can labor with the same zest that they did at the beginning of the session. The windows are thrown open ; the scholars rise to their feet, and with precision and accuracy perform their various move- ments, sending the blood freely through every part of the body, expanding the lungs, relieving the head of its pressure, prepar- ing every pupil for renewed attention to study.
In the younger Schools, a very little time suffices to tire the children. There gymnastics should be practised several times cach half day. In no School should less than twenty minutes be devoted to them each day.
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SINGING.
In singing, there is continued improvement. Some of the Schools are almost all that can be wished in this respect.
The High School has had a piano for some time ; and in two of the Grammar Schools pianos have either been hired or pur- chased through the united efforts of Teachers and scholars. How much good is effected by the introduction of these instruments cannot be easily measured. All who care anything about music will appreciate the advantage to the pupils, and indirectly to the whole community, of such an accompaniment and inspirer of song.
In two or three Districts it has been the custom of late to gather at certain intervals, the children of all the Schools into the Grammar Schoolroom to engage together in singing and other exercises. We highly approve the arrangement, believ- ing it to be extremely beneficial to all concerned ; and we re- commend its adoption in all the Districts.
And still farther do we recommend the gathering together at some stated time of the best singers of all the Schools in Town, for a Musicial Festival. Some of our distinguished visitors once expressed themselves better pleased with the Music Hall Festi- val of the Children of the Public Schools of Boston than with anything else that they had witnessed in the Country. There is no good reason why there should not be Festivals of a somewhat similar character in every Town in the State.
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