MARY BEAUCHAMP, PARTICIPATING TEACHERS, AND STUDENTS'

Says Mary Beauchamp, consultant in curriculum development, Minne-apolis, Minn., concerning this account of the carryover from a summerworkshop, "The purpose of this article is to try to tell how the valuesand purposes of the workshop have carried over into classroom teachingduring the present school year. To gather the necessary material, somenineteen teachers who attended the summer workshop and who repre-sent a cross-section of subject matter and grade level placement wereasked to tell how they have carried out workshop techniques and atti-tudes in their everyday teaching. Material was gathered through con-ferences, visits to the classrooms, and written descriptions of what isactually taking place. The major part of the article is composed of directquotations from the teachers and their students presented in a some-what documentary form to illustrate the values of workshops. We haveattempted to let the illustrations speak for themselves rather thanto draw conclusions from them." The readers of EDUCATIONAL LEADER-SHIP will, we believe, welcome this insight into what can happen toprograms of instruction for children as a result of inservice programsfor teachers.

THE MINNEAPOLIS Public Schoolsheld its first summer workshop in co-operation with the Summer Session ofthe University of Minnesota during thesummer of 1946. The workshop washoused in one of the high schools ofthe city located close enough to theUniversity so that its library, visualeducation laboratory, and other facili-ties could be used. The staff was com-posed of members of the Minneapolispublic school system supplemented byUniversity professors, visiting instruc-tors from other school systems, and bya group of nationally known educators

1 Individuals who cooperated in' the preparationof this article are Bergit Anderson, Verna Anderson,Ruby Baney, Mary Carleton, Ruth Gill, MarianGould, Marguerite Hainert, Margaret Harrington,Priscilla Hawn, Ed Haynes, Marion Hurley, ArmandLaBerge, Edna Magnusson, Emil Newstrand, AltonPalm, Selma Saam, Alyce Sotaaen, Ethel Wall, andCarol Williams.

May 1947

who spent from one to three days inthe workshop. Enrolled in the work-shop were over a hundred Minneapolisteachers and principals who receivedscholarships from the Board of Educa-tion to meet their tuition expense. Theworkshop also included some teachersfrom outside Minneapolis.

The purposes of the Minneapolissummer workshop, like the purposes ofgood teaching, are so interrelated thatit is difficult to identify and write abouteach one separately. We hope the readerwill supply the connections which existamong the purposes described. We rec-ognize, too, that the summer workshopis only one of many stimulating factorstoward teacher growth. We will tryto show how the purposes of the Min-neapolis summer workshop have, in theopinions of the teachers themselves,

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carried over into classroom teaching infive fields:

i. School living is individual growth.2. School living is intergroup living.3. School living gains oneness through

use of large instructional units.4. School living is enmeshed with com-

munity living.5. School living becomes democratic.

School Living

-is Individual GrowthOne of the purposes which served

as a strand in weaving together all ofthe activities of the workshop was theneed for understanding children as in-dividuals. This need was dramatizedby the benefits and real joy which weas teachers experienced in coming toknow each other as individuals. Welived together six or eight hours dailyfor four weeks. We ate our lunches to-gether; we had picnics; we sang; wegave skits; we had serious discussions;we formulated educational statements.And, at the end of the summer, we hada bond of common understanding as towhat we were trying to do and an ac-ceptance for the worth of each in-dividual. This understanding and ac-ceptance of the individual-his inter-ests, abilities, needs-the way he differsfrom other people, the problems he has,is the essence of good teaching.

Last spring the Minneapolis PublicSchools organized a program to be putinto operation in the fall of 1946 forthose incoming seventh grade studentswho the sixth grade teachers and thecounselor felt needed some special aidas they came into the junior highschool. The program could easily havebecome fixed as a means of segregatingslow learners. Fifteen or twenty teach-

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ers who were to be in the adjustmentprogram spent much of their time inthe workshop learning how they couldbest meet the needs of the boys andgirls in the program. The teachersthemselves tell us some of the stepswhich they have taken to make schoolliving a matter of individual growth:

One of the first steps which I took inhandling my adjustment group was a con-ference with the school counselor, visitingteacher, and principal. This gave a val-uable insight as to the physical makeup,emotional pattern, special interests, abili-ties, needs, and desires of the individualsin the group, and later gave the clues forbetter handling the problems of each in-dividual. We found that some individualswere not achieving because of poor workhabits or emotional instability. In thesmaller and more intimate environment ofthis class, it became possible to give in-dividual attention to the building of at-titudes which would help each individualmeet his problem.

How much more satisfying for ateacher to see a group of boys and girlsreading and writing along the lines whichinterest them. For example, they want ma-terial on nursing, sewing, trapping, busi-ness, skiing, cooking, farming.

In the fall I studied the cumulativerecord cards for my different groups. Thestudents wrote me letters telling abouthobbies, interests, family--things which I,perhaps, could never have found out inany other way. Ever so often I have per-sonal conferences with each one.

In a sixth grade class which has atypical range of children in it, the ad-justing attitude of the teacher towardeach individual child was encouragingto note. For instance, when one par-ticularly slow boy was participatingin the group on a par with the rest ofthe class, the teacher was quick to see

Educational Leadership

an opportunity to give him some indi-rect aid so that he might have a senseof achievement along with the rest ofthe group. In this same group of chil-dren, the boy with the highest I.Q. inthe room is inclined to be overweight,sluggish, and awkward. He is a poorbasketball player, but the attitudes ofthe youngsters toward each other aresuch that some of the better playerstook Ralph down to the gymnasiumafter school to give him some specialpractice in basketball skills.

The home visit is being used by someteachers as a means of becoming ac-quainted with individual students. Someof the high school teachers have beengiven a slightly lighter school load tocarry on a program of home visitsalong with the development of a com-mon learnings program. One of theseteachers who has a tenth grade classwrites:

Apparently home visits by classroomteachers had never taken place during thestudents' three years of junior high school.I gave the students a chance to statewhether they would rather have the visitannounced or unannounced. About a thirdof the class said to come any time con-venient for me. Another third said thattheir parents worked outside of the homeand therefore it would be necessary forme to call before coming. The other thirdalso preferred to have me call ahead oftime. Although most homes seemed to pre-fer to have visits take place in the frontroom on a certain day at a certain time,I feel that informal visits will bring outmore frank expressions and that moregenuine understandings will result.

A home visit is a distinct contrast toopen house at PTA. Open house usuallybrings the parents whose sons and daugh-ters are getting good grades in their sub-jects. The usual question is, "How is Johnor Mary getting along in your class?"

May 1947

The teacher's usual reply is, "Fine." Theanswer is a prearrived-at-conclusion be-cause that same John or Mary broughthome a report card with A's and B's.

A home visit covers all types of stu-dents, the fail student as well as the Astudent. The fail student's parent is thefather or mother whom the teacher needsto see so that he may learn some of thecauses for the student's lack of achieve-ment and also impart information aboutthe purposes of the school.

With an incoming group of 10B's itwould be an advantage if the teachercould spare part of the week prior to theopening of school for home visits.

Still another teacher has this to savabout his experiences with individualgrowth:

Workshop leaders and groups stressedthat whatever study or activity takes placeshould be in terms of the personal needsof the individual student. Needs varvwith each individual. A very intelligentand scholarly boy in one of my groups isexcessively shy and self-conscious in hisgroup relations. For a long time he hadbeen badgered by less able fellows withthe nickname, "The Brain." In order tolive at all comfortably he had retired fromall group activities and buried himself inhis studies as a refuge. By conducting va-rious types of group activities involvingstudies suggested by the students them-selves, this boy has gradually learned howto work with others and has succeeded inwinning their respect and his own com-fort as a part of the company.

-is Intergroup LivingDuring the past two years the Min-

neapolis Public Schools have been par-ticipating in an intergroup educationproject sponsored by the- AmericanCouncil on Education. On the basis ofthe school system's interest in devel-oping good human relations, furtherstimulated by the project, intergroup

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living values became one of the majorpurposes of our summer workshop. Theapproach to this problem in the class-rooms has been both direct and indirectaccording to the need of the particularsituation. There has been a conscious ef-fort by hundreds of teachers to developamong growing boys and girls the kindof attitudes which result in good groupliving. Studies have been made of waysof changing attitudes. Teachers haveacquired a broad understanding of thelearning materials which are availablein this field and have developed skill inthe techniques of dealing with problemsinvolving human relations.

One teacher is using the study ofAmerican literature as the spring-boardfor teaching intergroup values by at-tempting to build on the theme of "TheAmerican Dream" an understanding andappreciation of the human relationshipswhich are at play in the home, theschool, the community, the nation, andthe world. Students have done a widevariety of reading pointed to an appre-ciation of the contributions made byvarious groups to the culture of Amer-ica. One activity about which the stu-dents were especially enthusiastic wasthat of making posters to show theways in which the nationalities rep-resented in the class had contributed tothe sum total of American life. Oneposter shows the nationalities as sheepand Uncle Sam as the shepherd. An-other depicts each nationality as a notein "My Country 'Tis of Thee," thecombination of notes representing themelody, which is America. In another,each stone in the wall of America is adifferent nationality, the caption being,"Make It Strong and Sturdy." Theseposters were displayed in the exhibit

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case during Brotherhood Week. Afteran assembly program was given by theclass for Brotherhood Week, membersof the class were encouraged to statetheir subjective ideas as to what the oc-casion had meant to them. One Negrogirl wrote:

I think that all of us caught the spirit ofthe occasion yesterday. I kept hearing thelines from the Declaration of Independ-ence that read: "All men are created equal... that they are endowed by their Creatorwith certain inalienable rights . .. thatamong these rights are life, liberty, andthe pursuit of happiness."

Some teachers have approached theteaching of intergroup living by a di-rect attack upon prejudice. One teacherdescribes her work as follows:

Since this was the first time I had triedto organize a whole unit on intergroupeducation, I was groping somewhat blindlyfor the correct techniques and proceededmuch of the time by trial and error. I be-longed to the Intergroup Section of theSummer Workshop last summer, and thiswas a great help to me in finding mysource material.

At the beginning of the study, theclasses and I talked very freely about themeaning of "prejudice," the various preju-dices each of us might have, how preju-dices develop, why they grow in somepeople but don't in others, the evils re-sulting from prejudices-individually andnationally-the opportunities we have forgetting rid of our prejudices (if we wantto do so), and the good we can accomplishby doing so.

We spent three days in class discus-sion-a very necessary part of the pro-cedure, I think, for in that time we arousedenthusiasm for study on the subject, andhelped each and every one to feel he hadsomething worthwhile to contribute, andthat he was definitely part of the project.

I then read several short stories andpoems to the class about the trials and

Educational Leadership

tribulations boys and girls of variousminority groups have had. I read manyquotations of prominent people to them,so that they would realize that the subjectwas one of great importance.

All the leaflets, circulars, posters, books,and other materials that I could find I dis-played in my room and gave the pupilsmany opportunities for browsing. We alsosang songs from the book "Sing a Songof Friendship" by Irving Caesar.

I gave the class a list of short stories onthis subject that I thought they wouldfind interesting, and they were permittedto choose the ones that appealed to themmost. Two or three pupils volunteered tolead the discussion of each story.

We went to the library where eachpupil found a book on intergroup livingthat interested him for his outside reading.

Each pupil gave at least one oral talkon some phase of intergroup living that hehad found in a magazine or newspaper.

A panel discussion on the subject "Whatvalue is there for me in a discussion of in-tolerance" was given by eight members ofthe group elected by the class. We alsosaw a movie, "The House I Live In."

Finally, I suggested to the class thatthey devote one period to a sort of sum-mary of their reactions to this unit ofwork so that I might judge whether Ishould offer it to other groups. I askedthem to give their own personal reactionto the subject in any way they chose todo it-by a short talk, a skit, an essay, adramatization, a poem, a song, or anymethod which suited their. fancy-justso it expressed each person's own feelingabout this subject. This approach resultedin a program which was of such worththat it was presented to several groupswithin the school. In this unit the chil-dren became acquainted with a wide va-riety of material, and although it may notalways follow, their attitudes were im-proved.

The expressions of two seventh gradestudents in another group which wasstudying intergroup living help to sum-marize the change in attitude which

May 1947

often results when information is givenin the proper setting:

I have heard many things about theJewish religion, most of them not good.In fact I cannot recall anything good ornice that has been said about it at all. Afterhearing that program yesterday, (Hanuk-kah assembly program to which this groupwas invited) it is hard to understand whypeople can say things about other religionsthat cannot be considered good. The onlyexplanation or reason for that, that I canfigure out, is a lack of understanding.

When a Negro citizen of the com-munity came to visit our class last fall itwas a great thrill. There are probablymillions of better speakers, but she struckhome with her informal talk. We had beentrying to understand the discriminationsand bigotry against some peoples, but onlycould a person that had been discriminatedagainst show how it feels. Not one of uscan really understand how it would feelnot to be able to rent a house in a certaindistrict, enter swimming meets, or beunable to work in a certain place becausehe had black skin. It seems that prejudicesare inborn, but they aren't. Every one ofus can stop feeling that Negroes aren'tgood enough if we want to. The troubleis that people associate all the discrimina-tion, bigotry, and prejudices with otherpeople and not themselves.

As Mrs. Milton talked, it came to methat the Negro of today does understand,to some extent at least, our problem, butwe don't understand theirs.

-gains Oneness Through LargeInstructional Units

The teachers who attended the Min-neapolis summer workshop felt that oneof the besetting sins of the traditionaleducational program, especially onthe secondary level, is that of dividingthe school program into small bits. Con-sequently, one of the points of emphasiswas to become familiar with the tech;

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niques of developing and using largeinstructional units. This emphasis ledinto a discussion of the common learn-ings or core program. As a result manyteachers became convinced that sec-ondary education must be reorganizedto meet the needs of the youth attend-ing our high schools. The MinneapolisPublic Schools now have approximatelytwo hundred teachers enrolled in an in-service study program in commonlearnings. Although large instructionalunits are used on all levels, our discus-sion will be limited to the commonlearnings program and will attempt toshow some of the concomitants of thisapproach to teaching. One teacherwrites thus:

At present we are working on a unit onpower. In developing the history of powerwe employed pupil-teacher planning. Theclass is now working individually and ingroups on the problems of their interest.Some of their activities are diagrams onthe board, posters, use of slides from thelibrary, construction of water-wheels tobe used in the explanation of direct waterpower. They have been encouraged to usetheir initiative so I am not sure what willhappen when they are ready to share theirresults with the class. I have found thatthey are quite outspoken in self-evalua-tion. On the day following a self-managedclass period, I said, "By the way, whatkind of power did you use yesterdaywhen you were alone?" (I thought theymight say they did a little more movin?about than usual.) It didn't take one ofthe boys long to respond, "Will power."

Another teacher describes his use oflarge instructional units thus:

There has been a growing tendency toorganize the curriculum around the prob-lems of youth. Some of the problemswhich have been considered are: "WhatI Believe and Why." (This led into a study

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of comparative religions.) Another groupbecame interested in the way that com-munity institutions operate. They arestudying hospitals, schools, social agen-cies, city government, and are visiting ex-amples of each of these institutions oragencies.

Since the use of large instructionalunits has led out to the community,further evaluation of this purpose isimplied in the next section of this ar-ticle.

-is Enmeshed With CommunityLiving

As the school system has accepted abroader concept of the curriculum,teachers are coming to have a deeperunderstanding of the possibilities of en-meshing school and community living.Efforts are being made to help youthunderstand the contribution which thevcan make to the solution of communityproblems and gain practice in acceptingtheir share of the responsibility for im-proving the quality of community life.We have found individuals and organi-zations within the community uni-versally eager to work with the schoolin furthering the school's aims and inhelping the future citizens of this coun-try to understand different phases ofcommunity life. The schools workclosely with such organizations as TheMinneapolis Round Table of the Na-tional Conference of Christians andJews which lends materials, furnishesspeakers, and participates extensively inschool programs; the Urban League,and other organizations representingminority groups; the YWCA and theYMCA which conduct youth pro-grams in our schools; labor; service or-ganizations; Chambers of Commerce;

Educational Leadership

and others. To describe a few of thecommunity undertakings which havebeen happening in the words of theteachers who have been doing them-

After some preliminary readings in theliterature and history of religion, the stu-dents made field trips to churches of manydenominations. One Saturday morning agroup of us attended a service at TempleIsrael. A story which impressed the stu-dents with respect for all religions as wellas living their own successfully was pre-sented. Two girls visited a church of theLatter Day Saints; and as a result of theirvisit, several young people from thatchurch attended a youth meeting at theLutheran church to which the two girlsbelonged. The final activity of this studywas a round table discussion conductedby the various groups on their findingsand experiences. At the present time theplanning committee of the class is tryingto discover some civic project in whichthe group may become active. They havedecided to visit the Junior Chamber ofCommerce to see if that group has somesuggestions for civic work with which theclass may concern itself. Two boys whoare labor minded suggested that they con-tact the Central Labor Union to find outsome way for the group to become betteracquainted with labor's program and theirofficials.

Another teacher describes her stu-dents' participation in community liv-ing:

A community project which turned outwell was our Christmas collection. Be-cause I felt that my homeroom was in-different about giving to an impersonalChristmas fund, I asked the visiting teacherto come to our room to tell us about oneor two special families that we might help.She told us of one family that had verylittle income and no coal to heat a dilapi-dated six-room house. In fact, the onlyheat came from a gas stove in the kitchen.There were three babies, all under four,who had very little milk to drink. Our

May 1947

visiting teacher felt that, if we could givetwo or three dollars toward a milk fund,we would be doing something worthwhile. The idea caught on. One of thegirls drew a milk bottle on the board withthe caption, "Let's fill the bottle." Thepicture led to questions about the bottle;and before we knew it, we had fifty dol-lars to turn over to the visiting teacher.Emotion, as well as intellect, has to be ap-pealed to.

We feel we have only begun to tapthe resources of the community andthe possibilities of enmeshing schooland community living. For example, theopportunity to help youth understandthe conditions in a community whichallow families to live in an underprivi-leged way would have been a worth-while extension of the milk project. Weare encouraged, however, becauseteachers are enthusiastic about extend-ing their understandings and skills inschool-community living.

-becomes DemocraticThe teachers who furnished material

for this article by evaluating their pro-gram in terms of the purposes of theMinneapolis summer workshop foundit was most difficult to identify thosethings which they were doing whichmake for democratic school living.Some of them said they hadn't doneanything, but went on to describe ac-tivities which were initiated and car-ried out through teacher-pupil plan-ning. Since democracy is such an in-tangible thing, and since ideally it lacesthrough all of school living, we find itdifficult to identify a specific procedureand say, "This is democracy." So muchdepends on how a thing is done. We willtry to indicate a few practices whichseem to be inherently democratic, rec-

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ognizing that these represent only apartial description of the tangibilitiesof democratic living.

In the summer workshop small groupdiscussions were utilized throughoutthe program. The active participationof all members of the group and the ar-riving at common agreements accept-able to all were goals of each group.One teacher describes his attempts tocarry out this technique in his class-room:

In lieu of a textbook, delayed two weeksin arrival at the beginning of this schoolyear, my history classes became discus-sion groups dealing with timely topics oc-cupying special emphasis in the dailypress and current magazines.

To make these discussion periods self-directed, fully participated in, and plannedand prepared by the entire class, severalsteps were taken.

Students were asked to submit a list oftopics for discussion based upon currentnews events. A panel of four to six stu-dents was selected to lead each discus-sion. Following the discussion from thetable, the chairman was directed to invitefurther participation from the rest of theclass. Each student turned in an evaluationand summary of the entire discussion.

Directions on how to conduct a paneldiscussion were given by the instructor.The chairman for each discussion wasespecially instructed in introducing thetopic, in leading the panel, and in pro-moting discussion from the floor. He wasalso required to summarize the generalconclusions or opinions arrived at by theentire class. One member of a previouspanel was selected to direct the next panelas a chairman. In this manner each newgroup had an experienced leader in charge.

Such subjects as these were covered bythe classes in panel discussions:

i. How can students promote interna-tional understanding for world peace?

2. How can students promote supportfor the United Nations?

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3. How can better understanding andfriendship be established betweenRussia and the United States?

4. Should all boys physically fit begiven compulsory military training?

These topics kept classes more inter-ested and enthusiastic in day by day proce-dures than subject matter centered aroundtextbook assignments. Students were eagerto meet as a panel group in the libraryto gather material to substantiate or alterprevious opinions on these American prob-lems or issues.

A second procedure that in manvways seems to be the foundation ofdemocratic practice is teacher-pupilplanning. Let's listen to an actual de-scription of how it works in one seniorhigh class:

The idea that students and teacherscan actually plan the study and activiitesof the classroom is the most radical de-parture from traditional classroom prac-tices and requires the greatest change onthe part of the teacher. At first the stu-dents do not accept the idea-as being sin-cere, and some students mistakenly makediscipline problems of themselves. Theteacher accustomed to being "boss" istempted to resume old discipline tech-niques to bring about law and order. How-ever, by organizing an "Ethics" commit-tee composed of the more understandingstudents, the troublesome types can bepersuaded by their fellows to settle downand work for the common good.

A "planning committee" was organizedby the group. The chairman of this com-mittee was also chairman of the wholeroom. This idea was taken from the or-ganization of the workshop. On Mondaymornings for twenty minutes the planningcommittee presents the week's activitiesto the class. This is conducted in a busi-ness-like manner with parliamentary rulesof order being observed to bring aboutdecisions for action in a democratic man-ner. The work of the class is planned forthree-week periods, but each Monday

Educational Ledership

these business meetings set the pattern forthe week.

Still another teacher has this to say:

I have used teacher-pupil planning whenpossible. These students want a part inplanning their work. We try to follow thesame methods used last summer-gettinginto groups with those having the sameinterests, and choosing leaders for the dif-ferent groups; getting information andhaving discussions; coming back to thelarge group and reporting our findings.

The students enjoy this way of studyingbecause each one has a definite responsi-bility. They study material which is of in-terest to them, and are not merely just do-ing something for the teacher. Pupils havemuch opportunity for democratic living.

The question of leadership has beenconsciously attacked by some teachers.One teacher considered such problemsas this with one of her groups: "Whatshould be my attitude toward the groupleader? How can I work in a groupmost effectively? What is my responsi-bility when I take on a piece of work?When shall I seek help on my problem?How can I interest others in the thingsthat interest me?" This teacher has de-veloped leadership in her classes, and asense of responsibility for one's own ac-tions, to the point that she can be awayfrom the building and the studentscarry on. She leaves her afternoonclasses about twice a month to attendthe curriculum planning committeemeeting. Thus far they have managedtheir affairs quite well. She continueswith this statement concerning leader-ship among teachers:

I definitely feel that the leadership inour schools determines to a large extenthow far we can go in achieving decidedgoals. I have felt more at ease in experi-menting with new techniques and employ-

May 1947

ing democratic methods. This, I think, isbasic in achieving high levels of humanrelationships.

One consultant who visited ourworkshop last summer left the thoughtwith us that one of the ways of eval-uating a learning experience is to ask,"Has this experience led to better learn-ing, broader and deeper interests, richerliving? Are we creating a richer life?"As we pose this question about ,the1946 summer workshop, we think ofthree dramatic examples of the creative-ness of this venture. (i) When ourschools couldn't open in September be-cause of a polio epidemic, workshopmembers were used to help organize andcarry on a system-wide series of pre-school conferences involving all Min-neapolis teachers. These workshopmembers made their contribution insuch a way that they were not set apartfrom any of the other teachers, but thefact that they were in there "pitching"helped make the preschool conferencesclick. (2) During the year other mem-bers of the school system have becomesufficiently interested in summer work-shops that the enrollment for the 1947workshop is practically complete atthis writing. (3) This semester Min-neapolis has organized a series of in-service study programs which meetafter school. Approximately twelvehundred of the two thousand teachersare enrolled for these courses in ad-dition to a full day's teaching load.

The Teachers SummarizeTeachers are enthusiastic about the

summer workshop. They feel it gavethem an opportunity to work out prac-tical classroom problems. Here is whatsome of them say:

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I would like tow say that living in theatmosphere of the summer workshop wasthe most inspirational experience I haveever had in my training. The fact that theprincipal of my building attended thesame groups as I has helped to give me thefeeling that there is a oneness of purposein attempting to meet the needs ofyoungsters.

The evaluation of the effect of the ideasand of the constructive changes made onmy classes as a result of my attendanceat the workshop is not a simple task. Theeffect has been on my students and thatmust be seen to be understood. Mostnoticeable of these effects is the changein attitude of my students concerningtheir own personal responsibility for theirown conduct and achievement.

In my district a number of elementaryteachers attended the workshop this sum-mer, therefore making them more alert tothe pupil as an individual and to his or herdifficulties. This in turn makes the prin-cipal more conscious of individual needsand the value of conferences with theteacher and visiting teacher.

No, we haven't all the answers.Teachers are confused. Some gripe.

Others resist. But many of us believe:"Nothing outstanding is ever accom-plished without distraction and con-

fusion. You choose either the calm of

the static regime or the general upsetof creative adventure. It's the rare soul

who can have both at the same time."

Let's Face the Facts and Act!BETTY MORGAN BOWEN

We present the following "extra," which we feel a strong compulsion topublish. This article was written by Betty Morgan Bowen, AmericanFriends Service Committee, Philadelphia, Pa., who spent some time in

Germany and describes some of the existent conditions affecting chil-

dren in that nation.

TWO YEARS after the end of the

fighting in the town of Schaufenberg,Germany, the Schaufenberg Elemen-tary School, where 39o children areenrolled, is still in very bad repair. Theroof and the walls on the top floor are

toppling, and rain pours into the build-ing. The six classrooms still in use aremusty and damp, and the floor boardsare warped to four or five inches abovetheir base. During heavy rainfalls water

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drips onto the children as they sit at

their desks.Though the central heating system

of Schaufenberg School has been re-paired, and though coal could easily be

supplied from the Schaufenberg Mines

only a few hundred yards away, lessthan a ton of coal had been allocatedto last at least six weeks into the winterof 1946.

The children attend school for two

Educstiorial Leadership

Copyright © 1947 by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. All rights reserved.