The Nation needs that sort of boys and girls today. Not to beat our drums, nor to load our muskets, but to start a great work which must be done. It is the part of boys and girls today to give an example of self-denial and sacrifice, to teach fathers and mothers, to teach the grown people o the Nation that we still have in every young heart the spirit of '76, when boys led our soldiers into battle and girls fought beside their fathers at the cabin walls. The lesson is thrifty saving to the point of sacrificeself-denial of everything unnecessary. If every boy and girl says at home tonight, "I will fight in this war, I will save every penny and loan it to my Government to help save the lives of the big brothers of America, I will try to teach every American I see to do the same"-then twenty million homes, the homes of all America, will be filled with the spirit of '76, the spirit of the drummer boys, of the brave girls of those days. America will win the war again, as it has always won, through the splendid strength. courage and sacrifice in the hearts of youth, that today will teach the Nation the lessons of saving and serving which it must and will learn, through the message which its school children will carry home. Through saving your pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and buying Thrift Stamps and then War-Savings Certificates, you will help your country and its gallant armies to win the war. I know you will help. WM. G. McADOO, PRESIDENT GEORGE GALLAGHER CALLS In response to a call from the Board of Education, the public school teachers of San Francisco met to assist in the launching of the Thrift and War Savings drive. The meeting was opened by President George E. Gallagher, who in a short and characteristically energetic address explained the purpose of the meeting and spoke for the teachers and the pupils of the San Francisco schools in pledging their most hearty support to the plan suggested by the government. The Mr. Gallagher introduced John S. Drum, Chairman of the War Savings Committee. Mr. Drum gave us a complete and succinct account of the financial needs of our nation and of the allies, and how those needs were to be met, dwelling with particular emphasis upon the weight of a multitude of small savers, of the humble investors in the thrift and war-savings stamps. speaker developed the idea that in order to build up the patriotic idea in the child's mind (which is probably the greatest work a teacher can do) we must make him feel that it is his nation, his government, and that he has a material share in it. Nothing helps so much in the development of character as the implanting in the youthful mind of the idea of service. Mr. Drum's talk, convincing in its businesslike statement of conditions and facts, and which was followed by his audience with breathless attention, prepared the way for an inspired address by Hon. John Francis Neylan, Chairma of the Board of Control during Governor Johnson's administration. Mr. Neylan modestly prefaced his address with a disclaimer as to oratorical skill or the wish to sway emotion or to take flights in fancy's realm. He declared his intention to confine himself to facts, and then- Oh, how he gripped the hearts of his audience, how he held them breathless on his every word, how we all mounted with him to the heights of the Mount of Transfiguration of self into a nobler spirit ready to sacrifice all for country, for democracy, for the hope of the world! How we shrank before the blast of our own self-condemnation as Neylan pictured the horrors of trench warfare, the unspeakble barbarities of the enemy, the heart-rending sufferings of their victims, and then in corn cried out: "And we think we ought to wear a medal because we play at having one meatless day, one wheatless day, a week!" He warned us against the dangers of overconfidence. of a belief in an easy victory. He said that within sixty days casualty lists would be hung up in every town in America. He charged us that our apathy, our neglect, our parsimony would be directly responsible for the sickness or death cf some of those on those casualty lists. Ile begged us to help by our work, by our hope, by our confidence, by alertness to recognize and to stamp out the enemy propaganda of doubt, questionings or regrets. He warned us to be on guard against the foes within our own country, the most insistent of which were the false rumors designed to discourage, or to arrest our work. And how we applauded when, after rehearsing the attempts to keep us out of war--of admitting our initial unpreparedness-he said that a little while America would have evolved a Make the Most of Your Winter Vacation Return to Your Duties With New Vigor, Both Mental and Physical A SCIENTIFIC REST will work wonders for you. Put yourself under the care of those specially trained in the skilful use of Nature's great remedial agncies, and let them plan and worry for you. THE ST. HELENA SANITARIUM Is abundantly endowed by NATURE and SCIENCE for this special line of work. Its equipment Let us send you an illustrated booklet which will tell you all about it. Address SANITARIUM, CALIFORNIA - all this and SPECIAL RURAL PROBLEMS CONFERENCE By J. D. Sweeney A meeting which will undoubtedly have far reaching importance for the rural rural schools of California, was that held in Chico during the first week of December in the interests of the country schools. This conference was held under direction of the National Bureau of Education and was presided over by J. L. McBrien of that bureau. Much of the success of the three day session was due to Mrs. Lura SawyerOaks, of the faculty of the Chico Normal, where she has direction of rural methods. The meetings were held in the Normal building and for the three days class work was suspended and all prospective teachers given an opportunity to attend the lectures. On the first evening the Chico Business Men's Association and the Normal faculty gave a reception to the delegates. On the second day, the mid-day lunch was given by the Normal cooking class, the luncheon being of Butte County products as far as possible. One afternoon, citizens gave the visitors an auto ride around the rich Chico country. The State was represented by Deputy Mrs. Edward Hyatt and Commissioners Wood, McNaught and Snyder. Several county superintendents were present, especially from the Sacramento Valley, farther were those from Imperial, Monterey, Stanislaus and Marin. From the normals came such men as Phelps of San Jose, Thomas of Fresno, and women like Miss Trimble from San Jose and Miss Keppie from Los Angeles. The The State University sent Dean Van Norman from Davis, Prof. Kerns from U. C., and others. The States of Washington, Arizona and Oregon were well represented by officials high in the educational field. But the drawing attraction of the conference was Dr. Winship of Boston. In his own way he captured the meeting and at each appearance was given an ovation. He said so many good things in such a unique and original way that it is not possible to give a fair review of what he said. Various other agencies were represented upon the program such as the State Board of Charities, the State Board of Immigration, the State Association of Parent-Teacher Associations, and kindred bodies. Miss Steinhart of the State Board of Control gave an interesting account of the work being done by the State for dependent children and how the idea of county nurses has grown out of the findings of that board. Dean Van Norman called attention to what the State Farm School is trying to do for those who go into rural schools to teach. "The school," he said, "is often blamed for the poor English used by children, but this is not right. The English used by all of us is a reflection of the home rather than of the school and the same is true along many other lines." Assistant Superintendent Dyke of Arizona spoke of the rapid strides his young state is taking. That state provides from $800 to $1000 for each rural school, they have a uniform course of study and uniform text books. Deputy Superintendent Carleton of Oregon gave an interesting account of the work being done by the agricultural clubs for boys and girls. Superintendent Shibley of Imperial called attention to the adverse criticism of the schools by those who know nothing thereof. In every other line people are willing to take the word of experts but in education they feel able to give pointers to any and all school experts. Agent McBrien made a plea for the nation to give the white children as much care as we now give our Indian wards. He advocated federal, state, county and local support being given to rural schools. Mrs. Mack gave some startling figures regarding the large number of deficient children in the State and stated that much of the trouble could be removed by an efficient medical examination system in the schools. Mr. Cunningham of the State Immigration Board showed how the problem of immigration is affecting the rural schools and gave as the solution of a knotty problem the Americanization of the children of such foreigners. In Fresno county, he stated, 61 per cent of the school children are foreign born. Mr. Packard of the State University spoke on the problem of labor in rural sections and how the school is affected. He advocated the getting together of farmers in the schools for the discussion of rural problems. Miss Fisher of North Dakota advocated "drives" such as Dr. Winship and Commissioner McBrien had just completed in her state. Nearly every county in that state is to have a county nurse as one result of the drive. Miss Trimble says that the training for leadership of rural teachers is of more importance than training in methods of instruction. President Showalter of the Cheney Normal, Washington, compared rural school conditions in his section with city schools. Washington, he stated, pays rural teachers better salaries than are paid the city teachers, with the result that the best and most competent teachers are seeking the country schools. The average rural community, he said, is able to pay far more than it does if it will. The great problem is to awaken the country people, and to the teacher falls much of the work of doing this awakening. Miss Green called attention to the cooperation being done by the Parent-Teacher Associations of the state with the schools. Dr. McNaught dwelt on the newer school laws of this State and their bearing upon the rural situation. Commissioner Wood declared for better trained teachers for the country schools. Superintendent Schultzberg of Monterey took a shy at politics when he gave that as one reason why consolidation is not going on more rapidly in this State. Trustees do not wish to lose their several little jobs so they oppose the movement to unite several districts. Mrs. May Henshal outlined the county and State library system as at present working in this State. Forty-one of the counties now have a county library. Commissioner Snyder looked forward to the time when rural school facilities will be possible for every boy and girl without their having to leave home. Prof. Phelps said that attendance was one of the great problems of the rural school. The course of study for one room schools must be readjusted. Some of the aphorisms of Dr. Winship. were: Greater advance has been made during the past seven years than in any forty preceding years. We had better walk in the right direction than go in an automobile in the wrong direction. Don't rush. Take life easy. Know what we are after, then go and get it. No one loves his children who gives them seven months schooling in a poor school under a poor teacher. Deeds, not words, tell. Give the boys and girls a vision, but be careful that it is not a dream or a nightmare instead of a vision that they get. Education which simply whirls about in the head is no use. One woman can raise the devil in a rural school community. We can Look forward, not backward. not educate our grandchildren with schools built for our grandfathers. At the close of the conference resolutions in substance as follows were adotped: 1. We favor all nine propositions of the federal government for the improvement of the rural schools of the nation and urge such laws as urge such laws as may put them into effect. 2. We indorse the larger use of school buildings in rural communities. 3. We indorse national conferences for the purpose of discussing rural problems. 4. We favor laws securing national support of rural elementary and high schools. 5. We pledge our support to the United States in the plan for the conservation of food and other necessities. 6. We favor the movements which look Rev. Harvey Miller of Sacramento gave a talk on the rural church as a factor in the betterment of the rural community. Prof. O. J. Kern discussed play grounds toward the bettering of health in rural comin country schools and their place in community life. Miss Keppie declared that the rural schools should teach children how to study. She advocates promotion by subjects rather than by grades as at present. Superintendent Chaney gave an account of the system of home credit for work done out of school by the children. His position was assailed by Carlton of Oregon, who stated that the plan had been abandoned in that state for several reasons, the chief one being that parents were not honest in their reports of work done by their children. munities. 7. We indorse the co-operation of the home and the school. 8. We pledge our support for the work among immigrants. TO TEACH OR NOT TO TEACH GRAMMAR The School Teachers' Page This question is engaging the attention of the educational world. Those fortunate few who received their education "twenty years ago," if one may be allowed to use a phrase once employed as a term of reproach, but which should be considered the cachet of superior merit, are practically a unit in believing that the earlier in the school course real grammar can be introduced, the better for the child's power of thought. Certain it is that these teachers, exponents of a method that through the apathy of ignorance, the prejudice, or the indolence of many an educator, has been somewhat discredited of late, speak with a force, a precision, a fluency and a clearness utterly lacking in the exponents of the theory that the study of grammar is unnecessary, either for literary ability or business efficiency, to say nothing of success as a teacher, as an expositor, or as an agent. To the average person the term "grammar" means endless parsing or interminable diagraming from Young's "Night Thoughts" or Pollock's "Course of Time," or Milton's "Paradise Lost." I remember agonizing over some of these myself, with not a little of Bailey's "Festus" thrown in for good measure. That is not my idea of technical grammar. To me the term means such familiarity with the structure of the sentence— the function and the place of modifiers, the agreement of the verb with its subject, the proper use of pronouns, the use of connectives, that one's meaning can be expressed with clearness, force, dignity and effectiveness. The Aim and Object of Elementary Schools Very early in our teaching we find ourselves face to face with this question: "For what are we teaching?" Is it to fit the child to go all along the way from the baby class to the commencement day of college? Is it to keep him moving through the lock canal that leads from the primary school to the State. University? Or is it to fit the boy for a practical, every-day life at so much per? Consider the infinitesimal percentage of those who, entering the lowest primary grade, ever finish at the University, or who even enter the High School, much less graduate from any institution of learning higher than the grammar school. In fact, look even lower for the grade in which the educational mortality really begins. Ask any teacher of experience and she will tell you that children begin to drop out at the Fifth Grade! a grade without a grammar! Now why should not these children of the fifth grade be given a working knowledge of grammar? Why are we so afraid of the parts of speech? Why do the names of the different kinds of sentences throw us into a paroxysm of technical-grammar Eliza D. Keith itis? Why do we strive to classify, grade, Should we not realize that the effort to restrict ourselves and the child to one sentence form will take more mental effort we Why are so given in grammar to we run around the block to call a noun Deal In Sentences Place the four names: declarative. interrogative, imperative, exclamatory on the black-board. Have children read them, say them, spell them-and repeat them like a litany "Declarative tells something; interrogative asks a question; imperative commands or requests; exclamatory shows surprise or sudden feeling." Have a rubber stamp made with the names of the sentences one under the other, stamp this upon long strips of paper-and give them to the children to fill out. You would be surprised to see how quickly this will be mastered. In what grade? Well, I have seen it done in the fourth grade, and in the high third. Don't believe it? Try it. As for the structural forms of sentences, tell the class that some sentences just tell something about something or some body, that the subject is who or what did it, and the verb, the action word-or the predicate, tells what was done, or what was made or produced by the subject. Tell them that some sentences can stand alone without another sentence to hold them up or to come along with them. Tell the class that the sentences that stand alone with no other sentence with them inside the period, is a simple sentence; that where two or more sentences "take hold of hands" as children in the same family, at the words and, or, nor, but, it is a compound sentence; and that when a sentence has another sentence hanging on somewhere and the hook by which that inside sentence hangs, is who, which, that, whose, when, while or because, it is a complex sentence. Crude―do you say? Possibly-but it is logical and effective; not complete or all-embracing, but workable. Anything rather than to make the child a simple sentence machine one year, a compound sentence machine the next year and a complex sentence machine the third year. The Child's Use of Sentences as soon as he can talk. In fact he is more apt to express himself by means of the complex sentence. "I want the drum that grandma gave me"-is quite as apt to be said as "I want the drum. My grandma gave me the drum." Perhaps the child has several drums, and he wants one special drum. If so he will say, "I want the drum that grandma gave me," and how are you going to force him to use a simple sentence? Now if the child uses a variety of sentences, let him see them, know their names even if he should not be taught to analyse them. Nature does not so develop her creations. We end with no faculty, no bodily member with which we did not enter life. Develop them, yes, but the faculty was there to be developed. We do not learn first to use the hand then the foot, first the eye muscles, then the mouth muscles, then the ear muscles. No, the use is simultaneous in effort, though possibly not abreast in achievement. Need of Grammar in the Lower Grades To my mind we err in fearing to use a certain amount of technical grammar in the lower grades, especially as so many of our pupils are the first American-born generation of English-speaking children in their foreign families-is that perfectly clear? Why not give these wonderful children their use of English? Usage means nothsome standard by which they can gauge ing to them, except the polyglot of the home, or the jargon of the street. It seems to me that as true Americans we have a duty to perform to our country. We should preserve the well of English undefiled. We should set before our pupils a correct and attainable standard, and give them the power to know if they have come up to that standard, and if not, why and where they have failed. It is a poor education that does not enable its possessor so to judge his own performance as to know its strength, weakness, excellence or inferiority, and having judged to know how, when, and where to apply the correction. Hence I am strong for grammar in the grades. Practical Use of Grammatical Knowledge Let us refer to "Standards in English" by Mahoney. "As a matter of fact, oral work should almost invariably accompany written work. The reading lesson, the history recitation, "Children persist in grammatical inaccuries because teachers too often rely on rules of language to correct them. "The child must more than know what is right. He must hear it, say it, say it again and again and again; say it again until the motor reaction is so strong that the right form stamps its impression on the spinal cord and wipes out the wrong. This means continued practice on the right forms of speech." The foregoing is respectfully commended to such educators (heaven save the mark!) who think that because a child has turned the pages in the text book, he has mastered the subject, and that therefore all such drills as the synopsis of verbs, the conjugation of verbs-the comparison of adjectives and of adverbs, and all uses of the pronouns, are, as one of the later day educated teachers once expressed it to me-"just a waste of time." Good English Is a Habit To sum up this phase of the sentence be it said: "Good English is a habit. It cannot be mastered by will. Good English comes only by practice." There is so much to be said on this subject. So many by-paths lead from the main path that on another occasion let us return to the consideration of teaching composition in our elementary schools. In closing let us take some ideas from the composition section of the coming text book on grammar for the elementary schools: "Composition is one of the fine arts. "The main thing is practice in speaking and writing. "There are certain principles to be known and observed. "The basis of all composition is thought. "Composition depends almost entirely upon past experience. "The value of composition is enhanced when it necessitates new investigation and study. "A knowledge of the right use of words is essential to success in composition. "The most important quality of composition is clearness, clear, orderly thinking, with control of words relating with subject, with an exact knowledge of what each word means. "Short, simple words are best. "A good usable vocabulary, depends upon attention to the language of those who talk well, to the use of words in good literature, to our own use of words. Live with a book, abide with it. "The paragraph is the large unit of composition. "The paragraph has one main topic. The topic sentence should be at the beginning of the paragraph in order to prepare the mind of the reader for what follows." Correction of Compositions This is the bane of every school teacher's life. Let us: Strive for live subjects, treating from the child's own view point; utilizing the native egotism of the individual as a motivating force. Strive for the short paragraph on the style of the news item, with topic sentence and condense, expression. Show that every story must contain the following facts: the time, the place, the people, the actors, the action, the result., Show the essentials of a good description (adjectives, verbs). Insist upon conciseness. Every sentence should be well packed, and trimmed down to fighting weight. Show the use and variety of connections. Insist upon rapid work. Never check the flow of ideas for mechanical perfection. Teach self-criticism and faithful correction. Utilize present interest as a factor in fixing facts by the Group Correction exercises. Let the individual pupils read their compositions, better yet, copy the written work on the black-board, to be criticised and corrected by the pupils with special reference to recently learned grammatical principles, with the entire class at attention. The chief test to be applied to all compositions by the pupils is: "Are all the verbs in this composition used correctly? "Can better verbs, clearer, stronger, more suitable verbs be substituted for some of the verbs used by the writer?" When red-inking compositions, would it be too much to ask that the corrections should be marked in accordance with the generally accepted symbols used in practical proof-reading, as illustrated in Webter's New International Dictionary under the head of "Arbitrary Signs Used in Writing and Printing in X Typographical," pages 2549-2550. of Study Language Work should be in a Extracts from the Salt Lake City Course thought-provoking basis-interesting and real to children intimately related to the work and the spirit of the school to outside sports and experiences of the child: Preserve that nice balance between looseness or inaccuracy of expression, and dead formalism. Teach children to commit much wellselected poetry and prose to memory. Understanding of all memorized work is not necessary. Imagination is moved-feelings are moulded by passages not freely understood. Correct the usage of the street and the play ground, Each teacher should be an expert narrator or story-teller. Recognize sequence of points in storytelling. In lowest grades the teacher must tell or recite-not read to pupils. Good listeners and good readers are, as a rule, clear thinkers. One's standard or language ideals, will always largely control the quality of his expression. SUMMER SCHOOL OF METHODS AND SCHOOL MANAGEMENT Sessions at Berkeley and Los Angeles Dates Announced Later Courses covering the work of the grades, with emphasis upon grades one to six inclusive. Methods and plans in Reading, Language, Arithmetic, Geography, Spelling, Writing, Music, Drawing, Seat Work, Hand Work, Folk Dancing, Physical Education, Story Telling, Sand-Table Work, and School Management. Tuition, thirty dollars. Folder will be mailed to each teacher later. Miss Caroline Swope 686 E. 8th St., Riverside, Cal. THE FUNCTION OF THE EVENING By Daisy Fox-Desmond Principal, San Jose Evening School The evening school is an answer to the cry of business men for efficiency and to the insistent demand of young people for an increase in their salaries. The function of the evening school is to bring employer and employee into a closer bond of sympathy, which without this connecting link might not exist. Nearly all young people in our San Jose Evening Schools are already engaged in some business life. They are either unhappily or unwisely placed and they enter our commercial department in an attempt to fit themselves for something different. Many of them have been promised an advance by their firms and are eager and anxious to spend their evenings to such a purpose that they may be deserving of promotion. Again, there are large numbers of young and old who have an intense desire for self-expression, and they take the languages, dramatic work, music and kindred subjects. English, both commercial and academic, is deservedly popular with all classes. Shop men have had, as a rule, very little preparation for their work. They are usually grammar school graduates, but many have left school in the lower grades and consequently have little or no training for the vocations they have chosen. To get a knowledge of subjects which have a direct bearing upon their trades is a long, tedious, uphill task. Many realize that all of this training inshop mathematics, mechanical drawing and actual shop practice can be had in the evening school and that by taking a thorough and consistent course their pay envelopes will be materially increased in a short time. The desire for leadership is very intense in many young people and they find the evening school an excellent means of developing their ability. They take to responsibility readily. Give them a problem to solve and a few hints to help in its solu tion and the initiative which they immediately develop is astounding. This is one of the most valuable functions of our evening school work. I strongly advocate a student body government in all evening schools, if for no other reason than that it gives young people a sense of responsibility and develops leadership. Again, what encourages a more democratic spirit better than the attempt of several hundred people to work out some problem as applied to them all-young and old, rich and poor, all nationalities, classes and conditions. The experienced housewife furnishes to the young girl stenographer a fine example in thrift, work accomplished, dignity, and human sympathy, and the stenographer in her turn brings back the zest of youth and The evening school is slowly and steadily PROGRESS IN ARITHMETIC Too long has arithmetic remained a thing The A text book issued upon the values of formation to a mechanical process, the be absurd. Correlation with geography is most interesting and profitable. The wheat industry, carried from the geography class into arithmetic, makes the latter really practical. The fishing industry, dairying, or any other good commercial subject furnishes material for problem work. The teacher of current events and magazine work finds many an article that can be further studied with profit in the arithmetic class. All this leads into the business world and the practical methods that it demands. There still remain traditional methods of teaching the essentials. Individual work has an important place making the subject broader and broader. Nevertheless, arithmetic is unsatisfactory in results with perhaps one-third of every class, and this points the necessity for making the subject one of progress and correlation. THE RED CROSS COURSE IN HYGIENE AND HOME CARE OF THE SICK By Bertha R. Steeves, R. N. The American Red Cross, through its Bureau of Instruction, offers a course in Hygiene and Home Care of the Sick to laywomen. No one under sixteen years of age will be admitted to these classes. The object is to teach personal and household hygiene and to give simple instruction in the care of the sick in their own homes. The course is primarily educational and is not considered a preparation for nursing except in cases of minor illness or during convalescence. The mere fact that an individual completes the course, and receives a Red Cross certificate, does not bind her to serve in any way under the Red Cross. Those enrolled will find it helpful, not only for their own personal use, but for social service work in time of war. It is expected that such service will be rendered without compensation. There is a possibility that the ranks of the nursing profession may become depleted as a result of the present war. To meet this emergency, a limited number of women between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five may qualify as nurses' aids in the base hospitals in this country, although The course none are being sent abroad. in Hygiene and Home Care of the Sick is obligatory for all who wish to qualify for this service. Courses in dietetics and also in First Aid are not required, but will add materially to general efficiency. Red Cross courses have been added to schools since the entrance of the United the curriculum in many colleges and high States into the war. Among the number are the University of California, Los Angeles High Schools, and the Continuation Department of the Oakland Technical High School. Further information may be obtained from Miss Helen Scott Hav. Director of Bureau of Instruction, Red Cross Headquarters, Washington, D. C. |