Oriole and Tower-Light, 1922-1927, Part 110

Author: Maryland State Normal School (Towson, Md.)
Publication date: 1922-1927
Publisher: Maryland State Normal School (Towson, Md.)
Number of Pages: 1024

USA > Maryland > Baltimore County > Towson > Oriole and Tower-Light, 1922-1927 > Part 110

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Here is Miss Wright's present method of teaching reading: First, the children have an excursion or some activity. Then they discuss it, and then dictate to the teacher sen- tences about it. The teacher writes these on the board. Then, she makes a chart of it, and it is next printed on the bulletin board. children have many excursions and experiences, and much reading

growing out of them. The First Graders are now ready for their first reading book. As I said before, this book. instead of being the usual Primer, is "The Magic Book." Their library table contains many printed picture books to stimulate them to read. When we were there, March 4, these books had been taken away, and on the table were books of the children's excursions with either the children's illustrations or kodak pic- thres. There was a book called, "The Milk Play", which had pictures in which the children were interest- ed. The pictures of the houses of a community were in another book. There was a book of original poems. It seems almost impossible to believe that they made some original poetry. But. there they were! One of the most interesting of the books was the first bulletin. It was called:

Ordering Lunch.

Who will eat an apple?

Who will drink orange juice?

Who will drink milk?

Who will eat a cracker?

How wise a teacher to thus use the never-failing food appeal?

Before, I said that the room had the appearance of a work room. This seemed different to me, because at Montebello School the rooms always look so much like "home" rooms. The rooms at the Lincoln School, on the other hand, had the work of the children as the centre of the stage.

Another thing that impressed me was that there were'nt many real paintings on the walls. The paint- ings, drawings, and sometimes

scribblings were all the work of the commended the children who started children.

many strange and marvelous the children busy with their hands

things that had been painted on and not their tongues, Miss Wright called a "Quaker Meeting." More work-less tongue. It succeeded.

The Bulletin Board showed signs that the children had been experi- menting with success, for it had on work on the clay, they were told to

it:

Whirl. whirl, whirl!

Whirl the cream Around and around.

Shake the cream In the jar

Harder! Harder!

Oh, Look' Look!

See the Specks of yellow butter. Now the cream is turning into butter.

See the white buttermilk.

Take the yellow butter out of the jar.

Now wash it again. Shall we put salt in it?

What nice yellow butter!

I never saw so many blocks in my The life. There were blocks of all shapes and kinds-big hlocks and little blocks! Miss Wright explained that the blocks gave the children a chance for self-expression.

Can you imagine anything more beautiful than to sit quietly with closed eyes and listen-while some- one with a soft, quiet voice, full of expression reads verse to you? The verse was the kind that just swings along in perfect rhythm in such beautiful words that even first grad- ers were conscious that "God's in his Heaven. All's right with the world."

Boys love to cook. So I've been told, but, do you know. I really nev- er believed this? Imagine my con sternation when I observed in one of the Thursday afternoon creative

When I heard Miss Wright read classes boys actually making cookies the poetry (from Silver Pennies by and candy! Were they enjoying it? Thompson) pity surged in my heart., Will I ever forget the face of one Why weren't there more Miss boy of ten, a round, fat, pink-faced Wrights ?- more people to under- boy, making cookies? How serions stand children, to love children?

was the expression on his face as he

If teachers want to form a lasting dropped a spoonful of cooky on the bond between good literature and pan, another spoonful, till the pan children, they need to begin to read was full.

And then what a heaven- to them even in the first grade, the ly expression lit up the cherub's face "best" poetry and best stories!

selected as he licked the spoon.

With a head full of ideas one left During recess the children went the Lincoln School. My last thought to a shed where they took very large 'was, "Such wonderful things going blocks.

They player with them, let- on! I only hope that I can remem- ting their imaginations have full, ber some of them to try when I sway. First, they built a ship, and teach."

away they

went

"abroad."

They

Suppers may come and suppers came back to America only to re- may go, but one supper will live on make their ship into a train and then forever, and that is the supper we off they went to California. They ate at the International Students' liked the climate of California much, House. A Japanese Supper! What tor it was so nice and

warm (the did it matter if fingers were clumsy weather on Mach 4 was really freez- and chop sticks were fickle? We ate ing ) and they brought back with them the loveliest oranges! of a dish delicious, whose name we They cannot pronounce. The occasion was could not stay long in California, for indeed auspicious, and. oh, the dish delicious!

it was time to go indoors and back to school. But wasn't that a lovely trip to make in fifteen minutes?

In working with clay Miss Wright night is quite another matter. Streets

well. She brought to the attention tion.

When the children started their make an article that could be used in the houses that they were making. One of the points stressed was, "Make something that is useable." Another. "Do not sit idle." And an- other. "No work will be accepted un- less it is good since we do not want to waste the clay."

When I left the First Grade my mind said, "You must have knowl- edge to teach." My heart answered, "You must have understanding and. above all, a love for children!"

Is there a desire within you to do Now wash the butter with cold something? Have you wanted for a water.

long time to make a radio, write a play? Perhaps your fingers actu- ally ache to get crayons in hand and draw, draw, draw! The children of the Lincoln School had these desires. Oh, fortunate children to have them realized.

On Thursday afternoon children who want to create are given the chance to do so under the supervis ion of their teachers. There is one stipulation and that is that the work if started, be completed. Of course the work must be worthwhile, that is taken for granted.

To ride in a bus in the daytime is prosaic, but to ride in a bus at pass in review, all ready for inspec- People come and go. Would that I could go with them! I would

There were two easels in the room. of the others how one coiled his clay which if they could talk would tell first and then smoothed it. To keep delve into their secrets. find out why

them.

April, 1926.

TOWER LIGHT.

Page 15

that man sits with a face so sour. Has the world treated you harshly, stranger? Yonder sits a painted which was nearly finished! The faces of the children were full of in- terest and joy-interest in their work, joy because of their work.

lady-her hair a bleached gold-the tinsel gold that fades with the day- light, a scarlet mouth that laughs into the face of the mau beside her. Are you happy, oh painted lady? The secrets I would know I must not ask, for I am a teacher. Thank God! My business is with children-children whose mouths are clean and whose souls are pure. God created Man and Woman-He saw His mistake, and created children !

Listen, music, the sound

of a voice. What could be stranger than music on a bus in New York? Ha! Nothing is strange in New York. It is the voice of the driver of the hus. Now his voice rises, now falls-his clear tenor calls, "I wanna' go where you go"- The voice is drowned by the rush of traffic-"I wanna' love when you love"-What a voice! Per haps an unknown genius sings his way through life on the seat of a blue hus. Yes, it is true. "There's many a man whose genius dies before it has a chance to be born."

Angelo Patri is different from any other person. Angelo Patri's office is different from any other principal's office. In his sanctuary he is sur rounded by the works of his school children. Do I say his sanctuary? I am wrong-it is not his sanctuary, but everyone's sanctuary, for every one is welcome.

On one wall is a bust of Lincoln- the Lincoln of benign expression- the Lincoln who understood, who sympathized. It is almost unbeliev- able that a boy could have sculptured it! Mr. Patri said that the boy showed so much promise that he had been sent for a year's study in Rome. Now he was back in New York plan- ning to exhibit about seventy or eighty pieces of his work at a Fifth Avenue Art Gallery.

On the desk of the office was a beautiful vase-also made by a child. In a case against the wall were love- ly modeled animals, jars and what not. Against the walls were beauti- ful paintings.

The work of the children not only was in the office but also on the walls of the halls and in the different rooms. Here on one wall were illus- trations beautifully painted of Moth- er Goose Rhymes. On another wall were illustrations of fairy tales; here a picture of a vase of flowers; there a picture of a woman bidding her husband farewell as he sailed away. Each picture had expression in it, each picture told something. Mr. Patri has been able to touch the hidden spring of creation in those Italian children and what treasures he has brought to light!

were making boats. How carefully

they shaped them. With what

pride one boy looked at his craft

What will you do with the boats when you have finished?" 1 asked. "Take them to the Bronx River and see if they will sail." answered a boy. Another face lit up. "Perhaps we shall have races with our boats. Another boy showed me some tables that they had made. Still another showed me perfect stools which were waiting to be painted. Everyone was busy making something useful. These boys may be called upon any day to go forth to help earn their bread and butter, and so Mr. Patri is wise- ly teaching them how to make the things that will be of use and how to do something with which to earn their bread.

Such a buzzing and humming- such concentration! Why not? Weren't the children making radio sets ? Just think! To be able to sit down and listen while someone in California sings a song. To us that would mean pleasure to the children of Angelo Patri's school it means paradise. Children have been known to stand around corners. knowing little and doing nothing. They have drifted, drifted into bad company and crime-drifted into the House of Silence, Sing-Sing. How

about the children 'of the Angelo Patri School? They have built up interests-some in literature, some in painting, some in sculpture, some in the radio, some in this and some in that. There need be no fear that they will drift as those others drift- ed. for they are well anchored.

The boys made the boats, the boys made the radios. What about the girls? Whether men are rich, wheth- er men are poor-they have to eat. and the women have to cook. The

girls of the Angelo Patri School are not only learning this so very neces- sary art, but they are also learning how the most nourishing food can be bought for the least money. There are adventures that come in life and one of them is surely the planning, executing and judging of three meals for fifty cents.

Is that all the girls do? Oh, dear no! They learn to sew as well as cook. Shall we look in the sewing room? No? Then we must stop at the Apartment. If one wants to see out and out joy, one must stop at the apartment. The apartment is modeled after a typical New York one and consists of a bedroom. din- ing room, living room, kitchen and bath.

The hostess meets us at the door and with great pride shows the apart- ment to us. The living room is very

If the living room is "liveable" the bedroom is truly "lovable." An in- voluntary "Ah" escapes us as the hostess explains that the beautiful bed was made by the boys of the school. Other "Ahs" follow as the dresser and chairs are pointed out as also coming from the hands of the children!

In the bedroom there was also a baby's bed and reposing on the pil- lows was a doll baby. The girls care for the doll, not only learning to dress her but also washing and car- ing for her clothes. I am sure that many a baby brother and sister at home benefits from this learning.

The kitchen was spotless and here the girls planned their meals and cooked them. They learned to set the table correctly and to serve cor- rectly. What contentment to be able to eat at a table where the food is served just right-where there are no clamoring, hungry brothers and sisters to be fed, no crying baby across the table, no poor cross over- worked mother, no poor tired father.

The stomachs of the children at the Angelo Patri School may not be filled with dainties such as the Lin- coln School children have, but their heads are filled with exultant ideas! What matters food when on the walls hang pictures-pictures of tears and laughter?

A good hook is a friend which never proves false. The children sit - ting so quietly reading will soon find this out. The children spend a per- iod every day for ten weeks in the library getting acquainted with books. This is part of their course. Not only do the children read here but they also listen to the stories told by the librarian. The librarian who is both gentle and wise, mei- lowed by the contact with children and books, takes a group of children. every now and then, to the Main Library of New York. Here the chil- dren have a chance to feast on books and become library members. Al- ways, the librarian said, some chil- dren join the library!

The books are used so much in the Angelo Library, you must be think- ing, that they are tattered and torn. No! The books on the whole have nice new covers and just seem to say, "Don't 1 look nice and clean? Pray come and read me." "How is that," you ask? Well, the books are rejuvenated. When the books be- gin to look shabby they are sent to the school bindery and there the children rebind them. Each child rebinds three books and then he may make a book for himself.

The children in another room learn to print, also. Not only a love for books arises from this, but also an appreciation of the work required in making a book. 1 can wager that at

In one room some of the children "liveable" with its well-placed chairs, the Angelo Patri School few book- its bookcase and its piano. backs are broken.

Page 16

TOWER LIGHT.

April, 1926,

The Angelo Patri School is pri- marily a Junior High School. There ure, though, a few lower grades. We went into a first grade. What peaked little faces -- couldn't these children smile? What a difference between these little wrecks of humanity and their older brothers and sisters in the Junior High School. What a wonderful, wonderful school to be able to turn these seared. wistful mites into happy children. I can still hear one child telling a story- "And Abe said, 'I don't care if my suit did get dirty. I have taken the pig out of the mud.' "

Long, lanky Abe Lincoln-do yon rejoice as you look down on these children from foreign shores? Do you rejoice that in following you, they liberated themselves?

Is ] write I look through my win-| Patri has rediscovered it. Angelo

dow. The shades of night have fallen. I can barely see "My Tree" -"My Tree" whose little branches seem to be little fingers raised in supplication. I cannot help but see another picture. A little boy asleep at his desk -- all of the children gone from the schoolroom. There is such quiet in that picture. That was a picture in one of the art rooms of the Angelo Patri School. Wherein lies the answer to all of the beautiful paintings?

The Italian children, the fine arts teachers, and, as always, coming back to Angelo Patri himself. That is the answer.

Angelo Patri in his grey suit, and his purple lavender Patri in spotless linen.

Angelo Patri is speaking a thought between each spoken word. "There's nothing in the world like teaching. Is our destined end or way, There's a thrill to it that is better | But to act, that each tomorrow than making a million, or marrying Find us farther than today! a million. A teacher is like God- she is silent. she is thoughtful, and Let us, then. he up and doing, With a heart for any fate; then she creates something. Some- times she releases a soul"-a beacon Still achieving, still pursuing, light to guide the faltering steps of Learn to labor and to wait." the young teacher --- a flickering light to gladden the hearts of the old teachers.

Teachers talk of the "Problem child." They need shudder no long- or. for Angelo Patri holds a magic key that will open the heart of the "Problem Child."

A boy was sent to the Patri School. Ile was impossible! He had been sent from one schood to another till in sher desperation he was sent to Angelo Patri's school. There he did everything that a hoy could do to amnov everyone. One day when he was at his worst, he was called to Mr. Patri's office. He stood there defiantly, waiting for the words that would send him -- where, to a reform school? What? His month opened in astonishment, his voice actually Frombled; it was impossible! Mr. Patri didn't mean it! lle couldn't go into the hlgh eighth grade; why that)

was the graduating class and he was

only in the seventh grade! He

simply couldn't do the work of the! eighth grade! Oh yes, Mr. Patri

gently but firmly insisted that he could. Mr. Patri said that he had full confidence, full faith that he could do the work.

The "Problem Child" left the office with tears in his eyes and bewilder- ment in his heart. No one had ever before thought that he could do any- thing. The "Problem Child" did

justify Mr. Patri's faith. He was graduated among the first ten of the class. He also made some beautiful sculptured pieces which Mr. Patri

loves dearly and which today are resting proudly in Mr. Patri's office.

The magic key of "Understanding and Faith" is always waiting for any teacher who wishes to use it. Angelo

Patri is right-every schoolroom is a little world of its own. and Angelo Patri has made his world into a Heaven.

And so, 1 have taken the beauty that t have seen, and the truth that I have heard, and have woven each link till I have my garland of memor- ies, my garland oť gold. And the link that is strongest, that holds my chain together, is the link that was fashioned by hand, the heart, the beauty of thought, of a teacher I have known. Her teaching has ever been thus:

"In the World's broad field of battle, In the bivouac of Life,

tie-Angelo | Be not like dumb, driven cattle!

| Be a hero in the strife!

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,

SOPHIE MINDELL, Sr. 3.

VISUAL EDUCATION.

( By Emily Gibson, Sr. 10)

Visual education is of real service to students so the History Depart- ment has been trying out an experi- ment in this field of work.

The history classes, having en- joyed many of the "Chronicles of America" series in their reading were interested in seeing four of them por- trayed on the screen this year. These pictures dealt with the coming of Co- lumbus, the Pilgrim Fathers, the Civil War and the Westward Expan- sion.

The last one mentioned was shown quite recently. It was called "The And he shall see old planets pass Frontier Woman" and was adapted And allen stars arise. from "Pioners of the Old Northwest."

The pioneers had pushed from Vir-

ginia into Kentucky and Tennessee. The scene of the story was centered at Wautauga, a little settlement in Tennessee.

Some of these pioneer settlers were Whigs and some were Tories. There was an incessant guerilla war- fare between the two factions.

Major Patrick Ferguson, the Tory leader, had made many raids on the Whigs. He had no scruples about killing anyone who would not swear allegiance to the king.

The soldiers at Wautauga joined with frontiersmen from Virginia, Georgia and the Carolinas. deter- mined to rid themselves of his inter- ference.

They rode away under John Sevier, leaving the women and children un- der the protection of a few boys and old men.

Meanwhile, hostile Indians were preparing to attack the settlement in the absence of its defenders. A Tory trader learned of their plans and of- fered to bring back the men.

Margaret Johnston showed the true spirit of the pioneer women when she refused to have the men called home, saying that they should be free to do their duty and their families should trust in God.

The men were not called back. They defeated the Tories in a battle on King's Mountain and then began their homeward ride.

The Indians knew it would be too late to attach Wautanga then. In- stead they ambushed the returning soldiers and killed the advance guard.

Edward Johnston was one of those killed. He sent a trophy of war to his children by Sevier. and died with his wife's name on his lips.

The settlement had received tid- ings of the victory. Margaret and her children were joyfully preparing for the father's homecoming. In the midst of their preparations, hls rider- less horse came in. Joy was turned to sorrow as they realized that he was dead.

Sevier cheered Margaret some by telling her that her husband had not died in vain, but that through the efforts of men like him the great West was slowly, but surely, being opened to civilization.

The picture portrayed clearly the spirit and uneertalnty of the times. and gave us a splendid idea of the sacrifices made by those early pio- neers whom Kipling describes so well in his poem. "The Foreloper":

"The gull shall whistle in his wake, The blind wave break in fire, He shall fulfil} God's utmost will, IInknowing hls desire.

And give the gale his reckless sail In shadow of new skies.

TOWER LIGHT

MENS

ALBERT S. COOK LIBRARY FATE TEACHERS COLLEGE AT TOWSON BALTIMORE 4, MARYLAND

May, . -

1926

Participate in your own education.

TOWER LIGHT

Reading maketh a

full man.

Vol. 5-No. 8

MAY, 1926

Published Monthly by Students of Maryland State Norma/ School, Towson, Md.

NORMAL'S VISITORS.

Normal's Visitors Book compels more than a rapid and casual turning of its pages for the past month. One need pause to read our list of illus- trious visitors.

The latter part of April Professors Samuel R. Powers, DeForest Stull and Clifford B. Upton. all of Teach- ers' College. Columbia University. came to the Maryland State Normal School on a similar mission, though, their interests were directed toward different departments in the school. A year ago Dean Russell, of Teach- ers' College, invited representatives from the Science. Geography, Math- ematics and English Departments of a few Normal Schools in this country. among which the Maryland State Normal Schoot was included, to make a study in their respective subjects of two-year Normal School courses. These three professors are the lead- ers of the science. geography and mathematics group. Dr. Allan Ab- bott, who conducts the group in Eng- lish, visited this school in March.

Dr. Powers visited classes that had to do with various phases of science and held conferences with the science instructor, the directors of teaching and training teachers. In much the same manner Professors Stull and Upton studied how geography and arithmetic are handled in the Mary- land State Normal School. The three men were primarily interested in observing this two-year Normal School in action and the part that their particular subjects play

teacher training here. They wel- comed the problems that had con- fronted instructors in the several de- partments.

For three days Miss Emma Dol- finger. Director of the Health Educa- tion Division of the American Child Health Association gave full time to the study of the health education program as it is operating in this school. Miss Dolfinger visited the school plant and conferred with the physician. the nurse, the health and physical education instructors. Be- sides. Miss Dolfinger addressed the city and campus elementary training school teachers.

The morning of April the four- teenth brought a stream of visitors into the auditorium. There were no lesser personages than county super- visors, superintendents, and members of the State and City Departments of Education. Dr. Charles Judd. Dean of the School of Education at the'

University of Chicago, had been in- vited to speak before the conference of Superintendents and Supervisors of the State. So Miss Tall took ad- vantage of this occasion to have Dr. Judd, a leader in educational thought in this country speak before the stu- dents of the Maryland State Normal Schoot. Dr. Judd gave a skillful and pleasing delineation of child na- ture, and so portrayed most clearly the difficulties and even the pathos that fresuently lies beneath the act of the so-called unruly and lazy child.

We all wetcome and greatly profit by these visits.

PEST-NORMAL CONTEST.

Another year has rolled around, On and glory has gone to the Pests. the evening of April thirtieth, the traditional contest of the Pestalozzi- Normal Literary Societies was held in a dramatic form, and the winners of the former contests were an- nounced thus:

Normals Pests

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Oriole and Tower-Light, 1922-1927, Part 110

Author: Maryland State Normal School (Towson, Md.) Publication date: 1922-1927 Publisher: Maryland State Normal School (Towson, Md.) Number of Pages: 1024

Author: Maryland State Normal School (Towson, Md.)
Publication date: 1922-1927
Publisher: Maryland State Normal School (Towson, Md.)
Number of Pages: 1024