IDICAL ROO! RAL LIBRAR /_ OF Mi The NATIONAL ELEMENTARY: 6- iss. RINCIPAL BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION ERICSSON UMENT | } ' ' ; i THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS Published in October, December, February, April, June, and July by the Department of Elementary School Principals of the National Education Association of the United States. All elementary principals—administrative, supervisory, and teaching—are eligible to active mem- bership in this department. The payment of $3 dues entitles active members to attend all meetings of the department, to hold office, to vote, and to receive the Bulletins. Associate membership may be had by all members of the National Education Association who are actively engaged in any phase of school work by paying the regulur membership fee of $3. They are entitled to all privileges except the right to vote and hold office. Subscriptions to non-members is $3 per year; single copies of the Yearbook, $2; single copies of the Bulletin, 25 cents (except the Official Reports). Entered as secand-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, 1936-37 President, Edythe J. Brown, Kaley-Mar- Executive Committee quette Schools, South Bend, Ind. Earl R. Laing, Burt School, Detroit, Mich First Vicepresident, Harley W. Lyon, Long- Mason A. Stratton, Brighton Avenue fellow-Cleveland Schools, Pasadena, School, Atlantic City, N. J. : Mrs. Edith B. Joynes, Washington-Gate- Calif. : . wood Schools, Norfolk, Va. Second Vicepresident, Maude A. Rhodes, Ira M. Kline, Greenburgh No. 8, Schools Whitefoord School, Atlanta, Ga. White Plains. N. Y. Third Vicepresident, Irvin A. Wilson, 437 Certification Division, Cassie F. Roys, Di S. Stone Ave., La Grange, IIl. rector, 2609 Bristol St., Omaha, Nebr. Fourth Vicepresident, Clifford E. Perry, Life Membership Division, Herbert C. Han- Lents School, Portland, Ore. sen, Director, 1045 N. Lockwood Ave. Fifth Vicepresident, Isabel Tucker, Shenan- Chicago, IIl. doah School, St. Louis, Mo. Retirement Division, M. Emma _ Brookes§ Executive Secretary, Eva G. Pinkston, 1201 Director, Miles-Cranwood Schools, Cleve Sixteenth St., N. W., Washington, D. C. land, Ohio. See space below for Committees as they are appointed thruout the year. Editorial Committee Samuel Berman, Chairman L. M. Fertsch James R. Ludlow School Pease School Philadelphia, Pa. Austin, Texas Richard R. Foster Et - School Assistant Director of Research 1201 Sixteenth St., N. W Iowa City, Iowa Washington, D. C. The contents of this Bulletin are listed in the Education Index. The picture appearing on the cover is the Leif Ericsson Monument with the Lincoln Memorial if the background. These fine works of art are in Potomac Park in the Nation’s Capital. 2 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY Ve the Ju entary mem- etings 10 are ey are pies of under ection Mich. venue Gate- hools, s, Di- ebr. Han: Ave, ookes; Cleve: rial if The National Elementary Principal Volume XVI, No. | October, 1936 Report of the Portland Meeting This issue of the Bulletin is devoted primarily to the report of the summer convention, Portland, Oregon, June 28-July 3, 1936. Contents STE Ree eS ee EER 4 Building of a Better Citizenry Thru Recreational Activities —Brewe 2... se 5 ee ee eT 7 What Happens When One Learns?—Corey__._ 8 What Part Does the Teacher Play in The Learn- ing Process?—Rosier _...___._.___._._-_-_ 13 What is the Responsibility of the Principal in Secur- ing Desirable Educational Outcomes?—Hale__ 18 Our Motion Picture Program—Haw__________ 22 Conference on Elementary Education_________ 23 Building a Community Thru the Elementary EEE 5 2 eee, 25 The Teaching of the Implications of Religion in the Teaching of Social Science—T horne______ 29 Status of the Elementary-School Principalship in Oregon—Maaske __________________ 33 Intersubject Relations—T allman _..._.________ 36 Es So PO I se 38 Musical Groups in the Elementary School; Their Uses and Contributions to Classroom Instruc- tion—Robie and Nurnberg _._--_-_-_-_-_- 40 Proper Emphasis of the School Paper—Milligan__ 42 Changes in School Curricula—Boyce__________ 45 A Junior Police Organization—Pauly_________ 48 To Our Members—Pinkston__.____-___ 50 Reports of Committees_....- = 52 |, Raa 55 Financial Statement 2... 61 SIN GE cg 63 CALENDAR THE D.E.S.P. is invited by the Department of Superintendence to hold meetings at its conven- tion at New Orleans, La., Feb. 20-25, 1937. We will hold two afternoon pro- grams, Feb. 22 and 23; a breakfast Monday morn- ing, Feb. 22, at the La Louisiane, a restaurant in the old French Quarter; and a banquet, Monday evening, Feb. 22, at the stately and famous St. Charles Hotel. Depart- ment headquarters are at the St. Charles Hotel. OF AMERICAN _ Education Week is to be observed, Nov. 9-15, 1936. Send to N.E.A., 1201 Sixteenth St., Washington, D. C., for materials. COMING “OUR American Schools” radio program will be broadcast beginning Oct. 10 and 14 respectively. (a) Classroom Problems —Saturday, 11 a.m. EST—Under the di- rection of Dr. Flor- ence Hale. (b) Problems of Ameri- can Education—Wed- nesday, 6 p.m. EST —Under the direction of Dr. Belmont Far- ley. EVENTS THE New Orleans and Louisiana Principals will sponsor our Tuesday af- ternoon program, Feb. 23. * DETROIT, Michigan, was selected as the N.E.A. Convention City for 1937. iRM PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 = Sie se 9E6I ‘2 41"f ‘uoousaj{v Avpsany] uo uo0bss— ‘puvjisog ‘yuimg “gq usydaig fo amoy ay} yo pasayjvb oym “qusumjsvdag ay} fo spuats{ puv ssvriC eg x a. +, xX _— i. Zz. ~~ eS x) | fx) ~) ie Z. oO ~ S a Zz. the f the —__———| ARY GENERAL SESSION, JUNE 29, 1936 Appraising the New School and Its Educational Outcomes HE FIRST SESSION of the Portland meeting of the Department of Elementary School Principals convened on Monday afternoon in the audi- torium of the First Congregational Church, President Harley W. Lyon, presid- ing. This session was opened by the rendition of several numbers by an elemen- tary-school orchestra, under the expert direction of Verne Preston, director of music, Portland, Oregon. While the program of the general session was taking place in the auditorium of the church, the Visual Education Committee, under the direction of Harry H. Haw, principal, Alice Birney School, San Diego, California, was showing several new films in a Sunday-school room in the basement. These films presented modern teaching procedures in rural and city schools. The committee found the interest and enthusiasm so great that it has decided to carry on a similar program at future meetings of the Department. This committee would appreciate correspondence from every school system which will be able to furnish a film for next year’s program. Please address your communications to Eugene H. Herrington, Alcott School, Denver, Colo- rado. Greetings E. H. Whitney, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Portland, Oregon It is customary to have words of greeting on occasions like this, especially at the initial program of any department of the N.E.A. You did not wait for this program to make you realize that you have been given the heartiest and most cor- dial greetings. As you approached within a 100 mile radius of Portland, as you first saw the western slopes of the Cas- cade mountains and beheld the evergreen beauty of the lower Columbia and Williamette River valleys, as you breathed the perfumed air that fanned your faces, as you experienced the delightful tang of the western breeze, to the moment when the delightful strains of the music of the marvelous elemen- tary-school orchestra died away, you were conscious of a most heart-felt welcome. It is my pleasure as a representative of the board of education, the superintendent of schools and the entire population of Portland to say in words what you have experienced in feeling. I give you the most cordial welcome and hope that you may be as happy in its reception as we are in its giving. The city and this meet- ing are now yours to conduct. E. H. WHITNEY PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 7 What Happens When One Learns? Arthur F. Corey, Assistant Superintendent, Orange County Schools, Santa Ana, California It would probably be an excellent idea to collect every book on Psychology which has ever been written and every treatise on learning ever published and make of them a large bonfire. In the throes of despair over the loss of this material, students would immediately begin to look about. The first impulse would be, as usual, in the absence of anything bet- ter to analyze current practise. If this analysis were care- fully made, everything ever proposed by any Psychologist could be found in actual practise in the classroom of Amer- ican schools, and nothing would have been lost. The whole history of the development of the theory of learning could be reproduced from an analysis of classroom technics in use today. The architect} strives to adapt the old to fit new conditions, the engineer steadily improves his technics, the physician no longer bleeds his patients, and few children now wear asafoetida. One is sometimes tempted to suggest that teachers, taken collectively, | are in a class by themselves. They are very slow to throw anything away, either] from their supply closets or their Psychology. To establish my point, permit me to introduce several teachers of my acquaintance. The names alone are fictitious, the characters are as truly depicted as time will permit. With apologies to Dickens and his novel, Hard Times, which contained a pedagogue with that name, we shall call our first teacher Mr. McChoakemchild. He has an authoritative mien and a dictatorial, high-pitched voice. He happens to be a teacher of Latin in a large and otherwise well-equipped high school. Hel has placed upon the wall of his room in bold letters and enclosed in a very ap-f propriate black frame the following words: . I believe in Latin because it develops the memory, the reason, the judgment, and the imagination. 4 I believe in Latin because it develops accuracy and concentration and thus lay the surest foundation for business success. I believe in Latin because in no other study can one find so strong a combination for thoro mental discipline. : John Locke never defended the theory of faculty psychology and mental discipline more enthusiastically than will Mr. McChoakemchild at any occasion. 4 The second teacher we will call Miss Lovechild, Miss Lily Lovechild. Shel often speaks of her pupils as “dear little flowers straight from the hand of God” and consistently refers to the “unfolding like a lily” miracle being in process in her very classroom. Last April she introduced a unit on community life. The children expressed the desire to build a library, church, school, and several busi-f ARTHUR F. —a ness houses. She did so want them to suggest the post-office, but no one did, even! tho she cheated just a little bit by pinning Jim Farley’s picture on the bulleting board. Rousseau himself could not have more ardently espoused the cause of thef natural virtue of childhood nor more clearly outlined the crime involved w hen a sullied adult thwarts the natural impulse of a child. ‘ & 8 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY i i a lez los be pr tel dif po the the an all alt Ag wh pla vig gui wa rec an att arg the in of 1 bec hin adi lea an ap| phi by to Pk ools, ‘OREY litect *s_ his wear ively, ither it me rious, ed a +hild. »pens He ay on {RY Then there is Mr. Benjamin Blueprint. In his mind, everything, including learning, must be reduced to a system. Inasmuch as learning is merely a physio- logical phenomena and all children are essentially the same, teaching can easily be reduced to a simple formula. His class always begins in the same way and proceeds from this to that:and concludes just so; no matter what the subject mat- ter. He does so hate to have a fire drill interrupt his class, readjustment is so dificult. The apperceptive mass is psychological shibboleth; he knows Herbart backwards and forwards, and his five steps are neatly typed on the fly leaf of his pocket notebook. Obviously, these teachers do not agree upon the character of learning or the type of teaching best suited to induce it. Why should they? Mr. McChoakem- child is in the seventeenth century, Miss Lovechild in the eighteenth, and Mr. Blueprint in the nineteenth. The best learning in the seventeenth century was a rigid discipline of the faculties of the mind. The best learning in the eighteenth century was an unthwarted, natural development. The best learning in the nine- teenth century was essentially mechanical and systematic, merely hooking the new upon an associated idea in past experience. Few teachers are satisfied to be consciously out of date. Many are conscious that something new is in the air and are struggling to capture it. They hear of the new Psychology, they take it in two units, and come home sadly disappointed and faced with many conflicting theories and questionable laws of learning. After all, one should not expect too much of two units. This disagreement and conflict altho disconcerting and confusing to the teacher is not to be entirely deplored. Agreement in any line is deadening. Uniformity of opinion breeds a content which accepts the false as true. When all men agreed that the earth was flat, it remained flat. When a few adventurous souls violently disagreed, the old place took on a new form. As long as several schools of Psychology exist, each vigorously challenging the cthers, the resultant of these forces will inevitably guarantee sound progress and ultimate validity of psychological knowledge. The impartial student soon begins to find, however, that much of the wordy warfare of the psychologists is not as serious as it might at first seem. There has recently developed a popular and persistent conflict between those believing in an organismic theory of learning as opposed to what they speak of as an automistic attitude toward learning. Such a quarrel is no more sensible than would be an argument between those scientists on the one hand who analyze the atom and those who study the vast organization of matter in the universe. The one deals in space so vast that new telescopes must be constructed to enlarge man’s sphere of understanding while the other tears matter into bits so small that the microscope becomes useless. The astronomer does not berate the atomic physicist, nor taunt him about planets being larger and more important than atoms—he listens and admits that planets are made of atoms. Atomistic and organismic theories of learning are not necessarily in conflict. They are two phases of the same process and both have their contribution for the teacher. In like manner, most of the apparent conflicts in psychology can be resolved into different views of the same phenomena. In discussing learning, one must take care not to be carried away by the enthusiasm of any of the various psychological religions and thus be blinded to the contributions of the others. PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 9 Regardless of the attitude taken in explaining it, recent psychology is united in the opinion that learning involves the whole organism. No separate part of the individual can be set apart as that involved in learning. Psychology has popu- larly been considered the “science of mind.” Now when it seems impossible to isolate mind from body, it might be facetiously said that Psychology has lost its “mind.” It even becomes very difficult to separate the nervous system, even in study, from the remainder of the body. Psychology has come to be the science of all human reaction—human behavior—and hence, learning must be considered comprehensive enough to include all possible processes by which human behavior may be modified. Learning is not merely an intellectual phenomenon. Often it is purely physical as learning to walk or learning to ride a bicycle. The concept expressed in the common use of the word learning, such as, “‘he was a learned man” or “she was a woman of learning,” is largely intellectual. The word is usually used to describe an individual who has read many books and accumulated a store of traditional academic information. If one could read Greek, for instance, he would be sure of the title. Our broader conception of learning would admit that Edison or even Kit Carson was a very learned man. What, then, must a definition of learning be? Learning is the modification of the attitudes, feelings, personality, habits, skills, concepts, appreciations, and possibilities of an organism by interacting with its environment. Assuming that we have agreed upon what learning is, the next important ques- tion to be faced is, how may we produce, induce, or seduce it. If all these changes in the organism are brought about by his interaction with his environment, it would seem good sense that the'first consideration should be the establishment for every child a healthful, varied, and stimulating environment. Teachers are in a position to note the child who comes to school from a home full of rich experi- ence. The home with a good library, some satisfactory art and music, effective avocations, and good food and physical surroundings is reflected in a more edu- cable child. What has been said of the home is equally true of the schoolroom. Schoolrooms are now beginning to take on some environment, much to the sor- row of some janitors and principals who put neatness and order above learning. Learning cannot take place in a vacuum altho everything there is neat and scrupulously clean. No matter which psychological dogma one professes, the fundamental prin- ciple involved in the “law of readiness” offers help in practise. If learning is to be really effective, it is necessary for the individual to be ready for it. In a recent book, “Streamlining the Mind,” one finds the same truth decidedly dressed up for popular consumption. The attitude of mind of the learner toward the learning is the most important factor in success. The interest and desire of the child to learn to read is often spoken of as a prime necessity if primary reading instruction is to be efficient. —Too many teachers, however, wait for the child to express the interest and desire and forget that the teacher’s supreme job is to stimulate them. Teachers who spend more time in getting children ready to learn find it possible to spend much less time on the learning itself. No principle or conclusion regarding learning has stimulated so much discus sion as the so-called “law of effect.” This principle holds that a learning situa- 10 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY a A er ee i ee ee i el 3 o use whi mu den it is and tion nate littl As ; cont vist: mea ican obvi PRI ited - of pu- » to its | in nce red yior n it “the ual, »0ks ead 1 of nan. ues- nges t, it - for in a eri- tive edu: Om. ing. and yrin- is to cent » for ning d to tion ; the hem. sible scus itua- {RY tion should bring satisfaction to the learner. In view of the fundamental ten- dency for organic life to seek satisfaction and in the light of recent experimenta- tion, teachers may accept as a satisfactory working principle the desirability of setting up learning situations which if wholeheartedly experienced by children will give them satisfaction. The word “reward” is not used in this connection because it connotes something given to a child and extraneous to the experience itself. The satisfaction which must be secured is that which is intrinsic in the learning situation itself. The principle of use and disuse is still a good one. It applies particularly to skills. That skill which is used tends to be strengthened and that which is not used tends to be weakened. The behaviorists cling to this as their only law of learning, the connectionists are strong for it, and the Gestaltists, altho they will not agree that exercise or repetition ever causes learning, they will cleverly say that it merely permits it to take place. One must not hasten to the conclusion that practise always makes perfect, unless it is the right kind of practise; but it is probably safe to assume that there still is a place for drill in learning. Now, in direct answer to the query “What Happens When One Learns?” | would answer: All true learning is development. When learning takes place, development occurs. The ideal life is one of constant and consistent development —a steady evotvement of the ultimate possibilities within one—a progression from immaturity to maturity. This word “maturity” and that other word “maturation” are recently much discussed. In the dictionary at the University, the page upon which these words are found is much dogeared and a great greasy spot from many pointing fingers is under and about the word “maturation.” This suggested the possibility of a new method of research to determine the relative importance of certain words in education by comparing the grease spots found in a dictionary frequented by many perspiring summer-school students. Sure enough, “integration” and “orches- tration” were even darker. Originally, the word ‘“‘maturation” had a definite and restricted psychological meaning. Serious objection has been raised to the loose manner in which educators use their terms, even changing their meanings to fit the occasion. Technically, “maturation” demotes the development of the protective sheath about the neurone which gives the cell its capability for carrying the nervous impulse, by acting much as an insulator on an electric wire. It should be noted that “maturation” denotes a process and not a condition. In its more recent and inclusive meaning, it is the process of being on the way to maturity. Maturity is a condition, static and complete, and except in mere physical sense ardently to be avoided. ‘‘Matura- tion,” then, is the journey along which the organism travels to maturity. Fortu- nately, the destination is so far down the highway that most of us need worry little about reaching it too soon. The child points his finger at the evening star and babbles about its pretty light. As a man he turns his telescope upon it, measures it, weighs it, and analyzes its content. He has traveled far from the immaturity of the child, but still there are vistas beyond his reach which he longs to penetrate and understand. Development means an ever-widening sphere of understanding—an appreciation of the signif- icance of things—and an ability to foresee the implications of things. There is obviously not one maturity toward which the child travels but myriads of them. PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 11 The degree to which any experience pushes the individual down one of these paths of development determines the learning quality of that experience. The task of the teacher is to guide children in such manner that the maximum development results. If there is no development, there is no learning. Much of the rote-type school experience of the past has carried little with it which might be dignified with the title of learning. —The memorization of the capitols of the states partakes of learning only when such facts are utilized to modify the atti- tudes and reactions of the child. On the other hand, much of the so-called activity in our classrooms involves no more learning than the children would experience if building a play house at home, or given the task of caring for the lawn or garden. It is not enough that a learning situation has some value. Almost any situation involving activity on the part of the child has some learning value—modifies the organism of the child in some way,—but the challenge to the teacher is to stimulate a classroom en- vironment which will produce not just some learning but the best learning. How many teachers in planning their work for next term will thoughtfully determine the changes they wish to effect in their pupils and them plan the educa- tional experiences which they feel will produce those results. Most of us still teach certain subject matter and then scramble about mentally for an excuse for it afterwards. A man, who has taught plane geometry in high school for fifteen years, was recently asked why he taught geometry to high-school students. He immediately took on that hurt, innocent expression which comes to the eyes of a calf who is about to get the hammer, and finally said, “Well, I don’t know, but I had a girl in one of my classes once who said it helped her to cut the oil cloth for her kitchen shelves.”’ That man taught his subject simply because that sub- ject had to be taught, and it might just as well be he as some one else. He had never dared dream that even geometry might be taught to actually produce desir- able changes in the lives of young people. If teachers, especially in the secondary schools, do not free themselves from their slavery to a preordained body of subject matter and develop a program aim- ing at child development, it may be necessary to break down completely subject matter standards and assign teachers in terms of specific objectives. A teacher might be assigned to a group of children with the specific objective of helping them attain efficiency in expression. She would not be hampered with a tradi- tional curriculum in which these pupils must know Ivanhoe, Lady of the Lake, and Silas Marner, nor would they be tested on grammar. The teacher and pupils would work out their own methods and pick their own subject matter to achieve a conscious result. Another teacher might have the objective of physical eff- ciency. Another might strive to plan experiences which would develop social responsibility. —The plan here suggested is used only to illustrate the need for be- ginning the curriculum with objectives instead of subject matter and is not to be taken as any definite thing. In each case, teacher and pupils together would start with an objective and together select the activity which they mutually felt would achieve the desired result instead of starting with the prescribed subject matter and then after it is all over trying to figure out what it was all about. If every teacher could visualize the pupils, each one, as a maturing, developing | 12 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY | W anc ma of ana unc Fo: rel: son qui per: thir It i tior the thir of j bety spir that son: whe lack PRI aths 1umM 1 of ight the atti- lves e at that - on hild en- ully uca- still for teen He of a but loth sub- had esir- rom aim- ject cher ping radi- ake, upils lieve efh- ocial + be- o be start ould atter ping {RY individual ; mentally, morally, and physically; at once appreciating that success is measured only by that development, the new school would be a possibility. This concept, that learning is essentially development, makes of the teacher an engineer in human personality. Emerson once said, ‘‘Make the most of yourself, that’s all there is of you.” Every child comes to school with his future, welfare, happiness, and wealth tied up in himself. Good teachers never forget the supreme worth of a personality. They face the opportunity and responsibility and should find humility and inspiration in considering, with reference to their children who come under their influence, the sonnet of John Masefield: O little self, within whose smallness lies All that man was and is and will become, Atom unseen that comprehends the skies And tells the track by which the planets roam. Oh with what darkness do we cloak thy light? What dusty folly gather thee for food, Thou who alone art knowledge and delight The heavenly bread, the beautiful, the good. Oh living self. O God, O morning Star Give us thy light forgive us what we are. What Part Does the Teacher Play in the Learning Process? Joseph Rosier, President, Fairmont State Teachers College, Fairmont, West Virginia, and Past President of the National Education Association I shall discuss this topic in the light of my own experience and observation and without any particular reference to the mass of literature which has been produced on various phases of the subject. After all the learning process in the final analysis is determined very largely by an individual pupil! under the guidance and stimulation of an individual teacher. For this reason any consideration of the learning process in relation to teaching must give primary attention to the per- sonality of the teacher. It is a significant fact that all in- quiries concerning the qualifications of teachers emphasize personal qualities above all others. That rather indefinable thing which we call personality is the biggest factor in the success of teaching. It is not within the province of this discussion to go into any detailed considera- tion of the various elements that constitute a strong and appealing personality in the teacher. It is sufficient to say that this factor is of primary importance. I think it was one of the McMurrays, who years ago defined teaching as the process of joining feeling to feeling. Here we have the fundamental basis of the relation between teacher and pupil. Thru his personality the teacher stimulates and in- spires his pupils. Many great teachers have been lacking in other qualifications that are deemed essential in teacher preparation, but with strong and winning per- sonalities have been able to stimulate and guide their pupils far beyond those who have possessed superior academic and professional qualifications but were lacking in the essential element of personal influence. Years ago we were told JOSEPH ROSIER PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 13 that as the teacher so is the school and with all of our modern study of pedagogy and the principles of teaching we have not been able to get away from this funda- mental fact in the stimulation and inspiration of pupils. Mark Hopkins at one end of the log and his pupil Garfield at the other may not have constituted a uni- versity but it was a vivid illustration of the most vital contact that any student can have in an educational institution. Having a young man or woman of strong personality to direct the teaching process we may proceed to consider in a somewhat more concrete way the place which the teacher has in the learning process of his pupils. Without any partic- ular logical arrangement as far as sequence is concerned I proceed to a considera- tion of a number of things which the teacher may do to stimulate and direct the learning process. I think we may put down as one of the first steps of the teacher the setting of the stage for learning.. Modern teaching recognizes the importance of the pupil environment and the situations which are arranged for the stimula- tion of his learning processes. Good teaching, therefore, involves the organization of those factors which surround the pupil and encourage him to learn. This in- volves attractive schoolrooms with comfortable seating equipment and apparatus for study and investigation, libraries and laboratories, and the arrangement of all of these facilities in such a way as to invite the pupil to learn. It is not al- ways possible for the teacher to set up the stage as he would like. It often hap- pens that boards of education are unable or unwilling to furnish the pupils’ stage with all of the settings that a good teacher would like to have. Resourceful teach- ers, however, are not daunted by this lack, but show an inventive genius in meet- ing the situation. I have known a great many teachers with this inventive genius who have gone into schoolrooms where there was very little in the environment to encourage pupil learning, but these teachers in a spirit of resourcefulness have assembled materials and arranged the stage and set up situations for stimulating this learning process. I know of nothing more important in the work of the teacher than this capacity and ability to arrange situations and set the stage for the learning process. Successful teachers and great teachers know how to do this. Another important contribution which the teacher makes to the learning process is found in the selection of ideas, habits and attitudes to be learned. In this connection we have opened up before us the whole problem of the course of study and materials of instruction. A great deal of the inefficiency and barrenness of results in some of our teaching have grown out of the fact that those who deal at first hand with learning by pupils have not always been recognized in the de- velopment of the course of study and the determination of what the pupil ought to learn and what he is capable of learning. In my opinion the ideal course of study would be prepared by a teacher who has a thoro preparation not only in the field of method but also in the broad field of knowledge. I am a little scep- tical about a course of study which has been prepared by an administrator who does not have first-hand contact with the learning process of pupils. Without doubt we have made a great deal of improvement and progress in this respect in the last twenty-five years and I think this advancement may be attributed very largely to the professional growth of teachers and their greater capacity in select- ing and organizing the materials of instruction. Another function of the teacher and a very important one is to check and 14 ‘ THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY} int tha not PR ogy nda- one uni- can hing lace rtic- lera- - the cher ance 1ula- ution s in- ratus it of t al- hap- stage each- neet- enius ment have ating f the e for this. rning In ‘se of nness eal at e de- pught ‘se of ily in scep- - who thout ect in very select- k and ARY evaluate the results of the learning process. For the past twenty-five years we have heard a great deal of discussion of this problem, and we have had various plans proposed and tried for testing the results of learning. The traditional plan as it was known to a previous generation was that of the periodical examination. In colleges and secondary schools and even in the elementary schools the exami- nation was held up as the supreme test of learning achievement. Most of the older people in this audience can recall their experiences in meeting this test of the re- sults of their study and learning. I can remember very distinctly when the first scepticism appeared concerning the final examination as a plan for testing the re- sults of learning. It is needless for me to mention the various points which enter into the sceptical discussion of that old method which is still used in many in- stitutions, and it is used, no doubt, because it has many virtues. The old exami- nation was not altogether without its value. As far as I have been able to dis- cover the more modern methods of testing and measuring are just a variation of this old plan. I am willing to concede that the modern method is probably an improvement over the old. However, I come back to the fundamental fact that the only person who can really evaluate the results of the learning process in pupils is their teacher, provided that teacher has the capacity or the ability to make such an estimate or evaluation. We know that the child is an entity and that no system of examination and no plan of testing which merely reaches some isolated result of learning will be a safe basis on which to estimate the general progress of a pupil. It is sufficient to say here that one of the important func- tions of the teacher is to be able to recognize and to evaluate the results of the learning process in his pupils to which he sustains such an important relation. Another important duty of the teacher is to awaken interest in the pupil and challenge him to effort. The greatest work of the teacher probably is found in the discovery of abilities in his pupil. Successful teachers are always looking for hidden qualities and interests among their pupils. I know of no more important duty of any teacher than that of discovering and awakening interests in the grow- ing human mind. It has been a good many years since I read Dr. Dewey’s little book on “Interest and Effort.” I do not now recall any specific statement in that discussion but I do recollect in a general way that the thesis of that essay dealt with the proper balance between interest on the one hand and effort on the other. I think I have a correct interpretation of Dr. Dewey’s philosophy in saying that interest stimulates the pupil to effort, and effort on the part of the pupil results in the stimulation of greater interest. I think that is true of all of us. When we reach out in our own mental lives to some new interest the effort in so doing has the effect of still further increasing our interest. I can forgive a good many fail- ures on the part of a teacher if in the midst of all of his other failures he is able to awaken interest and to stimulate effort. I have known a good many successful teachers whose success depended primarily upon their ability in this regard. Yes, no one can be a successful teacher without this ability to challenge and awaken interest in the pupil. Another function of the teacher is to guide the pupil in making decisions and judgments concerning the values of learning materials and situations. I believe that we have here what calls for the greatest of all teaching skill. It should be noted that I have emphasized the matter of guiding the pupil to make decisions. PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 15 In too many classrooms the teacher decides too much for the pupil. In the tradi- tional schoolroom there is evidence that the teacher practically determined all pupil judgments concerning nearly every matter that arose in the classroom. The wise teacher of the present day with a scientific outlook helps the pupil to make up his own judgments and to determine his own decisions. | can think of nothing more vital in the relation of the teacher to a pupil than that of train- ing that pupil to meet his situations on his own. On some of the higher levels of instruction this relationship has developed the problem of student initiative and freedom. My observation leads me to the conclusion that a capable teacher need have no fear of the activity of a pupil in dealing with his own problems provided the teacher stands by as an assistant and counselor. Many teachers as well as administrators have a fear of dependent student conduct. I believe pupils and students in our schools ought to be free to make many decisions of their own and they ought to learn from actual experience the cost of mistakes and blunders. Sooner or later they must face situations without teacher support and help. About the greatest lesson any of us can learn is that of making up our own judgments after taking counsel with all who can be of any assistance to us. | think it was Dr. Palmer in his essay on ““The Teacher’’ who once made the statement that the great objective of the teacher in relation to his pupil should be that of his own elimination. The teacher has done successful work in relation to the pupil when he has reached the point where that pupil will no longer need him. One of the most important functions of the teacher is that of showing a sym- pathetic understanding of the pupil. To secure this understanding is the purpose of the courses in child study which are required in all teacher training institu- tions. Capable teachers have a clear knowledge of child nature, not only with respect to children in general but in individual cases. There are so many factors entering into child behavior that the teacher must have not only this understand- ing of the mental and emotional endowment of the child but also must know a great deal about his social environment. It is in this connection that the quality of patience becomes important. We all know from experience that there is no quality more important in a teacher than that of patience in dealing with chil- dren. It is not always easy to know why a child behaves in the way that he does. It sometimes requires long observation and study to understand the reactions of children. This sympathetic understanding should be accompanied by a judicious use of praise and commendation. You will note that | emphasize the judicious use of this method. I have known some teachers who distribute praise indis- criminately. When this is done without an understanding of the individual pupil much harm may result. Some pupils need a great ‘deal of encouragement and commendation. The wise teacher will provide this where it is needed even in large measure and then there are those pupils who by nature are not much helped by praise. They rather need a certain amount of repression. | cannot conceive of anything in the work of the teacher that requires more judgment and skill than this of extending praise and commendation to his pupils so they will be helped. Another important element in the learning process is the development of a consciousness of progress and achievement. It is an old saying that nothing suc- ceeds like success and there is no greater stimulus to continued effort than the feeling that progress is being made. On the other hand, nothing is so discourag- 16 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY ed aye de go in to th pri an no tea life tia. day bei our mu tha ing: sho mer nec \ to t mer chil com toc in tl our reac PRI ing or so retards ambition and interest as does failure. It is true, of course, that failure at times may be made a stimulus to effort and success. Here the skillful teacher has an opportunity to play upon all phases of human nature. The proud- est moment in a boy’s life is the one when he throws the winning basket or makes the winning touch-down. This same pride will have a great bearing upon the progress of pupils in all forms of activity. The wise teacher will make constant and careful use of this stimulus to success and progress. I think another of the most important results in modern education is the de- velopment of a sense of responsibility and self-reliance. I believe we have made considerable advancement in this respect in recent years but my observation of freshmen students in college leads me to the thought that there is still much to be done in the cultivation of a feeling of responsibility among young people. Very early in the life of the pupil opportunity should be given for self-activity. In my opinion personal initiative is one of the most important and valuable results of educational training. For this reason the wise teacher will provide every possible opportunity for a student directed activity and the exercise of all types of stu- dent freedom. Good teachers will encourage all of the movements toward self- government and student management. There has been commendable improvement in this respect in most of our modern schools. It is much easier for a teacher to determine all of the activities of students than it is to permit them to initiate their own activities and to act upon their own decisions and judgment. In this process of learning how to be a responsible and self-reliant human being the boys and girls early in life must have many opportunities for such development. I do not know of anything in connection with the life of young people in which the teacher can be more useful than in his help of the pupil in cultivating a sense of responsibility. One of the most important factors that have been introduced in modern schoo! life is that of socialization. Intellectual growth and social adjustment are essen- tial to any educated person. Here the teacher has an opportunity from day to day to teach those lessons that will make the future man and woman a happier being in all of his social relations. Much of the crime and social disturbance of our day is caused by the maladjustments of men and women. It is, of course, too much to hope that all persons who have been trained in our schools can secure that complete adjustment which will make them satisfied and happy human be- ings in their relations with their fellows. However, the teacher and the school should furnish constant and impressive lessons of the importance of continued mental growth and development and of that social adjustment which is made so necessary by the changes and the complexities of modern life. When we think of all of the various ways in which the teacher contributes to the development and learning of the pupil, we are impressed with the tre- mendous importance of the teaching function. It is too much to hope that every child in our country may have a teacher who in training and in personality will combine all of these desirable qualities in such a way as to make him a blessing to childhood. We have made great improvement in the training of our teachers in the last twenty-five years, but much still remains to be done if the children in our schools are to have that help and that assistance which will enable them to reach their highest development. PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 17 What is the Responsibility of the Principal in Securing Desirable Educational Outcomes? Florence Hale, Editor, The Grade Teacher, and Past President of the National Education Association In a discussion of the responsibility of the principal, we may well ask the question, “What does the position of prin- cipal imply?” Are its chief responsibilities concerned with hall duty, the passing out of supplies, the chairmanship of teachers’ meetings, and acting as a referee in stubborn prob- lems of discipline? Does it mean also a person who takes some part in and is responsible for the success of each teacher \ in his or her buildings? Is it any affair of the principal if a new teacher who comes to his school this fall fails in her a work? Shall the principal take the attitude that the teacher, opence HALE is hired to teach her class and, if she cannot do so success- es fully, it is no one’s fault but her own and cannot be considered in any way a criticism of the principal’s own ability? I believe that most of us would agree that it certainly is a part of the respon- | sibility of the principal to see that every teacher succeeds and that each teacher | failure is to a certain extent the failure of the principal also. In the new educa- tion, it is generally agreed that if children fail in their school work, the teacher is held responsible. I do not see why exactly the same principle should not apply in the relationship of the principal to his teachers. This does not necessarily mean that the principal must know every step in the teaching of primary reading or music in the third grade, but he should be able to refer the teacher who is weak in these subjects to sources of help. He may send her to visit other successful teachers of her grade and, most of all, he can | help her analyze her own weaknesses and, thru his larger experience, start her on the road to improvement. This is a difficult problem in those schools where | economy has forced the principal to carry a heavy teaching load himself, with little time allowed for supervision, but it can be done if the principal has a real | interest in his work and is a professional educator and not merely a job-holder. The principal is not only responsible for the success of the new teacher, but likewise he should be able to bring to the entire corps of teachers the latest ideas in method, should keep them in touch with the most advanced educational the- ories, and should have an eye to the enrichment of the content of their instruc- tion, thru the recommendation of the best equipment and most helpful books appropriate to the grade of each teacher. Conditions today require in almost every school system that there be definite plans for training in service, made either by the superintendent of schools or the principal of each building. Salaries have been so reduced that, in many places, the high standards of training and experience formerly required of teachers in the grades are not adhered to. The unemployment situation has resulted in 4 clamor for the employment of local young men and women, who are often ad- mitted to the school system because of their need of employment, rather than be- 18 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY pe be re tir pre m«¢ at ant son fee imy sal pre sch« cipa the or ¢ brou PRI on- sher uca- cher pply D in 1 be may can her | here with real ler. , ideas the- truc- y00ks finite r the laces, “rs in in a n ad- in. be- 'ARY but | cause of their special fitness or training for the work. Yet, the children of today need good teachers and, unfortunately, the generation which is now in the schools cannot go back and recover what they have lost, at some future time. Not long ago, I was talking with a principal who shrugged his shoulders when I expressed this idea and said, “Well, it’s too bad, but what is that to me? If my school board sees fit to employ poor teachers because they are cheap, I can’t see that I am to blame if the school goes to pieces.” A teacher standing by said, ‘‘Perhaps it is just as well to let things go to pieces just as fast as they can, and then the people may wake up and be willing to pay enough to get good teachers.” It seems to me that neither of these two people had the right conception of their problem. They might be right, if children were mechanical beings rather than our future citizens, upon whose integrity and intelligence the welfare of all of us must ultimately depend. The principal’s answer quoted above describes the easiest way out for him; while the second comment might seem to have more logic to it, but unfortunately it seldom works out that way in the community, particularly in these days when a dollar looms larger on the horizon of many taxpayers than poor and ineffectual teaching in the schools is likely to do. In another school system where an inexperienced teacher was employed in a far too difficult departmental position for reasons of economy the principal criti- cized the young woman freely for weakness in discipline and crude teaching meth- ods. She herself was conscious of her defects, received the criticism in the right spirit, and asked the principal if he would not tell her what she might do to im- prove her work. The principal answered, “I’m not running a training school for teachers. If you don’t know how to teach school, you had better give up the position and let somebody else take it who does know how to teach. I’m not being paid enough to carry on my own work and be a training instructor at the same time.” The disappointment which such a principal has probably known in his own reduced salary and increased teaching load I can understand, but at the same time this is a very dangerous attitude which, if persisted in, will soon ruin the professional standing of the principal, and, in the long run, will work much more to his disadvantage than is involved in an effort to help such teachers, even at an expense of time and energy for which he is not adequately paid. With regard to this subject of adequate salaries, I believe that both principals and teachers have a right to be concerned about the question of salaries. A per- son who has spent hundreds of dollars in securing a good education and who feels it necessary to attend summer schools frequently or to take travel trips to improve his or her general knowledge, has a right to expect something of a salary comparable with the expense and time which have been expended in preparation for his or her work. However, I do not believe, in a matter like school teaching where the human element of children is involved, that the prin- cipal or teacher has a right to try to measure the amount of service rendered by the salary rule. Such matters should be attended to thru teachers’ organizations or committees of teachers who shall study the conditions and see that they are brought to the attention of the proper people. When it comes to the daily work PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 19 of the school, however, the question of salary should be forgotten and the pro- fessional principal, like the professional teacher, should be willing to give all that there is in him to improve conditions and to try to see that this generation of children do not suffer permanently from unfortunate economical conditions. When the principal finds that the school board has approved the employment of inexperienced or insufficiently trained teachers, his first problem is to find out ‘ whether those teachers are willing to be helped and are sincere in their desire , to do a good piece of work. If they are not, and reasonable admonition will not | ¢ create such an attitude, then I feel that the principal should have the courage to ask for their dismissal. But, given a learner’s spirit and a fair amount of ability, I believe the principal can usually make a reasonable success of even undesirable te teachers. It is not to be done thru harsh criticism and a constant atmosphere of Pp disapproval without definite advice as to ways of improvement. Most of us have |, known what it was at sometime or other in our lives to be associated with people D: at home or in our work who showed by their manner that they had a very poor “ opinion of us. We know what a burden upon the spirit such an atmosphere | ,, imposes. A great deal of the time that is spent in complaining about inefficiencies, | 4, if put into cheerful, definite plans for improvement, would bring about quite rea- b de sonable results. There is nothing that tires the nerves of any person so much as | ty constant fussing about something, but it is seldom that definite work breaks down | jp a healthy person. re There is another type of teacher, also, for whom the principal should assume | gtr responsibility. This is in the case of teachers who have been employed in the | rj same school system for many years and who tend to be a wet blanket upon every new method and every new teacher that comes into the system. In solving this | jn. problem perhaps some principals need to examine themselves carefully and see | as ; if possibly, thru holding an authoritative position for some years, they may them- | ynt selves have unconsciously gotten into some such condition of mind. Perhaps, next to real inefficiency the attitude of the stand-patter in education is most likely to check progress in school work. When the principal finds a hidebound teacher in his or her building, shall he assume no responsibility further than counting up the years it will be before the pension law will help him to retire such a person? Meantime, of course, as in the case of inexperienced teachers, many children will suffer. Is it possible to shake teachers out of a rut? Will it not mean that the principal will become an object of dislike not only of the teacher but of all her friends and relatives? If she is prominent in club or church work, perhaps a real storm will descend upon his head, particularly if the principal is considerably younger than the teacher. Here again, unfavorable criticism of an indefinite type will do nothing to help the situation, but certainly there are ways in which the non-progressive teacher may be jolted out of her hidebound position. Attendance at summer school often opens up a new vista to these teachers. Sometimes travel trips help, when thru association with people of broader out look, one may sense her own needs. Subscriptions to a number of educational| magazines, and particularly to her own principal’s magazine, are effectual ways] of bringing the fact to the teacher’s attention that new points of view are develop-| the p, 20 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY | ppyy jat nt ut 10t to ty, ble of ave ple oor ere “1es, rea- 1 as wn ume the very this | see 1em- 1aps, ikely ll he > the as in le to ve an ? if upon her. . help acher chers. out? tional ways velop- "ARY ing and that she might as well keep up with the procession. One of the most effectual ways, also, is the encouragement of teachers to join their own state and national professional organizations. I wish I might adequately describe the changes which I personally have seen in certain school people when they have been persuaded to get out of their own little local environment, where they are often looked up to because of long service, and to brush shoulders once or twice a year with fellow teachers and the rich type of personality which is usually found in the speakers and directors of professional organizations. It is true, of course, that if the principal does not attend such meetings and if he expresses lack of faith in such organizations, his teachers will be very likely to assume the same self-satisfied attitude toward all such organizations. Again and again I have worked with school people who expressed an indifferent if not scornful attitude toward our professional organizations. Then, an invitation to participate in such a program or an invitation to serve on an important committee required their attendance at several of the state or national meetings, and I have seen them return home full of enthusiasm and anxious to clean house at once and to bring their school into touch with some of the splendid things they have seen demonstrated by expert teachers. The principal who will see that such oppor- tunities are brought to his teachers and who will spend some patience and energy in leading his teachers, particularly those who have become a bit hidebound, to enjoy such professional awakening, will find that it is not nearly so much a strain on his nervous system as the more common way of worrying about and criticizing the teachers who are in a rut. To sum up, it would seem that the responsibility of the principal lies largely in assuming professional leadership, in looking upon his teachers, who need help, as problems to be solved, and resolving that no teacher in his school shall fail until every resource has been exhausted to bring success out of potential failure. Honor Remains in Texas Due to a very severe illness this past summer, R. C. T. Jacobs, the new member of the Editorial Committee has resigned, and L. M. Fertsch, prin- cipal, Pease School, Austin, Texas, has been chosen to take his place. Mr. Fertsch was born and reared in Texas, educated in Sam Houston State Teachers College, the University of Texas, the University of New Mexico, B. A. in 1922, graduate of University of Colorado, M. A., 1927, Graduate Student and Teaching Fellow in Yale University, 1930-31. He has taught in the summer schools in the West Texas State Teachers College, Canyon, and in the summer school of the University of Colorado, and is this summer Assistant Director of the Texas Educational Survey. We are delighted to have Mr. Fertsch as ithe new member of the Editorial Committee. L. M. FERTSCH PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 21 rege Den err oN Our Motion Picture Program Harry Huber Haw, Principal, Alice Birney School, San Diego, California Your Visual Education Committee had the pleasure of presenting several new films at the Department meeting in Portland. These proved so interesting that it hopes to con- tinue the use of similar films at future meetings. The films were selected to show modern teaching proce- dure in rural and city schools. The California State Depart- ment of Public Instruction, Division of Elementary and Rural Schools under Helen Heffernan in cooperation with the Oakland City Schools, had produced two films, which we were fortunate to secure. One film entitled, “A Unit of garry nuBER HAW Work on Mexico,” pictured the progress of a class thru a study of our neighbors to the south. The second film entitled, “Creative Play,” showed several types of play activity in elementary schools. The Oakdale Dis- trict School, Tulare County, California, under Supervisor Clarence E. Spencer, loaned us its new film “Ethiopian Life,” an excellent development of a current event project during the past year in which the entire school cooperated. ‘The Visual Education Department of the San Diego City Schools, which is under the directorship of Marion Evans, furnished three films of child activities entitled: “Home Builders,” “A Study of Transportation,” and a new process color film, “Ferry Boats.” We extend our hearty thanks to all of these schools and their Visual Education Departments for the loan of their valuable films. Each picture was enthusiastically received and heartily applauded. The large audience remained until near the dinner hour and returned early the following day that they might see all the films. Several principals made complimentary remarks such as the following: “That film gave me a new idea to try out in our school.” It was very encouraging to the committee to receive such response. Pos sibly the novice convention delegate is swamped by extreme verbalism and _ the old-timer has grown impervious to oratory. Pictures are a welcome innovation, and more conducive to constructive ideas and real understanding. We wish to express our gratitude to all who helped to make this part of the convention program a success. Laurence E. Rinearson, principal, Failing School in Portland, made all necessary local arrangements. Eugene Herrington, prin- cipal, Alcott School, Denver, Colorado, who is chairman of the National Visual Education Committee, planned the program in advance. Splendid equipment wa furnished by the Electric Service Corporation of Portland, and Walter Evans, Educational Director of Bell-Howell Company at Hollywood, acted as operator We hope that many principals will take an interest in recording outstanding classroom work in motion pictures. If these films can be loaned to the Nationa Committee, or better still, if the principals will bring them to our next conven tion, we will plan to show them for the benefit of other principals. In short lacking the opportunity to visit other school systems and being a little skeptica an wc pre an giv tio! per vel plat issu I plar fror cont prov mak T Mrs ginia City. Sout If Pink of verbal and printed reports thereof, we suggest as one substitution a photo graphic record of your most excellent teaching procedures. ————— 22 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY of the D.C PRI] HAW lay,” Dis- ncer, rrent The r the tled: film, } their large wing ntary n our Pos d the ation, of the school prin Visual it was Evans, erator. anding ational onver- short, eptical photo —} TARY Conference on Elementary Education, July 5-16, 1937 Department of Elementary School Principals in Cooperation with the School of Education of the University of Michigan The Conference—For the Summer of 1937 the Depart- ment of Elementary School Principals has completed arrange- ments with Dean J. B. Edmonson of the School of Education of the University of Michigan for a special two-week course for elementary-school principals and other workers in the field of elementary education. This course will follow the Detroit meeting of the National Education Association and will open Monday, July 5. The course will carry two hours of graduate credit and will be open to those who hold the Bachelors De- gree and are prepared to do graduate work. Experienced elementary-school principals and those interested in elemen- tary education, who do not hold the Bachelor’s degree, may be admitted provided it is found that they have had the necessary preliminary preparation. The course will be in charge of a member of the regular staff of the School of Education who will be assisted by other staff members interested in the field of elementary education. A number of leaders in elementary education from other institutions and city school systems will also be invited to contribute units. Special Arrangements—A special room will be set aside for the class and a work room containing necessary books, bulletins, reports, and other materials will be provided. The School of Education has a summer session of its Elementary School, and arrangements will be made for visitation and demonstration. Organizing the Course—lIn organizing the course, major attention will be given to the problems of special interest to workers in the field of elementary educa- tion. Among the problems considered will be supervision and methods of teaching, personality adjustment of the elementary school child, community contacts, the de- velopment of instructional codes and related problems. According to the tentative plans there will be adequate opportunity for participation in discussion of live issues. Registration—A preliminary registration will be arranged in order that those planning to take the course may be advised as to the materials that they should bring from their local school systems. At an early date a complete list of those who will contribute to the instruction will be made available, and a preliminary form will be provided. We invite you to send a list of topics which are of vital interest to you and make suggestions for this course. The Committee which is making arrangements for the Conference consists of Mrs. Edith B. Joynes, principal, Gatewood-Washington Schools, Norfolk, Vir- ginia, chairman; Mason A. Stratton, principal, Brighton Avenue School, Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Edythe J. Brown, principal, Kaley-Marquette Schools, South Bend, Indiana. If further information is desired a letter should be addressed to Miss Eva G. Pinkston, Executive Secretary of the Department of Elementary School Principals of the National Education Association, 1201 Sixteenth Street, N. W., Washington, D.C, PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 23 J. B. EDMONSON Portland Main Dining Room, 70, 1936 June Portland, Oregon, Hote BANQUET JUNE 30 $..P.. ~ ~ “~ ~~ = a QA ~ = ~*~ => ~ ~ S ~ = = = = = 4 —~ pny = ~) _ = = = = z = z w ~ “J = = ~ ~ ~ _— cum ee PORTLAND, ORE. The group assemb THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY) BANQUET, JUNE 30, 1936 HE SEMIANNUAL BANQUET of the Department was held in the main dining room of the Portland Hotel, on Tuesday evening. Harley W. Lyon, president of the Department and principal, Longfellow-Cleveland Schools, Pasadena, California, presided. An exclamation of delight could not be withheld as each guest entered the dining room. The social committee, with the assistance of the maitre d’, had ar- ranged the flowers on each table so that the message of them was carried straight to the heart—“for you a rose in Portland grows.” The beautiful music rendered by a high school orchestra; the group singing led by Stephen E. Smith, accom- panied by Mrs. Smith; and the splendid address of Dr. Willis A. Sutton, who was the speaker of the evening, substantiated the keynote of all the president’s remarks—‘the Department should be known as the friendly department.” pals, Main Dining Room, Portland uet of the Department of Elementary School Princi} Building a Community Thru the Elementary School Willis A. Sutton, Superintendent of Schools, Atlanta, Georgia I am delighted and very happy to be here and so glad that this is such a representative group. I hope you will all have the privilege of going to New Orleans this winter where you will see one of the most interesting cities in all the world. We hope to make it one of the biggest and best meetings and want to honor Mr. Threlkeld, President of the Department of Superintendence of the N.E.A. Charleston, South, Caro- lina, to my way of thinking is the most interesting city and New Orleans, altho I am in Portland, is the second. There are a great many things that I should like to say about that particular meeting. The superintendents will be there and we hope the principals can come. So far as my own principals are concerned, I am going to give my permission right here for them to go. Principals are impor- tant people. Children like to play school and carry things from the school into their home life. The Elementary Principals’ Association is growing. It is time to get out and show what you can do. I want to talk to you a little about the elementary principal as a builder of a community. This year in Atlanta, as we do every year, we pick out some particular thing to which we direct our attention. I write my children weekly letters which the teacher cuts out of the paper and reads to the children. At a gathering a little boy pointed me out to his mother and said, “that is Mr. Sutton.”” The mother said, “Do you know Mr. Sutton?” The little boy said, “Yes, I do, because he writes me letters.” One project in the Atlanta Schools in 1934-35 was to build a better community. I believe our principals have done that thru a very large number of commu- nity activities and thru building a better life for the children. One of the schools had a demonstration lesson and the children were asked what is a community. One child said a place where there are lots of flowers, another said a store, a June 30, 1936 WILLIS A. SUTTON Hotel, Portland, Oregon, The group assembled for the semiannual banq PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 25 JT AR) school, a church, a library, etc. Who makes up the community? What organized clubs make up the community? I am going to draw a picture of everything that makes up a community—home, school, church, library—then one little child added fire station, police station, barber shop, beauty shop, grocery store, hard- ware store, and before we got thru we had 63 different things that those chil- dren in the sixth grade thought made up the community. All are parts of the living group. Each one contributes something. How can we build a better com- munity? The first thing is to build thru a better school. There are many things that all of us could do in order to make a better school. You will be surprised at the things those children thought about to make a better school. How can we make a better home? I believe one of the things elementary principals can do more than any other principal is to tie the school up with the home. Have some- thing out of the school go into the home—something the child is going to make to take home. We have school gardens and children take plants home. The home ought to be a pretty and beautiful place. Give attention to the love of the beautiful. In a roomful of children with low 1.Q. the teacher was having a great deal of difh- culty. The children were unmanageable and mean and vicious and some of them couldn’t speak. Miss Baker, a beautiful and attractive person was put in charge of the room and told to wear pretty clothes. The children admired her beauty and her attractive dress, came up to her, felt the material in her dress and those who were unable to talk soon learned to say “pretty.”” Soon these chil- dren quieted down and were taught to make pretty things to take home—bed spreads, lamp shades and bric a brac. A group of 15 or 20 of these children called at my house one day to present me with a bed spread they had made. I wasn’t home and they gave it to Mrs. Sutton but they said it was for Mr. Sutton. Build into their lives a love of the beautiful so that they can take it into their homes. School gardens are being developed. Almost every school in Atlanta has a school garden with a plot of ground for each grade which the children care for themselves. The grand thing about a school garden is that it is a means of get- ting a love of lovely plants into the home. Miss Rhodes, one of my principals, has sent home millions of plants from the school gardens. The child who takes home a plant from the school garden takes ten times better care of it than any- thing the parents can buy. In one very poor district of little three room cabins children were given great quantities of ferns to take home and plant all around the houses. When it begins to get cold in the winter the children dig up the ferns and bring them to the school greenhouse where they are cared for and the buildings are kept warm so that the ferns will not die during the cold weather. Then the ferns are ready to go back to the homes in the spring time. The school needs to build around the home thru love and the ties that bind it together. We urged the children and parents to go to church as a family and sit together, mammas, papas, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. In the case of the 16 or 18 year old with his sweetheart we advised him to sit with his girl’s family one Sunday and she sit with his family the other Sunday. Education has an obligation to help build a home and this can be done by tak- 26 ; THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY Vy Si ized that child lard- chil- + the com- lings rised n we n do ome- nake ht to Ina diffi- ie of 5 put 1 her dress chil- —bed ldren nade. Mr. - into has a -e for f get- ipals, takes any- -abins ‘ound p the d the ather. chool ether, in the th his y tak- 'ARY ing something out of thé school into the home. It would do lots for the superin- tendent and the board of education, when bond issues come up for considera- tion, if they had the support of the parents. Keep parents interested by sending something out of the school into the home every week rather than just once a month. Also let children bring things out of the home into the school. Have pet shows, circuses, carnivals, doll shows and let the boys bring dolls too. Let them bring a toy, pony, cat, dog, fish and spend a day at school. A pet parade gets all the dogs and cats washed up at least once a year. Teachers soon commence to talk about their activities. Let them ask the chil- dren to bring materials for programs, plays and costumes from the home. One child even brought a setting hen and | was called out to see the new hatch. In one room on a “pet day” there were so many rabbits, cats, dogs, etc., that I could hardly get into the room. In another room they had built a farm, planted crops, and fenced it all around. I raise pigs myself—don’t make any money out of it. I gave one class a pig and they took good care of it but over-fed it and it died. The teacher wrote me a letter saying how sad the children were over the death of the pig. One child, after the letter was read, asked the teacher, “Don’t you think we ought to put a black, border around the letter?” P.T.A.’s are fine things. It is a fine thing for mothers to meet the teachers. In one school where most of the mothers are young women, a skating class was organized. The seats are taken out of the auditorium and the mothers and the kindergarten and primary children skate and have the best time. They also have a teacher instruct them in dancing. Activities like these bring them out of the home into the school. Another thing we feel that ties the home and the school together is open house. Two or three principals objected to having open house on Sunday afternoon. We felt it was a grand thing for parents to have a place to go to on Sunday afternoon with their children. It is building toward a greater community spirit. During open house fathers meet and talk politics and the mothers have a chance to discuss matters of interest to them. Build something together in order to be part of the school life. The school helps to build the church. In one school there is a beautiful poster on which each child signs his name if he went to church, and a special kind of mark if he went with his family. It doesn’t make any difference when or to which church he goes, just so he goes. We wanted the children to sing good songs so we asked the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish churches to give us a list of 12 of their great hymns and we taught them to our children. It was grand to hear Catholic, Jew- ish and Protestant children sing all the different hymns. The preachers were delighted with the experiment. We took a group of little boys to sing before 2000 university students and when the children had finished singing, those col- lege boys’ faces were dripping with tears. Do something about getting good moving pictures by contacting local theatre managers to see that children are given clean, and wholesome movies. Fifty par- ents went to see one theatre manager and promised to fill up his theatre if he would show good pictures. The school can do something towards building better radio programs. Learn to listen and enjoy only the best programs, and don’t be satisfied with something not quite so good. Newspapers, school papers, can be PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 27 made self sustaining and are a feature in the building of the life of the commu- nity. Opportunity to make an announcement thru a school paper is of great value, not only to the school, but to the entire community. Build solidly for family life, in cementing the life of the child thru the community. Build a better church, home, theatre, library, fire station, police station, drug store, etc., with a con- sciousness that service is the thing. Sell education to the masses of our people. You can’t do it unless you have a really vital connection between the principal, teachers, homes and institutions of the community. Ask your teachers to go to church visiting first one church and then another in the community until the rounds are made. Draw the hearts of the people and the school closer together. We need more heart. We have enough kind of tests and supervision to last 40 years. We need a greater love of our work. There is a difference in real love or “official” love and not all teachers love all children. I never pass a child up. If you smile at a child, he will return a smile. It is hard to love all children be- cause some of them don’t smell good, some are dirty. Children will answer word for word when spoken to. The nearest way to the heart of any parent is thru his children and the best way to build for the future is thru our children. Chil- dren must be better than their mothers and fathers. Communities must be better than they were. It is a sad day when we put all the emphasis on gaining knowl- edge and fail to put emphasis on making solid hearts and character in our chil- dren. Elementary principals and elementary teachers have the opportunity of opportunities to build a community. Our New Orleans Chairman It is a privilege to have as our Chairman of Af- fairs for our New Orleans convention, Miss Amy H. Hinrichs, principal, Audubon School, and state en- rolment chairman of the Department of Elementary School Principals. Miss Hinrichs is not only well known in her own state of Louisiana but thruout the nation for she was a vice president of the National Education Association, 1930-31. She was secretary of the Resolutions Committee of the National Edu- cation Association for a number of years and last year was chairman of this important group. We appreciate the fine work which Miss Hinrichs has done for the Department and for making the splendid arrangements she has for us at the conven- AMY H. HINRICHS tion. We know we shall enjoy our week in her fair city. She and her committee have made definite plans for our breakfast on Mon- day, 7:30, February 22, at the La Louisiane, which is down in the old French Quarter and for our banquet on Monday, 6 p.m., February 22, at the St. Charles Hotel. The New Orleans and Louisiana principals will have charge of the Tuesday afternoon program of the Department, and this promises to be another outstanding event of the convention. ; ? a 28 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY mu- ilue, life, irch, con- ople. ipal, oO to the ther. t 40 re or , Up. 1 be- vord thru Shil- etter owl- chil- y of VI on- rench iarles f the other ARY GENERAL SESSION, JUNE 30, 1936 OR THE PAST several years it ‘has been the pleasure of the Department to invite the principals of the host city and state to have charge of the Tuesday afternoon program. This procedure gives an opportunity for all in attendance to see and learn about the splendid work of that particular section of the United States. At Portland the principals arranged for two splendid addresses and a demonstration of how “Oregon Fishing” is taught in a platoon school. The Teaching of the Implications of Religion in the Teaching of Social Science Norman C. Thorne, Assistant Superintendent, Portland Schools, Portland, Oregon Changes have taken place in the last century as a result of both the discoveries in pure science and the use of the various principles so discovered in the fields of applied science. We have greatly improved our methods, means, and speed of transportation. There is no turning back of the wheels of progress. There is no question that the machine and the scientific industrialism, which it has made possible, have brought us face to face with many problems that our fore- fathers knew nothing about. A great deal of emphasis has been laid upon scientific education, especially in this century and the great number of inventions of things which contri- bute to our health, comfort, pleasure, and needs, would not have been discovered had not science paved the way. As a result, the word “scientific” has come to be to the ordinary man a sort of “‘shibboleth.”” If one wishes to secure approval for any particular procedure, method, or device, he insists that it is ‘“‘scientific.” As the word has come to be used, it is applied more to physical science than to the other sciences, and more to the results of science as embodied in inventions used for vocational and economic purposes than to the scientific method or spirit. This change in view point is well illustrated by the change that has taken place in the minds of our leading scientists since the beginning of this century in regard to the constitution of matter. It is the popular*type of scientific education that has been demanded by those who have felt that the results of an education must always be measured in terms of material prosperity rather than in ability to appreciate properly human values or to render human service. It is in those subjects which have to do with human values and human service that we must become most interested if we are to train or educate people for anything more than earning a living. It may be necessary to earn a living, but long ago it was said by one who was facing just that temp- tation that “Man shall not live by bread alone.” It is this effort on the part of a man to live by bread alone, that has brought about the situation in which we find ourselves. It is our contention that those who have been responsible for our educational program have failed to estimate rightly, the influence of religious motives as a . N. C. THORNE PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 29 guide in determining our attitudes and our decisions relative to those who may be affected by our attitudes and decisions. And we further believe that we cannot expect such a situation to be ameliorated until there is aroused in our leadership that enthusiasm for humanity which is the underlying basis of the Christian re- ligion. Jesus emphasized in his teaching the ultimate worth of human personality. Religious history is full of human personality. Religious history is full of the stories of men and women who have seen that vision and burned out their lives in service to their fellows. We do not mean that we should teach religion as such, but that we should teach the implications of religion in connection with our other teaching. Because of the separation of church and state in this country, our leaders have taken the view that religion must not be discussed in our classes in school. Nevertheless, we are expected to prepare boys and girls for life, to prepare them to cope with the various situations, not only of the present but of the future. Without doubt a knowledge of mathematics is essential for the designing and planning of the architectural and engineering projects for which the present age is outstanding. But the ability to do advanced mathematics does not of necessity carry with it the honesty of purpose and fidelity to the conclusions of mathematics which are so necessary if these projects are to be enduring. One needs but recall the examples of faulty construction that were revealed as a result of the collapse of the Quebec bridge or of the California earthquakes to realize that more than one project has failed of the purpose for which it was con- structed, not because of errors in designing or planning, but because of dishonesty which permitted the use of materials in the construction which were of a quality inferior to that required by the plans and specifications. A concrete illustration will make clear my meaning in regard to the implica- tions of religion. “Iwo years ago there was a longshoreman’s strike on the Pacific coast which not only interfered with business, led to sabotage and violence, but also caused a number of people who were not directly involved in the matter to suffer great inconvenience and financial loss. It was very difficult to get at all the causes because of misrepresentations on both sides. It was partly a matter of wages, partly a question of belonging to the union, and partly a question of de- termining how men should be employed for the leading of vessels. Most people would say this was an economic problem, and probably it was. Certainly there was no experience of kinship, no particular insight, and little of integrity in the events which led up to that strike and in the attitudes of both groups during the strike. And it is at just such a crisis in the affairs of men that religion has the opportunity to function creatively. I am not saying it is un- christian to strike. What I am saying, is, that this is a religious problem and that if it is approached in that spirit by both sides, there are possibilities of a settlement. Compartmentalization, according to Professor Bede, works out in the life of the ordinary business man about as follows: He insists that business must be conducted on the competitive basis and with no regard to sentiment ; then he joins the Rotary Club and becomes enthused with the idea that business should be con- ducted in the spirit of service. It is rather difficult to see how these two ideas can 30 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY may nnot ‘ship 1 re- lity. ' the lives ould ‘ause 1 the less, with and - age Ssity atics -aled es to con- nesty ality lica- acific , but er to 1 the r of f de- eople little both that ; Ua and of a fe of st be joins con- ; can {RY be made to harmonize, but they seem to dwell together in the same bosom with- out causing any particular disturbance. It is a very beautiful arrangement be- cause all we need do is to keep these beliefs in separate compartments and use either one or the other to suit our convenience. This mixture of attitudes is well illustrated in the testimony of the colored man at prayer meeting who said that while he had robbed hen-roosts and got drunk and had slashed people with razors, thank God he had never lost his religion. This strikes us as amusing, and it would be if it were not so serious. This very practise, as it is now carried out in our schools, results in our keeping from the students some of the very things they ought to know. When the liberty of any one person or group is increased, then the restraints of the group at the other end of the scale are also increased. ‘Those who believe the present capitalistic system is justified, protest that those who would change that system are interfer- ing with their liberty. They fail to see that such an attitude means that the groups that are asking for a change are merely insisting that there be a more equitable distribution of liberty than has been the case for some time. The situation becomes all the more difficult to meet when those who are now in control in our economic and industrial fields are individually persons of high- est type of character. When we get into the broader field of human relationships, the problem be- comes much more difficult, because in this field the needs, desires, emotions, at- titudes, and motives of men must be considered. Attitudes may be used just as often to conceal the motives as to reflect them. In Shakespeare’s play OTHELLO we have an excellent illustration of just this point. Iago is trying to poison the mind of Othello against Desdemona. This illustration is interesting from at least two points of view. In the first place, it is a very beautiful statement spoken deliberately with a very sinister motive. It was for the very definite purpose of arousing in the mind of Othello suspicion of Desdemona. In the second place, Shakespeare makes clear that this act is worse than stealing a purse. It is more heinous because it is more subtle in its attack, more difficult to discern, more baneful in its results, and less amenable to pun- ishment. It is because of the fact that the motives and attitudes of men are so mixed up in most of human affairs that we should bring in as many influences as pos- sible to guide the motives and control the attitudes. Where religion functions in the lives of men, it functions in the field of attitudes and motives. For this reason, the religious view point should be stressed in the discussion of social problems. There is still another point of view that I think should be given some con- sideration. As we now carry on our educational program, either we are not per- mitted to present the religious point of view in our schools, or, if we are per- mitted, we do not try to do so. The net result of all this is that boys and girls and men and women ultimately come to disregard the religious element as a neces- sary part of their training and as a guide to conduct. May I cite the cases of two men that I have known, whom, I think, illus- trated in their decisions the point that I have been trying to make? In my home town in southeastern New York lived James, a fine upright man in every way, a Quaker as to religion, a Prohibitionist as to politics, an iceman as to business. PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 31 There were seven saloons in the community. He sold ice to every saloon. When I came to Portland, I met James, an elder in the First Congregational Church, a Repulican in politics, a chemistry teacher by profession. He bought some land southwest of Portland in the hop district. I asked him if he were going to raise hops. His reply was something like this: “Altho hops have other uses, the main use is to make beer. I am an elder in the First Congregational Church. My wife and I have talked it over, and we have agreed that raising hops is not in ac- cord with our religion.”’ There is one other point that I believe should be emphasized in this connection, and that is the value of the Bible as a textbook in human relations. That may seem to you as an almost sacrilegious way of stating it, but the Bible is of value from that point of view. Aside from their purely religious teaching, the prophets of the eighth century B. C., Hosea and Amos, Isaiah and Jeremiah, did have a great deal to say in regard to economic and social conditions of their times, say- ings which are pertinent for us today because those economic and social condi- tions came about because of a breakdown in the moral and religious standards of those times. And then over in the ninth chapter of the Judges, there are eight verses which have been called THE PARABLE OF THE TREES. The people of Shechem and of Millo had elected Abimelech king. When Jotham heard of the election, he went out on top of Mt. Gerezim and spoke to the people of Shechem. (Judges—Ch. | X—verses 8-15 inc.) Apparently it was as difficult to get good men to run for office 1000 years be- fore Christ as it is today. About two years ago there was a group organized here under the auspices of the Council of Churches to discuss the religious implica- tions of various problems. It was announced very definitely that it was for this purpose and no other and that it would be different from all other luncheon clubs because of that fact. I attended three meetings. They were strong on politics, economics, and war, but it was next to impossible to get any discussion of the religious implications of these problems. People just won't talk about re- ligion. For some time I have thought that possibly the reason was that people have never been taught to talk about religion. In Sunday School and Church the teachers and preacher talk religion to the people, but they don’t talk back. We have never been allowed or permitted to express ourselves in that regard. We seem to think it too sacred to talk about. It may be that I am rationalizing, but I don’t think so. If in our schools we could do something to break down this false attitude and get our boys and girls to talk about religion as freely as they do about anything else, I am sure we would be taking a step in the right direction. In speaking of religion as I have used it in this discussion, | have not used it in any narrow sectarian or denominational sense. I have not attempted to give any definition of religion, tho there are many that I might have given. In James 1:27 is a definition that is frequently quoted: “Pure religion and undefiled be- fore God and the Father is this: To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”” Neither am I making any apologies for my point of view. Some one has said no one knows what it takes to make a personality, but ap- parently it takes everything there is. But personality can be known as it mani- fests itself in action. Creative education, then, is the bringing about of desired 32 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY hen rch, and ‘aise the My | ac- ‘ion, may alue hets vea say- ndi- ards ight ‘ople d of e of ; be- here lica- this heon y on ssion t re- -ople urch yack. yard. zing, this they tion. ed it give ames 1 be- their king t ap- nani- sired 4RY changes in the personality of the individual. We achieve personality according to our inherent ability or capacity, and according to our responses to the situa- tions that we meet from day to day. Ulysses, in Tennyson’s poem of that title, expresses this idea when he says: “I am part of all that I have met.” This regard for personality, which is implicit in all religion, is necessary if we are to have the right kind of motives and the right kind of methods, as we undertake the solution of social problems. Many people think that we are at the end of one era and at the beginning of another. Whether that is true or not, the fact remains, because of the social, political, economic and religious uncertainty, that there never was a better time than the present for education and religion to come into the position of leader- ship. This leadership must be constructive, creative, and courageous. It cannot be constructive and creative if it is not courageous. In this connection education and religion should work hand in hand, for it can easily be shown that “creative religion has been outstanding in producing these qualities of life—Courage, Rea- son, and Love.” Status of the Elementary-School Principalship in Oregon Roben J. Maaske, State Department of Education, Salem, Oregon For a number of years, the Oregon State Department of Education has been conscious of a need for measures to de- velop and improve the position of the elementary-school prin- cipal in the state. For a number of years, the department has encouraged the organization of county elementary-school principals’ associations, and in a number of counties in the state these have been functioning quite actively. The need for the professional improvement of the elemen- tary-school principalship has been particularly urgent in medium-sized and smaller rural elementary schools. For many years the principals in Portland have been organized into the Portland Elementary-School Principals’ Association, which has done some excellent work thru its study committees and thru the yearbook issued by the association. Prior to undertaking a program for the improvement of the elementary-school principalship in Oregon, it was felt desirable to make a careful survey to deter- mine the status of the elementary-school principalship in the state. With the aid of an appointed committee of five Oregon elementary-school principals to act in an advisory capacity, the State Department of Education worked out a survey schedule designed to assemble basic information for use in working out a state program to develop and improve the professional status of the elementary-school principalship. The department was particularly desirous of securing pertinent information bearing on the work of the elementary-school principal in the medium-sized and smaller rural schools, even to those schools of three, two, and one teachers. While ROBEN J. MAASKE PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 33 the head teacher in these smaller rural elementary schools is not ordinarily con- sidered an elementary-school principal, he or she does exercise many of the func- tions of that position and thru a greater exercise of the administrative and super- visory functions customarily assigned to the elementary-school principal, it is our opinion that much improvement would result in these small rural schools. While in medium and large city school systems much emphasis is placed upon the prin- cipal’s or superintendent’s duty in educating the school board in professional mat- ters concerned with school improvement, no similar aid is available to the average local school board unless the head teacher will assume this function. This and many other similar duties can and should be exercised to a greater degree by the several head teachers in the rural districts. For the purpose of this survey, therefore, we defined an elementary-school prin- cipal as “A person in charge of a single elementary-grade school unit-organiza- tion; this includes any person designated as elementary-school principal, and also includes the one head teacher in one-, two-, three-, four-, and five-teacher schools (and other small schools) who, in addition to full or part time teaching, performs some of the general duties of an elementary-school principal.” We took a sampling of 80 ‘“‘elementary school principals” in one-teacher schools, 74 in two-teacher schools, 48 in three-teacher schools, 49 in four-teacher schools, and 224 in schools having five or more teachers, and a survey schedule was sent to each elementary-school principal in the state. If the returns of the survey sched- ule from elementary-school principals in Oregon are any measure of the interest and enthusiasm for the purposes and objectives of the survey, it should prove quite valuable indeed. Of the 475 survey schedules sent to elementary-school principals, a total of 474 have been returned up to this date (June 30, 1936). As returns from survey schedules or questionnaires go, it is readily agreed that this return is quite out of the ordinary. Our survey schedule was divided into the following ten sections: (1) General Information and Training, (2) Experience, (3) Administrative Functions, (4) Supervisory Functions, (5) Teaching, (6) Clerical Functions, (7) Community Relationships, (8) Distribution of Time, (9) Professional Improvements, and (10) Concluding Suggestions. The main headings are self-explanatory of the type of information requested under each section. Particular attention was given to the sections on adminis- trative, supervisory, teaching, clerical, and community relationship functions, in order to ascertain as objectively as possible in what manner these functions are now being exercised in different sized schools. In passing, it might be mentioned that the ascertained common practises of principals should not be considered as the best practises. However, such common practises may well be considered as a point of departure for ascertaining thru other means the most desirable practise under each of the different functions of the principal. There has been assembled from the survey schedules a considerable amount of statistical material under each of the main sections. In the main, this statistical data correlates fairly well with similar data listed in 5 or 6 Master Theses in several other states on the “Status of the Elementary-School Principal,” copies of which have been examined by the writer. However, in this paper an attempt 34 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY P} yn- ne- er- yur ile jat- age ind the 22- ilso ols ‘ms ols, ols, t to ed- rest ove 1001 -hat will be made to summarize suggestions made in the survey by elementary-schooi principals in the state for improving their professional status, and also a sum- mary of certain major problems which the principals indicate confronts them in actual practise and on which they desire particular assistance. One section of the survey schedule called for suggestions for ‘Improving the Professional Status of the Position of the Elementary-School Principal in Oregon” and another section called for a listing of “Major Problems of Specific Significance Which You have Encountered in Your Work as Elementary-School Principal and for which You Feel a Definite Need for Assistance.” In the state- ments below there is listed a summary compilation of suggestions and major problems advanced by elementary-school principals participating in the survey. The professional status of the elementary-school principal in Oregon could be improved thru: 1. Establishing special summer courses in the field of the elementary-school princi- palship dealing with all phases of the principal’s work, but particularly with adminis- trative and supervisory functions. 2. Establishing a greater distinction between the term “teacher” and “principal” thru creating a consciousness on the part of school boards, teachers, and principals of the importance of the supervisory and administrative functions of the elementary-school principal. 3. Giving more time to principals in larger schools for supervisory duties thru cur- tailing the amount of time spent in actual teaching. 4. Providing special credentials or certification requirements for the elementary- school principal which requires special administrative and supervisory training. 5. Encouragng a practise on the part of school boards to employ an elementary- school principal for a period longer than the school year to permit a definite period for preliminary organization and study in the school district. 6. Giving elementary-school principals more of a voice in the selection and dismissal of teachers under their supervision. 7. Encouraging the making of two- or three-year contracts for elementary-school principals who are not in districts now operating under a permanent tenure law. 8. Organizing elementary-school principals’ conferences, either on a state or regional basis. 9. Having the elementary-school principals participate more actively in community affairs and activities. 10. The enactment of a retirement law for all teachers. The major problems of the elementary-school principal as expressed in the survey schedules are: a. Lack of sufficient time to do thoroly the administrative, supervisory, and clerical work required of the ordinary elementary-school principal in addition to teaching. b. Lack of adequate equipment, reference materials, visual aids, etc., par- ticularly in the medium-sized and small rural elementary schools. c. Problems involved in enriching the school program with a limited number of teachers and with the principal devoting most of his time to teaching duties. d. Problems involved in conducting a successful diagnostic testing and reme- dial teaching program. e. How to organize effectively a year’s program of teachers’ meetings for pro- fessional study and progress. f. Problem of managing community and other ouside groups who continually seek school time for advancing their own program and interests. g. Problem of curriculum revision designed to place more emphasis upon the field of the Social Sciences in the elementary grades. PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 35 h. How to educate our patrons to become school conscious and able to under- stand and appreciate the value of modern elementary schools. i. Problem in supervision in connection with making adequate provision for individual differences of pupils, particularly the gifted pupil and also the re- tarded pupil. j. Dealing with the problem of unreasonable demands upon the school for entertainment for community and special clubs. It is the plan of the State Department of Education in Oregon to follow the suggestions and reactions expressed by principals in the survey in planning a pro- gram for the improvement and development of the position of the elementary- school principal. Other data and information descriptive of the present status | of the position of the principalship will also be utilized to the full in building a program for improvement, thru the following means: 1. Concentrating on fulfilling the expressed needs of elementary-school prin- cipals, as revealed in the survey. 2. Setting higher standards thru requiring special credentials for the posi- tion of elementary-school principal, at least in the medium-sized and_ larger schools. 3. Developing a program of in-service training consisting of (a) well-planned conferences; (b) organized plan of committee study by principals on pertinent problems; (c) supplying pertinent aids and significant news of interest to elemen- tary-school principals, and (d) direct contact with school boards to develop a consciousness on their part of the importance of the recognized duties of the position of the elementary-school principal. Intersubject Relations H. C. Tallman, Principal, Beaumont Elementary School, Portland, Oregon A part of any philosophy of education should serve as a clearing house for the evaluation of objectives and the technic necessary to acquire the objectives. Intersubject Relations are, therefore, a very important part of educational proce- dure. Aside from the natural and exact sciences we have come to accept the process of education as a science social in nature. Education is an active science; a science which is ever chang- ing to meet the challenges of a social environment. Too many times our educational procedure has been strik- ingly unbalanced in the light of strategy and tactics. This has been especially true when a definite philosophy of education was not within the appreciation of the teacher. A supervising principal has upon many occasions observed a teacher struggling with methods or technic while at the same time pitifully and woefully lacking in a clear cut understanding of major objectives; objectives desirable and acceptable to the experienced background of the educator as he lives in a social, economic, cultural and spiritual world. While method is H. C. TALLMAN 36 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY nder- n for e re- 1 for pro- tary- tatus ing a prin- posi- arger nned inent men- lop a f the 1AN rithin Asions time tives; cator od is ARY essentially necessary, objectives successfully attained must be a combination of the two, namely, objectives and methods. Types of education advanced in the last two decades have by the sponsors been called by various names indicating that each is based upon a new philosophy when in reality it was just an old philosophy clothed in modern regalia. Some of these revived philosophies have tended to place great emphasis upon activity. An activity school is very commendable but the emphasis upon conse- quential reasons for the activity have been much under-developed. The teachers’ objective in the demonstration which we shall present for you today will be “To develop with the pupils the historic significance of fishing in Oregon; the commercial activities; and the recreational aspects for the sports- man.” We hope to show how technic working thru the various interrelated sub- jects does find many interests growing from within the pupil which lead him to an ultimate realization and understanding of an important industry of his own state. Correlation Demonstration OrEGON FISHING Teachers and pupils of Beaumont Elementary School Introduction of the subject, “Oregon Fishing,” and Activity Assignments Ruth Rostedt, Geography Department Supplementary Reading and Collection of Materials Bearing on the Subject Mrs. Hazel Van Cleve, Librarian Evaluation of Fishing in Dollars and Cents Mrs. Jane Goddard, Arithmetic Department Graphic Pictorialization of Oregon Fishing Mrs. Pauline DeVin, Art Department Oral and Written Composition Mrs. Ruth Califf, English Department Auditorium Program Catherine M. Blood, Auditorium Teacher Songs in “Sportsmen’s Skit” Mrs. Agnes C. Swift, Music Department Elementary-School Principals Association of Connecticut We are grateful to Miss Margaret Hickey for sending to headquarters the list of new officers of the Elementary-School Principals’ Association of Connecticut. They are as follows: President, Mrs. Harriet Darrow, Fairfield; Vicepresident, Helen Whitman, West Hartford ; Secretary, Margaret Hickey, Meriden; Treas- urer, Dorothy Creamer, Torrington; and Member of the Executive Board for three years, Agnes McCloud, Norwich. PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 37 Jackson Square, showing Cabildo, Cathedral, and Presbytere, with upper Pontalba Building at extreme edge. Celebrated statue of Andrew Jackson in center of square, New Orleans, Louisiana Let’s See New Orleans February 20-25, 1937 Let every member of this department begin now to plan to attend our meet- ings held during the winter meeting of the Department of Superintendence at New Orleans, Louisiana, February 20-25, 1937. In no city of the United States has the dominant characteristics and traditions of the “Old South” held its own so tenaciously as at New Orleans (pronounced— Orl-yuns). With almost mystic reverence it has preserved, unchanged, its an- cient charms, early achievements, romances, and adventures of its early years, yet it has progressed until it ranks second in importance among the nation’s ports and leads the South in size of cities and industrial output. This will be a rare opportunity for those who have not had the pleasure of living in this beautiful and interesting city of the Southland to visit it and experi- ence those thrills which will come as you gather together for a promenade thru its historic Vieux Carré (meaning “Old Square” and pronounced—vee-yuh care- ray), eat of its Creole dishes, observe its peculiar customs, or experience its de- lightful climate. Poets have called New Orleans “The City of Dawn,” but Napoleon called her ““The City of Destiny.”” To his eyes she gleamed and glit- tered, even at that early day, like a bright star on the horizon. For tho Chan- cellor Robert R. Livingston went to France to confer with Napoleon’s clever min- ister Talleyrand, concerning the purchase of the “Isle of Orleans”’ only, he ended by obligating the United States for the entire gigantic area described as the Louisiana Purchase. It was Talleyrand who in negotiating the sale declared that “without New Orleans all Western America is valueless.” It is hardly possible that Bienville in founding the city in 1718, expected his settlement to become important enough to be the scene of this country’s second most important military 38 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY neet- ce at tions ‘ed— 5 an- rears, ports re of cperi- thru care- 's de- ’ but | glit- ~han- min- onded s the | that ssible come litary ARY encounter—the Battle of New Orleans—in the War of 1812, which was fought and won by Andrew Jackson, after the treaty of peace was signed, but had not as yet been ratified either by the United States or England. He would have been equally surprised if he had known that Jean Lafitte (the pirate) and his less famous brother, Pierre, would have a blacksmith shop on his beloved and beau- tiful Chartres Street. Your imagination will be fired as you visit the Place D’Armes which later became known as Jackson Square. In this old square in 1769 the flag of Spain displaced that of France; in 1803 the flag of France displaced that of Spain; and in the same year the Stars and Stripes went up to stay. In the historic buildings which surround Jackson Square you will note the peculiar old French and Span- ish architecture, the wide iron-trellised balconies, the sweeping fan windows, the lovely patios, the serpentine stairways and the many other delightful pecular- ities of this section of the city. It is in this unique French Quarter known as the Vieux Carré that the “Get-together” breakfast of the Department will be held at 7:30 a.m., on Monday morning, February 22 at the La Louisiane. It is here you will find that Creole cuisine is different in taste but is delicious. Not far from La Louisiane can be seen a home built in 1764 without nails. Another was built in 1859 by Gallier, Jr., for Captain Leathers who designed the famous Natchez which raced the Robert E. Lee in that memorable steamboat race up the Mississippi and which was immortalized by our beloved Will Rogers. Come and go with us to see the Cabildo, the St. Louis Cathedral, the Pontalba buildings, the French Market, the Archbishopric, the Old Absinthe House, and then return with us to the St. Charles Hotel which has been assigned as the head- quarters of the Department of Elementary School Principals. Here we shall en- joy together the delicious food of this fine, beautiful old hostelry, for cooking in Mew Orleans is a subtle art that has been inherited by one Creole chef from another. It is at the St. Charles that the Department will hold its midwinter banquet at 6 p.m., Monday, February 22, Washington’s birthday. Come join us in a week of convention activities and enjoy as Arthur Brisbane has stated it—‘‘one of the two most inter- esting cities in America—New Orleans and your own home town!” A packet boat Let each group and association begin to plan now to send a delegate to the New Orleans meeting. Send to headquarters the name and address of your delegate. PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 39 Musical Groups in the Elementary School; Their Uses and Contributions to Classroom Instruction Everett E. Robie, Principal, and Sara F. Nurnberg, Teacher, Rice School, Stamford, Connecticut Musical groups in the Rice School have been organized over a period of years for the purpose of awakening in the pupils participating feelings of pleasure, a de- sire to be somewhat creative, and a reali- zation that any contribution on their part might prove of benefit to them later on. Many from our organizations are now do- ing splendid work in the high school sym- phony orchestra and band. Rhythm bands, an orchestra, drum and violin classes, 2 glee club, tap-dancing classes, classes in music appreciation, and a harmonica band comprise these groups. All teachers are urged to seek any hidden talent in their pupils, and to discuss possibilities in musical activities with them. E. E. ROBIE S. F. NURNBERG The orchestra consists of boys and girls from all classes, even down to the first grade, playing the following instruments: Violin, mandolin, clarionet, accordion, drum, banjo, saxophone, trumpet, triangles, flute and piano. Altho many are very young, their tiny appearance is all the mort impressive. They have at least one rehearsal weekly under a classroom teacher’s direction, when they are taught how to hold and tune their own instruments as well as how to play their individ. ual parts. They participate at assemblies and at public functions. The harmonica band was created by the principal for the purpose of affording an outlet to musical expression for boys and girls financially unable to purchase musical instruments. From the outset the pupils were made to realize that the harmonica was but a stepping stone to greater achievement in the musical field. We have had a band of as many as 122 pupils. However, this large group plays only within the school, while a “graduating group” in uniform plays for many public functions outside of the school. As soon as a pupil shows enough develop- ment on harmonicas of several keys he is placed in this special group. ‘Three years ago this group was taken to Washington for a week. They have averaged at least thirty public appearances annually in and out of the city. In fact, they have just returned from a Kiwanis Convention held in Northampton, Massa- chusetts, where they played seven concerts at seven banquets in a single evening. They have had many opportunities to broadcast, and have participated in har- monica band contests, from which they have always emerged victorious. In this one activity alone the social and general educational value can be easily noted, as well as the fact that many have purchased other musical instruments as a result. A three-part glee club affords much pleasure and entertainment to its mem- bers. Frequent parties are held to stimulate interest and to create in others 4 desire to become members. The members sing to the student body, give pro- +0 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY ind ERG yand their first lion, are least ught ivid- a ee grams in other schools, and participate in annual Christmas-carol singing in larger groups. The drum, tap-dancing, and violin classes have afforded many opportunities to learn with no actual cost to the pupils. With one drum for the director, the class learned proficiency in drumming with the aid of an old table on which was stretched and tacked an old rubber innertube. Several have been made happy when taken in by the local American Legion Junior Drum Corps. Classes of twenty each in tap-dancing enjoy a social hour two periods per week where they learn in an astonishing short time very difficult steps, at the same time improving in their ability to socialize in groups, in etiquette, and in courtesy. From the violin classes it has been gratifying to note that many have purchased violins as a result. Classes in music appreciation have aided pupils in learning to compose original creative music, which, in turn, have led to correlated study of lyrics and art. They have led to the study of the instruments themselves, with the children bring- ing various instruments to school for study, making scrapbooks, cutting out mu- sical instruments from catalogs and making charts. From this has developed a study of the composers, their lives, types of music they have written, and their reasons for writing such types. Pupils have learned to appreciate and enjoy va- rious kinds of music at entertainments and concerts, and, having been urged to listen to concerts on the radio at home, they have furthered their proper use of leisure time. Their study has been so closely correlated with their reading and history that they understand that certain instruments came into being as a result of the customs of different peoples, and that many instruments are peculiarly adapted to certain nations. There has been no limit to the wealth of materia) made use of in offering opportunity for participation by entire classes in singing, rhythms, dancing, and in listening to selections from victrola, piano and radio. Groups leaving the city are always accompanied by the principal, and some- times by a teacher as well. Lessons in character training occur frequently, for those who misbehave are deprived of the opportunity to accompany groups on the next trip. Many who were not previously endowed with habits of neatness to any great extent have learned that this is considered of primary importance in public appearance. Reliable members have been given positions of responsibility, such as caring for younger pupils, looking after instruments, assigning, unpacking and packing uniforms, and acting as assistant directors. Such experiences have de- veloped the following character traits to a great extent: 1. Responsibility in performing to the best of one’s ability for the good of the entire unit. 2. Learning to care for one’s own possessions. Initiative in helping one’s co-worker. Greater ability to carry out instructions and suggestions. Ability to appear on a stage with confidence and ease. Honesty in respecting property rights of others. Personal habits in appearing punctually, neat and orderly. Appreciation in choosing good music. 9. Learning how to meet people. 10. Learning how people live and act without one’s own circle. With the existence of so many musical activities in a school, the pupil is sure to find at least one phase which will appeal to him. PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 4] ONAN + w Statements made by the supervisors in the junior and senior high schools in- dicate that those who have been members of our organizations show an astonish- ing amount of citizenship and ingenuity, with a keen desire to become more and more proficient. This would indicate clearly that elementary musical experiences react favorably in those which follow in higher stages of education. It has been demonstrated clearly that all class work has been stimulated by the idea of success in group participation in music. In several instances, more- over, a complete cure for truancy has been brought about. Records of all clubs are kept, along with lists of members of each, and scholastic standing has a def- inite bearing on participation at all times. To be sure, no definite hard-and-fast standards are set up, such as exist for participation in high school sports, or the like; but general goals are adhered to in both curricular attitude and personal behavior. In conclusion we have noted the development of poise, confidence, ease, indi- vidual initiative, talent, personality, happiness, and ability to do things for one’s self and to work together in groups. There has come a greater realization on the part of the teachers of the promise in pupils and of the inherent qualities to be found in all. All forms of music have furnished avenues of imagination and self-expression which cannot be obtained from an ordinary daily classroom routine in other curricular subjects. By stressing the rhythmic and musical side of the child’s life it is felt that more spontaneity and a more aesthetic nature has been the general result in the student body. Proper Emphasis of the School Paper John P. Milligan, Principal, Watsessing School, Bloomfield, New Jersey Many principals today feel apparently that they must have a newspaper. It is the thing to do. This group has con- siderable support for such reasoning. The Fourteenth Year- book of the Department of Elementary School Principals devotes Chapter 1X to a thoro discussion of the school news- paper. The principal or teacher will find in figure 1 a com- posite summary of the whole theory and practise in school newspaper work set up very briefly in newspaper format. The first heading of figure 1 is entitled “Purposes of Newspapers” and reads as follows: J. P. MILLIGAN A summary of statements contributed by principals describing their school news- papers reveals five purposes which help guide production. Some of these aims or pur- poses are discussed at more length in other articles in this newspaper. The five aims follow: 1. The elementary-school newspaper interprets the school to the community. 2. The school newspaper helps to improve the English of the children by furnishing motivation for compositions. 3. The school newspaper provides a stimulation and an outlet for creative expression. 4. The school newspaper develops character thru the opportunities it offers for pupil participation. 42 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY is in- nish- and ences d by nore- clubs def- fast r the sonal indi- one’s n on es to and itine + the been must con- ; ear- ipals ews- -om- hool s of ews- pur- aims shing sion. pupil [RY 5. The school newspaper serves to coordinate and unify the activities of the school. The order given above is the order of importance that is indicated by the statements from principals who contributed. Against such an imposing array of objectives what can one say? ‘There is only one answer: There must be a newspaper. But stop. Principals say that their newspaper interprets the school to the com- munity. Now, this is not exactly true of our paper. It would be more true if we said that our paper interprets the good work of our school to the community. We never publish the bad things we do—not even those half-bad. We print prac- tically no compositions of our average or less than average pupils unless they have been carefully edited. We did not say, “Joe ran thru the hall, tripped and cut his forehead in the fall.”” Understand that I am not saying we should; I am saying we cannot maintain that we interpret our whole school to the community thru our paper. In all honesty, I am convinced that the adviser could issue one letter a month written by herself which would more adequately present a picture of what all the children are doing in our school. This could be sent home and parents would have, then, a real interpretation. (Notice—I do not say the prin- cipal could do this.) So, if I am honest with myself, I must at least discount this objective which principals place first, altho I do not deny it absolutely. Two closely allied purposes ranked second and third respectively by principals are those dealing with the stimulation of pupils to work expression. The fourth purpose states that the paper offers opportunities for character development. The fifth purpose states: ‘“The school newspaper serves to coordinate and unify the activities of the school.” I think that is so. I don’t know how it does that, but I rather think there is something to it even if I can’t understand it. (“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio.’’ ) Apparently, then, I believe our real values lie in the second, third and fourth purposes as stated by principals. No, I believe in all the purposes; I am simply questioning how they function. Let me ask you advisers a question relative to those purposes having to do with stimulating expression. If a boy submits an outstanding composition for one of his ability; one with childish structure; one containing faulty sentences; and another boy submits one which is superior to the first; one which is mechanically correct, but which is only half as good as he could produce, which do you print? Now, don’t defend yourselves. I am just asking questions. We are talking about stimulating expression on the part of pupils. The fourth purpose—that of character development for those who participate I do endorse heartily and without further reservation. I would hasten to add that it should be the aim,—and I believe it a practical possibility—for nearly all pupils to participate in one way or another. It takes courage, but it can be done. You can print the offerings of poor pupils who try, if you have the courage. It has been done. There is one objective which is practical ; which wraps all of these others into one. I would state it thus: The school paper exists to bring out the best that is in every child so far as it can reach him; and it must discourage no child. If the school paper is to have value towards character growth we cannot state our PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 43 objective otherwise. With such a single objective we need not say that we will not “interpret” our school ; but we must say that when we start selecting superior material regardless of who wrote it, we are getting away from our objective. With such an objective we can stimulate pupils to express themselves, and | mean those pupils who need it most. I hope I have made myself clear. If not, | restate it. The only true values in the elemenetary newspaper are character values; and any other values must be subordinated to these true values. May I illustrate? Here is what a little Italian girl, a staff member, says about our paper: “The paper is a good help to me for | have learned things | did not know. Such as, the people in Holland dress as we do. For the school because many outsiders read it and suggest it to others.”’ Now on a competitive basis—on the basis of “interpreting the work of the school”—this would not be selected. But | know this girl, and I think it should be selected. For the girl's sake, we should point out the mechanical errors, and have her correct them; then we should print it. It will do her good; I do not see that it will hurt anyone else; for they will have their turn. I wonder what this lad had in mind? “The school newspaper gives the parents an idea of what the children are do- ing in school. It also gives the children a chance to see what the other classes are doing. It also gives the children some knowledge of the activities about and in the school. I think Mr. Milligan likes to have the children to know what he is doing for them and the school.” Could he mean that his principal is looking for some publicity? Could he be right? Now I have selections from pupils which | would not put in the paper. They are just too atrocious. But I want our adviser to feel free to say to those chil dren and mean it: “If you will get rid of these bad habits in writing you can get something into the paper.” I have thus far presented my point of view without relation to the teacher. May I now express a point of view in this regard? Not long ago | asked what had become of a certain paper. “Well,” said the principal, “it got to the point where I did not know whether my adviser or myself was running the school: so I cut it out.”” In response to the same question, another principal said, ““My chil- dren are of foreign parentage. Their abilities in English expression were not of a high order and they realized it. The adviser realized it. It became quite a task to get out an issue; so we quit.” Wise principals! Many a time, what with tears and lamentations, | have wished my paper out of existence. To you advisers may I say this? If your principal is thinking in terms of edu- cating boys and girls, he will let you do some of the things which I have implied here. It is your job to make your paper go. It requires tact. You must apply the same ideas which I| suggest for pupils to some of your colleagues. The elementary- school newspaper is a worthwhile activity if viewed with the proper perspective. I hope nothing I have said will lead you to think I believe otherwise. If I have stated my position strongly it is because I feel the need for showing the dangers inherent in going out to win contests and to “advertise” the school. +4 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY P will erior tive, nean es in st be bout | not “ause * the ould and » not 3 do- s are id in he is ie be Chey chil. can cher. what oint 1: so chil- ot of ite a with edu- plied y the tary- tive. have gers {RY Changes in School Curricula Thomas W. Boyce, Principal, Cass Street Rotary School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Intimate contact with the public schools of a state as pupil, student, teacher, and administrator, for a period of sixty years, has witnessed on the part of the writer, tremendous changes in our elementary schools, in subject matter taught, methods of teaching, and most important of all, changes in attitudes of teachers and administrators toward pupils, and changes in pupils’ attitudes toward the school and the work of the school. In the earlier days of this experience, arithmetic, written and mental, was fea- tured in all schools. Some attention was given to learning the names of the bones and chief muscles of the body and the terrible effects of alcohol and narcotics upon the human system. Geography and history were exercises in the memoriza- tion of dates and facts and pages. English consisted of drills in spelling, copying copies from the copy book, and learning forms and rules of syntax. We learned verbatim the constitutions of the United States and of our state, and understood little or nothing of their meanings. The above is a fair picture of the curriculum situation of fifty to sixty years ago. I regret to say that this type of school is the ideal of some protagonists today, and will be found still in localities where professional qualifications demanded of teachers are low or where public support of public schools is not generous, or where the administration of schools centers in those who believe that the “good old days” were the best. Let us look at the curriculum of a modern school and note the differences in subject matter and procedure between a modern and the old type school. We teach reading but the approach to reading is so different. In the old days, we started by learning the alphabet. Some children never mastered the alphabet. | can remember well the punishments inflicted by teachers upon the little children who could not memorize the 26 letters well enough to name them when not ar- ranged in alphabetical order. Today reading is a joy to children. In conversations with the teacher, they relate their experiences and see those experiences appear as sentences upon the board. After a few weeks of this type of work, they are given a book, and find to their amazement that they can read—actually read from a book. There is happiness in this approach to reading. There is time enough later for analytical work in phonics and memorization of the alphabet. In geography, a start is made with the study of the surroundings of the school and home. Gradually the child is introduced to the topography and human ac- tivities of the district, the village, the town, or the city in which he lives. He soon learns that geography is not a memorization of facts and figures, but rather an interesting study of this world as the home of man. Thru stories and biographies the child learns of the actions, and deeds, and thoughts of the men and women who have lived in this country or in other coun- tries in years gone by, and history becomes to him not a recitation of dates and figures and records of wars, but an interesting record of people who lived and thought and acted and pioneered and died years or ages before our time. In place of studying our constitutions in the hope of becoming a good citizen, PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 45 he engages in public discussions in his class, he embraces the opportunity to act as president, or secretary, or recorder for his class, he learns to serve as safety cadet or guide in building traffic and outdoor activities, he finds a miniature set up of democratic institutions in his school, and he finally learns that good citizenship consists in learning to lead, in learning to serve, and in learning to following in. telligent leadership. Arithmetic is taught but the emphasis upon it has been reduced. | can still picture the old days such problems as—d can do a piece of work in 2 days B can do it in 3 days, how long will it take both 4 and B, working together, to | do the work ?’’—and the scorn upon the teacher’s face when the pupil answers, and the chagrin of the pupil when the answer was five days. Arithmetic as taught in the old days sent many and many a child into educational oblivion. Today in the elementary school, it is largely confined to fundamental operations and sim- ple problems adapted to the experiences of the children. There is, of course, attention given to the effect of alcohol and narcotics on the human system but the approach today is not thru the medium of physiology and anatomy but thru proper lessons in health. Play finds a prominent place in the curriculum today. The gymnasium furnishes the opportunity for corrective exer- cises and competitive games. How to care for the teeth, the hair, the hands, the nails, and the body are illustrated. Daily inspections for cleanliness of the bod) stress the necessity of bathing. One unacquainted with this phase of our school curriculum would be amazed at the hygienic changes brought about in many dis- tricts by this persistent attention to the problem of children’s health. In English, the emphasis is placed upon learning to speak and write correctly and not upon rules of grammar. A modern school furnishes many opportunities for children to partake in discussions. English compositions are not set formally Children are asked to write of their experiences obtained in discussions in the library, in nature study, in geography, and in history. The writing of English was a burden and an unenjoyable task in the day of set compositions. Children now enjoy English composition because they have something to write about in which they are interested. In my day as a pupil, there was no art. It was a fad not to be considered When art was finally introduced, it was largely a matter of drawing with pencils or black crayon from set objects such as—cubes, vases, spheres, and prisms. It was so uninteresting. Today color predominates in art. Children love to work with color. They love to illustrate stories, or books, or something they have read about in their history or geography. They enjoy doing their craft work. No special talent is required in the subject of art today, and no marks are given, with the result that children put into their art work their best abilities and enjoy working to their limits. I disliked art as it was introduced. I envy children today the pleasure and satisfaction they are getting in their art. Nature study is an essential part of a modern school curriculum, especially in our large cities. A great majority of our little children know nothing of the in- sects, the birds, the animals, the trees, and the world outside of the city pave- ments. Pork, as far as they know, may come from the poultry farm, mutton from the steer, and milk from the milk man. There is no question as to the value of 46 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY | aCt as r cadet up of enship ing in- in. stil] ) | , Gays, ier, to iswers, taught day in d sim- on the ry and in the > exer- 1s, the > body school 1y dis- rectly, unities mally. in the nglish ildren out in dered. yencils ns. It work e read No , with enjoy today lly in he in- pave- | from lue of "ARY nature study for city children, and the enjoyment and profit derived by them from the pursuit of this study with a teacher who enjoys revealing nature’s secrets. I can well remember the indignation expressed by the ‘old timers” when ef- forts were made in the early days to introduce cooking, sewing, and shop work into the curriculum. These were the fads and frills that must not become a part of the curriculum. When Wisconsin’s grand old school man, L. D. Harvey, stated that he believed there was as much educational value in learning to bake a loaf of bread, in making an apron, or sawing a board correctly, as in solving a problem in arithmetic, or spelling a list af words, or bounding the state of Maine, he was regarded as an educational heretic. ’ In a modern school today, you rarely find literature of the nickel or dime variety. In the old days, we read if we could get books to read. Today every schoolroom is well stocked with library books or the school itself has a modern library with a teacher librarian in charge whose sole function is to interest chil- dren in reading good books and in realizing that books must be the source of joy and educational advancement to them when school days are over. In a certain school that I attended as a pupil, a new teacher started us singing, and nearly lost her job because one of the neighborhood “‘stand-patters” com- plained to the board that school time was being wasted by that teacher in having children sing. The modern school today has a teacher especially gifted and trained in music, and children learn in their regular classes, in the glee clubs, and in their orchestras, to produce and enjoy the works of the great composers. A child will fail in his school work unless he can obtain some joy and satis- faction out of all or part of the curriculum. In the older curricula, only a small percentage of children obtained this joy or satisfaction. The work was too formal, too difficult, too uninteresting. ‘The changes that have come about in school curricula have created greater opportunities for children to find themselves in some of the school’s offerings. —They may be poor in arithmetic but good in art. They may fail in spelling but excel in some phase of music. Their reading ability may be below par but they may show natural leadership. The sum total of curricula changes has resulted in interesting children in some phase of school work, and enabling them to obtain training in some of the lines offered. In closing, it seems essential to note the change in attitudes of pupils and teachers as a result of the improvement in school curricula. In the olden days, a large percentage of the pupils hated school. It was considered proper in the good old days for newspapers to caricature the boys who were unhappily taking up their duties at the opening of school. Today children anxiously await the open- ing of school. Their happiest days are those spent within the walls of the school. In former years, the percentages of attendance and withdrawals were appalling. Today attendance is high and withdrawals are rare. Children like school. Because the teaching of today is not so formal, because the demands for high percentages in the old academic branches are not so exacting, because in the of- ferings of a curriculum almost all the children are able to find themselves, teach- ers have become less exacting, less inclined to resort to punishments, and more desirous of helping children to success and satisfaction in some of the lines of school work. These are some of the results from changes in school curricula. PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 47 A Junior Police Organization Frank R. Pauly, Principal, Washington Irving School, Tulsa, Oklahoma The Junior Police is an organization within the Irving School at Tulsa, Okla. homa, which stimulates a wide range of pupil activities and coordinates them w ith | a regular class work. Irving is a platoon school enrolling 744 pupils last year. Its | police organization is concerned with the conservation of life, health, and property, | and accomplishes its purposes by cooperating with the home, the school, and the | community. A strong underlying aim is creative citizenship training and char- acter building. In these respects the organization is similar to those in many other schools, both in Tulsa and elsewhere. rade boys are better suited to the police work than younger children, the organization js limited to boys of these grades. Twice a year they elect their own chief and such committees as are necessary to carry on the various activities of the school. To be a member a boy must (1) be in the fifth or sixth grade, (2) learn the Junior Police pledge, (3) attend meetings regularly (three absences without good reason dis. qualifies a boy), and (4) have good standing in all classes. A new pledge form is made each year, as experience reveals new points to be observed which are worth including in the pledge. The form used this year is as follows: As a member of the Irving Junior Police, I promise to practise safety at all times, while at home, at school, and on the streets. I also promise to learn the following rules . will not take chances. _ 2. I will not steal rides. 3. I will not play out in the street. 4. 1 will cross at crossings only. 5. I will look carefully before crossing the street. 6. I will not play with knives or pointed scissors. 7. I will not play with matches or around fires. 8. I will not touch a dangling wire. 9. I will be careful about putting things in my mouth. 10. I will stay away from dangerous things. 11. I will stay in shallow water until I have learned to swim. 12. I will help others all I can. Some items in the pledge are stated negatively because these boys are old enough to know that in some cases “must not” has to be taken literally. —TThe Junior Police organization makes for better discipline thruout the school. The boys know that if} they have a bad reputation in the school, they cannot become members. Meetings are held on alternate weeks (more frequently when necessary) for discussion and instruction. The auditorium teacher acts as adviser. The city police department cooperates closely with the students and with the Junior Police organi- zation. The chief of the safety division of the city police department, upon invita-| tion to school assemblies, instructs the pupils in the basic principles of traffic and safety. He also holds a special meeting with the Junior Police on these subjects. 48 THE NATION. AL ELEMENT. AR) ' Okla- n with ar. Its operty, nd the | char- y other 1-grade ation is id such F To be Police on dis- ff s to bef ar is as | times, g rules: enough - Police - that if ry) for y police organi- _ invita ffic and jects. TARY Aims and activities—The Junior Police organization in action covers many activities. Its members direct the traffic about the building. They help the prin- cipal to promote safety in and about the school and the school community. They help those who are in danger. They warn the heedless. They encourage the smaller children to cooperate in safety observance. Older pupils and adults in the school tend to follow the examples which are continually put before them by the Junior Police. Thru such activities the organization leads pupils to develop habits of careful thinking and of doing useful things. It encourages the attitude of service, and em- phasizes the importance of obeying traffic rules and applying other principles of good citizenship. We believe that children should deal with actualities. The aim is to help each boy to understand and to deal effectively with his social environment, to adapt himself to people individually, and to function effectively in organized society. In this organization the boys have the opportunity of coming in contact with all types of personalities while teaching and helping the smaller children in the school. Assignment of duties—The boys on duty wear uniforms, consisting of a belt, and shoulder strap, which they have bought with money obtained by giving enter- tainments of various kinds. New details of officers are put on duty each Monday morning to serve the entire week. This gives to each member of the organization an opportunity to serve the school a number of times thruout the school term, and helps to fix responsibility. The chief’s duty is to see to it that all boys are at their various posts doing their duty, and to detail additional boys if any are absent. He presides at meetings and, with the auditorium teacher as adviser, has general oversight of the group. There are five general locations for police duty as follows: (1) hall, (2) foun- tains, (3) grounds, (4) information, and (5) the four corners around the build- ing. Boys are not permitted to direct traffic except from the street curb. A city policeman directs traffic at the most difficult intersection. Handling difficulties—Many little differences between smaller children on the way to and from school and on the playground are taken care of satisfactorily by the Junior Police without any help from teacher or principal. More difficult cases, particularly when they involve two or more children from the same home- room, are settled by taking the pupils with differences to the homeroom teacher. When the difficulty is more severe, the pupils are taken before the auditorium teacher, and she in turn sends extreme cases to the principal for settlement. Inci- dentally, there has been no corporal punisHment in the school during the past three years. The outcomes of this organization, both objective and subjective, are rather ap- parent from the discussion of the topic in general. The Junior Police is a very important character-building force in the school. As a by-product it also aids ma- terially in maintaining an orderly and well-disciplined school. Rained PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936... - To Our Members Eva G. Pinkston, Executive Secretary In the early fall each year every principal in the United States is invited to be. come a member of the Department of Elementary School Principals. This num- ber totals 48,192. ‘Think what wonders could be performed for elementary edu- cation, if this entire group would join our faithful 4200 members who help us in our efforts to improve the work; help us impress superintendents and boards of education with the necessity of having a supervising principal at each school which has 10 teachers or more; and help us to establish a single salary schedule where qualifications of the same rank are held. There is an imperative need for getting this great number of principals to join our faithful group. As you know there are 19 million school children who are never “exposed” to any kind of education except that of the elementary school (and sometimes mighty little of that). As the swiftly flowing years pass these 19 million boys and girls grow to manhood and womanhood. On their twenty- first birthday they are entitled to vote, and they are urged to express their opinion at the polls about issues vital to the welfare of a city, county, state, and nation. As you remember the students in your school, do you think that the great num- ber of those who received only an elementary education has sufficient knowledge to express an opinion about government or other important issues? Yet these are the men and women who are running our government today and who will run it tomorrow. They are the victims of any “rabble-rouser” who chances to pass and they are swayed by emotion rather than by reading, reasoning, and sane judgment. The elementary school is not at fault. It has done a splendid piece of work this far. It is our duty to continue to face this important problem seriously. Each member of this department realizes the importance of numbers, each member knows of two or three principals who should be members of our group. By all working together we can treble our membership this year. This fact alone would cause those in authority to listen to our pleas for and about elemen- tary education. You were a member of this department last year and this tells everyone that. you are professionally minded, and that you are vitally interested in the cause of elementary education. The President has asked that our goal continue to be 5,000 and those persons who attended the meeting of Enrolment Chairmen at Portland made the same request. A count of our members as listed by cities shows that we have 34 cities with twenty or more members, and the ten cities having the largest membership, in order of rank, are as follows: Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Washington, and Omaha. As the one who represents you at headquarters, I am proud to state that you are thought of by my coworkers as the cream of the profession. It behooves all of us to pledge ourselves to the task of getting all principals to work together for their own good, therefore, let us dedicate ourselves to this work. 50 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY 0 be- num- edu- Ip us oards chool edule > join 0 are chool these venty- pinion ation. num- ledge these > will ces to » and lendid oblem each zroup. s fact emen- s tells rested ersons - same - cities -rship, - City, at you ves all er for We have listed below the name of the man or woman who has consented to be our leader in your state. He needs a representative in each city, county, and district. He needs your help and support. You will be doing him a favor if you will let him know of your willingness to serve. Help him by telling two or three of your friends about this department. If you will send us their names and ad- dresses we shall be glad: to extend to them a special invitation to become mem- bers of this department. Alabama—Robert C. Johnston, 2030 Mag- nolia Ave., S., Birmingham Arizona—Chester Wickliffe, Balsz School, Phoenix Arkansas—Ralph B. Jones, 522 May Ave., Fort Smith California—Harry H. Haw, 1413 Golden Gate Dr., San Diego Colorado—Nellie Lind, Schools, Denver Connecticut—Elizabeth R. Malcolm, Cedar Street School, New Haven District of Columbia—Mrs. L. R. Duganne, Truesdell School, Washington Florida—Frank Marshall Foulks, 404 E. Ross Ave., Tampa Georgia—Maude A. Rhodes, minster Dr., N. E., Atlanta Idaho—Coral M. Norton, 406 Franklin St., Boise. Indiana—Cecelia Galvin, 23 N. Rural St., Indianapolis Iowa—J. E. FitzGerald, Sioux City Kansas—Myrtle M. Evans, Abbott School, Kansas City Kentucky—E. E. Gotherman, 750 So. Lime- stone St., Lexington Louisiana—Amy H. Hinrichs, School, New Orleans Maryland—Mrs. Leversia Powers, Tako- ma Park School, Takoma Park Massachusetts — Effie Grace Higgins, 27 Marianne Rd., Waltham Michigan—Herman Browe, way, Detroit Albion-Stedman 185 West- 1821 Ross St., Audubon 1354 Broad- Minnesota—Bess J. Knox, 516 University Ave., S. E., Minneapolis Mississippi—Laurie Doolittle, 44 Victoria Ave., Cleveland Missouri—E. A. Hood, Mason School, St. Louis Montana—Katherine Anderson, Washing- ton School, Great Falls Nebraska—Virginia Ellett, 4814 Webster St., Omaha New Jersey—Mason A. Stratton, 272 Huron Ave., Absecon New Mexico—Stella Kiker, 240 S. Fifth St., Raton New York—Giles D. Clark, School No. 20, Albany North Carolina—Mrs. A. R. Wilson, 202 S. Dillard St., Durham North Dakota—Mrs. Sadie A. Walker, 701 Tenth St., S., Fargo Ohio—L. Daisy Hammond, School, Dayton Oklahoma — J. S. Hudson, 2823 E. Fifth St., Tulsa Oregon—Stephen E. Smith, 3830 S. E. 14th Ave., Portland Pennsylvania—William J. Laramy, 2452 Merwood Lane, Upper Darby Rhode Island—Hermann G. Patt, John Clarke School, Newport South Dakota—Annamae Linter, 807 So. Summit, Sioux Falls Texas—W. L. Darnell, Palm School, Austin Utah—Lois Anderson, Uintah School, Salt Lake City Virginia—Lillian M. Johnson, 404 Chest- nut St., Norfolk Washington—Isabelle C. Parker, S. 180 Cannon, Adams School, Spokane West Virginia—R. H. Richards, Third St., W., Huntington Wisconsin — Ethel M. Gardner, 420 N. Jackson St., Milwaukee Patterson 1201 Wyoming — Margaret Chambers, Grant School, Casper Alaska — Anthony S. Karnes, Commis- sioner of Education, Juneau Hawaii—Elmer A. Brown, Kuhio School, Honolulu State Enrolment Chairmen for the other states will be announced in the December issue. PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 51 REPORTS OF COMMITTEES Resolutions Elizabeth McCormick, Chairman Principal, Timothy O. Howe School, Superior, Wisconsin The Department of Elementary School Principals of the National Education Association assembled in the City of Portland, Oregor,, on the thirtieth day of June 1936 does resolve: A. That, recognizing our responsibility to democratic society and the elemen- tary principalship as the key-stone to public education, without undue pressure and with professional growth as our incentive, we subscribe to the following ten objectives: 1. TRAINING: A college degree and an additional year of graduate professional study or its equivalent for every elementary-school principal. 2. SALARY: A compensation commensurate to the position and its professional] status, 3. CLERICAL AssISTANCE: A trained clerk and organized office routine to release the principal for professional and technical aspects of the position wherever justified. 4. ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP: A clearly defined relationship between staff officers with the principal, the executive head of his school and responsible for the results in his school. The principal and superintendent functioning cooperatively in problems of selection, assignment and transfer of teachers. 5. ComMuNITYy RELATIONS: A Parent-Teacher Association or other organization of parents in every school as the basic public relations contact. 6. PERSONAL: Every principal as attractive in appearance and personality as time money, care, and common sense will permit, with a radiant health that speaks of right living and good judgment. 7. Service: Every principal an ambassador of the profession in all economic, social civic, and educational contacts. 8. GrowTH: Every principal a growing principal, recognizing new opportunities and attacking them from the scientific and experimental points of view. 9. ATTiTuDE: Every principal—professional in attitude—recognizing merit in his fellow principal and anxious to help rather than hinder. 10. IMPROVEMENT: Every principal cooperatively subscribing to a program of self- improvement with the purpose of improving our personal and professional! leadership and the work of the pupils and teachers in the elementary schools of the nation. B. That, we commend the faithful work of our President, Harley W. Lyon our Executive Secretary, Eva G. Pinkston, and of all the officers of our depart ment for the splendid educational advances that have been made this year. C. That, we express our appreciation to Eva G. Pinkston, Editor, for the ex- cellent quality and outstanding contributions sent to us thru the bulletin The National Elementary Principal. That we recommend to our official board the in- vestment of additional funds that the scope and service of our publications maj be increased. D. That, the executive secretary be instructed to express appreciation to all who have helped in making this convention the marvelous success that it has been. The committee on Resolutions respectfully submits the above resolutions for your consideration. ELizABETH McCormick HowarpINnE G. HorrMan C. E. Perry A. Virctnta ADAMS Harry H. Haw Maupe A. RHopEs 52 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY si0 jus ing tlo stu PR cation lay of emen- essure ng ten 1 study status, ase the ionship onsible atively tion of s time, f right social, tunities in his of self- lership, Lyon, depart- the ex- n The the in- ns may to all it has ons for TARY Membership Ira M. Kline, Chairman | Principal, Greenburgh No. 8 Schools, White Plains, New York Quota for 1935-36 asked by Harley W. Lyon ettigy! ebsites Total membership as of June 1, 1936__ ts sihiieinnnninieined naa Life membership as of June 1, 1936- eaiitiaiahicsianacnl Ayn Comparison : Increase over 1934-35 eS LE Increase over 1934-35 as of June 1, 1936 iienatrache.? /e Highest total except foi 1931—4800 Quota Relationship: Wisconsin _. wil ; eS Arizona, South Dakota, Hawaii_ ; aes Total Membership: States above 1934-35 total__ OS Sn Ne Oa 34 States below 1934-35 total____ at is ; wet 12 States equal to 1934-35 total s SI Greatest Relative Increase: Missouri annie Poem es eau Fe 52 Oregon . ; misdentteas . etic elit ieee This splendid condition represents the result of planning and cooperation of Miss Pinkston’s office and enrolment chairmen rather than of your committee. Ira M. Kine EpyTHE J. Brown Cassigz F. Roys Yearbook Samuel Berman, Chairman Principal, James R. Ludlow School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The Fifteenth Yearbook, “Personality Adjustment of the Elementary School Child,” has gone to press. All members of the Department of Elementary School Principals will receive their copy in September. When you examine yours, you will undoubtedly be impressed with the array of talent—psychologists, professors of education, psychiatrists, principals, research workers, guidance specialists, and school superintendents—who have contributed generously in a spirit of profes- sional cooperation. Our scientific knowledge in the fields of mental hygiene and personality ad- justment has run far ahead of actual elementary-school practise. In the Fifteenth Yearbook you will find a composite of theory and successful procedures now be- ing established thruout the nation in both rural and urban centers. The presenta- tion of each contribution is practical, timely, and prophetic of what is yet to come. As Eva G. Pinkston, Executive Secretary of the Department, puts it so ably in a recent brochure, “you can make yourself indispensable” to your school by studying the Fifteenth Yearbook. If you are interested in preventing the many PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 53 mental and social maladjustments that cause tremendous human waste and suf- fering in the United States each year, and the Editorial Committee believes that you are interested ; and if you are concerned about the difficult social problem of delinquency and crime, then you must agree with us that childhood offers the greatest opportunity for personality guidance. Not only must we prevent malad- justment in children, but we must see that well-adjusted children remain that way. The Editorial Committee modestly claims that in ‘Personality Adjustment of the Elementary School Child,” the Fifteenth Yearbook, you may find success. ful solutions, not panaceas, but the best of national practises to date. The 1937 Yearbook is now in preparation on the topic—‘‘Appraising the Elementary School Program.” Each member has received an outline of the sub- jects to be treated and also an invitation to contribute. There is still time to send in your contribution, October 15th being the latest date to forward manuscripts. The Editorial Committee expects the majority of contributions to the new Year. book to come from elementary-school principals in the field. We believe that the major contribution of the new Yearbook will be its de. scription of methods or technics of appraisal as used in specific school situations, The results of appraisal are important, but the main emphasis will be on how to evaluate the school program. Let us take a hasty glance at the subtopics: I. The Fundamentals of School Appraisal II. Appraising the School Organization III. Appraising Administrative and Supervisory Policies and Procedures IV. Evaluating the Curriculum V. Appraising Methods of Learning and Teaching VI. Evaluating Special Group Activities VII. Measuring Results of the Pupil-Guidance Program VIII. Estimating the Efficiency of Teaching IX. Judging the Quality and Use of School Equipment X. Appraising the Technics of Evaluation The scope is wide, but practical. —To quote from a statement by Dr. Richard R. Foster of the Research Division of the National Education Association, who has cooperated actively and significantly in the work of the Editorial Committee: The elementary school needs constant appraisal of its policies and activities in its relation to the growth of children. Every conscientious principal and teacher feels this need, and evaluates his work in various ways. It may be true that the standards which he uses do not have perfect validity; that his methods of evalua- tion involve a large amount of subjective judgment; and that his conclusions can only be tentative. His appraisals are valuable, nevertheless, and they will improve as better measuring instruments are devised, as standards are more definitely formulated, and as he keeps himself informed of educational progress. The essen- tial things are an attitude of self-appraisal toward all school activities, and a sin- cere effort to make appraisals accurately and impartially. Educational literature describes many attempts to determine the merits of various school policies and activities. Hundreds of experiments have been con- ducted, and scores of checklists, rating scales, objective tests, and other measuring instruments have been devised and applied. Most of this work, however, has been carried on and reported by specialists in educational research. Relatively little has been written in the field by principals and teachers. A yearbook on school ap- praisal should not only encourage principals and teachers to be more critical of their own work, but it should also give them an opportunity to describe methods of evaluation which they have found useful in their own schools. 54 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY) suf- that m of s the alad- that ‘ment CCESS- x the > sub- » send ripts. Y ear: ts de- tions. ow to ichard 1, who nittee: s in cher - the lua- can rove itely ssen- sin- s of con- ring been » has | ap- al of ds of ——$————— TAR) You now have an opportunity to help the Editorial Committee. We hope that you will be willing to submit a manuscript for our consideration. Of course, there can be no guarantee of acceptance in advance, but you can be sure that the effort in setting one’s thoughts on paper is in itself a valuable exercise. The Editorial Committee takes this opportunity to thank all who have given of their time and effort so generously. We express appreciation to our contribu- tors, and for the scientific guidance of Dr. Foster, the untiring zeal of Miss Pinkston, and the friendly interest of our president, Harley W. Lyon. SAMUEL BERMAN Bess CLEMENT Mauve McBroom SECRETARY’S REPORT Portland, Oregon June 28-July 2, 1936 On June 29 and 30, respectively, the Department of Elementary School Principals held its thirty-second semi-anual meeting at Portland, Oregon. This meeting consisted of two general sessions, besides a breakfast on Monday, and a banquet on Tuesday. The break- fast and banquet were served by the Portland Hotel, the headquarters hotel, and the gen- eral sessions were held at the First Congregational Church, Eighth Avenue and Madison Street. The musical program which preceded the Monday afternoon general session consisted of four splendidly executed selections rendered by an elementary-school orchestra, under the skilled direction of Verne Preston, director of instrumental music in the Portland Schools. At the Tuesday afternoon’s general session a chorus composed of elementary- school pupils from Portland Schools, under the expert and professional direction of W. H. Boyer, director of music, gave four beautiful numbers. These numbers were well chosen, and they demonstrated the beautiful tone quality of the voices besides the ease with which they could reach the highest pitch. Mr. Preston and his orchestra rendered many beautiful selections during the dinner hour of the banquet and these were again greatly appreciated. The Department feels honored by having these groups appear on its programs. The topics and speakers for the general sessions were as follows: GENERAL SESSION, MONDAY AFTERNOON, JUNE 239, 1936 APPRAISING THE NEW SCHOOL AND ITS EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES Harley W. Lyon, President, D.E.S.P., presiding Music Elementary School Orchestra, directed by Verne Preston, director of instrumental music, Portland Schools GREETINGS E. H. Whitney, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Portland, Oregon Wat Happens WHEN One LEARNS? Arthur F. Corey, Assistant County Superintendent of Schools, Orange County, Santa Ana, California Wuat Is THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PRINCIPAL IN THE SECURING OF DesIRABLE Epuca- TIONAL OUTCOMES? Florence Hale, editor, Grade Teacher, past president of the National Education Asso- ciation, and former state agent for rural education, Augusta, Maine PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 55 Wuat Part Dogs THE TEACHER PLAY IN THE LEARNING Process? Joseph Rosier, president, State Teachers College, Fairmont, West Virginia, and past president of the National Education Association Movinc PicTuRE DEMONSTRATION OF “UNITS OF Work” AS CARRIED ON IN SAN DikGo, CALIFORNIA Harry H. Haw, principal, Alice Birney School, San Diego, California GENERAL SESSION, TUESDAY AFTERNOON, JUNE 30, 1936 SPONSORED BY THE PORTLAND AND OREGON PRINCIPALS Charles H. Boyd, principal, Highland School, Portland, Oregon, presiding Music Chorus of Portland Elementary School Pupils, directed by W. H. Boyer, director of music, Portland, Oregon REPORT OF COMMITTEES ELECTION OF OFFICERS GREETINGS FROM OREGON Clifford E. Perry, President, Elementary Principals Association THE TEACHING OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF RELIGION IN THE TEACHING OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Norman C. Thorne, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Portland, Oregon STATUS OF THE ELEMENTARY-SCHOOL PRINCIPALSHIP IN OREGON Roben J. Maaske, Deputy State Superintendent of Oregon Schools INTERSUBJECT RELATIONS Followed by correlation demonstration—H. C. Tallman, principal, Beaumont School, Portland, Oregon Correlation Demonstration Pupils and teachers of Beaumont School SuBjecT: Oregon Fishing INTEGRATED CENTER: Geography Department ENDEAVOR: To show how correlation in a platoon school oftentimes is developed TEACHING STEPS: Introduction of the subject, “Oregon Fishing,’ and activity assignments Ruth Rostedt—Geography Department Supplementary reading and collection of materials bearing on subject Hazel Van Cleve—Librarian Evaluation of fishing in dollars and cents Jane Goddard—Arithmetic Graphic pictorialization of Oregon fishing Pauline DeVin—Art Department Oral and written composition Ruth Califf—English Department AUDITORIUM PROGRAM: Catherine Blood—Auditorium Teacher Songs in “Sportmen’s Skit” Agnes Swift—Music Department Breakfast and Banquet The Department breakfast, with President Harley W. Lyon, presiding, was served, as has been the custom for many years, on Monday morning of convention week. The un- usually large attendance of members and their friends who gathered in the main dining room, Portland Hotel, June 29, fully appreciated the good fellowship and comrader) which was in much evidence. Under the splendid leadership of Stephen E. Smith, prin- cipal of Brooklyn School, Portland, accompanied by Mrs. Smith, the group thoroly en- joyed singing the songs which had been mimeographed and placed at all the plates. At tention was called to the week's activities and letters-and greetings from the absent mem- bers of the executive family, and friends of the Department were read. At this time, President Lyon announced the following nominating committee: Mason A. Stratton, Atlantic City, New Jersey, chairman; Mrs. Edith B. Joynes, Norfolk, Virginia; 56 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY d past DiEco, ‘tor of iCES School, ved, as “he uf- dining iradery h, prin- oly en- es. At- it mem- ason A. irginia; TARY Jean B. Hagerty, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Stephen E. Smith, Portland, Oregon; and Herbert C. Hansen, Chicago, Illinois. President Lyon, by a unique and original method, had each person introduced and his outstanding accomplishments stated. On Tuesday evening, June 30, in the main dining room of the Portland Hotel, 350 members, friends and guests of the Department attended a beautiful banquet, arranged by the social committee with the help of Miss Peggy Philip, maitre d’. The keynote of all President Lyon’s remarks was that the Department of Elementary School Principals is the “friendly department” and his informal introductions of guests and friends made all thoroly enjoy the evening. He asked our leader of songs, Stephen E. Smith, whose accompanist was Mrs. Smith, to have the group get better acquainted by singing certain songs which all knew. Executive Meeting, Sunday Morning, June 28, 1936 The meeting was called to order by President Harley W. Lyon, in Room 212 of the Portland Hotel, Portland, Oregon. The following persons were present: Harley W. Lyon, president; Ira M. Kline, second vicepresident; Mrs. Margaret M. Smith, fifth vice- president; Mason A. Stratton and Mrs. Edith B. Joynes, members of the executive com- mittee; Herbert C. Hansen, director, Life Membership Division; Samuel Berman, chair- man, Editorial Committee; Richard Foster, assistant director, Research Division, National Education Association; Clifford E. Perry and Stephen E. Smith, hospitality chairmen, Portland meeting; and Eva G. Pinkston, executive secretary. President Lyon expressed regret that the absent members of the official family had found it impossible to be at the Portland meeting. Three had been seriously ill or had illness in their family, others were unavoidably detained at home. A motion was made by Mrs. Joynes, seconded by Mrs. Smith, that the secretary be instructed to send mes- sages to those absent expressing regret because of their inability to be at the meeting. Motion carried. President Lyon asked those assembled to check with him carefully the programs which had been prepared for the week. A motion was made by Mrs. Smith, seconded by Mr. Hansen, that the reading of the minutes of the St. Louis meeting be omitted because they had been approved by all before they were published in the April issue of The National Elementary Principal, which was an official report of the winter meeting. Motion carried. President Lyon asked Mr. Perry to help Mr. Harry Haw, principal, Alice Birney School, San Diego, California, to make arrangements for the showing of films which had been collected from different parts of the country. These films illustrated “Units of Work” and were to be shown in the basement of the First Congregational Church on Monday and Tuesday afternoons at the same time as the department program was taking place upstairs in the auditorium. The subject of publicity for the Department was discussed. It was decided that more stress should be placed on getting articles and news items into the local papers of the convention city. The secretary read a letter from R. C. T. Jacobs, Dallas, Texas, in which he said the condition of his health forbade his continuing a member of the Editorial Committee. A motion was made by Mr. Stratton, seconded by Mr. Kline that Mr. Jacobs resignation from the Editorial Committee be accepted and that the vacancy be filled immediately so that the new member could become acquainted as early as possible with the work which had been done on the new yearbook. Motion carried. A motion was made by Mr. Kline, seconded by Mrs. Joynes, that the secretary be in- structed to write Mr. Jacobs, expressing regret because his health made it necessary for him to discontinue his work with the Editorial Committee and to thank him for the fine work he had done while connected with it. Motion carried. President Lyon asked for the report of the secretary and requested that the problems presented be discussed. The folder prepared for each member of the committee contained a copy of the report of the work of the Department as sent to Secretary Givens, May 16, PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 57 to be printed in his annual report for the officers of the N.E.A.; a description of the new office space at headquarters; the individual analysis of work during the past year; mem- bership and life membership figures; membership analysis; a financial statement for the year; report of arrangements made for the Conference on Elementary Education for 1937; and problems to be brought before the executive family. Motion was made by Mr. Hansen, seconded by Mr. Stratton, to accept the secretary’s report as presented, Motion carried. After much discussion about the problem of membership, a motion was made by Mrs, Smith, seconded by Mr. Stratton, that the same quota be given to each state again this year and that the state enrolment chairman and his helpers be urged to reach it. Motion carried. A motion was made by Mr. Kline, seconded by Mrs. Joynes that the membership card be changed so that it can carry the new seal of the Department. Motion carried. Executive Meeting, Monday Morning, June 29, 1936 The second meeting of the Executive Committee met in Room 212, Portland Hotel. Those present were: Harley W. Lyon, president; Ira M. Kline, second vicepresident; Mrs. Margaret M. Smith, fifth vicepresident; Mason A. Stratton and Mrs. Edith B. Joynes, members of the executive committee; Herbert C. Hansen, director, Life Member- ship Division; Franklin A. Butts, president, New York State Elementary School Prin- cipals Association; and Eva G. Pinkston, execctive secretary. President Lyon called the meeting to order. ‘The minutes of the first meeting June 23, were read and approved. Mr. Butts of New York State was invited to make a statement to the group about the proposal he had made concerning a combination membership, and about which he had written to Mr. Kline und Miss Pinkston. Mr. Butts explained that his association would favor a combination membership which would make all its members also members of the Department. This would involve a membership fee which would be less than membership in both associations costs at present, and would become part of their membership campaign. In order to present a definite proposal for our consideration, he said that membership in New York State Group at present costs $2.00 and for an extra dollar all their members might belong to the National Department. The New York State Association would collect the $3.00 in their member- ship drive, and their treasurer would be instructed to pay to the National Department $1.00 of the $3.00 collected. The problem was discussed at length and President Lyon suggested that Mr. Butts take a message to his group that the Department was in favor of cooperating and working closely together with both local and state groups, but at present we could see no way of formulating such a plan of combination of membership and reducing our income as he proposed. The state group would continue to get its regular $2.00 membership fee, while the national would be reducing its membership fee by $2.00. A motion was made by Mr. Kline, seconded by Mrs. Smith that a committee of five or seven be appointed to study the problem of joint membership of state and national organizations and that this committee report at the February meeting at New Orleans. Motion carried. A motion was made by Mr. Hansen, seconded by Mr. Stratton, thanking Mr. Butts for bringing this important problem to the attention of the Executive Committee. Motion carried. A motion was made by Mrs. Joynes, seconded by Mr. Hansen that definite plans for the 1937 conference be made as soon as possible, that a folder be printed and that extensive publicity be given to this meeting. Motion carried. The secretary read a letter received from C. C. Certain, secretary-treasurer National Conference on Research in Elementary School English, which asked that a joint meeting be held by the Department and the group which he represented. A motion was made by Mr. Hansen, seconded by Mr. Kline that the secretary be it structed to write a letter to Mr. Certain regarding the National Conference on Research in Elementary School English, and express our regret that it will be impossible at this 58 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY sul sec the PI time for the Department of Elementary School Principals to hold a joint meeting with the National Conference on Research in Elementary School English because our programs have already been arranged for the New Orleans meeting. Motion carried. The secretary was instructed to write to M. Emma Brookes, director, Retirement Di- vision and Cassie F. Roys, director, Certification Division and ask that they continue their work and make reports at the New Orleans meeting. After studying the auditor’s report, Herbert C. Hansen, chairman, of the budget com- mittee submitted the following proposed budget for the Department for 1936-37, moved its adoption, seconded by Mrs. Joynes. Motion carried. BupceT 1936-37 Estimated Receipts $20,500.00 Printing General Office Salaries Convention Expense Editorial Committee Miscellaneous Contingent $20,500.00 A motion was made by Mr. Stratton, seconded by Mr. Kline that letters be sent to all who helped make the convention the wonderful success which it was. Motion carried. Business Meeting, Tuesday Afternoon, June 30, 1936 Reports of the following committees were read and approved: Report of Yearbook Committee, Samuel Berman, principal, James R. Ludlow School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, chairman. Report of Necrology Committee, Mrs. Margaret M. Smith, principal, Ebert School, Denver, Colorado, chairman. Report of Professional Relations Committee, Mason A. Stratton, principal, Brighton Avenue School, Atlantic City, New Jersey, chairman. Report of Membership Committee, Ira M. Kline, principal, Greenburgh No. 8 Schools, White Plains, New York, chairman. Report of Life Membership Division, Herbert C. Hansen, Chicago, Illinois, chairman. Report of Resolutions Committee, Elizabeth McCormick, principal, Timothy O. Howe School, Superior, Wisconsin, chairman. Report of Executive Secretary, Eva G. Pinkston, 1201 Sixteenth Street, Northwest, Washington, D. C. Mason A. Stratton, Atlantic City, New Jersey, chairman of the Nominating Committee, submitted the following report for officers for the ensuing year: President, Edythe J. Brown, South Bend, Indiana First Vicepresident, Harley W. Lyon, Pasadena, California Second Vicepresident, Maude A. Rhodes, Atlanta, Georgia Third Vicepresident, Irvin Wilson, La Grange, Illinois Fourth Vicepresident, Clifford E. Perry, Portland, Oregon Fifth Vicepresident, Isabel Tucker, St. Louis, Missouri New Executive Committee Member, Ira M. Kline, White Plains, New York. A motion was made by Mr. Stratton, seconded by A. B. Heacock, Los Angeles, Cali- fornia, that the report be adopted. Mrs. A. Virginia Adams, Vineland, New Jersey, moved that nominations be closed. There being no opposition to the report, Mr. Stephen E. Smith, Portland, Oregon, moved that voting by ballot be dispensed with and that the executive secretary be instructed to cast the vote for the assembly. This motion was seconded by J. H. Hodges, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Motion carried. The ballot was cast by the executive secretary. PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 59 Enrolment Committee Meeting, Wednesday Morning, July 1, 1936 An earnest and optimistic group of enrolment chairmen met early Wednesday morn- ing, July 1, 1936 in Room 212, Portland Hotel, Portland, Oregon. They were called to order by Mason A. Stratton, executive committee member. Those present were: Harley W. Lyon, Pasadena, Calif.; Nellie V. Lind, Denver, Colo.; Paul F. Shafer, Los Angeles, Calif.; Carl S. Zook, Portland, Ore.; C. M. Quicksall, Gresham, Ore.; Bess J. Knox, Minneapolis, Minn.; Hermann G. Patt, Newport, R. I.; Coral M. Norton, Boise, Idaho: Isabelle C. Parker, Spokane, Wash.; Mrs. Sadie A. Walker, Fargo, N. Dak.; J. E. Fitz. Gerald, Sioux City, la.; Ira M. Kline, White Plains, N. Y.; May Taylor, Atlanta, Ga.: Maude A. Rhodes, Atlanta, Ga.; Stephen E. Smith, Portland, Ore.; Mrs. R. D. Oster- hout, Atlanta, Ga.; Sarah L. Young, Oakland, Calif.; Mason A. Stratton, Atlantic City, N. J.; William Buford Schnebly, St. Helens, Ore., Columbia County; Lillian Johnson, Norfolk, Va.; Harry H. Haw, San Diego, Calif.; and W. J. Peters, San Jose, Calif. The executive secretary read to the group that part of her report on membership which had been presented to the executive committee. This report showed (a) How Head- quarters Secures Members, (b) The Necessity of Having Good Enrolment Chairmen, (c) What Headquarters Has Done to Help Enrolment Chairmen, (d) Where to Find Enrolment Chairmen, and (e) Distribution of Supplies. The group discussed the advan- tages of collecting local, state, and national dues at one time. Harry Haw, San Diego, California thought a standard receipt book would help. President Lyon made many fine suggestions telling how he appointed enrolment chairmen in California the year he was State Enrolment Chairman and how he followed up his appointments. A motion was made by Maude A. Rhodes, Atlanta, Georgia, seconded by Lillian Johnson, Norfolk, Virginia, that the state chairmen urge the principals to send in their dues early in the fall, so that they (the chairmen) will know whom to approach in asking for members. Motion carried. All state chairmen were urged to appoint city, county and district chairmen, and send the names of those who accept to headquarters early so that materials can be sent to them. Each person present was optimistic about reaching the quota set for his state this coming year and pledged his hearty support. The executive secretary thanked those who’ attended the meeting for coming and urged each to let her know if she could help them at anytime and in anyway. Eva G. Pinkston, Executive Secretary. Attention This is your bulletin. We invite your comment and criticism. As the old trite expression goes, if you like it tell every person. If you do not like it, tell us. Our aim in issuing this publication is primarily to the members of this Department tell- ing them about the plans, programs and thoughts of our members. We are en- deavoring to give to those who are interested in elementary education news of the nation. The October and April issues are reports of conventions, and the Decem- ber, February and June issues contain information about school problems of those working in the elementary school. This bulletin is the newspaper of the Depart- ment. Send us your news. Tell us what is happening in your school, your com- munity, and your state. Send us your club program for the year. We get many requests for club programs. The December issue will carry more news about the plans for our Confer- ence on Elementary Education, the convention at New Orleans, and articles of value to all of those who are interested in elementary education. 60 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTARY Pe Rec Dis Balar PRI. FINANCIAL STATEMENT Year Ended May 31, 1936 Permanent Fund: BM» Jods wate 2 LS $ 1,259.37 Securities ee ease Spt... agate : 6,053.49 $7,312.86 Balance as at May 31, 1935_-_____ RE. Se $1,899.63 Receipts: Current year—3994 members at $3 each________ 11,982.00 Arrears—14 members at $3 each 42.00 Sale of Yearboks 2,635,53 162.50 14,822.03 $16,721.66 Disbursements: Printing: Yearbook, September, 1935 _.__._.._________ $2,338.13 June, 1935 Bulletin _____~ ‘ 142.02 October, 1935 Bulletin ______ _ aesbadin 407.19 December, 1935 Bulletin ____ sghuapacenuesenten 237.48 February, 1936 Bulletin _______- icseeemaaaee April, 1936 Bulletin _____- pega cieeadens 3,754.00 Printing—Leaflets, cards, etc._________ Sicha res 809.02 Services in Typing Section________- RAR AM, 24 EA 1,552.42 Services in Multigraph Section ____________- . 283.61 Services in Mailing Section lil wea ali ceed 228,23 Services in Addressograph and Accounts Section______- . 107.00 ee eae oe eee ; , ici 1,408.95 Insurance, Stationery and Supplies ______- 1,089.01 Stenographic, Clerical Service and Salaries.___ 5,838.00 Telegrams and Express________ A. cctivctmbanmeinen 62.62 Miscellaneous ee ws 91.15 Design and Making of seal_ hanes paige 30.00 } Convention expense: trite Denver Our St. Louis tell- en- Travel expense: the M. Emma Brookes _- -_ Eva G. Pinkston__- hose art: Editorial Committee—Travel and expense: aie Berman — Clemeat ...... any a i ee T- € a | icles , Balance as at May 31, 1936--_____- , , pas __ §$ 1,016.81 —= RY | PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 61 California Elementary School Principals’ Association, Southern Sectio, Mr. Harry H. Haw, past president of the California Elementary School Pris cipals’ Association, San Diego, California, has sent to headquarters the followin, list of officers for 1936-37: President, Mrs. Florence D. Mount, principal, Fletche! Dr. School, Glendale; Vicepresident, Robert Bruce, principal, Santa Mari School, Santa Maria; Secretary, Miss Roby T. Elwood, principal, Garfield Schod Alhambra; and Treasurer, Leonard G. Hummel, superintendent, Palos Verde Schools, Palos Verdes Estates. The following directors were elected: Ida C. Iverson, principal, Humphrey Avenue School, Los Angeles; Lee Roy Hall, principal, Pasadena; Verna E. Welk principal, Roosevelt School, Santa Ana; Howardine Hoffman, principal, Cir Schools, Chino; Guy A. Weakley, district superintendent, El Centro; and Rut Lawry, principal, Avenue School, Ventura. The State Council Representatives are: Maurice Ross, assistant to the superip. tendent, San Diego; Mrs. Ethel P. Glover, principal, Fremont School, Lon Beach; Mrs. Inez T. Sheldon, principal, Nordhoff Union, Ojai; and Mattie § Singletary, principal, Fremont School, Riverside. What a School Did To emphasize health habits, Brooklyn school, early last fall, undertook a rathe ambitious program, which was to have every dental defect in the school corrected during the year. This was achieved just before the close of the term, and, accordin to Dr. H. C. Fixott, supervisor of the dental clinic, is a record that has never bee equaled in Portland or elsewhere. This program was started by the health teacher, Mrs. Mearl N. Pearson, and was heartily endorsed and supported by Principal Stephen E. Smith, Brooklyn teachers, patrons, members of the dental profession and the boys and girls. Amatew shows were given in basements and garages to raise money for dental work. Dentd work was given as a Christmas present. Brooklyn boys and girls mowed lawn painted signs, sold papers, cared for babies, ran errands and used summer earning from hop and berry fields to pay for dental work, not only for themselves but fo others. It would be difficult to find a more splendid example of community o operation. At Brooklyn, in order to qualify for the position of fireman, safety officer, cafe teria girl, gym leader, hall monitor or member of an athletic team, each individu had to present a certificate showing all dental defects were corrected. Early in lit the boys and girls were being impressed with the fact that to be phyically fit meats something, and were conforming early to standards. This was not a demonstration to show that it could be done, but was taken it stride along with the regular school work as a part of the daily activities. Iti indeed a record, for Brooklyn to close the year with 100 percent dental correctiot and 99 percent clean teeth.—Editorial from the Oregon Journal, June 30, 1936 62 THE NATIONAL ELEMENTAR) Hy: of | Me Dey Wi tar) ing toge tion tal t bal: feat autl son: telle uals han mer diff boo! and cluc dre! han sch¢ othe of f unit stud Mc‘ 42n the the arai Lib: ans\ of | geth inst: rian time cies 200) com ciat! cur! witl mak PR Section ol Prin. Llowing “letche Mari School Verde nphrey Welk 1, City d Ruth uperin- » Long attie § Books of Interest Personality Maladjustments and Mental Hygiene, by J. E. Wallace Wallin, director of the Division of Special Education and Mental Hygiene for the Delaware State Department of Public Instruction and the Wilmington Public Schools, is an elemen- tary, systematic discussion of the outstand- ing types of personality maladjustments, together with detailed, practical sugges- tions for preventing and overcoming men- tal conflicts and for developing normal, balanced, and harmonious personalities. A feature of the book is the large number of authentic, factual autobiographies of per- sonality maladjustments gathered from in- tellectually normal and superior individ- uals. This book is the outcome of a first- hand investigation of numerous cases of mental defects, disabilities, and adjustment difficulties, and of the perusal of a wealth of technical memoirs, monographs, and books in the field of personality defects and mental hygiene. The casework in- cludes over 13,000 examinations of chil- dren and youths subject to all kinds of handicaps and difficulties, referred by schools, courts, social agencies, homes, and other organizations, and the investigation of personality maladjustment in college and university graduate and undergraduate students. This book is published by the McGraw-Hill Book Company, 330 West 42nd Street, New York, N. Y. * What training should be provided for the personnel of the school library, and for the teachers who use the library? Prep- aration for School Library Work by Lucile F. Fargo, research associate, School of Library Service, Columbia University, answers these questions. Miss Fargo, author of The Library in the School, gathers to- gether data and proposes a program of instruction for professional school libra- tians, teacher-librarians, and teachers. That the subject matter of the book is timely is evidenced by the number of agen- cies engaged in such training (more than 200) and by the recent activities of a joint committee of the American Library Asso- ciation of Teachers College. The tables, diagrams, and outlines of curriculums clarify the text, and together with the index and bibliographic features make the volume a serviceable one, espec- ially for directors of schools, presidents and deans of teacher-training agencies, state departments of education, and libra- rians who are interested in setting up cur- riculums for the preparation of various types of workers in the school library field. This volume is published by the Columbia University Press, 2960 Broadway, New ¥ors, B.. %. * * * The Children’s Bookshelf, by B. R. Buck- ingham, offers two pre-primers, a primer, and eight books. The purpose of this series is to offer reading material which is new, easy, diversified, interesting, and abundant. It has no other purpose. No piece has ever appeared, nor is any piece ever likely to appear, in a competing textbook, for 90 percent of the material was written for this series. Overgrade words have been avoided unless explained or else used in a compelling context. A pronouncement list is provided. Carefully graded suggestions for further reading will be found thruout the book. The Children’s Bookshelf may be con- veniently used for every purpose commonly recognized as valid in oral and silent reading. Those interested in securing one of these books, write to Ginn and Company, New York, N. Y. * * * A most interesting book which has come to headquarters recently is Things Ancient and Modern, by C. A. Alington, Dean of Durham, Hon. Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford, and published by Longmans’ Green and Company, New York. “Aling- ton of Eton, is the name by which the Dean of Durham is known wherever Eton is known. Headmaster for sixteen years, he has met many of the most famous men of our time, and has seen the college in the war years and in the transition of the post- war period. These reminiscences carry him further, however, they deal with his own schooling at Marlborough, his Oxford days, and his successive posts at Marlborough, Eton, and Shrewsbury. Underlying the mel- low wit and the wide memory of many things past is a statement and a defense of the public school spirit and some thoughts on its future. PRINCIPAL, OCTOBER, 1936 63 ©* AS one who stands before the door Of some unknown, unlighted room And pauses e’re he passes o’er The threshold, to its rayless gloom; So Lord, I pause before the day Whose eager gate but waits to swing Confessing to a thralling fear At thought of blindly entering. I dare not enter Lord, alone; For Thy Companionship I plead: Oh guide me thru the dim unknown; My footsteps thru its darkness lead; And should I falter on the way, Or fall, storm-beaten, to the clod In that dark moment, lift I pray, My vision to the face of God.” —Author unknown