American Notes-Editorial

age,

Nothing is more fatal to progress in home, school, town or city, state, nation or world, than a spirit of antagonism. A great wave of antagonism seems to have been sweeping over the entire human race. It has involved the nations in the greatest war in history. It has set nation against nation, man against man, brother against brother, father against child. In an earlier age it would have been ascribed to the malign influence of some star or other heavenly body; or to some occult emanation from the spirit world. In this more scientific while people differ in the forms of expression it is commonly agreed that it is an outbreak of the badness of the natural man. Some call it "pure cussedness," others "original sin," or "total depravity," or "the spirit of Satan" entering into the human heart. Whatever we call it matters but little. It is here and has to be reckoned with. It seems to the student of history to have come in waves, and we are on the crest of such a wave at the present time. We should realize this and take all due precautions lest we be fatally engulfed. The evil influence besets us upon every side.

A spirit of antagonism among nations means war. It spells impoverishment, famine, woe, death. In the home the same spirit means the end of peace, co-operation and happiness. In the school it destroys the teacher's influence and blocks the pupil's progress. In the community it stops the growth of population and drives away desirable residents. In the church it is fatal to spiritual life, destructive of the spirit of service and is wholly intolerable. Wherever we live and in every occupation and business, we must get into sympathy with our fellow men and not antagonize them. Sympathy opens, antagonism closes the portals of personality. Antagonism is of the Evil One; sympathy is of Christ.

The growth of antagonism is very insidious and subtle. Usually those who are gradually becoming antagonistic are for a long time unaware of the fact. It is not deliberate and from choice. It is like the insidious oncoming of a hidden malady. It often becomes patent to one's friends before it is realized by one's self.. In the home it sometimes manifests its destructive influence between husband and wife; often between one or both parents and a particular child. It is easy for a parent to fall into a habit of criticising and "nagging" a child. It is a matter of "Why did you put on or not put on this or that garment?" "Why didn't you do so and so?" Or "For pity's sake don't associate with this or that boy or girl." How quickly the child recognizes and reacts against the unsympathetic,

critical attitude of the parent! How easily he slips into an attitude of impatience and of self-defence!

Then something infinitely precious has been lost to both parent and child, something that it is exceedingly difficult to regain or replace. The heart is like the leaves of the "sensitive plant." A touch may close it, though ever so light. After many such antagonistic touches it will no longer open the avenues of responsiveness, so valued by the parent, so important for the future of the child. These avenues have been closed to traffic,-not deliberately, but none the less really and disasterously. Here is one of the great tragedies of the home.

The same tragedy is of frequent occurrence in the school,-and that is why we are penning this paragraph. We want to warn the teacher of the direful influence and results of antagonism. We want to say, "Keep in sympathy with your pupils at all hazards and at any sacrifice. Make them feel your love and sympathy and understanding of their difficulties and problems. This will mean their redemption and your salvation as a teacher. You will be the teacher whom they will always remember and whose influence will abide with them through life.

The antidote for the poison of a world-wide spirit of antagonism is unselfishness, kindness, meekness, love. Never did the world more deeply need the example and the message of the greatest of all Teachers than it does today.

Continuation of Commissioner Calvin N. Kendall's "Ten Commandments for Superintendents." (See page 130 of October Education.)

"6. I will plan to make use of scales and measurements as a means of testing results of our educational processes. I will try to make teachers familiar with these in order that they may independently judge some of their own efforts.

While scales and measurements by no means reveal the entire worth of teachers to children, they are nevertheless of substantial value. Their use builds up a scientific attitude on the part of teachers. They are of little value, however, unless remedies are applied to correct any defects they may reveal.

7. To improve teachers in service is my supreme duty. No part of my time can be better employed.

No teacher is so good a teacher that he cannot be a better one. All progressive principals and teachers realize this. The teaching corps must be stimulated and kept alive. To make poor teachers good teachers, and good teachers excellent ones is a worthy end. I will

have meetings of teachers in which they themselves will largely participate. I will have class exercises to illustrate some teaching process. These meetings must be positive and constructive. The effect upon teachers should be to encourage and inspire them. After a four-hour school day, teachers will be at their best early in the after

noon.

I will encourage teachers' study classes: first, for the discussion of some educational questions like problem teaching, motivation, and tests, and for the reading of some good book pertaining to education; second, for general culture and improvement.

The superintendent who organized a class for the study and reading of Bryce's "Commonwealth," when that monumental book first appeared years ago, helped to make broad-minded teachers.

As the best teacher throws more responsibility upon the children, so will I, as a school administrator, throw more responsibility upon my assistants, principals and teachers. A superintendent shines in their reflected glory.

I will visit schools and stay long enough to know what is going on. But when the coffee is bad in the morning, I will not vent my feelings on teachers and children. I will be cheerful and otherwise at my best when in the schoolrooms. This I owe to teachers and children. My schoolroom attitude shall be that of confidence in the teacher.

While I will be impersonally frank in my private criticism of the teacher's work, I will also try to find something to commend. I will religiously try to make my visit an inspiration to both teachers and pupils. They will want me to come again and I shall want to go again.

President Eliot says that the faculty for discerning quickly and surely excellence and virtue in persons, peoples, nature and art is of immeasurably more value than the faculty for seeing weaknesses and sins. This faculty is capable of contributing greatly to happiness as well as to material success.

8. I will be a student of education. I will make myself familiar with the more important of the numerous books about education. I will read some of the contents of the leading educational journals. There is much value in the publications issued by the Bureau of Education at Washington. I know that some successful superintendents attach great value to some of the state reports and city reports, which can be had for the asking.

I must never be content with my own ideals of education. These ideals are subject to change: first, because our knowledge of child nature is by no means fixed, and second, because social and civic and industrial and economic demands are in a state of flux.

In a democracy the schools reflect the ideals of the people. The schools cannot stand still from year to year. Nowhere are they as good as they might be. To know what puropses and practices in the training of children and youth are stable and eternal and at the same time to know what new standards are worthy; to preserve the balance between the old and the new-this constitutes one of the great problems of the superintendent.

Only by being a student of education and society and by consulting the best and wisest in the teaching corps and among men and women outside the schools can the truth be found.

9. I will co-operate loyally and promptly with the Department of Public Instruction. I will see that dust is not found on the state monographs. They should be the constant guides of the teachers. I deem it my duty to support organizations for the welfare of teachers and education-national, state, county and local.

10. I will cultivate cheerfulness, courage and optimism. Most successful business and professional men have these qualities.

A sense of humor will not detract from my usefulness. Indeed, there should be more humor in our schools. There is no place for a grouch in the schoolrooms or school offices."

The reconstruction of home economics courses in elementary and secondary schools is the ultimate object of some research undertaken by a group of instructors in the Home Economics Departments of the University of Chicago and of Iowa State Agricultural College. These investigations have attempted to answer the following questions: (1) What is the present purpose of home economics teaching? This study is based on an analysis of the aims and intended outcomes of home economics instruction as stated in the courses of study, textbooks, and in other literature relating to the field. (2) What is the pupil studying? The answer to this question is based on an analysis of the content of the text and reference books used in 95 per cent of the school systems of the United States which use textbooks, and on an analysis of the content of present courses of study in seventy typical school systems where no texts are used. (3) What can the home teach us? In this connection a survey of three different groups of housewives is being made to determine the effects of home economics teaching upon actual home-making activities and the needs of the home which home economics instruction ought to meet. (4) How can we test the course of study and its results? In this connection

an attempt is being made to devise a practicable system of content and reasoning tests and of tests for measuring skill-for example, skill tests for machine sewing.

We have been earnestly requested to publish the following announcements in Education:

I.

Believing that the pupils of today's schools should be drilled and tested in Americanization words the Institute for Public Service has compiled spelling lists for grades three to eight from the words used in five important American documents. These 1,426 words from the Declaration of Independence, Preamble to the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Lincoln's Gettysburg Speech, and Wilson's War Message, are suggested for daily drill lessons, as among the words may be found many of common usage, and that the lists be used also as a part of the state wide spelling contests and assembly "spelling bees."

The foreword of the "speller" states that these Americanization words may in time come to rank with the standard spelling scales that are quite the rage in American schools. These words, giving the opportunity for ideas that foster citizenship and patriotism, may serve as tests of spelling ability as well as lists made up from business and personal letters or lists compiled by selecting the first word on every twenty-third page of the dictionary.

The Institute for Public Service, 51 Chambers Street, New York City, will without charge tabulate all results that are sent to it, furnish sheets for recording results, and otherwise pass on to teachers any lessons in spelling or in Americanization that may be learned from the use of Americanization words.

II.

Americans need to learn to speak English. This is one of the outstanding facts brought home to all Americans by the Great War. Free institutions cannot be built upon illiteracy. Slovenly English, moreover, is not compatible with either good business or community living.

As a step toward repairing our national linguistic shortcomings the National Council of Teachers of English proposes to set aside the first week in November for a celebration to be known as American Speech Week. This celebration is intended to develop a powerful sentiment in favor of greater clearness, correctness, and appropriateness in the speech of all our people-a speech which shall be English