ZulII* ; • ■ UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS BULLETIN Vol. XXVI Issued Weekly February 12, 1929 No. 24 [Entered as second-class matter December 11. 1912, at the post office at Urbana, Illinois, under the Act of August 24. 1912. Acceptance for mailin? at the special rate of post- age provided for in section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized July 31. 1918.] UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS COLLEGE OF EDUCATION TEACHER TRAINING IN THE UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL -3 OJ. C"> ^ cN *-* CD u- PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, URBANA 1929 The person charging this material is re- sponsible for its return on or before the Latest Date stamped below. Theft, mutilation, and underlining of books are reasons for disciplinary action and may result in dismissal from the University, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LI8RARV AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN m a m EAC] NIV SFP U W i 1 ' 28 L161— O-1096 00 O en -z. cs; —j a> —j 00 CS2 >. >~ fc CO URBANA, ILLINOIS 1928 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS II PRESS It XZu-lIt FOREWORD One of the most perplexing problems which has to be faced by colleges of education in our universities has to do with the practice work to be presented to students in education to enable them to go into the class room as in- experienced teachers with a better background and with greater certainty of successful work as teachers than will be the case when they have to commence their teach- ing without having had any personal contacts with the actual school work. In our normal schools and teachers colleges for many years so-called model schools have been in existence, sometimes as a definitely organized part of the work of the teacher training institution and sometimes as a result of cooperation with the local school system. Particularly where our teacher training institutions are a part of large city school systems it has been possible to furnish a relatively large amount of so- called practice teaching, that is to say, teaching under the supervision of skilled and experienced teachers. In the state teacher training institutions, although the same practice has been attempted, the relatively large number of student teachers has made the problem very much more difficult and on the whole the results, so far as practical experience is concerned, have not been as de- sirable as in the city training schools. Now that our colleges of education are undertaking, to an ever increasing extent, the task of training their own graduates in such a way that there may be reason- able expectation of their becoming successful teachers, the problem of furnishing something corresponding to what has popularly been called practice teaching on the levels for which the students in these colleges are pre- paring themselves is becoming increasingly serious. In several states teachers' certificates are issued to grad- uates of these teacher training institutions or depart- ments of education only upon satisfactory evidence having been produced that, in addition to a minimum amount of prescribed education courses, there shall have been a certain amount of "practice teaching." Even in states like Illinois where this is not a requirement for the county high school certificate or for the second grade elementary county certificate, the school administrator almost invariably, very properly, looks with more favor upon the inexperienced teacher who has had a reason- able amount of educational practice than upon another candidate who may have as good academic preparation and as complete a general professional preparation with the exception of this educational practice. The College of Education of the University of Illi- nois, recognizing the importance of some kind of worth- while educational practice, established its University High School which has been designed to serve three purposes: first, to act as an experimental laboratory for various types of investigations which may seem to be desirable in the advancement of the science of educa- tion; second, to serve as a model school for the educa- tors of Illinois; and third, to present opportunities for worthwhile observation on the part of students planning to become teachers and to give them actual experience through daily contact with actual class work under as desirable conditions as possible. The faculty of the Uni- versity High School has, therefore, properly considered during these years that one of its chief tasks was to make as effective as possible the educational practice work for the College of Education. This bulletin has been prepared to show to the high school principals of the state and to all others interested in the character of our educational practice work the way in which this rather difficult problem has been at- tacked. It is quite obvious that a relatively small high school cannot furnish, from the standpoint of time, un- limited opportunities for full time practice teaching. Some modification of the traditional practice teaching period, therefore, had to be made. It was also the belief of the faculty of the College of Education that a far more economical use of the time of students desiring educational practice could be secured if a very syste- matic procedure could be developed. Those interested in this problem, by reading the statements prepared by the faculty of the University High School, can secure a very correct conception of the work of the University High School so far as it relates to the furnishing to the students in the College of Education opportunities for intelligent observation and valuable first hand contacts with the problems of the teacher. C. E. Chadsey Dean, College of Education TEACHER TRAINING IN THE UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL Many inquiries come from time to time concerning the training in practice teaching at the University High School. Furthermore, seniors beginning the work need some specific suggestions relative to it, more even than can be given in a brief talk. New staff teachers should have some directions to guide them, especially if they have never had practice in supervision or have not used a plan similar to the one employed here. Such an ac- count should make it easier for them to familiarize themselves with the procedure and at the same time to reduce the need of direction and guidance from those in authority. This bulletin represents an attempt to meet these requirements. It is the product of the entire staff of teachers for the year 1927-28 acting in committees and as a group. The plan of Educational Practice, as the catalog des- ignates it, has as its basis one or two of the essential features of Principal Miller's plan of "Directed Teach- ing'' at the University of Wisconsin. However, there are so many modifications of these that it is doubtful if even Professor Miller would recognize the child or lay any claim to parenthood, even by adoption. In reality, the work has developed in an evolutionary manner dur- ing the seven years the school has been in existence. Adjustments have been made to fit the particular situ- ation, modifications and changes have been adopted as experience dictated, until the plans stand forth strictly as the University High School Plan. This means that all who have served on the staff during the seven years have had a part in its development. The training in Educational Practice at the Univer- sity High School is primarily an apprenticeship. A Senior in the College of Education at the University, [7] specializing in some subject with the expectation of teaching it, is assigned to some one of the classes in that subject at the High School. He is required to meet reg- ularly each day with the class and to be responsible for class work, just as are the pupils. The regular staff teacher does not call upon him daily but feels free to do so at any time. To this extent, the Senior is a high school pupil and learns to see things from the pupil's standpoint. In the next place, the Senior is an assistant to the staff teacher. Just as soon as feasible, he is called upon to help, first in relatively simple ways, later in more im- portant matters, and finally in the most significant phases of teaching. In the meantime, and in fact throughout the semester, he is working on special prob- lems, having personal conferences with both the staff teacher and the pupils, and participating, within reason- able limits, in the various activities of the life of the school. The aim is to give him some experience in prac- tically every phase of the work which he must face when he becomes a teacher upon his own responsibility. It is now our purpose to describe somewhat in detail, the methods which are used in carrying out our aim. Of course, each Senior deserves and requires and re- ceives special individual attention. This, however, is the problem of the staff teacher to whom he is assigned, and comes as a supplement to, or a modification of, the gen- eral plan used throughout the school. For our partic- ular purpose the method will be discussed from the fol- lowing standpoints: (a) Training in subject matter; (b) training in observation; (c) training in student con- tacts; (d) training in the principles of teaching, and (e) training in practice. TRAINING IN SUBJECT MATTER Knowledge of subject matter is but a secondary ob- jective in Educational Practice; only advanced students may register in this course and good training in subject [8] matter is a prerequisite. However, the assumption that Seniors know their subject often proves false; conse- quently advantage is taken of every opportunity offered to emphasize the necessity of real knowledge of subject for successful teaching. The Seniors are trained in sub- ject matter ( I ) by being required to demonstrate their superior scholarship in competition with regular high school students; (2) by their good teaching; (3) by their study of library books and their reports on them; and (4) by the study of other textbooks. During the first few weeks, the Senior must demon- strate his superior scholarship by preparing each day's lesson, giving reports, reciting and writing quizzes like regular members of the class. It is often a revelation to the Seniors to see high school students doing better work and writing better quizzes than they do, as some- times happens ; not infrequently Seniors here realize for the first time the difference between credits in a reg- istrar's office and real scholarship. In participation in class work they have their first chance to win the respect of the high school students and, in rare cases, they fail so decidedly in these scholastic tests that they never win the privilege of teaching the class. When the Senior begins to plan lessons and actually to teach the class, he finds greater demands upon his scholarship. He must know more than his students ; he must be able to explain more clearly and more fully than the text, and must answer questions well if he is to re- tain the respect of the class. Many first discover here that a teacher just cannot be vague or bluff before keen minded youngsters and be respected. In reports and conferences following teaching experiences the almost invariable reaction is, "We see that teachers must know their subject." The Seniors are required to study the books in the library on the subject they are teaching, to make reports suggesting new books for the high school library and offering devices for getting the students to use the li- [9] brary; sometimes they are asked to assign topics for class or assembly reports with references to books in the library for materials. All this gives added zest and in- centive to deeper scholarship. The staff teachers have a collection of textbooks which are not only made available to Senior teachers, but written reviews, comparisons and evaluations are generally required. This familiarity with other texts furnishes further incentives to wider scholarship. TRAINING IN OBSERVATION For the Senior in Educational Practice, the step from his place in the class as a student to that of observer is an easy transition. Two factors function in directing the attention of the Senior to the teacher's methods of class procedure. First, his work in other education courses has stimulated an interest in the technique of teaching and has given him a basis for intelligent obser- vation. Second, the fact that he is soon to shoulder the responsibility of conducting the class naturally directs his attention to the methods employed. It is necessary, however, to guide the student in his observation to that which will be most helpful. The teacher attempts in the first place to center the attention of the observer on some very definite phase of the work. He may first be directed to observe the han- dling of routine matters in the room, the taking of at- tendance, seating of students, caring for the comfort of the room, the simpler tasks that the teacher learns to manage economically. Then each part of the class hour may be a topic for special study. The practice teacher may for a week's time watch with care the assignment of lessons. He may note the satisfactory and the unsatis- factory assignments and attempt to analyze the cause of each success or failure. This problem, then, becomes the subject of his weekly report. He outlines the pro- cedure which he considers ideal and measures according to that standard the teaching under his observation. All [IO] examples he draws from the work in his class. At the end of the week, the staff teacher and Seniors discuss this problem in conference. In this same way, the Sen- ior during succeeding weeks may be directed to observe such other phases of class procedure as reviews, the handling of drill work, questioning or devices for vary- ing class work. In his papers and in his conferences, the student teacher is urged to have no fear of being frankly critical. He does not expect always to discover superior teaching. His observation should help him to evaluate methods. Frequently Seniors have an opportunity to watch the success of other practice teachers working in the same class. They readily apply the ideas they gain from ob- serving the strong and weak points in the work of other student teachers. After the Senior has begun his teaching, his own par- ticular weaknesses become obvious. Then, he naturally centers his attention on these phases of the work. Fre- quently, after the student teacher's first attempts at managing the class, observation seems to him of vital importance. It is not through directed, systematic observation alone that the practice teacher may improve his work. Numberless little, unexpected situations arise during a class hour that are not infrequently baffling to the most experienced teacher. It is surely of no less importance to deal tactfully and wisely with the pupils of a class than to present the subject matter in the most approved manner. The person who watches another fail or suc- ceed in meeting these situations well, acquires a very necessary fund of experience. The amount that may be gained by observation is limited. An overemphasis upon the methods employed by the teacher may result in the Senior becoming merely an imitator. Observation of another should be a basis and a background for him as he proceeds to "find him- self" and the methods that will be most successful in his own teaching. TRAINING IN STUDENT CONTACTS In addition to his training in subject matter and in observation, the Senior in Educational Practice must gain experience in student contacts. He must learn to think of the pupils of his class as individuals and not as the Algebra I or the Freshman English Group. To initiate this phase of the work, an assignment is given for a written characterization of each member of the high school class, this report to be handed in at the end of the first two or three weeks of the course. The cadet teacher is asked to make a careful study of the pupils, their abilities, tastes, interests and activities. In this work he himself must devise the methods by which the information is secured, under the guidance, of course, of the staff teacher. He observes each pupil's reactions in class ; studies the records of the grades and intelligence tests already gathered in the administrative office ; he uses questionnaires ; and capitalizes every op- portunity, especially the ten-minute period between classes, for direct personal conversations with the pupils. Thus early in the semester he tries to become as well acquainted as possible with the boys and girls with whom he is to work. As soon as the Senior enters the course, he becomes an active member of the high school class in which he is apprenticed. As has been pointed out in a preceding section of this bulletin, he is responsible for the prepara- tion of daily assignments given to the pupils ; he may be called on at any time to demonstrate a theorem or trans- late a page of French or Latin. He finds that in his four years of college work he has grown surprisingly far apart from the viewpoint of the high school pupil. As he measures his ability with that of the members of the class he realizes clearly the difference between the capacity of the university student and that of the high school pupil. He also learns that the younger boy and girl do not supply their own motivation for work. Step by step he goes over the same ground as a learner with [12] the pupils, thus earning his right to lead the same pupils later in his work as an apprentice to the staff teacher. By putting himself in the position of the high school pupil he learns again to see things through the eyes of the adolescent boy and girl. He thus gains for himself the viewpoints of both pupil and teacher at the same time. The third means of training the cadet teacher in stu- dent contacts is his tutoring of individual members of the class, — working with slow pupils, with those who must make up lost time, with the gifted who are doing extra assignments, and with all the members of the class in their scheduled conferences. Before taking up the work with the class as a group, he has the opportunity to know each pupil's particular problem, to analyze it and to plan the means for meeting it. He learns the truth that is often so difficult for a beginning teacher to real- ize, namely, that one, two, and even many explanations of a rule of syntax or of a problem in mathematics may pass high above the understanding of the pupils who with a little individual attention may be able to grasp the point in question. Besides learning the flaws in the pupils' thinking he becomes acquainted with their atti- tudes and ideals, for a high school boy or girl expresses himself or herself much more frankly in an individual conference than in the class group. The practice teacher thus comes to have patience and sympathy in dealing with boys and girls. He begins to have an understanding of the problem pupils, — the slow, the in- different, and the unruly, before he has the difficult task of dealing with these in the class group. He appreciates the value of individual contacts with his pupils in secur- ing a higher grade of work and a better understanding between teacher and class. He thus learns to diagnose each case and to apply different methods of treatment to each student problem. A fourth means of training in student contacts is the checking of the pupil's reports and quizzes under the [13] supervision of the staff teacher. The cadet teacher per- ceives that he cannot expect one hundred percent or even ninety percent returns on the effort spent in teaching. He learns from the test papers to detect weaknesses in class room presentations ; then he is led to plan concen- tration of teaching effort at those points of weakness. He is trained to apprehend the difference between a good and a poor test question ; he knows through actual experience the results to be expected from different types of examination ; and he realizes that all examina- tions do not serve one and the same purpose. He comes to know how to score questions and how to grade the paper as a whole, and finally, he recognizes that an ex- amination is not an infallible means of testing. In the latter part of the semester he may be made sole cus- todian of several sets of reports or short quizzes. If he can justify all the "CV and "D's" as well as the "A's" he has given, he has established himself as an important member of the group and earned his right to his position as a leader. Through his checking of written work to- gether with his tutoring in oral conferences the student teacher comes to realize that an all-round knowledge of the pupil is necessary before a final estimate of his work can be made. A fifth means of training in student contacts is se- cured through giving an assignment in working with pupils in preparing a high school assembly program or by having him cooperate in other extra-curricular ac- tivities. He may be given the task of planning an entire assembly program, selling it to the pupils and then di- recting them in the execution of the performance. In special subjects, such as music and public speaking, the cadet teacher is often, after some supervision, afforded the opportunity to direct publicly the high school orches- tra and glee clubs, or is made solely responsible for the entire production of at least one play. The practice teacher finds that the high school parties are also a valuable means of student contact; as a result [Hi the classes in Educational Practice are often well repre- sented at matinee dances and evening parties. The cadet teacher may be asked to assist various committees in the plans for decoration, entertainment, and refresh- ment. Thus he gains another view of the mind and in- terests of the boy and girl. With the help of the staff teacher he learns to direct and influence as a friend and counselor in this extra-curricular work. He acquires first hand experience in the same type of work for which he will be responsible when he teaches in his own class room. As an apprentice he is trained in the student con- tacts which later he must have as a master workman. Thus, by means of his conscious effort to arrive at an understanding of the characteristics of each pupil — by means of his position as a pupil in the class at the same time that he is an apprentice teacher — by means of his individual work with each pupil — through his experi- ence in grading and checking written work — and finally through his work with the boys and girls in the assembly program and extra-curricular activities the cadet has the opportunity to attain that "aptitude for vicariousness" which is necessary for a successful teacher. TRAINING IN THE PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING Another valuable feature of this work for the cadet teacher is the enrichment and application of his knowl- edge of the principles of teaching. Before he is ad- mitted to this course in practice teaching, the pupil must have taken at least the elementary courses in Education and have gained a fair knowledge of the fundamental principles. These he is now called upon to use as the basis of intelligent craftsmanship. First of all, comes a checking up and review of these principles, as given in these courses in Education. The immediate purposes of the work ahead cause the student to approach these principles with a fresh interest; their value now looms large and important. [15] Then comes the framing of plans for practice in the application of these principles (starting, of course, with the simpler ones) as pertinent to the cadet's particular teaching subject. Thus, what he has learned on the na- ture of successful questioning is reviewed and clinched in very practical form. Theory is now joined with prac- tice. Similarly, he clarifies and puts to use his knowl- edge of the principles of formulating tests, and he comes to utilize in a very significant fashion the knowledge he has gained concerning the newer types of the examina- tion. He reviews the various conceptions of grading pupils' work and puts them to the test. He learns to evaluate various theories of assignment through prob- lems arising in connection with his particular subject. Confronted by the necessity of selling his subject, or a particular part of his subject, to the class, he finds ways and means of turning faith into deed. Especially does he come to weigh and estimate the value of various proposed methods of procedure. Thus, in a class in physics he gains an intelligent opinion con- cerning the value of the laboratory method in contrast to a close adherence to a textbook plan; or in French and Spanish he learns the relative advantages and dis- advantages of the direct method of instruction as com- pared with translation. Again, in his English courses he checks by actually putting to the test, the arguments which have been advanced pro and con on the worth of the project in composition; or he learns to evaluate in the actual work of the class room the reasons advanced in favor of the Dalton plan of instruction. In a word, the pupil here reviews what he has learned concerning the principles of teaching and applies these and tests them in daily experiences as pupil, observer and teacher. REPORTS AND CONFERENCES The topics selected for written reports, which are later discussed in conference, are designed to further the [16] part of the work just discussed. Usually the first report is concerned with a study of the attitude of the class to which the cadet teacher has been assigned. As a result of this report the pupils begin to stand out as individ- uals. Other reports, dealing with the attention given by pupils, reveal class problems. The problems thus dis- closed form the basis of many interesting and valuable conferences between the training teacher and his cadets. At least one conference (usually more) is devoted to a discussion of the traits of adolescence — physical, mental and moral. After this the first character sketch of the pupils in the class is assigned. A second char- acter sketch of the pupil is required after the pupil has had considerable experience in teaching the class. Another conference is devoted to a discussion of the characteristics necessary for a teacher of adolescents. This is followed by a discussion of what high school pupils expect of a teacher and their general criticism of student teachers. , From time to time these cadets are given quizzes on matters relating to discipline, class spirit, attitudes, ado- lescent characteristics, and different types of pupils. The answers to the questions here used provide ma- terials for valuable conferences. Early in the semester the various types of lesson plans are discussed in conference. An attempt is made to aid the students in preparing short, practical lesson plans. Although many of the student teachers have had in- struction in the forming of these before entering the course, they frequently lack the ability to make valuable lesson plans or plans for more than one type of lesson. Accordingly, this part of the work becomes the subject for further conferences and assignments. At first the practice teacher attempts to form, but to form very care- fully, only some part of a lesson plan — such as a state- ment of the aim, the assignment, the relating of the work with that in the preceding lesson, etc. After such preliminary practice the cadet undertakes the planning [17] of the entire lesson. In training the cadet in this im- portant work, the instructor holds to high standards so that before getting a plan acceptable for actual teaching the student teacher usually works it over repeatedly. TRAINING IN PRACTICE One of the most potent reasons why the course in Ed- ucational Practice is so effective in giving the prospec- tive teacher such an excellent review in subject matter, such fine training in observation, such admirable train- ing in teaching theory, is that the cadet soon comes to realize that such knowledge and training will be indis- pensable when he stands before the class as an instruc- tor. The staff teacher may in some cases find it neces- sary to warn the student teacher that he cannot have the privilege of taking charge of the class to give instruction in a whole unit of work until he has satisfactorily mas- tered these fundamentals. Both the class and the cadet should be made to feel that teaching the group is a priv- ilege which the novitiate has earned by demonstrating to the pupils and the staff teacher that he is superior to the boys and girls in his knowledge of subject matter and by obtaining the respect and admiration of the pupils through his association with them. Usually the Seniors find that taking entire charge of the class is a very complicated task. Hence, they are first given practice in the various activities that together may be called teaching. They begin with mechanical and routine activities. From the first week the student teacher may be required to keep the record of attendance and tardiness, to sign the entrance permits of pupils who have to come to observe, and to hand in all signed per- mits to the principal's secretary. He may be asked to arrange the seating, the lighting, the ventilation, the temperature, to take charge of the bulletin board, to ob- tain the library books used in supplementary reading, to help arrange laboratory equipment for demonstration or for student use, etc. When there are two or more prac- [1.8] tice teachers in a class they take turns at these tasks, during definite periods assigned to each. The performance of such tasks enables the student from the very beginning of his course in Educational Practice to feel some responsibility for the welfare of the class. He becomes conscious of the work of a teacher; his sense of responsibility and participation grows. Yet the tasks performed are such that inexperi- ence, unpreparedness, or the mistakes he may make can have but slight effect on the progress of the class. The student teacher may also be given a set of papers, themes, reports, or laboratory experiments to grade and correct. At the beginning of the next class period he will return them to the pupils, pointing out and correct- ing the most common mistakes and clarifying what the pupils have not understood. Such a task is so definite and the high school pupils are so attentive and in such a receptive mood that this proves to be an excellent de- vice to familiarize the student teacher with the work and most common difficulties of the pupils, to give him prac- tice in getting a class to come to order promptly, to train him to address the class straightforwardly and with a definite message, and finally to enable him to feel at home and to enjoy standing before the class. The student teacher is asked to take charge of the make-up work of pupils who for any reason have not done their tasks, or who are not able to keep up with the class. Such practice proves useful for several rea- sons: (i) It enables the slower pupil or one who has been absent, to keep up with the class, thus avoiding much discouragement and allowing the class as a whole to make greater progress than it otherwise could. (2) The student teacher is much less likely to be embarrassed or inhibited when explaining some phase of subject- matter to one or two students, rather than to the entire class where the brighter pupils are ready to question any mistake he may make. (3) It permits the cadet to get his first practice in teaching where his mistakes and in- [19] efficient methods will not have the disastrous effect upon the welfare and progress of the students which they would have if they were made before the entire class. (4) As the student teacher has only one or two pupils, he knows at each instant whether the pupils understand his explanations and illustrations, and he can change and repeat them until they do comprehend them. Thus through trial and error he learns that he must make his explanations and illustrations simple, clear, and com- plete. He learns that he must express himself so that the slowest and most poorly prepared pupil in his class can understand him, a condition which he would become aware of much less rapidly if he were talking to the en- tire class, or to the brighter pupils. Thus by the time the cadet is called upon to teach the entire class he has had some practice and has already learned some effective ways of presenting his material. (5) It enables the novitiate to realize that a very large part of his success as a teacher will be determined by his ability to help the pupil who has been absent, or the slow, or the poor stu- dent to have sufficient knowledge not to become dis- couraged, and not to be a drag on the class. (6) It assists the student teacher in learning that he is instruct- ing individual pupils in a class and not merely a group. Thus, the individual and not the class becomes for him the unit of instruction. After the first week or two the cadet may be asked to take charge of certain phases of the recitation, such as conducting at the beginning of the class period, a short review over the previous day's work; or in mathematics and foreign language classes he may be asked to take charge of the work done at the board. The Senior's careful preparation for handling these various phases of the work just discussed is insured through his preliminary conferences with the class teacher. Assignments, questions, kinds of lessons, aims, lesson plans, reviews, and quizzes have been considered carefully in his observations of the class and in the sub- [20] sequent reports. He has tried to develop skill in ques- tioning and in analyzing pupil difficulties, when he tutored individual pupils or aided the staff teacher in supervising blackboard work. To be sure there must be a first time when the Senior stands before the class in the formal role of a teacher. One of the most important and carefully planned of these conferences in reports comes when he is given the problem of formulating and making the class assignment, — a task which will occupy only a part of the hour. Perhaps on the following day the practice teacher may conduct the daily review or even make another assign- ment, but his chief duty will be to observe how well the staff teacher may be able to realize the aim of the assign- ment. Then he must observe his staff teacher further, have a conference with him, and analyze the results of his first efforts. Then the staff teacher asks him to plan the activities for an entire class hour. After he has revised his plan carefully he makes his assignment on one day and teaches the entire hour the next day. The degree to which he succeeds in this task and the number of Seniors in the same class determine the extent to which he will teach single day units of work. Just as far as the general scheme of things will permit, he will have a chance to teach the various types of lessons ; ex- ploration, drill, development, review, laboratory, etc. All the while, however, the staff teacher must safeguard the interests of the high school students in such a way that they may not feel that they are being unduly practiced upon, or that the staff teacher shall believe that the effi- ciency of the instruction is being lowered. This period of teaching helps both the student teacher and the staff teacher. It helps the former to realize just what it means to teach. He perceives that he must know his subject matter better than he has ever known it be- fore, that to master a lesson sufficiently for a recitation or an examination is not nearly enough to enable him to explain it simply, clearly, and completely to the class. [21] He learns that a thorough plan is most helpful, even nec- essary. He receives actual experience in correlating theory with practice. On the other hand it gives the staff teacher an opportunity to see the student teacher in action early in the semester. He can thus have more time to make specific suggestions and to propose meth- ods by which the cadet may overcome deficiencies, and develop into the best instructor of which he is capable. Then comes another important feature of the work: before the Senior has completed his training in the prac- tice of teaching, he must plan and direct at least a week of class room work. He must indicate to the staff teacher definite aims for each day and for the entire week; he must make careful preparation for realizing these aims, and he must revise his plans from day to day as occasions demand. During this unit of work, the staff teacher minimizes his own importance, and if he deem it advisable, absents himself from the class room thus leaving temporarily every reasonable responsibility upon the cadet. It is during this period of teaching that the Senior realizes the extent and importance of dis- cipline. He must meet every situation and master it or he must reason out the causes for failure. The staff teacher enters the room at unexpected times. If he finds everything satisfactory, he becomes an observer ; if the lesson is lagging, he enters into the discussion; if the practice teacher seems to be lost, he takes the reins into his own hands. The staff teacher stands between the high school class and the practice teacher, always pres- ent in authority but in the background as far as safety will permit. The staff teacher usually makes note of good and bad points in the Senior's teaching technique and gives him the benefit of daily criticism. During the week's teach- ing the staff teacher and the Senior have daily confer- ences to discuss the plans. The other Seniors in the same class offer their criticisms in the weekly confer- [22] ence. The cadet learns in this way both to give and to accept criticism frankly and fairly. The staff teacher usually requires the novitiate to complete his longer unit of instruction with a test. He makes out his own questions, conducts the examination, marks the papers, and defends his marks in case of stu- dent criticism. The Senior has further practice in review lessons in that he prepares a plan for the semester review which covers a period of several days, and if possible he helps conduct this important part of the work. Especial attention is given to the handling of tests and examinations. Here the Senior has the opportunity to prepare and conduct quizzes, some of them short and others lasting through the full class period. He gains some experience with standardized tests in the subject in which he is working. He may help construct true-false, completion, or multiple choice tests in his particular field. If good tests are available for use, he helps administer and score them. In French, the American Council and the Columbia Research tests have been used; in geom- etry, the Hart Geometry Test; in algebra, the Illinois Standardized test and others. The cadet aids in the final examination, submitting a list of questions for this test from which the staff teacher uses such parts or questions as are suitable. The teaching practice is done, usually, in the subject representing the major interest of the new teacher, and the one in which his future work will lie. Thus the plan of work may be followed to give practice in the details of teaching and in the application of the special methods to be used in the particular branch he plans to teach. Since the art of teaching is governed by certain general principles modified by a multitude of details of differ- ence in the various subjects of our modern school cur- riculum, it is important that some opportunity be given for gaining experience in the particular subject chosen by each individual new teacher. [23] If the Senior is looking forward to teaching English, he should become familiar with the modern methods of the English class room. If he is to coach athletics, coach- ing methods should be made plain to him. If he is to direct work in science or shop, he should be given the privilege as well as the responsibility of applying the methods and principles peculiar to the teaching of each. Thus, he may correct serious mistakes and misapplica- tions of the information gained in the theory classes. Because a teacher has been trained to teach physics, or history and promises to be successful in his chosen field, it is not certain that he will succeed equally well or even passing well in the coaching of athletics or the manage- ment of shopwork, and it is true with even greater em- phasis of the reverse situation, and with other combina- tions where the general principles of teaching must be applied in rather widely different details to secure satis- factory results. To provide this special preparation, it is not enough that the new teacher be taught the essentials of lesson planning and assignments, but it must be lesson planning in history, or English, or mathematics, or agriculture or manual arts in order to be most helpful to the beginner. Assignments and instruction must, likewise, be re- stricted, if these are to be done successfully, to the field or fields in which adequate interest and preparation are present to insure success. But the measure of success in the teaching of any one subject or any combination of subjects is always determined by the breadth as well as the depth of his preparation and interests. No narrowly prepared specialist can accomplish what can be done by one with greater breadth of training. Much knowledge of one and some knowledge of many things is the type of training to be desired. For clearness, perhaps, it may be well to compare some of the subjects, to point out more specifically the differences referred to above. In the matter of prepara- tion and interest, there are obvious differences in subject [24] matter required for teaching the various branches. The history teacher without a knowledge of and an interest in the nature and results of human events, the English teacher without information and interest in languages and literature, the shop teacher without interest in me- chanics and construction would invite failure, and each would be helpful in the full grasp of the other subjects in which the youth under instruction is interested. If it is a lesson plan, the academic teacher would use one form, the science teacher one similar, but differing in details, the coach another, the shop teacher one still different, yet none of the school subjects may be success- fully taught without suitable plans for lessons. In as- signments, equal, if not greater, differences may be rec- ognized, while methods of instruction, also, must be modified for adaptation to the conditions of the subject presented. Class instruction, either in large or small groups may serve best where factual information is the aim of the course. Laboratory instruction, where presentation of the facts must be accompanied by certain manual manip- ulation, is often required as a means for effective re- sults. Combinations of class and laboratory instruction must be used where facts and experiences are needed in the learning process. The lesson plan for the class room is not fundamen- tally different, but must vary in details from the lesson plan for the laboratory, the shop, or the athletic field. In like manner, the assignments must differ, and the method of instruction. Plans may be simple, to cover short periods of instruction, or more extensive, requir- ing longer periods, as in cases where habits must be formed or corrected and reformed. They may vary from the simple outline for a short recitation to one carrying details of a series of recitations, laboratory periods, or shop exercises. Assignments, likewise, may be for short lessons to be finished promptly, or for projects taking more time to [25] complete, where records by the pupil in the form of drawings, laboratory instructions or shop instruction sheets are needed. Instruction, also, must be adapted to the plan and to the assignment. Some lessons may well be presented to a group, the more extensive ones to a smaller group if all are to do the lessons alike, but where instruction is not effective in classes, or the assignments are adapted to the needs of the individual, instruction must be individual, also. Therefore the beginning teacher is given training in the particular type of teach- ing by being assigned to his work in the subject he ex- pects to teach. Here, by observation and by participa- tion he learns to do the work by the method most appro- priate to the situation. [26] Lithomount 9 Pamphlet Binders Gaylord Bros. Inc. Makers ■ Syracuse, N. Y. ] UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 3 0112 11034275?