is the capstone of all the theoretical courses. This in no way minimizes the importance of the other courses. Introduction to Education and Principles of Teaching are fundamental courses. They are the bones and sinews of the structure, but it is the course in Student Teaching which puts life and breath into the framework. What would a teacher miss who failed to incorporate in his training a course in Introduction to Teaching or Educational Psychology? Laws and principles too numerous to mention. What would the teacher miss who failed to get a good course in Observation and Student Teaching? He would fail to get a practical first-hand knowledge of children in a classroom, which courses in psychology cannot give him. He would fail to view the human side of teaching-how to judge fairly, how to secure and hold the friendship of the pupils without sacrificing dignity, how to get the coöperation of the pupils, how to deal with backward pupils, how to get the pupils' viewpoint, how to sympathize with the pupils' difficulties and problems, in short how really to know and understand pupils while they are in the charge of the school. Second, it is only under actual test that the prospective teacher can really see and comprehend wherein he falls short in meeting the standards of a good teacher from the personal standpoint-pupils soon let the teacher know if his voice is too low and inarticulate, he soon realizes that he needs more poise, that he should strive to develop more force and animation in his personality, that he must clothe his thoughts in language suitable to the pupils, that he is weak in accepting responsibility. The self-analyzed teacher may make a fine showing on paper but the acid test is provided by a class of red-blooded boys and girls. Personality is intangible and difficult of objective measurement, but whatever it is, it is a powerful force in the classroom. Whether it can be developed or improved is not definitely known, but certainly a year's teaching experience is an invaluable tool in helping the individual search out his strengths and weaknesses as relates to his contacts with people. Third, student teaching and observation in a public school, and in a model school to a lesser extent, is the only way to see and appreciate school routine. Of course, training with artificial problems is better than no training at all. Filling a fictitious register and sending reports to a supposed principal doesn't in any way compare with the same things in a real school. It is actual experience with life problems that counts. Artificial plans are usually hollow when a situation for their use occurs. Furthermore, no small part in the training in routine is being on the job, on time, every day. Fourth, the teacher who does not have the privilege of a course in Observation and Student Teaching will lack efficient classroom technique. It is pretty generally accepted today that scholarship and knowledge of subject matter do not guarantee proper classroom technique. It is likewise true that a course in student teaching or a number of courses in education will not insure knowledge of subject matter. Furthermore, having had a course in student teaching does not stamp the beginning teacher as one bound to be successful, however, it does reduce the possibilities of failure. It is interesting to note in this connection that Dr. Frederick L. Whitney of the Colorado State Teachers College in a study "The Analysis of Teaching Functions," found the following correlations: Teaching success and intelligence.. Teaching success and academic marks.. .025 .073 .238 .386 These data are based upon "1200 graduates (classes of 1920) of two-year college courses in twelve representative state normal schools." Similar results have been reported by Knight and Chew. These correlations are surprisingly low. Courses 1 Jour. Educ. Research, 7: 397-308, April, 1923. in education acquaint the teacher with ways of motivating the class work, how to secure proper class control, how to make assignments and conduct reviews and drills, how to care for individual differences, how to test, diagnose, and remedy pupils' difficulties, but the knowledge of what to do and the doing of it are two very different things. Likewise, neither native ability nor knowledge of content insure teaching success. Fifth, practice teaching does not attempt to teach the practice teacher more history, science, or mathematics, but it is a commonplace remark for practice teachers to state that they learned more of this or that while they were teaching than they did while they were studying it in college classes. Theory is of ultimate value only in its application, and application further strengthens the theory or shows that it is untenable. We are stressing that a situation which brings to the learner a "felt need" results in change, or learning. The situations which the student teacher meets are impregnated with "felt needs." Why shouldn't growth take place? Lastly, professional right-mindedness can be better developed in the practice teaching course than in any other course. An individual may be sure in his own mind that he will find teaching a satisfying profession, but even so short an apprenticeship as one semester may prove to him that he is unsuited to teaching. If the course in Observation and Student Teaching does nothing more than verify or contradict the student's occupational choice, it is worth while. No amount of counselling or introspective study can perform this function so effectively. Professional-mindedness or the understanding and willingness to abide by a code of ideals and ethics of the teaching profession can be meaningful only when the individual has an apperceptive mass to which they can be related; this can hardly result from course work alone. Older teachers in service frequently say to me, "I wish I could have had a course in practice teaching before I started teaching." It is much more infrequent to hear them express a wish that they had taken some other education course. Teachers in service stress two points which I have not mentioned above the opportunity to observe good teaching and the training in self-confidence. No matter how nonchalant or courageous the novice may be he feels that little imp "fear" the first few times he faces a group of youngsters. Nothing can banish this emotion save getting up before a class. This is the case in spite of the fact that American college seniors are almost invariably suffering from "superiority complexes." They need the contact with seasoned teachers; they need to know that the teacher in service who is successful has much to offer which the college teacher of education does not have. What is the most vital thing in teacher training? To miss any of the fundamental or ordinarily required courses is to lose much, but the greatest loss would be incurred by missing the opportunity to practice while studying. JOSEPHINE WEATHERLY, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION, KANSAS STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE, HAYS, KANSAS INDOOR GAMES T Bean Bag Games WO children are chosen, two chairs are placed side by side. Four bean bags are placed on each chair. The children sit on chairs at the opposite end of the room. They repeat in concert: "One for the money Two for the show Three to make ready And four to go." At the word go, both run and get a bag and place it on the chair on which he sat. The one who gets his bean bags carried first and gets back to the empty chair wins the game. Game II. Children stand in two rows. Six bean bags are placed at the head of each row. At a signal the first child in each row picks up a bean bag and passes it to the next one who in turn passes it on and the first child picks up another one until all the bean bags have been passed to the foot of the row, and passed back again. The row getting the bean bags on the floor of row first wins the game. Game III, Children stand in two rows. One child behind another. All hands are up. The bean bag is passed over head each one touching the bag until it reaches the rear of the line when the last child gets it he runs to head of the line and passes it back as before until each has run with it. The row that finishes first wins. *The games here will be followed in later numbers of "Education" by Games for the School Room, Outdoor Games, Games for Grades 4, 5, and 6; also Outdoor Games and Games for the Grammar Grades. |