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ROUND TABLES

KOUND TABLE OF SUPERINTENDENTS OF LARGE CITIES

LEADER - SUPERINTENDENT F. LOUIS SOLDAN, ST. LOUIS, MO.

General topic: Organization of the Work of Inspection and Supervision thru Assistant Teachers and Principals, so as to Reach the Grade Teacher.

In opening the discussion of the topics submitted by the president of the department, Mr. Soldan called attention to some of the inherent difficulties growing out of the fact that the number of teachers is usually so great as to render personal acquaintance with their work by the superintendent impossible, and to the necessity of depending in a large measure upon the visits of inspection made by assistants and principals.

SUPERINTENDEnt L. H. Jones, Cleveland, O.-The superintendent himself should make a series of visits to the same teacher on the same day—three or four visits of short duration, say five minutes. On the next day he should visit the same teacher again to observe how the lessons succeeding the ones which he had observed are given, to determine if the teacher had benefited by the suggestions offered by him on the preceding day. The superintendent cannot visit all teachers in this way, but he can visit the best teachers and the poorest teachers; then thru meetings with the supervising officers he can establish the general policy which shall govern the work. Meetings with principals should be of the same nature.

SUPERINTENDENT W. F. SLATON, Atlanta, Ga., with one assistant supervises the work of 258 teachers. He visits each one once in each year. He emphasizes the need of protecting the individuality of the teacher. He holds grade meetings, followed by general meetings of all the teachers.

SUPERINTENDENT SOLDAN, the chairman, pointed out the need of encouragement, showing that even criticism can be made in such a way as to stimulate the teacher to renewed effort. He spoke of the importance of personal talks with the teacher to correct faulty methods of questioning and kindred errors. He raised the question whether supervision is for the purpose of stimulating or for lopping off, or for the combination of both.

SUPERINTENDENT JONES said that conference for the purpose of stimulating to better work was the only kind that should be conducted in the schoolroom. Interviews for any other purpose should be conducted in the superintendent's office.

SUPERINTENDENT H. O. R. SIEFERT, Milwaukee, Wis., emphasized the importance of acquaintance with the teacher. Principals are the superintendent's cabinet. Teachers are to be influenced thru the principal. The superintendent really knows a class only by taking it himself. He should, whenever possible, commend the work of the teacher as shown by the work of the class. He corrects his own record of a teacher's efficiency by comparing it with the record of his assistant and of the principal. Men, as a rule, are more helpful as principals than women. In grade meetings the teachers form their own organization.

DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT LESLIE LEWIS, Chicago. It is the duty of superintendent and principal to aid the teacher to succeed. Quite generally, if the teacher fails, it is our fault. To help the teacher there must be acquaintance. Such acquaintance cannot be made in five- or ten-minute visits. Criticisms may sometimes be made in the presence of the principal. Criticisms may be kindly given, and when so given are as a rule gratefully received. Men and women are equally valuable as principals. Teachers must be informed kindly but firmly of the exact ground of the criticism.

MR. SOLDAN quoted one of Lincoln's sayings, “One drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of vinegar," and another from the Talmud, "There is a soul of goodness in things evil." He then raised the question of how to avoid collision of authority in making suggestions to teachers.

MR. LEWIS answered that he makes such suggestions in the presence of the principals.

MR. SIEFERT advised telling the teacher, "Do as the principal told you," and then working with the principal to make the correction.

MR. JONES recommended such an understanding with supervising officers that such difficulties will rarely occur.

SUPERINTENDENT W. N. HAILMANN, Dayton, O.— The superintendent must deal directly with the principal, conferring with him before making criticisms of teachers. Let the principal deal with the matter without help, unless he wishes it. Kindness and benevolence should be exercised, but, in some instances, a time comes when a teacher must be asked to resign. The principal must be made to feel his responsibility as well as his power. Organizations help. The superintendent should seek the advice of his principals, should encourage free discussion, should give credit for assistance. He should not require things done in this way or that way, but should aim only at the accomplishment of certain results. Thru teachers' meetings teachers realize their own shortcomings. Teachers may sometimes be transferred to a more appreciative principal. Both principals and teachers should be led to understand that they, not the superintendent, make the school.

Teachers in Dayton are divided into chapters for the study of certain lines of work, as literature, history, geography, etc. Those deficient in any direction are advised to join the chapter devoted to the study of that subject. The superintendent calls attention to sources of information. He places the stress of supervision upon the attitude of the teacher toward the children.

EX-SUPERINTENdent Anderson, Milwaukee, Wis., holds that the superintendent's services are more effective in speaking to the entire body of teachers about meritorious as well as about faulty methods, since he can select those which are typical. He does not approve of meetings presided over by elected officers. He would appoint the officers.

SUPERINTENDENT HAILMANN has three times a year what he calls a house-cleaning day. The good things observed are summed up, and errors pointed out. Teachers of recognized ability are invariably selected by the teachers to lead the chapters; highschool teachers often being among them.

SUPERINTENDENT SOLDAN explained the character of the teachers' meetings held in St. Louis. At the opening of school each year the 1,700 teachers are invited to come together to hear an address given by the superintendent. Attendance is voluntary, yet more teachers attend than when attendance was required. The opening lecture is a condensation of the experience of the previous year. There are weekly meetings of teachers in various departments, all of which are voluntary. These meetings occur usually at 3:30 in the afternoon, with permission to those who wish to attend to close their schools in time to reach the place of meeting. Principals' meetings occur as often as once in six weeks. The superintendent formulates certain broad principles as a basis for discussion. Teachers are encouraged to criticise the administration. Thanks are always returned to the teachers for such criticisms. Tho anonymous criticisms deserve nothing better than the wastebasket, yet, on the ground that no principal should be kept in ignorance of any statement affecting the work, such communications are sent to the principal to whom they refer, with an explanation of the superintendent's low estimation of their value and with the request that they be returned.

Teachers in St. Louis are appointed from among the graduates of the city normal

school after one year of apprentice teaching. They meet every second Saturday during that apprentice year for the purpose of receiving instruction or for observing a model lesson given by a teacher of some class that has demonstrated the excellence of its work. A pedagogical society was organized in 1869, with membership dues of $1 a year. Membership at present is 900. Thru this organization professional spirit is enhanced.

SUPERINTENDENT Z. H. BROWN, Nashville, Tenn., never criticises a teacher until the principal has been consulted. The superintendent may sometimes be mistaken. His visits to teachers last from five minutes to thirty minutes. His teachers meet by groups to study certain subjects, each teacher being required to attend one of two possible meetings every two weeks. A large majority of them attend both meetings. These meetings occur at 3:30 in the afternoon, and last forty-five minutes. When a subject occurs in the grades, extending up into the high school, the high-school teacher of that subject is the leader of the class.

SUPERINTENDENT WILLIAM J. M. Cox, Moline, Ill.-Criticism, when it must be given, had better be given in the presence of the teacher alone. Mr. Brown never criticises a teacher in the presence of a third person. He expects the principal to request the teacher to correct such faults as he himself may discover, or as the superintendent may point out.

DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT MISS M. ELIZABETH FARSON, Chicago, considers it just as wrong for the superintendent to be continually talking about poor teachers as it is for the teacher to be continually talking about bad children. Show the teachers how to become better teachers. Superintendents of Chicago, Miss Farson believes, are visiting their schools largely for the sake of learning. Superintendents can learn far more than they teach. Their function is to find commendable things and extend them. On taking charge in her district, in the first four days she visited each principal in her district. Before making suggestions she heard what each had to say. This was also her course with the teachers. What the teachers need is more courage. No superintendent has a right to go into a schoolroom except as an expert. He must be able to do everything that he expects his teachers to do. Everything in the room is a sign of the teacher. Everything in a building is a sign of the principal. All meetings of teachers are voluntary. In closing she said: "Test the atmosphere of the schoolroom, look for the strong things, show the principals and teachers that you are there to help them. Try to create an atmosphere in which the teacher can work out her own salvation with freedom."

SUPERINTENDENT T. M. BallieT, Springfield, Mass., called attention to the danger confronting the superintendent of losing himself in a mass of petty details. The tendency in college administration and in school supervision is to make so prominent the business side as to consume all the time at command in the mechanism of the work, to leave no time for personal growth, on which all effective leadership depends. The superintendent must secure time for study. Unless he is a student, he will find it absolutely impossible to get his teachers to study.

The things we have to do should be classified. Some of them are so comparatively unimportant that we should put them off until the next day and then forget to do them at all. It is more important with another class of duties to make a decision promptly rather than carefully. Any decision is better than delay. Then there is a third class of duties that must be performed only after the most careful consideration and after consultation with principals and teachers of special ability.

Set apart sacredly one half-day each week for study. Go where no one can find you. Mr. Balliet stated that his own practice had been to devote the month of April mainly to study; in that month visiting schools only occasionally and not with any definite purpose. He emphasized the value of scraps of time for reading. If we let our

interest in study die, we ought to resign. Read thoroly in one or two lines and broadly in other lines. In our meetings it is a mistake to confine our discussions to details. For instance, a talk upon discipline once in ten years should be sufficient. Let results of reading come out in teachers' meetings. We need to reach a certain point before we get the desire to go on. The high-school graduate and the graduate of the normal school have not reached this point. If the superintendent has reached it, he can inspire his teachers to reach it.

MR. JONES said the superintendent has two chief duties: first, to develop ideals and standards; second, to inspire teachers to work.

SUPERINTENDENT E. H. MARK, Louisville, Ky.-Some work must be detail work. You cannot give the teacher adequate help in general meetings. Those are for inspiration. On account of their excellence some rooms need to be visited but seldom. The superintendent is employed as an expert. He is a physician who must diagnose diseases. If the teacher is a noisy teacher, help may be given by taking her without comment to visit a room of the same kind in a distant building. After such a visit one teacher said, after observing the example for a few minutes: "Let me go back to my room; you needn't say a word." Teachers work better if they themselves discover their failings.

It is Mr. Mark's practice to hold conferences with teachers, inviting to such conferences those needing help and those able to give the help needed. He would avoid creating antagonism.

DISTRICT SUPERINTendent A. G. LaNE, Chicago.—The agencies set in motion by the superintendents should be to aid the teacher to greater efficiency. The principal is the central power in directing the work. The greatest efficiency is secured thru those principals who can step into a schoolroom and illustrate the kind of work that should be done in any grade; therefore he should help the principal to become master of every part of the work. Sympathy between superintendent and teacher, and between teacher and pupils, is essential. The superintendent should hold meetings with principals to inculcate high ideals and to cultivate the proper spirit. The principal has the general direction of the work in his building. The superintendent goes into the rooms to see that these directions are carried out. About one-half of the principals promptly carry out suggestions. Individual work has to be done with the others. One of the most effective means for improving work and establishing high ideals is the grade meeting in which illustrative class exercises are given by skilled teachers and observed by visiting teachers. The week before the opening of school in September is devoted to voluntary meetings of teachers whose professional spirit brings them together to make preparation for the work of the year.

SUPERINTENDENT C. G. PEARSE, Omaha, Neb., emphasized the importance of the business side of supervision. The office of superintendent of schools is of American origin. Each superintendent has developed along individual lines. In time we shall have the man strong on both the business and the educational side. Mr. Pearse commended the idea that the superintendent is to set up standards. He held that it is sometimes necessary to speak of the poor teachers, of the "dead wood" in the profession. We cannot deal wholly with inspiration, tho that is pleasant.

DISTRICT SUPERINtendent Charles D. Lowry, Chicago, finds teachers always willing to do hard and tiresome things because they require the least thought. He finds it difficult to get them to give up useless drudgery. He regards it important for the superintendent to show them how to do their work with as little expenditure of energy as possible, as for instance in the minute marking of examination papers. A teacher can easily use all of her time and that of a secretary in doing unprofitable routine work. She should reserve her strength for teaching rather than for recording, for personal rest and for broad study.

school after one year of apprentice teaching. They meet every second Saturday during that apprentice year for the purpose of receiving instruction or for observing a model lesson given by a teacher of some class that has demonstrated the excellence of its work. A pedagogical society was organized in 1869, with membership dues of $1 a year. Membership at present is 900. Thru this organization professional spirit is enhanced.

SUPERINTENDENT Z. H. BROWN, Nashville, Tenn., never criticises a teacher until the principal has been consulted. The superintendent may sometimes be mistaken. His visits to teachers last from five minutes to thirty minutes. His teachers meet by groups to study certain subjects, each teacher being required to attend one of two possible meetings every two weeks. A large majority of them attend both meetings. These meetings occur at 3:30 in the afternoon, and last forty-five minutes. When a subject occurs in the grades, extending up into the high school, the high-school teacher of that subject is the leader of the class.

SUPERINTENDENT WILLIAM J. M. Cox, Moline, Ill.-Criticism, when it must be given, had better be given in the presence of the teacher alone. Mr. Brown never criticises a teacher in the presence of a third person. He expects the principal to request the teacher to correct such faults as he himself may discover, or as the superintendent may point out.

DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT MISS M. ELIZABETH FARSON, Chicago, considers it just as wrong for the superintendent to be continually talking about poor teachers as it is for the teacher to be continually talking about bad children. Show the teachers how to become better teachers. Superintendents of Chicago, Miss Farson believes, are visiting their schools largely for the sake of learning. Superintendents can learn far more than they teach. Their function is to find commendable things and extend them. On taking charge in her district, in the first four days she visited each principal in her district. Before making suggestions she heard what each had to say. This was also her course with the teachers. What the teachers need is more courage. No superintendent has a right to go into a schoolroom except as an expert. He must be able to do everything that he expects his teachers to do. Everything in the room is a sign of the teacher. Everything in a building is a sign of the principal. All meetings of teachers are voluntary. In closing she said: "Test the atmosphere of the schoolroom, look for the strong things, show the principals and teachers that you are there to help them. Try to create an atmosphere in which the teacher can work out her own salvation with freedom."

SUPERINTENDENT T. M. BALLIET, Springfield, Mass., called attention to the danger confronting the superintendent of losing himself in a mass of petty details. The tendency in college administration and in school supervision is to make so prominent the business side as to consume all the time at command in the mechanism of the work, to leave no time for personal growth, on which all effective leadership depends. The superintendent must secure time for study. Unless he is a student, he will find it absolutely impossible to get his teachers to study.

The things we have to do should be classified. Some of them are so comparatively unimportant that we should put them off until the next day and then forget to do them at all. It is more important with another class of duties to make a decision promptly rather than carefully. Any decision is better than delay. Then there is a third class of duties that must be performed only after the most careful consideration and after consultation with principals and teachers of special ability.

Set apart sacredly one half-day each week for study. Go where no one can find you. Mr. Balliet stated that his own practice had been to devote the month of April mainly to study; in that month visiting schools only occasionally and not with any definite purpose. He emphasized the value of scraps of time for reading. If we let our