USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1891 > Part 13
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As our small salaries preclude school officers from employing ex- perienced teachers from other places to any great extent, and compel them to depend largely upon our high school graduates for teachers, it seems to me to be the part of wisdom to establish a Training School - one that shall not depend upon the number of applicants. nor in any sense be intermittent. The value of such a school will depend largely upon the interest taken in it by the committee and citizens of the town. If it is allowed to become simply an easy thirty weeks' journey from the high school to a teacher's position, - a journey that all may travel with indifferent safety - its utility would be of a doubtful character; but, if it is made a year of thoughtful study, of careful observation and prep- aration, - a year of weeding out the indifferent, and those having no natural fitness for the work of teaching, -it would become an important adjunct to our school system. It is evident to any thoughtful person, that all would-be teachers will not make good teachers ; some lack teaching power; some lack disciplinary power ; some possess traits of character that should never have a place in a school room. Without the training school these would- be teachers become teachers ; with the training school, it is possi- ble for school officials, in spite of importuning parents and friends, to shut out many of the incompetent ones, and save the children suffering loss from poor teaching.
I am pleased to say that past graduates of the training school, with few exceptions, have done very commendable work in the positions they have filled. It is safe to say that they generally do as good teaching the first year as they ordinarily would do, with- out the training, the second or third year.
COURSE OF STUDY.
A thorough revision of the course of study, adopted in 1884 and supplemented in 1887, has been made during the year and parts of the new course have been put into use. As a good course of study is an important factor in the advancement of our schools, much time and thought has been given to its revision ;
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teachers have given valuable assistance and other courses have been consulted quite generally and drawn upon whenever they contained suggestions especially adapted to our schools. The new course will be found much more complete and suggestive than the old, and for these reasons will be heartily welcomed by our teachers. Although this course should not be considered a fixed quantity, for that would preclude advancement and fail to recog- nize new educational needs, it should remain practically un- changed long enough for school officers and teachers to learn what its merits and defects are.
The new course for the high school was put into operation last September, and is conceded by all to be a great improvement over the old. The work in English has been given a more important place. It has been strengthened and systematized so that now every pupil receives continuous instruction and drill in the use of English from the beginning to the end of his course. The first year of the English course has been made as distinctively practical as the unity of the school work would permit, and is especially adapted to young men who desire a more complete business edu- cation than our grammar schools afford. This change was made to satisfy a popular demand, and will be appreciated by parents who are unable to give their children a complete course in the high school.
By comparing the old course of study in the lower grades with the new course, it will be seen that important changes have been made in history, in language work, in reading and in physiology, and that the work of the schools has been enriched by the intro- duction of elements of civil government and nature study. If the space given to a report of this kind were sufficient, it would be easy to show how the above changes are expected to increase the efficiency of our schools.
Accompanying the course of study may be found a table giving the approximate number of hours per week to be given to the different subjects. The table is not intended to be "iron-clad." It simply indicates the relative importance that the school officials place upon each subject. It neither gives opportunity to the specialist to unduly enlarge upon his pet subject, nor the careless to neglect an important subject because he is not fond of it. The desultory teacher will find it hard to bring the studies within limits, but the careful, painstaking, orderly teacher will be inspired to crowd the fullest and best information into the prescribed time.
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READING.
It is sometimes said that reading is the most difficult branch to teach in the entire course of study. It seems to me that it would be more nearly correct to say that reading is generally the poorest taught subject in the school curriculum. The failure to attain creditable results in reading is due not so much to the difficulty of the subject as to poor teaching of the subject. If teachers would give as much study to this branch of instruction as to other branches, much of the poor reading would be eliminated from our schools. Many teachers who thoroughly prepare themselves for the arithmetic and geography lesson give little or no thought to the reading lesson until the class is called, and then make a hit or miss selection. A very unsatisfactory reading lesson is the result - poor articulation, incorrect expression, and frequent mispronuncia- tion. This method of teaching reading is all wrong. Teachers should prepare themselves for the reading lesson more thoroughly than for any other study ; for good reading is the key to all other school work.
First, it is absolutely imperative, if good results are to be attained in reading, that the teacher should be a good reader ; not only able to get quickly and accurately the thought from the written or printed page, but to give correct oral expression to that thought. Second, she should be a skillful, constructive critic ; should know what good reading is ; and, when she hears a pupil read, should know what the defects are and how to correct them. Third, she should be so thoroughly acquainted with every selection in the reading books used in her class that she can decide what selections are best adapted to the needs of her pupils, and how the lesson should be given to improve their reading ; whether in articulation, expression, or getting the thought silently. Fourth, she must adapt herself to the reading lesson. however simple, and keep her own and the children's interest at a white heat. No half-hearted effort should be tolerated. Teachers who appreciate the impor- tance of good reading, and the necessity of thorough preparation always secure excellent results in reading. It is a pleasure to lis- ten to a reading lesson conducted by such a teacher.
In addition to the school-room work in the different reading ex- ercises, teachers should have a well defined plan to interest the pupils in outside reading. They should ever keep in mind that
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an acquaintance with good literature is the highest object of all reading ; and also that it rests with them to shape, in a large degree, the future reading of their pupils. To cultivate this love for good literature is one of their greatest opportunities ; yes, one of their gravest responsibilities. It were almost better that the child had never learned to read, than having learned to read, to make companions of bad books. " Bad books corrupt us as bad people do." Ruskin says " Of all the plagues that afflict mortality, the venon of a bad book to weak people, and the charms of a fool ish book to simple people, are witbout question the deadliest."
PROMOTION.
In grades below the High School, quite a radical change has been made during the year in the system of marking pupils for promotion. Although it was suggested in a recent school report that mortals could not well improve upon the method then in use, it seems to me that the change, made by your Board, is fully in accord with the best educational thought of the day. It recog- nizes the fact that faithful, painstaking study is more valuable than spasmodic. bi-monthly cramming ; and also places the pro- motion of the pupils more directly in the hands of the teachers, thereby securing their more careful study of the peculiarities of each pupil. Possibly the greatest evil of the graded school system is the tendency to work forty or fifty pupils in mass, keeping the smart ones back and dragging the dull ones along. To check this tendency, pupils who are found mentally and physically able to do advanced work should be given an opportunity to secure extra promotion. Care should be taken not to make individual promo- tions too general, thereby lowering the grade of our schools ; but to make such promotions possible and wholly dependent upon individual effort and ability. When teachers fully realize that the thorough study of each pupil is the essence of good teaching, and bright pupils are given a fair chance to win special or double pro- motion, the work in our schools will be better done and the graded school system will be relieved of much of the criticism that is now justly heaped upon it.
In case of non-promotion, parents and teachers should carefully distinguish between failure to be promoted because of sickness or absence, and failure because of neglect on the part of the child. In
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the former case failure is no dishonor, and neither parent nor child should feel it any disgrace that a second year is spent in the same grade. In all cases where non-promotion seems probable parents should be kept informed of the liability of the child's failure to be promoted. If failure is caused by neglect on the part of the child, or by frequent absences, the parents are largely responsible for the failure, and should not complain of the teacher or request pro- motion on trial.
TEMPERANCE INSTRUCTION.
During the past year temperance instruction has assumed definite shape, and is now recognized as a part of our course of study. Satisfactory books have been furnished for the teachers, and special work laid out for the different grades. No valid excuse can now be rendered for giving an uninteresting, discon- nected, intemperate, temperance lesson in any grade. Those interested in the proper teaching of this subject are cordially in- vited to visit our schools and listen to the instruction given therein.
If after careful observation, it is found that better results can be attained by putting text-books into the hands of the pupils, the school committee will undoubtedly vote to do so. As faithful, painstaking teaching is expected in this study as in any other study of the course. One or more uniform examinations will be given throughout the schools each year for the purpose of ascer- taining the amount and value of the instruction given.
MORAL INSTRUCTION.
Although no detailed schedule of the amount of moral instruc- tion to be given in our schools is marked out in the course of study, it is by no means to be understood that such instruction is to be confined to the half-hour a week set down for opening exer- cises. Indeed, moral training is too important to be confined within narrow limits as other subjects ; it is not something apart from history and geography, but something that pervades the whole work of the school. Not a part of the course of study, but the beauty and life of the whole course.
The most vital moral power in our schools is the influence and example of the teacher. Some teachers possess in a very large
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degree the enviable faculty of throwing the benign influence of their moral character and training far beyond the limits of the school-room. They are not content with mere obedience on the part of the pupils while in the school-room or school-yard, but are untiring in their efforts to teach politeness, kindness, respect for the rights of others, industry, temperance, self-control, and purity of speech, as virtues to be practised in school and out. The pupils of such teachers can be distinguished in the stores and on the streets by their uniformly good conduct.
The Rules and Regulations of the public schools of Weymouth require that " the morning session shall begin with the reading by the teacher of suitable selections from the Bible, without com- ment," and recommends that the reading " should be followed by the audible repetition of the Lord's Prayer by the teacher alone or by the teacher and pupils in concert." This exercise, performed in the right spirit, using easy and appropriate selections, can be made a most impressive way of giving moral instruction. Many inci- dents of school life also are constantly arising that afford most excellent opportunities for moral training. 'Indeed, the moral tone of the school depends very largely on the use that is made of these opportunities as they occur. This is indirect moral training, but is vastly more effective than constant lecturing or preaching.
If any person is ever called upon to practise what he preaches, and to live what he teaches, that person is the in- structor of the American youth. , A teacher who tells bis pupils that he shall do a certain thing on the following day and neglects to do it for some trivial reason ; or makes an appointment with his pupils and breaks it with no apology ; or allows dishonest work to be exhibited and takes, therefor, undue praise to himself and his pupils, gives a silent lesson that will effectually undo all his preaching about truthfulness, integrity, and uprightness. But a teacher who is frank, courteous, and honest with his pupils, care- ful in small details, and clearly just in all his dealings, hardly needs to supplement his daily example with words of preaching. Still as opportunities present themselves wherein the influence of the school can be brought to emphasize the worth of true manhood, the spoken word should by no means be neglected.
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CONCLUSION.
In conclusion I wish to call the attention of the committee to our utter lack of permanent school appliances.
At the beginning of the present year, there was very little material in our schools that could be called permanent supplies. In fact, below the high schools, the solar camera, with its accompanying curtains and poorly assorted slides ; the book-cases used for the transportation of the " library on wheels "; and the wand-holders, constituted the bulk of our permanent school supplies. Model drawing was taught, or attempted, with few or no models to draw from ; paper folding and cutting, taught with no suitable paper to fold and nothing to cut with ; geography and history, taught without globes or modern wall maps, and without supplementary histories or reference books ; and reading (the sentence method), taught with a meagre supply, of material necessary to properly teach reading by this method. Indeed it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find anywhere a system of schools as excellent and costly as ours with so few refer- ence books and other permanent school appliances. Our schools have been made what they are in spite of these deficencies, and there is reason to fear that much of the instruction given is of a transitory character. Pupils taught cut and dried facts from note- books or books that contain the essentials of a study, will make pleasant recitations, but recitations devoid of lasting value. If on the other hand pupils are led to supplement the note-books and text-books by careful study of reference books upon the subjects, and are trained to seek information for themselves from outside sources. their instruction will be not for a day but for life.
I am pleased to report that, by judicious management on the part of your committee during the past year, I have been able to make a beginning toward suppling these deficiencies. Classical atlases, large and small models for drawing. compasses, one cyclopædia, and a few reference books, have been placed in the high schools. The lower grades have been supplied with material necessary for properly teaching the sentence method of reading, with small models for drawing, with paper and scissors for paper folding and cutiing, and with a few reference books for the teachers' desks. In addition to these purchases, I think we shall be able this year, without exceeding the usual amount expended in this department, to supply many of our schools with wall-maps and possibly to
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furnish them with a few globes. If these purchases are made and your committee continue the same wise management of this department in the years to come, our schools will soon be furnished with all the equipments necessary for securing good results.
There are other points that could profitably be discussed in this report, but it is thought that the course of study should be printed this year, as a part of the annual report.
Allow me in closing to thank you, gentlemen of the School Com- mittee, for the kind consideration and appreciation my work has received from you ; and to express my obligation to the teachers. for their uniform support and assistance.
Respectfully submitted,
I. M. NORCROSS, Superintendent of Public Schools.
In Memoriam.
MISS ADDIE COLERAN, A MEMBER OF THE TRAINING CLASS, passed away after a short illness, APRIL 28, 1891.
She was acting as substitute teacher in the Lincoln School, first grade, and gave promise of becoming an excellent teacher.
MISS ELLA CHANDLER, A TEACHER IN THE FIRST GRADE OF THE LINCOLN SCHOOL, passed away after a lingering illness, MAY 1, 1891.
She was a conscientious and successful teacher, beloved by all her pupils and mourned for by a large circle of friends.
APPENDICES.
I. REPORT OF PRINCIPAL OF NORTH HIGH SCHOOL.
To I. M. NORCROSS, Superintendent of Public Schools.
The number of pupils at the opening of the school year was one hundred thirteen. This is one less than the total enrolment of last year. During the first half of last year we lost a large number from the third and fourth classes. This year our losses have been few ; we began with forty boys, and that number still remains. While we should be glad to see a larger proportion of boys, the ratio between the sexes in our school compares favorably with that of similiar schools throughout the county.
In the first class there are six young ladies and five young gentlemen. Judging from the number in the lower classes at present, the number at graduation ought not to fall below eighteen for a number of years.
There are twenty seven pupils pursuing the college preparatory course. Four- teen pupils will be ready in June for either preliminary or final examinations at higher institutions of learning.
In previous reports the need of a change in our course of study has been sug. gested. That change has come. It is popular with teachers and scholars. How much of an improvement the new is over the old can better be told at the end of the school year than now. It may be fairly inferred that the more permanent attendance of this year is due, in part, to the change. The work of the college preparatory division of the fourth class is far less discouraging than formerly. The practical features of the English course during the same year are a real attraction. But an attractive course of study must not have all of the credit here. The expression on the faces of our new pupils told us that they had come to stay. In the higher classes there seems to be a confidence among the pupils that the new order of things is serving their interests to the best advantage. If preparation for college is sought, it can be accomplished in four years by bright, willing workers. By the same class of pupils good preparation for the Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology can be accomplished in three years. For all, the study of our own language has been largely increased.
Of necessity the college preparatory course must be a busy one. The require- ments for admission to college are broad and must be met, we think, in four years. While there is a difference in the amount of work prescribed in our dif- ferent courses, that difference is not as great as it seems ; there is work enough to be done in the English course. Lack of ambition may materially diminish the amount accomplished. Pupils of the classical course recite nearly all of their lessons with college preparatory classes. They catch the ambition to do what the preparatory pupils know they must do.
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We receive few visits from parents. It is true that on the last day of the year large numbers listen to our exercises, but at that time little can be judged of the work done through the year. Visits should be made frequently to learn how the school is progressing, and to give encouragement to scholars and teachers. Our public day, if come it must, should come at some other time of the year. Into our last day is crowded an amount of work for teachers and graduating class little dreamed of by the casual observer.
We may claim, with modesty, that the year has been a successful one. The scholarship of the school has been improved, and honorable sentiments have been fostered.
Respectfully submitted,
L. HERBERT OWEN, Principal.
GRADUATION EXERCISES OF NORTH HIGH SCHOOL.
ODD FELLOWS OPERA HOUSE, EAST WEYMOUTH, THURSDAY EVENING, JUNE 25, 1891, AT 3 P. M.
" Have a purpose in life ; and, having it, throw into your work such strength of mind and of muscle as God has given you." - Carlyle.
MUSIC
Orchestra
INVOCATION.
SINGING BY THE SCHOOL. a. " Away the Morning Freshly Breaking."
1 b. " Sleepers Wake !"
SALUTATORY AND ESSAY, " Leadership "
Fannie B. Dunbar
RECITATION, " The Whistling Regiment " Mary E. Hennessy
SOLO, " The Day is Done " . Angeline M. Gutterson
ESSAY, " Profit Sharing " Annie L. Murphy
GERMAN BY THE NATURAL METHOD,
Lillian F. Curtis, Mamie L. Glove, M. Nellie Hart, Angeline M. Gutterson.
PIANO SOLO
M. Nellie Hart
CLASS CHRONICLES
ESSAY, " A Lunar Excursion'
Annie F. Conroy Mary E. Spencer Orchestra
MUSIC
A NOON HOUR, H. Estella Lovell, M. Carrie Hart.
ESSAY, WITH VALEDICTORY ADDRESSES, "Nationalism," Lottie F. Graves
SINGING, BY THE SCHOOL, "Gloria, from Mozart's 12th Mass.
PRESENTATION OF DIPLOMAS
James H. Flint
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CLASS ODE.
WORDS BY MARY E. SPENCER, MUSIC BY M. NELLIE HART.
Four times now have bloomed the flowers, Since as classmates first we met, And to those bright, happy hours Owe we all a lasting debt. Comes at length the time for parting, Sad, but sorrow must not be, For to-night we all are starting On life's mystic, untried sea.
CHORUS. " Join the tender chorus. Though we part to-night, God, who reigneth o'er us, Still shall guide us right."
Then arise and sing for gladness, Sing of victories to be won, Banish every thought of sadness, Think of life's work, just begun. All press on, though we must sever, With our Purpose clear in view, To achieve each high endeavor, To do all that we can do.
INFORMAL RECEPTION.
GRADUATES OF NORTH HIGH SCHOOL.
College Preparatory Course. H. Estella Lovell.
Annie F. Conroy. Lillian F. Curtis., Fannie B. Dunbar. Lottie F. Graves.
Classical Course.
Angeline M. Gutterson. M. Carrie Hart. M. Nellie Hart. Mary E. Hennessy. Mary E. Spencer.
English Course.
Annie L. Murphy.
Mamie L. Gove.
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II. REPORT OF PRINCIPAL OF SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL.
To I. M. NORCROSS, ESQ., Superintendent of Schools :
In accordance with established usage, I submit my report of the condition of the South High School.
In the school year 1890-91 the enrolment of this school reached high water mark in the increase which had been steadily going on since 1881, as shown by the following schedule :
81, '82, '83, '84, '85, '86, '87, '88, '89, '90.
Year Membership 44, 47, . 50, 51, .55, 57, 60,
65, 82, 93.
The total number belonging for the present year is only 72, showing a decrease for the first time in ten years. The average membership, however, for the past five years, since the effect of the free textbook law has been felt, has been al- most exactly 72, the present enrolment.
The cause of the abnormally large membership for the years '89 and '90 was the extrordinary ratio between the numbers of the graduating and the entering classes, viz .: 11 to 39 in '89 and 5 to 31 in '90, a gain of 54 !
Last year, on the other hand, the graduating class was seventeen in number, the largest in the history of the school, and the entering class was twenty-five which is below the average for recent years. Present statistics indicate a gain of, perhaps, six or eight for the coming year.
The present course of study, which went into effect last September, presents some marked improvements on its predecessor, especially in the increased atten- tion it gives to the study of the English language and literature. The addition of commercial arithmetic and commercial law to the study of book-keeping makes it possible for a pupil to obtain, free of espense, essentially what is taught in the so-called business colleges. I would recommend that the study of stenography and typewriting be added to the requirements of this "business course," following the example of leading high schools in the State, and thus giving advantages to those intending to follow commercial pursuits more nearly equal to the advantages afforded those fitting for professional life.
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