regarded as very good. The teacher who received the child felt that he could do only fair 1B work. The child was known to have passed the intelligence tests with credit. The supervisor was called to decide his placement. 1. What questions did this raise in the supervisor's mind? 2. What should be done with the child? 3. What measures should be taken to insure the greatest benefit to the school system from this incident? Case 26 A dependable teacher of experience, who had received her training before the days of silent reading, was teaching reading in the good old-fashioned way. The pupils read orally every day, one after another, around the class. They then told briefly what they had read, or asked others to do so. The supervisor wished to change this teacher's notion of reading. She asked her to read Germane and Germane, Silent Reading, and report her reaction at the time of the next supervisory visit. 1. Did the supervisor make the right beginning in solving this teacher's problem? 2. What steps will she need to take to bring this teacher to an intelligent use of modern teaching methods? Case 27 A mature teacher in a junior high school had taught algebra and arithmetic for about ten years in this same room. She had always had the pupils copy certain examples upon the board and explain them in turn to the class, most of whom had worked the examples correctly in the first place. The teacher also sent the pupils to the board to work, and passed about giving help when needed. The pupils were not to erase any work until the teacher had seen it. She had never used standard tests nor had she self-checking practice sheets which would enable pupils to progress at their individual rates. 1. How should the supervisor proceed to convince this teacher of the need for a change of method? 2. How can the supervisor make the teacher proficient in the use of these modern tools which provide for individual differences? 3. What actual materials should this teacher have at hand for the day's work? Case 28 A supervisor entered the room of an experienced thirdgrade teacher. The room was literally a maze of lanterns hung on wires, of paper lace curtains, of booklets illustrative of each elementary subject, and of drawings posted in every conceivable place. The separate pieces of the display were each very well planned and well executed. The teacher had worked hours to put these up artistically and harmoniously. As one became accustomed to the waving mass overhead and the completely obscured side walls, one began to appreciate the great amount of labor involved in keeping it in order. There was a sand table, too, and a great many cards tacked up bearing such messages as "I saw it." The teacher waited for the praise of her room which she felt one could not help expressing. 1. What would you say to this teacher? How? Case 29 The teacher, a graduate of a one-year normal course, was teaching her second year in a small rural schoolhouse which had the essential furnishings for an acceptable school. She had not attended the county institutes nor any of the group meetings. Her twenty-two pupils were uniformly below grade, although they seemed to be normal children. She was indifferent to suggestions. She did not keep her plan book up to date. She made no detailed assignments. Notwithstanding these facts, she had a fine personality and was in many respects an individual who was acceptable to a majority of the families in the district. She was in vigorous health. 1. What can the supervisor do to stimulate this teacher to do` her duty by the children? 2. Would you consider this a hopeless case? Probably the supervisors could utilize their time to better advantage by overlooking the case. What would you suggest? Case 30 This teacher was strong in leadership, knew good teaching, and had sufficient experience as principal of a tworoom graded school to be fairly well grounded in the subject matter of the elementary school. She did acceptable work with very little effort. She had about thirtyeight pupils in four grades, and had done nothing to provide for individual differences, better grading, etc. On occasions she did a high grade of teaching. Often the work was mediocre or poor. Her general attitude toward the pupils was dogmatic and at times severe. They obeyed her, but they did not like her. 1. How would you diagnose this case? Why has a condition such as hers been described? How would you proceed to remedy the situation? Case 31 An experienced, vigorous, sixth-grade teacher with forty-two pupils insisted upon teaching language to 6A's and 6B's all in one group. This teacher maintained that language was language, and that a half-year graduation was not necessary. "All pupils should be taught how to speak correctly, how to write correctly, and to know the parts of speech," declared this teacher. The detailed course of study of the city was disregarded, but this teacher really secured very definite and valuable outcomes from the method that she used. 1. What is your reaction to this situation? 2. What action, if any, should the supervisor take? SUGGESTED READINGS 1. ANDERSON, C. J., and BUSH, M. B., "The Supervisor at Work," Journal of Educational Method, Vol. 3, Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, December, 1923, January, February, March, 1924. 2. BURRIS, W. P., "Case Method in the Study of Teaching," Educational Review, Vol. 65, May, 1923, pp. 280-285. 3. STABLETON, J. K., Your Problems and Mine in the Guidance of Youth (Public School Publishing Co., 1922). The book contains case studies of problems of boy and girl life. 4. STARK, William E., Every Teacher's Problems (American Book Co., 1922). A case work of teaching. CHAPTER XIII SUPERVISORY TYPES If supervisors might see themselves as others see them, supervision would doubtless be improved. As a summary to that which has gone before, the following descriptive discussions of supervisors are offered.1 The material is grouped under three headings: (1) modus operandi; (2) modus judicandi; and (3) modus discendi, representing the three distinct factors in supervision: mode of work, technique of criticism, and method of teaching. I. MODUS OPERANDI 1. The Swivel-Chair Artist The title is suggestive, and to make the picture complete he should be a corpulent gentleman (or lady) who loves a big easy chair. He gets his ideas from class reports and reports from teachers, parents, or pupils. If he has a love for detail, he spends long hours over statistical reports, test scores, and tables of cost. He divides his time about equally between clerical detail and conferences. If the teacher wants assistance, she goes to the office. If reports indicate that she is in difficulty, she is called to the office. The teacher is expected to have mastered the technique of teaching or to be able to master it by herself. 1 The idea is by no means original. The material has been taken largely from the writings of Taylor, Kelley, and Morgan cited below. |