Seven Graded Sunday Schools: A Series of Practical Papers
Religion
Seven Graded Sunday Schools: A Series of Practical Papers
Christian education -- Teacher training; Sunday schools
Sunday, March 30, 1890, was a memorable day, being our first "Promotion
Sunday." We approached it with some anxiety, for on that day our
committee held in its hands the fate of every teacher and every scholar.
Old ties were to be broken, new relations were to be entered upon. Ten
teachers were to be returned to the ranks as Senior scholars, and the
complexion of every class was to be changed. No one could tell what
heart-burnings would be engendered and what disappointments would come.
The superintendent made a statement of the new plan, and proceeded to
read the new roll, beginning with Class No. 1 of the Senior Department.
As the names were called the members left their former classes and took
their new places in the class room. Eight classes were assigned to the
Senior Grade, each having a separate room. These classes were a young
men's class, three young ladies' classes, a class of elderly ladies, a
lecture class of ladies and gentlemen, a class of reserve teachers, and
a normal class to be trained for teachers in the course of the
Chautauqua Normal Union.
In the Junior Department sixteen classes were formed. Those of the
lowest rank, the first year, took the front row of seats; the second
year the second row, etc. Those of the fifth year Junior were in two
classes, one for boys and another for girls, each having a room. The
teachers of these two classes remain constant, and change their scholars
every year; but during the first four years of the grade the teachers
advance with their scholars, changing their seats every year, but
retaining their classes.
The Intermediate Department consists of two large classes, each in a
separate room. One class is of little children just promoted from the
Primary Department; the other, of those who have been in the
Intermediate Grade a year. The teacher remains with each class for two
years, the term of this grade. We are inclined to favor a three-year
term in this grade, with a class for each year, thus making the age at
admission to the Senior Department seventeen instead of sixteen years.
Our Primary Department formerly consisted of nine or ten small classes
under one Primary superintendent. In the reorganization we constituted
it as one class, with a teacher and an assistant. This change released a
number of teachers for service in the school, and was on the whole an
improvement. Whether it would be desirable everywhere depends on
circumstances. In many places it might be easier to find ten teachers,
each of whom can teach ten scholars, than one who can teach one hundred.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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