ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NORTH CENTRAL HISTORY TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION, CHICAGO, APRIL 1 AND 2, 1910.
REPORTED BY ALBERT H. SANFORD.
It is impossible to convey to one who was not present an adequate idea of the spirit that pervaded the first session of the Twelfth Annual Meeting of the North Central History Teachers’ Association; this was the dinner at Reynolds’ Club, University of Chicago, in honor of Professor Frederick J. Turner. The menu was simply “Food—a la Hutchinson Café.” The “Refreshments” were talks given by Professors James A. James, Albion W. Small, Guy S. Ford, James A. Woodburn, Thomas F. Moran, and Dr. Reuben G. Thwaites, closing with remarks by Professor Turner. The printed program was besprinkled with quotations from the writings of Professor Turner, beginning with “The true point of view in the history of this nation is not the Atlantic Coast; it is the great West.”
Professor Andrew C. McLaughlin, the presiding genius of this occasion, pitched the key at a point somewhere between gay and sad, running readily from one extreme to the other. It was, of course, Professor Turner’s departure from Wisconsin to enter upon duties at Harvard that called the one hundred guests to assemble about this table. Among them were some who had been students with him in Johns Hopkins’ University, many who had been students under his instruction, and still others who are his colleagues in the field of history throughout the Central West. Here was spontaneous testimony to the force and charm of Professor Turner’s personality, and to the inspiration of his teaching. Underneath the gayety of the after-dinner sentiments ran the note of deep regret that the Central West loses the presence of this master mind. No more fitting theme for a session of the Association could have been selected.
Following the dinner came an address by Professor Paul S. Reinsch, of the University of Wisconsin, upon “The Life of the State and the Teaching of Government.” Preparation for the duties of citizenship is less effective in the United States, said Professor Reinsch, than in other advanced countries; hence the duty of placing more emphasis upon the proper teaching of government. Local government should receive fuller treatment. There should be more concrete study of the actual operations of government and less committing to memory of the clauses of constitutions that are only vaguely comprehended. Civil government should be taught separately from history, else some of its most important topics will never be reached; for instance, problems of city and state organizations. Such, briefly stated, were some of the points made in this interesting address.
The session on Saturday morning, April 2d, was fully attended, and interest in the program which had been arranged by the president, Carl E. Pray, of the State Normal School at Milwaukee, held the audience until a late hour. Miss Lillian Thompson, of the Englewood High School, Chicago, gave a spirited and practical talk upon “The Use of Pictures in History Instruction.” That Miss Thompson has made a study of child nature, as well as of pictures, was evident. She said, the teacher must put herself in the pupil’s attitude and must realize his poverty of ideas and mental images. She must be tactful and sympathetic in satisfying the pupil’s curiosity, and in leading him to see the essentials in pictures. Besides, the teacher must study the pictures and plan carefully the presentation of them. Not the lecture but the question method is the best for lower high school classes.
Much wisdom, drawn from experience, was packed into a brief paper read by Professor G. C. Sellery, of the University of Wisconsin. This paper cannot be adequately summarized in a few words. The old method of teaching history insisted upon the learning of certain facts by force of memory. Now we have a higher ideal—we ask pupils to understand, rather than to remember. But we have gone too far in this direction: pupils gain much discipline, but little knowledge. What is the remedy? Treatment that will yield discipline requires time; hence, teach fewer topics and teach them in detail, but emphasize the essentials. Then by reviews drill upon the facts that should be remembered. Discipline and knowledge are the two sides of the shield of history teaching.
“The Use and Abuse of Note Books” was the subject of a paper thoroughly worked out by Professor Albert H. Lybyer, of Oberlin College. A well-balanced position was maintained between the proper use of note books as a means to certain ends, and their abuse in the hands of pupils. No more use of them was recommended than could be properly supervised by the teacher. There should be no note book requirement in the grammar grades.
Not the least attractive of the topics presented at this session was “The Value of History Pageant Work from the Viewpoint of the English Teacher,” by Miss Charity Dye, of Indianapolis. Miss Dye’s conception of the pageant is not that of a mere exhibition; it should rather be the natural expression of school interests and activities that have been thoroughly worked out in a serious way by students in various grades. When so conducted, the school work that precedes the presentation of a pageant has many valuable features. It arouses the spirit of investigation, when students hunt out, organize, and build up historical materials; it gives opportunity for the co-operation of departments; it encourages in pupils self-identification with school and community interests; it cultivates imagination and encourages continuity of thinking. Pupils concentrate attention upon a growing idea, and their work has cumulative force. This preparation gives to classes in English occasion for exercises in narration, description, argument, and the writing of letters, diaries, and ballads. This is one method of overcoming the fragmentary nature of our school work and engaging in activities that are socially and psychologically sound and beneficial.
The final topic of the program was “Supplementary Reading in History Instruction,” discussed by Professor Oscar H. Williams, of the School of Education, Indiana University. Many sensible and practical ideas were presented. Professor Williams recommended that striking passages from original or secondary sources be copied and duplicated by the mimeograph for class use; that pupils be encouraged to bring to the school magazines from which valuable articles could be extracted and bound separately in manila paper covers; that pupils be encouraged to purchase for themselves certain reference books, especially historical fiction. It was especially urged that the best results of collateral reading appear when pupils become sufficiently interested to do this work spontaneously.
In the business meeting preceding this program, it was voted to accept the recommendation of the executive committee, that a special supplementary meeting of the association be held in connection with meetings of other associations interested in history teaching at Indianapolis during the meeting of the American Historical Association next winter.
Professor James A. Woodburn was elected president of the North Central Association for the ensuing year, and Professor Earl W. Dow was made vice-president. The association loses the valuable services of its secretary-treasurer of the past four years, Professor George H. Gaston, of the Wendell Phillips High School, Chicago; his place is taken by Miss Mary L. Childs, of the Evanston (Illinois) Township High School. The following were elected members of the executive committee: Dr. O. M. Dickinson, Western Illinois Normal School, Macomb; Professor W. E. Dodd, University of Chicago; Miss Victoria Adams, Calumet High School, Chicago; Miss Ellen G. Foster, Evanston, Ill.