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lule. 4. That they shall have an active art in the formulation of the curriculum of the local school system. 5. That there hall be specific and definite provisions or the reflection and revealing of classoom teacher originality and initiative. 5. That there shall be what is comnonly referred to as permanent tenurewhich they would have obtained much nore generally if the term "indefinite enure" were substituted. 7. The opporunity, or the assurance accompanied by he proof that the activity of classroom. eachers in respect to the points that I ave mentioned be carefully weighed and onsidered by the administrative authoriies rather than passively received and hoved into a correspondence file or wasteaper basket.

The first element presented here is that lassroom teachers desire a specific and efinite opportunity to participate in deiding on the particular kind of organizaon that a local school system should be rganized on, or the lines of organization at a local school system should take. uperficially and platitudinously speakng, most any professional educator would ccept that as a perfectly legitimate priviege of the classroom teacher. Yet, alough the stamp of approval is given by dministrative officers on the part of this emand, the administrative force has ather generally been extremely woeful nd criminally negligent in setting up a efinite machinery by which classroom eachers could take part in this adminisative function. For example, in the maority of local communities, rural or metpolitan, at the present time, about the nly way an isolated teacher has of reachg the administrative body is by personal tter, which more frequently than not reains unanswered on the part of the adinistrative officers. From my point of ew I cannot help but think that such a ilure on the part of educational adminisative officers will prove eventually fatal the program of public education. I do ot see any other way for professional edu

cators to achieve the real, salient objective of making boys and girls better men and women, more useful men and women. I do not see how we are going to achieve the real purpose of public education, whether it is in the kindergarten, the junior high school, the college or university, unless people who are directly responsible for the promulgation and carrying out of these functions have a very personal and intimate privilege in the formulation of that organization.

Before the type of building should be considered at all, it seems to me that we, as classroom teachers, need to become very familiar and very adept in the minimum requirements of school building construction as they affect classroom procedure. I think entirely too little attention has been paid to teaching equipment, to the teaching apparatus, to the peculiar and special teaching devices that classroom teachers themselves would choose; and entirely too much attention, relatively, has been paid to the gross or general equipment.

Specifically I was in a community of some 75,000 last spring, making one of what some people term these infernal administrative surveys, and I found this situation: A request to the central office on the part of a classroom teacher for a particular kind of paper was met in one of two ways. Either an entirely different kind of paper was sent back because that happened to be in stock and no further order would be made until that was used up, or else the order was delayed for two or three months, and with a smile the business manager said, "If we wait long enough they will forget they need it and will not order it again.'

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I cannot be too vitriolic, I cannot speak too impassionately in denouncing such an administrative procedure as traitorous to the teaching body. But, on the other hand, I can speak just as strongly in denunciation of the classroom teacher in the kindergarten, for example, in this same town, who sent in a requisition for fifteen balls. No stipulation was made as to whether the

balls should be made of rubber or iron; no specification was made as to the size or color. The order was entirely lacking in the minutiae which to a classroom specialist may be irritating, but which are the bread and life of the man who has to order the material needed.

In other words, I think some of the irritations between the administrative and teaching forces, in respect to teaching equipment and teaching supplies, have in part arisen because of the neglect of the classroom teachers and individual building principals in not being careful enough in citing specifications for the materials which they are ordering.

The third point in which classroom teachers are interested is salaries, which I shall just mention. The most sorely needed policy in respect to teachers' salaries is "Equal pay for equal work." The quicker we realize that a man would be just as asinine trying to teach a kindergarten class as a woman would be trying to coach a football team, the quicker we will achieve that condition of equal pay for equal work of equal quality.

As to participation in curriculum making, the opportunity for detailed participation of classroom teachers in the formulation of curriculum-making is so prevalently accepted at the present time that it may seem foolish for me to even suggest that classroom teachers should be directly and personally represented in the central office. Many cities last year relieved elementary, junior high school and senior high school teachers from a part of their regular classroom teaching in order that they might spend time in work on curriculum revision with representatives of the central office. In many cities curriculum revision has been proposed and achieved by the classroom teacher to the delight of administrative forces. Such a policy seems essential to me for the complete success of public school teaching.

The next point that I want to bring to your attention is the fact that classroom teachers desire the opportunity of reveal

ing individual initiative and originality. This opportunity for expression of originality and initiative carries in the same breath an obligation and a responsibility for a continued and maintained competence for revealing and displaying originality and initiative.

In all institutions classroom teachers, in both isolated and group cases, have become apathetic, and all too complacent about their own achievements. Instead of being alive and alert in attempting to find new solutions to old problems, they are found to be constantly employing the old techniques, and, instead of going to the trouble to investigate, they either accept or discard things that are being proposed

I think in isolated cases, working within. limits so that organization machinery will not be dismantled and chaotic confusion result, classroom teachers, either personally or representatively, should have the privilege, as they do have the right, of trying out something that they want tried out. But the conclusion should be accompanied by quantitative and definite evidence that they have become intimately familiar with everything available in that field before publicly announcing a policy of their own.

Some of the classroom teachers most insistent for an opportunity to display intiative and originality are basing their originality and intiative on such bases as "I think," "It has been my experience." "It is my judgment," with nothing more scientific to back up such opinion and recommendations. If I were an adminis trative officer and a group of classroom teachers approached me without having made a scientific study of the problem involved, I would graciously smile and say. "There may be something in what you say, but until you become familiar with what has been done I do not think you yourselves will say it is fair for us to try it out."

The point I am trying to make is that classroom teachers as well as university and normal school professors and educa

ional administrative officers, as a whole, nust become imbued with a zealous desire or putting education on a scientific basis. This must be done in order that we may get the same recognition as other proessions, and unless you as classroom eachers respond, the case is lost-the intitutional people and the administrative officers simply cannot do it alone. Instituional folk and administrative forces cannot do anything, cannot effect any change of policy, cannot make any changes unless classroom teachers are "sold" on the thing, and become very ardent devotees, constantly working for the incorporation of such changes in their daily work.

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In this connection I wish I could ask each of you to tell me your conception of research research of many different kinds. I long for the day to come when somebody will be qualified to take a group as large as this-yes, twice this size, with proper mechanical and clerical assistance, and say, "We are gathered here together co carry on individual search for the truth n respect to some thing. You will be credited for it. The only requirement is his: at a designated time, you must come n and show-through your own untiring, your own unrelenting, your own zealous earch for the truth-that you have found ither that something you already believed s true on the basis of quantitative evilence, or that you are in error in some ›lace and you are glad to find it out."

I said a minute ago that no policy could ›e authorized by the administrative offices inless the classroom teachers were "sold on it." The most striking illustration of hat is the use of standard tests, first of the nental type and then of the educational ype. We who worked with standardized ests first made the fatal error of saying, Here is something of a stencil-like proedure. You take it and use it." Obviously ve should have started out with saying, Every teacher gives tests. What kind of ests do you give? What do you want these ests to find out?" and then going out from ests of the teacher's making, into the

functions and uses of standardized tests.

But I shall pass on to the subject commonly called "permanent" but which I technically describe as "indefinite tenure.' Much harm is done the classroom teacher in respect to this matter. Classroom teachers are accused of wanting to hold their positions whether they are deserving of them or not. This I do not believe, but I believe much good would result if classroom teachers discussed indefinite tenure, rather than permanent tenure.

The administrative force in education has not yet completely recognized that there are administrative elements in all activities in which human beings are involved, and I wish you would recall my first definition, namely, that administration is the co-operative direction of human effort. Unless administrative forces realize that there are administrative elements in classroom procedure, I am afraid we will never get a proper working adjustment among professional educators. The administrative officers feel that they have been technically trained in matters of administration, that they have had administrative experience, while the classroom teacher has had only classroom teaching experience. They feel that they are the focal point representing the commonwealth of which they are the employees and that the searching and scrutinizing eye of popular opinion and publicity is constantly bearing upon them. Their refusal and their response to the request and desire of classroom teachers for the active privilege of teacher participation has been partially a protective measure that would prevent and inhibit office fatality in administrative officers, just as teachers wish to prevent office fatality in the teaching force.

Many specific functions of the administrative office that might be cited seem unfair to isolated sections of the teaching body; and yet when viewed from the entire teaching standpoint the solution could not be otherwise. In other words, fellow teachers, I have in my teaching position

frequently suffered; the field in which I am working frequently is impeded in a development that could be much more rapid if it were not necessary to divert certain forces and agencies to other things which it must be acknowledged are of less import, but nevertheless, must be taken care of when the whole situation is viewed. In other words, I am just trying to say that condemnation of the administrative force by classroom teachers is just as vicious as condemnation of the classroom teaching force by the administrative officers. Classroom teachers are dangerously near making the same error in their relation to the administrative officers that boys and girls make in their relation to classroom teachers when they are asking for the active privilege of participating in the administration of their own activities. I believe the two reasons that have been predominant in differences of opinion, both as to fundamental philosophy and as to concrete and minute policies in educational administration, are, first, a mutual lack of vision; and, second, intolerance. What do I mean when I say that classroom teachers and administrative officers have lacked of vision? The thought I am trying to bring to you is this: Three men were working in a stone quarry and a stranger entered. Going up to one of the stone cutters, he said, "My man, what are you doing?" With an ugly sneer on his face, the fellow replied, "Cutting stone." Smiling, the visitor went on to the second man and said, "My man, what are you doing?" With a look as much as to say, "Why, you fool," the workman answered, "I am making $5.00 a day;" passing on to the next man, the visitor repeated the inquiry. The last workman was the smallest in stature, the most insignificant in physical makeup, but he carefully laid down his tools, drew himself up to his full height, and said, "Sir, I am building a cathedral." I wonder if classroom teachers are always conscious of the fact that they have the opportunity daily in the classroom of earning a certain amount of money, of going

through a task which because of frequent repetition has become mechanized, or of constantly experiencing that exhilaration of emotional vibration that should come from the realization that they are dealing with human beings, who in turn are going to deal with thousands of other human beings.

The second hindrance in the proper adjustment of administrative matters is intolerance. The thing that I am thinking of here is best illustrated by the philosophy of John Ruskin. Ruskin defined a laborer as a person who works with his hands, an artisan as an individual who works with his head, but the artist as a man who works with his head, hands, and heart combined If we as professional educators could daily, hourly, vitalize our beings with ar insatiable and unending desire to at least try to become artists as teachers, I think much of what is superficial rather than real difference of opinion in respect to teacher and pupil participation in schoc. administration would vanish.

There are two deplorable conditions that it seems to me we need to avoid in thinking, in discussing, and in establishing policies in respect to teacher and pup participation in school administration. The first is the benign, either paternalistic or maternalistic autocracy, which, when I went to school was maintained first by the board of education toward the superintendent, when the superintendent was treated and considered as a hired man. and in turn was maintained and constantly practiced by the superintendent in respect to the principal, who in turn had the same attitude towards the classroom teachers. Since we were the last ones in line, the classroom teacher in turn used: on the boys and girls. The other condition that I think would be even more disas trous because it would be destructive, is chaotic sovietism in education. In other words, I am suggesting that you as profes sional educators take the same attitude as men and women do with wives and husbands-that it does not make any differ

ence with what group of beings you come in contact, some of them are going to do, think, and say things that you do not like; and you may rest just as assured, that you are going to say, think, and do things they do not like. The question is not, "Do you like everything that is said, thought, or done?" but rather "What is actually best for boys and girls?"

Now, in common terms, it seems to me that the whole thing in administration resolves itself to this: Classroom teachers will not be abolished, and administrative forces will not be abolished, and neither can coerce or force the other group with

any success at all. Just as a loving father would call in a child, or as child would go to a parent with whom proper personal relations had been established and maintained, so it seems to me that superintendents, assistants and deputies, associate superintendents, directors, supervisors, supervising principals, district superintendents, principals, heads of departments, classroom teachers, in all forms of school work must get together and say there has been mutual misunderstanding and violation of trust, and it is high time we were getting on solid professional ground.

SAFETY INSTRUCTION IN THE SCHOOLS

E

By J. E. BULGER, Advertising Manager, Chicago Motor Club DUCATION in its broader sense should enable us to adapt ourselves to our environment. Herbert Spencer says, "To prepare us for complete living is the function education has to perform." This idea is amplified by Professor Franklin Bobbitt of the University of Chicago. Writing in the CHICAGO SCHOOLS JOURNAL Professor Bobbitt says,

the first year of his school life will scarcely develop into a careless motorist or pedestrian. William James, the great American psychologist, in writing on habit says,

One's life is one's curriculum. What is not a portion f one's life cannot be a portion of one's curriculum. A certain portion of the whole may be taken and adninistered by the schools; but in so doing this is to dminister but a part of one's total curriculum. From his point of view, there are no such things as extraurricular activities. Whatever one does, whether in chool or out, is irrevocably molding the man or the woman. Education is concerned with whatever shapes the evelopment of the individual. The so-called extra urricular is a part of the actual curriculum; sometimes he more important part.

Safety education is a most important art of the child's curriculum. Habits of aution can be built in childhood's plastic ge that would be difficult if not imposible to instill in later years. In the early ears the child can build up what the psyhologists term patterns of reaction. These abits once formed are difficult to eradiate. The child who is taught safety from

Already at the age of twenty-one you see the professional mannerism settling down on the young commercial traveler, on the young doctor, on the young minister, on the young counselor-at-law. You see the little lines of cleavage running through the character, the tricks, the prejudices, the ways of the shop from which the man can no more escape than his coat sleeve can suddenly fall into a new set of folds.

The safety manner once developed will remain for life.

What is being done to develop the

safety manner?
safety manner? The automobile clubs
have entered into the problem seriously.
In Detroit, for instance, the automobile
club has established the custom of giving
medals to children for performing meri-
torious acts of accident prevention. The
children maintain trial

courts where

culprits violating the rules of safety are brought to justice. If the court, which is composed entirely of children, finds against the defendant he is sent into penal servitude around the school yard picking

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