WORKER NOT TO BLAME FOR THIS.--The worker is not to be blamed
for this attitude. The conditions under which he worked made it
almost inevitable. Not only could he gain little or nothing by being
a successful teacher, but also the bullying instinct was appealed to
constantly, and the desire of the upper classmen in hazing days to
make the next class "pay up" for the hazing that they were obliged
to endure in their Freshman year.
ATTITUDE OF THE LEARNER.--The attitude of the typical learner
must frequently be one of hesitancy and self-distrust if not of
fear, though conditions were so varied as almost to defy
classification. One type of apprentice was expected to learn merely
by observation and imitation. Another was practically the chore boy
of the worker who was assigned to teach him. A third was under no
direct supervision at all, but was expected to "keep busy," finding
his work by himself. A fourth was put through a severe and valuable
training by a martinet teacher,--and so on.
TEACHING OFTEN PAINSTAKING.--It is greatly to the credit of the
worker under this type of management that he was, in spite of all
drawbacks, occasionally a painstaking teacher, to the best of his
lights. He insisted on application, and especially on quality of
work. He unselfishly gave of his own time and skill to help the
apprentice under him.
METHODS OF TEACHING USUALLY WRONG.--Unfortunately, through no
fault of the worker-teacher the teaching was usually done according
to wrong methods. Quality of resulting output was so emphasized that
neither speed nor correct motions were given proper consideration.
TEACHER NOT TRAINED TO TEACH.--The reason for this was that the
worker had no training to be a teacher. In the first place, he had
no adequate idea of his own capabilities, and of which parts of his
own method were fit to be taught. In the second place, he did not
know that right motions must be insisted on first, speed next, and
quality of output third; or in other words that if the motions were
precise enough, the quality would be first. In the fourth place he
had no pedagogical training.
LACK OF STANDARDS AN UNDERLYING LACK.--All shortcoming in the
old time teaching may be traced to lack of standards. The worker had
never been measured, hence had no idea of his efficiency, or of
possible efficiency. No standard methods made plain the manner in
which the work should be done. Moreover, no standard division and
assignment of work allowed of placing apprentices at such parts of
the work that quality could be given third place. No standard
requirements had determined his fitness as a teacher, nor the
specialty that he should teach, and no incentive held his interest
to the teaching. These standards the worker-teacher could not
provide for himself, and the wonder is that the teaching was of such
a high character as it was.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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