yea RY ov MA) 193 ron ace . The NATIONAL ELEMENTARY RINCIPAL BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION ut SPRINGTIME IN THE CAPITAL APRIL 1934 Vol. XIII, No. 4 -@ & O. BuckiAgham THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS Published in October, December, February, April, and June by the Department of Elementary School Principals of the National Education Association of the United States. The payment of $3 active membership dues entitles a member to attend all meetings of the De. partment, to hold office, and to receive the Bulletin. a year’s subscription to the Bulletin. 25 cents; and Yearbook, $2. Two dollars of each membership fee is for Subscription to nonmembers is $3 per year; single copies, Entered as second-class matter November 20, 1922, at the postoffice at Washington, D.C, under Act of August 24, 1912. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized December 18, 1922. Executive and Editorial Offices, 1201 Sixteenth Street, Northwest, Washington, D. C., Eva G. Pinkston, Editor. OFFICERS OF THE DEPARTMENT 1933-34 President, Aaron’ Kline, Pullman-Poe Schools, Chicago, Illinois First Vicepresident, Elizabeth McCormick, Timothy Howe School, Superior, Wis- consin Second Vicepresident, Mason A. Stratton, Brighton Avenue School, Atlantic City, New Jersey Third Vicepresident, M. Emma Brookes, Miles School, Cleveland, Ohio Fourth Vicepresident, Ernest L. Markley, Webster School, Wheeling, West Vir- ginia Fifth Vicepresident, Margaret C. Mackin- tosh, Public School 140, Brooklyn, New York Executive Committee A. B. Heacock, Los Feliz School, Los Angeles, California Herbert C. Hansen, 1045 Lockwood Ave. Chicago, Illinois Cassie F. Roys, 2609 Bristol Street, Omaha, Nebraska Earl R. Laing, Burt School, Detroit, Michigan Executive Secretary, Eva G. Pinkston 1201 Sixteenth Street, N. W., Washington, D. C. The contents of this Bulletin are listed in the Education Index. CONTENTS IN BRIEF Office of Education, p. 86 Life Membership, p. 87 Where Are We and Where Are We Going? p. 88-90 N. E. A. Headquarters, p. 91 A Functional Program in Elementary Education, p. 92-94 The picture appearing on the cover of your bulletin is of the Washi cherry blossoms bordering the Tidal Basin. Reports, 1934 and 1935 Yearbook, p. 95-97 Special Invitations, p. 98-99 The Selection of a Faculty Thrift Chairman, p. 102 Dorsey Letter, p. 103 Clubs, Meetings, and Folks, p. 104-105 Secretary’s Report, p. 107 q M. nt as seen through the Japanese Z facts to be the f ing vi schoc to sa the | with past large fice o crow term: ers. Pr their have servi How made sent | so W perm selves planr will t Ther perso a yea toget solide grou of th belies that Ls ementary f the De- fee is for @ copies, —————___. yn, D.C, vided for ————_—_— c., Mackin- n, New ol, Los id Ave., Street, Detroit, rbook, Chrift 4-105 Japanese © rough th £91 vr HE Cleveland meeting made his- tory! We read history to get the facts of the past and these facts lead us to believe that we can see the trends of the future. One of the most outstand- ing was the determined effort which the school people of this country have made to save the future of the children of the nation. Schools have carried on with remarkable faithfulness during the past few years. But they have, by and large, done so at a heavy cost in sacri- fice of curricular opportunities, in over- crowding of classes, in shortening of terms, and in underpaying their teach- ers. Principals in many states have sensed their responsibility in this stress. They have begun to use Kipling’s six honest serving men—‘‘Who, Where, What, How, When, and Why.” They have made it their business to see that bills sent to their state legislature have been so worded as to help education and permit tenure; they have made them- selves felt as a power in the state, by planning progressive programs which will be carried on over a period of years. There seems to be less of the element of personal self-seeking than was observed a year ago, for principals have banded together on the basis of professional solidarity. The chief aim of this large group is to work together for the good of the children of the country. They believe the public schools should teach that spirit of unity which education Spe S will give to our future citizens ; to teach a new patriotism, a patriotism of com- mon purpose, of cooperation and good- will. These groups are not overlooking the fact that education brings happiness in the matter of understanding and op- portunity to our most humble citizen. They plan to see that our future citizen is able to have a clear understanding and enlightened views on the vital ques- tions and issues of the day, but he must bear in mind that he is a member of the great human family and that he should put the interests and welfare of humanity above and over those of the partisan few and that he should love progress and uphold our best heritage and our civilization. They can win in this worthy cause provided all stand up and fight unreservedly to the last ditch. Even self-preservation at this time demands effective group action. The principal who is neutral, hoping to work out his own salvation by being conservative, is defeating himself, his comrades, and generations of his pos- terity. Their plan of action is to get all educators to join together and be one great powerful influence for good. We are glad of these reports, for just such problems as these caused this Depart- ment to be organized in 1921 and our members are keeping the fires of ad- vancement burning in a bright glow. More power to the principals of this . country when their ideals are such as these!—E. G. P. 85 AST SUMMER at the executive - meeting of the Department of Ele- mentary School Principals of the Na tional Education Association in Chicago, a motion was passed that the U. S. Com- missioner of Education be asked to un- dertake a study of elementary education. It was further resolved that the De- partment offer its services in support of such a study. Since that time the Office of Educa- tion has had numerous expressions of interest and offers of support from many local, state, and national groups. Nine- teen city associations of principals, seven- teen state associations of principals and state education associations, and six national organizations or departments thereof have sent in endorsements of a study. These expressions of interest and confidence in the work of the Office of Education are most heartening. Though the present financial situation prevents an immediate appropriation for such a study, it is the hope of Commissioner Zook that in the near future, serious consideration may be given to this im- portant phase of our educational system. Elementary school principals, city and county superintendents, and other school officials are already cooperating on one study of interest to the Depart- ment of Elementary School Principals. A request was recently sent out from DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR UL CULATION this office to city and county superin- tendents to discover how many elemen- tary schools have full-time supervisory principals, how many have teaching principals, how many principals are in charge of more than one school, and other related information. Two thou- sand city superintendents and 1600 county superintendents have returned the inquiry forms, accounting for a large number of elementary principals, both in rural and urban schools. On one question included in the in- quiry form we should like additional information. Have qualifications be- yond those required for teaching been established in your schools, which must be met before appointment will be made to the elementary-school principalship? If so, what are they? Replies will be appreciated. At present the Federal Emergency Relief Administration is providing $2,000,000 a month for the employment of teachers. Reports from state depart- ments of education show that about 40,000 teachers are being employed in this way. Of this number approxi mately 7200 are teachers of rural schools. The Office of Education has co- operated in the preparation of several publications in which elementary-school principals may be _ interested.—Bess Goodykoontz. 86 THE BULLETIN QO deci A Bric Out and men 100 place be u ditui educ mote prin Nee for Coo life 1 retir to be ment you the | work and to th selve peals fund each cipal us al deter APR R erin- men- isory hing re in and +hou- 1600 irned or a ipals, ie in- ional be- been must made ship? ill be zency iding ment part- about ed in )rOxi- rural as CO- veral chool —Bess ETIN «Life Membership i. of the most outstanding achievements of the Cleveland convention was the forward step taken by the Executive Committee when it unanimously decided to amend the bylaws to include a $50 Life Membership. The enthusiasm with which this announcement was received was carried over to the A members of the Department. Many letters have been received at Head- Bright quarters asking for information about this worthy undertaking, there- Outlook fore, plans are being carried forward as rapidly as possible to give each member an opportunity to be included. All who join between now and the summer meeting are to be considered Charter Members of this cause. The Executive Committee challenges the other members of the Depart- ment to match them. They, the Executive Committee, have joined 100 percent. The money from these Life Memberships will be A placed in the Permanent Fund. The interest from this fund will Challenge be used in defraying the expenses of committees and office expen- ditures. All those who take part in this undertaking will be helping to solidify educational leadership, to spread progressive practises of education and to pro- mote social reconstruction through education. Our 1934 needs are identified with educational progress and the elementary principals should aid in becoming a highly recognized factor in determining and developing trends in building the profession. Life Membership Needs in any organization tends to strengthen the bonds of interest, for pride, loyalty, and active service. It enables the individual prin- Cooperation cipal to hold stock in education’s best bank. When we give we receive the credentials which stamp us as true crusaders of our life work. The principal who has accumulated a savings in a Life Membership and retires at sixty-five is furnishing to the principal of twenty-five, tools with which to begin his work. In taking out a Life Membership in the Department of Ele- mentary School Principals, you are buying an insurance policy, which will insure you against mental ineptitude. The Department will keep you informed as to the latest methods and trends in education. You will be helping your fellow workers to build a monument for the future which wil! have a solid foundation and in which you will be proud to have a part. Helpful cooperation is essential to the program of education. You are rendering a service and you will benefit. We must all work together now for one end and one only—to push our- selves off the dead center of inaction. The Executive Committee ap- peals to you and to your associates to help them build this permanent An fund to a place where the Department will not have to depend on Appeal each year’s membership fee to render services to the elementary prin- cipals of the nation. A good beginning has been made—we must continue. Let us all work together now and do this job as only Americans, enthusiastic and determined, can do it. APRIL 1934 87 WHERE ARE WE AND WHERE N THINKING of the different stages in the development of edu- cation, we find that the eighteenth cen- tury was occupied with a struggle for freedom for adults and largely for the male adult. In the nineteenth century freedom began to be applied to women and children and had a far-reaching in- fluence in education. The twentieth cen- tury has profited by this slow growth of freedom—freedom of thought, be- liefs, conduct, and customs, which gives us the foundation for the social and in- tellectual influences of our present civili- zation. This freedom is one of the de- termining factors of modern education. Many of the old social controls are gone and education is forced to furnish other factors in their place. Responsibility which formerly belonged to the family is now assumed by the school. One of the questions often raised today, is how to promote the interest of parents in their children. Public interest, however, seems to be the best assurance that all children will receive proper education. Social and economic conditions of recent years have made all these phases of education of vital importance. Edu- cation is as much concerned with build- ing healthy bodies as with developing trained minds. The school must pro- vide a character building program to fit present conditions of life. There are many special agencies whose purpose it is to cooperate with the school in work- ing out such a program, all of which are helpful; but the school must carry the greater responsibility. In character ARE WE GOING?* Edna Morgan training the stage is set to give the child ample opportunity to build and use good habits of behavior. The highest type of character training is found in the indi- vidual who has developed self-control and self-assertion; for a child to be a good citizen is not enough. A fundamental viewpoint of educa- tional philosophy is found in the rela- tion of the school to society and to the state. There appear to be two conflict- ing selves in each individual. The first self forces each person to be himself, to be different from any other person, to attempt to excel his neighbor, and his friends. These individuals constantly strive to set up new standards, new ideals, newer and better conditions in their environment. Such individuals, though asserting themselves, are more or less influenced by another force in their own natures. We seek the companionship of others to the extent that we are able to live as members of a family, and of a commu- nity. Thus, each individual who is a leader must also be a follower part of the time. Educators have recognized these two forces in the lives of individuals, and have accepted their problem as one which will attempt to develop these two outstanding characteristics of the indi- vidual and his relationship to society. One also recognizes the fact that in- dividuals have varying degrees of abil- ity. Each one has abilities which fit him for one activity rather than another. The individual must be trained not only *Abstract of address given before the Department of Elementary School Principals, Cleveland, Ohio, February 1934. THE BULLETIN to be his groul purpe cover natu! porta what derst: the f life p Ps twen natur of vie and t years life p catior recog and t spons gree | cover the ki mine the ir plan | cient butior Ed How indivi in th meet a char M: to be cation social: which (3) n duciv Un adult ee: APRI RE 7?* gan shild ood e of indi- itrol be a uca- rela- . the Alict- first self, ‘son, 1 his ntly new s in ting iced res. rs to e as is a t of two and one two ndi- in- ibil- him her. ynly TIN to be self-supporting, but also to assume his responsibility toward his social group. Education is not for the sole purpose of acquiring facts. It must dis- cover and develop to the fullest, the natural abilities of each child. It is im- portant to have sufficient knowledge of what has happened in the past to un- derstand the present and to prepare for the future; but each individual lives a life peculiarly his own. Psychology, at the opening of the twentieth century was accepted as a natural science, which provided a point of view, and suggested methods of study, and the objective of the first twenty-five years was to find to what phases of life psychology could be applied. Edu- cation for social adjustment requires recognition of individual differences and the development of the abilities re- sponsible for these differences. The de- gree to which education is able to dis- cover these differences and to supply the kind of training needed, will deter- mine the degree of social adjustment of the individual. The more uniform the plan for education is made, the less effi- cient individuals will be in their contri- bution and responsibility to society. Educators must ask of themselves: How can education plan to develop the individual to enable him to live happily in the present and to prepare him to meet adequately the ideas and ideals of a changing world? May I suggest three possible phases to be considered in such a plan for edu- cation: (1) school discipline which socializes the child; (2) a curriculum which is carefully and wisely planned ; (3) methods of teaching which are con- ducive to growth and learning. Unquestioned obedience to a set of adult planned rules will never develop self-control or power for self-direction in the individual. School rules must be planned in cooperation with children. The children must learn to feel that all such seemingly arbitrary rules are the outgrowth of a social need. The movement which gives promise of bringing greater changes in education than any other is the scientific study of curriculum planning. The curriculum represented an accumulation of all the subjectmatter taught in previous years. One of the tasks of the present genera- tion of educators is to examine these curriculums and try, by as scientific procedure as possible, to determine their importance. The kindergarten has been accepted as a part of the public-school system and there seem to be good reasons for be-. lieving that the nursery school may, in the not distant future, be regarded as a definite part of many elementary school units. The time in the elementary school is occupied largely with-tools of learning. In the primary grades par- ticularly, the emphasis is placed upon mastery of such tool subjects as read- ing, writing, numbers, and drawing. In the intermediate grades the child has generally reached a stage where he has sufficient mastery of these tools to use them for acquiring and expressing ideas. Even the physical environment of the modern school is indicative of the shift of emphasis in the curriculum. ‘The child develops when he is able to express clearly one or more ideas related to his own experience. He is led to express other ideas through music, games, dramatization, drawing, and skill in manual work. He acquires simple num- ber facts through counting and making change. All too frequently children see as little reason for the subjectmatter set APRIL 1934 89 before them as for rules of conduct im- posed by adults. How often the school fails to give social meaning to the facts of geography or history which children are required to learn! The same prin- ciple guides the selection of all subject- matter. We attempt to teach that which explains to the child our way of living, giving emphasis to experiences in the everyday life of the child. The new cur- riculum provides for the use of subject- matter but with the children participat- ing in various activities all the while. The curriculum must plan for a wide and fairly constant range of intelligence among children. The slow child must not become too discouraged by require- ments beyond his level of ability and the bright child must be challenged to pre- vent him from acquiring habits of idle- ness and laziness. ‘The school must con- stantly provide a challenge for each child. This may be achieved through a “minimum course” for a school system which allows time for flexibility in rich- ness of content and quality of assign- ment, to be varied to meet the needs of each particular group in the light of their ability, experience, and environ- ment. To summarize, education today is coming to be regarded as a participa- tion in life, rather than a preparation for living. Just as courses of study contain different subjects for different age levels and varying abilities, so methods of teaching must be differentiated. Our new efforts must be directed to- ward proper attitudes, points of view, accumulation of worthwhile and related facts and methods of acquiring new facts and experiences in an education that must be ever changing. The school is expected to guide civilization, not re- flect it. IMPORTANT COMMITTEE T was the feeling of a number of the members of our Department as- sembled at Cleveland that we would never succeed in the complete organiza- tion of our teaching force till our teacher-training institutions included courses in professional ethics in their training courses. There are a million teachers in the United States but only two hundred thousand are members of the N. E. A. There are more than twenty thousand elementary princi- pals but less than four thousand are mem- bers of the Department. This is not an accident. If those preparing for positions as principals and teachers are given courses in organization work, and are taught what teachers organizations are doing, they may be made organization-minded before enter- ing the profession. Teachers, principals, and supervisors must be made to understand that they cannot get something for nothing. They pay two or three dollars to any organi- zation and then expect miracles to be performed. There is also much to be done on the subject of the relation between teacher, principal, supervisor, and superintend- ent. By order of the Executive Committee I am appointing a Committee to study the subject, prepare a syllabus of sug- gested material for use in such courses, and contact teacher-training institutions in an effort to establish such training. The following persons have accepted: Mason A. Stratton, chairman, Atlantic City, N. J.; Turner C. Chandler, Chicago, Ill.; Arthur Gist, Arcata, Calif.; W. T. Longshore, Kansas City, Mo.; L. Daisy Hammond, Dayton, Ohio; Mrs. Edith B. Joynes, Norfolk, Va.; Sally Blackwell, Raleigh, N. C.; Emily Eversfield, Baltimore, Md— Aaron Kline, President. 90 THE BULLETIN A T time: nual Was door: mem ters { and 1 to se builc work here On tary’s tary Fede: busin room. is lo founc Supe! ment: divis’ field The of pi room Educ Chilc of De resea The sectic and ' man the grap busin APF TEE r of it as- ould niza- our uded their nited 1 are more rinci- nem- yt an tions urses what may nter- isors they “hey rani- > be . the her, end- ittee ‘udy sug- rses, ions jing. ted: ntic 1ler, cata, yity, ton, ‘olk, C2 1.— TIN NATIONAL HE National Education Associa- tion keeps an open house at all times, but during its seventy-second an- nual convention which will be held in Washington, D. C. June 30-July 6, its doors will be found wide open to its members and their friends. Headquar- ters gives you a cordial invitation to visit and rest here. Those who have not been to see us since the completion of the new building will want to see where we work, and those of you who have been here we invite to come again. On the first floor you will find the secre- tary’s office, the chief assistant to the secre- tary and her staff, the office of the World Federation of Education Associations, the business office, and the board of directors room, off which the president’s private office is located. On the second floor will be found the offices of the Department of Superintendence, the Department of Ele- mentary School Principals, the membership division of the N. E. A., the division of field service, and the division of accounts. The third floor is occupied by the division of publications, the Department of Class- room Teachers, the National Committee on Education by Radio, the Association for Childhood Education, and the Department of Deans of Women. On the fourth floor the research division and the library hold sway. The fifth floor is occupied by the typing section. The National Congress of Parents and Teachers has the sixth floor at its com- mand. On the basement floor are located the mailing, multigraphing, and mimeo- graphing sections, which are parts of the business office. EDUCATION ASSOCIATION TAUQUAKT Eo The building is so changed from its original plans that one can scarcely com- prehend the transformation. The first building on this site was a home built by a Mr. Howard but he never lived here. The property was acquired by the Guggenheims and today the secretary’s office occupies the kitchen of their pala- tial home, the staff of the secretary’s chief assistant uses the library, the leg- islative division office was the ballroom, the division of accounts is installed in the big dining room, and the boiler room now occupies what was once the wine cellar. During Teddy Roosevelt’s ad- ministration, the Secretary of State, Robert Bacon, lived here and these rooms were the scenes of many inter- national affairs. During the World War the building was used for offices and the Navy League had headquarters here. When this home became the pos- session of the National Education As- sociation the first floor was used by the association, part of the second floor now occupied by the field division was rented to the Swedish legation, and the other floors were rented as apartments. This set-up continued until the whole build- ing was needed for working space and now we have grown until the new seven- building is comfortably full. Many of the departments have made their headquarters in this home office.— J. W. Crabtree. story APRIL 1934 9 A FUNCTIONAL PROGRAM IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION* Turner C. Chandler ETWIXT THE DEVIL and the deep blue sea” locates fairly accurately the position of makers of school programs in 1934. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that we need not be devoured by the one or swallowed up by the other. In carrying out this purpose I propose: (1) to name the op- posing forces which have placed us in our dilemma; (2) to indicate where we may and where we may not make com- promises with the organized groups de- manding curtailments; (3) to call at- tention to the relationship of the unor- ganized public to a functional program of education; (4) to suggest the part that the so-called three R’s and the part that the so-called fads should have in the making of such a program; (5) to give the gist of a functional program for elementary schools; and (6) to place the responsibility of the program upon the elementary-school principal. Society has insisted either directly or indirectly that the schools take over functions formerly performed by the church, the home, the neighborhood, and the farm. The public only faintly senses the complex social order in which the child is living and for which he must be prepared. Simultaneously with this social demand a highly organized and articulate group, assuming to represent the whole public, berates the schools for having developed a program and activi-’ ties essential for performing the services demanded. The most discouraging ele- ment in connection with recent retrench- ments and curtailments in educational service all over this country, lies not in the bitter, sinister, and vicious attacks of outright enemies of public education but in the indifference and ignorance of the great masses who should champion a progressive public-school program. Practical school people might as well recognize that the school program wil! be influenced by factors having nothing to do with child nature or the science of education. One of these factors is cost. Organized taxpayers will insist, and rightly, upon school authorities ac- counting for and justifying expendi- tures. It is not enough to call attention to the enormous sums spent for drinks, tobacco, entertainment, and other lux- uries. The enormous cost of crime does not necessarily justify spending huge sums for education. The embittered tax- payer wants a direct justification of ex- penditures, not an indirect argument. How shall the school program be af- fected by this situation? In many com- munities the retrenchments will be too drastic. But education must not be de- feated by such action. We must build a program that will function regardless of buildings, equipment, and other ma- terial aids. We must remember that we cannot wait until tomorrow to educate the youth of today. In this connection we should insist that as large a part of current expenses as possible go to in- structional service and material. Another factor affecting the cost of schools is the organization and admin- istration of the various units in the edu- cational department. Regardless of ma- *Abstract of address given before the Department of Elementary School Principals, Cleveland, Ohio, February 1934. chine: can bi to be corps, that n not le taking the m Th in an and t! functi with averat trainit the p1 it the: finitel Th the gr cation generé school likes, traced , non-fu the bit apperc autom picting school If educat great as sch rolme: ready so far cernec the hi aided, tion | The i progr: Child ee 92 THE BULLETIN APRI too uild less ma- we sate ‘ion - of of in- du- na- chinery and external organization there can be maintained, with more difficulty to be sure, that atmosphere, esprit de corps, enthusiasm, and teaching technic that make for real education. We must not let education be defeated by the taking away of any particular part of the machinery. The third and most important factor in an educational program is the teacher and the supervisor. “There can be no functional program without a teacher with genuine personality, more than average ability, and specific professional training and experience. To organize the program, initiate it, and supervise it there must be a principal who is in- finitely more than an office manager. The indifference and ignorance of the great masses concerning public edu- cation are caused by (1) the present generation of adults having very little schooling ; and (2) the indifference, dis- likes, and antagonisms of today being traced all too largely to the deadening, , ton-functioning program followed and the bitter memories fostered by it. The apperceptive mass of too many adults automatically reacts to the cartoons de- picting Johnny going as a laggard to school. If the very existence of functional education rests in the attitude of the great unorganized public, what can we as school people do about it? The en- rolment figures indicate that we have al- ready solved the problem of mortality so far as the elementary school is con- cerned and have made great strides in the high school. The solution has been aided, of course, by compulsory educa- tion laws and by economic conditions. The influence of the modern functional program, however, cannot be ignored. Children like to go to school. Parents are beginning to recognize the value of the modern program. Indeed, one won- ders if functional education is not suc- ceeding. It is keeping children in school, and it does portend a peaceful economic revolution along the lines already initi- ated by the man who now so ably func- tions in the White House. We as school people must hold the lines until there is a new generation of adults educated under a program that actually functions. In the meantime, we must be leaders among the public as it now exists. The unorganized public can be organized. As groups and as individuals we must keep in the public mind pertinent facts about the value and cost of education. I suggest particularly these four: (1) the nation is able to support its schools and can easily do so if more equitable revenue systems are devised and if taxing units are enlarged; (2) education pays for itself through the creation of demands for goods not known in a primitive so- cial order; (3) our industrial, commer- cial, and social order depends upon the maintenance and further developments of that culture always associated with education; and (4) the cost of a func- tional program of education, or even a program of fads and frills, is not neces- sarily more expensive within itself than a program of so-called three R’s. If we become leaders among the public, if we keep these four facts before them, and if we train the coming generation under a program that actually functions, demo- cratic education in America is safe. The nature and interests of the child, the nature of the learning process, and the nature and demands of the social ° order shall determine what shall con- stitute the future school program. The first objective is to make the school it- self a social order in which the child APRIL 1934 93 may live a normal and happy life; here under the influence of social pressure, carefully developed and maintained by principal and teachers, the child will de- velop those understandings, skills, and intellectual and moral attitudes desir- able in the social order in which he lives and will live. Many of these, of course, cannot be perfected during the elemen- tary-school period; many may be re- tarded by the child’s socia! environment outside the school; but the program it- self shall give to every child the oppor- tunity of development along these lines: ability to cooperate with others; will- ingness to assume responsibility ; regard for the sacredness and value of person- ality; an understanding of the distinc- tion between liberty and license; ability to be a good sportsman regardless of victory or defeat ; unwillingness to suc- ceed at the expense of others; willing- ness to admit and adjust errors; hatred for shams and the unworthy; an under- standing that in social living there are inalienable rights to be defended at all costs; that there are compromises that may be made, and that there are re- sponsibilities that must be borne; a high regard for those fundamental traits of character suggested by honesty, truth, courage, and altruism; a genuine pa- triotism without jingoism, free from prejudices against other races and na- tions; some understanding of the eco- nomic interdependence of nations; a knowledge of how to use books, facility in using them, and the habit of reading them ; an appreciation of the finer things of life as found in music, art, literature, * nature, and cultivated people ; an ability and desire to use leisure time in self- entertainment, self-development, and social service; some understanding and certainly a social attitude toward the social aspects of arithmetic as related to practical measurements, home building, buying and selling, investments, bank- ing, insurance, and taxation ; the ability and habit of critical thinking; and par- ticularly such a love for school and such an understanding of the vital relation. ship between education and democracy that the elementary school will not end his educational ambition. As principals we must work out the details and technics for a functional pro- gram. We must train our teachers in service to accept this point of view, and we must prevent their harking back to the traditional methods and subjectmat- ter of their own school days. We must “Sell” the new program to the public. We must carry out the fundamentals and the spirit of the program regardless of temporary curtailments in machinery and changes in organization. We must not let a temporary economic and f:- nancial crisis wreck the essentials of this program. All the units of the schoo! system must, of course, cooperate, but high schools and colleges can do little unless we lay the foundation for the program. We must hold the lines now, for when we once get a generation of adults that have been educated under a func: tional program in our elementary schools the future of our educational system and of American democracy is assured. oD HEADS CLUB Lillian Johnson, principal, Patrick Henry School, Norfolk, Virginia, has been elected president of the Business and Professional Women’s Club. Miss Johnson is a graduate of Windsor Academy and William and Mar College. She is our state enrolment chairman for the Department. 94 THE BULLETIN All ELI Jot iy ticles in th tor ti educ: At p: and ; of et shoul ber a ing. behir mate schoc and | ness, spons philo upon In Elem seem conse exem veark back; the p book elem ter Vv take. to m descr woul know deno' exten pract scribi of aic — APR d to ling, ank- ility par- such tion- Tacy end t the pro- rs in and ‘k to mat- nust blic. ntals dless nery nust d fi- this hoo but itéle the for ults ools tem red. rick has 1ess iss lsor a vent TIN AIDS TO TEACHING IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL John S. Thomas HE 1934 Yearbook of our Depart- ment is a coordinated series of ar- ticles on the subject of aids to teaching in the elementary school. The only fac- tor to be forecast with any certainty in education for the new age is change. At present, we can only outline theories and a philosophy for that changed kind of education to come. We probably should make provision for a larger num- ber and a wider variety of aids to teach- ing. Just as education in general lags behind social change, so have the materials and methods of elementary schools failed to utilize the discoveries and practises of science, industry, busi- ness, and life. A large share of the re- sponsibility for putting theories and philosophies into daily practise devolves upon elementary-school principals. In its title, dids to Teaching in the Elementary School, the yearbook may seem to perpetuate the traditions and conservatism of the past. In reality, it exemplifies the spirit of progress. The vearbook looks ahead, planning upon a background of the sound knowledge of the present. In its application, the year- book provides at least in part for the elementary school of the future, no mat- ter what exact form that school may take. If any school of the present were to make use of all the aids to teaching described in the yearbook, that school would differ entirely from any we now know. The implied spirit of the articles denotes true progress to an even greater extent than the actual descriptions of practises. Also, the actual practises de- scribed are probably the finest examples of aids to teaching that can be found. Throughout every chapter there is a spirit of helpfulness. The reader senses quickly the desire of the many contribu- tors to be helpful. The fact that con- tributors have taken the time and the ef- fort to write out carefully the details of their manuscripts is in itself an indi- cation of their desire to cooperate. As we well know, cooperation is one of the most frequently mentioned goals in edu- cation for the new age. In spite of the provisions which the yearbook makes for the future, it still attains a large degree of practicability for the present. In the elementary schools, we face a greater accumulation of problems than at any single time in the past. We must help children to recognize their problems and to solve them—more difficult and controversial problems than they have considered be- fore. We are told that school is to help children to acquire the ability to think critically, train for wise use of leisure and, training, to work together coopera- tively. The teacher will have to be sup- plemented by a greater variety of tools and materials. Among these aids are sure to be more and better sound mo- tion pictures, radio programs for school use, models of all kinds, pictures, dia- grams, stereopticons, and other devices as yet unknown. Perhaps the time may come when children learn to write, us- ing a typewriter entirely. Perhaps chil- dren of the future may discard the abil- ity to read the printed page for another ability to gain ideas from pictures, mov- ing pictures, or radio broadcasts. Ar- ticles in the yearbook report many inter- esting results in the use of motion pic- APRIL 1934 95 tures and radio broadcasts. Other ar- ticles describe uses and results of almost every aid to teaching other than the text- books themselves. The process of change to any dif- ferent kind of education for the new age probably will be gradual. Whether or not many of the aids discussed in this yearbook are of a kind that will be retained permanently depends to a large extent upon the direction which that change takes. We may feel fairly confident, however, that all of these aids will be of value in the transition from elementary education as we now know it to education as it may become. Sev- eral articles in the yearbook deal with the equipment and uses for sound pic- tures in elementary schools. In its organization and content, the yearbook recognizes a need to widen op- portunities for learning in the elemen- tary school. One chapter of the yearbook is de- voted to the subject of trips and excur- sions. Another chapter on object ma- terials takes up largely the uses and values of museum objects for instruc- tional purposes, and should be very in- strumental in developing museums of value to children in many schools throughout the country. The chapter on slides, still films, and opaque projections tells how children may make slides, as well as describing many desirable uses of materials under this general classification. In these days when the word “econ- omy” is used so frequently in connec- tion with education, many people ask what is the value of a yearbook on aids to teaching when funds for their pur- chase are not available. Many of the aids described in the yearbook cost noth- ing to secure, and many others require only a small expenditure. The last chap- ter of the yearbook is entitled “Sources of Aids.” Here are brought together various listings of the aids to teaching included in the yearbook, some of which are free and others of which may be pur- chased for as little as the mailing cost. Most appropriately, this chapter on sources of aids is opened with an article on advertising in the classroom. The Editorial Committee believes that the 1934 Yearbook on aids to teach- ing will prove a useful addition to the series of handbooks published by our Department. Our yearbocks have been largely instrumental in determining the professional status of the elementary principalship. ‘The yearbook deals with practises that will help make the schools of the present more effective. At the same time, in its spirit of presentation and implied progressivism, it looks forward to the elementary education for the new age. For the present and for the future, it is hoped that this yearbook will help to make the elementary school as dy- namic and real as the society of which that school is a part.