place, there is an evidence of mutualrespect betvween supervisor and teacher.Respect, on the one hand, suggests con-fidence and this, on the other, impliesprofessional integrity without whichthe work of supervisors and teachersbecomes as "sounding brass and tinklingcymbal." Projects undertaken by theteacher were usually begun after a per-sonal conference with the supervisorwho suggested rather than directed theprocedure. -But there is no evidenceanywhere of the old, traditional con-cept of supervision where the super-visor not only initiated projects buthovered over the teachers with adviceuntil they were consummated. Thesupervisor rather gives evidence hereof faith in the ability of a teacher tocarry through. The teacher is treated

with the consideration and appreciationwhich is the due of a trained professionalworker serious about the improvementof her work. And finally, the focal pointof curriculum improvement is placedin children. Practice rarely goes awryin curriculum improvement when teach-ers are sincerely interested in the wel-fare of individual children. This means,of course, that both teachers and super-visors will make an effort to know thechildren in relation to their interests andneeds. And it means they will attemptto understand child behavior whichteachers and supervisors know neverhappens but is always caused. Whensuch an intelligent approach is madeto curriculum construction, successwill surely crown the efforts of bothsupervisor and teacher.

WzL eci at OxudWhat happens when a supervisor---or a principal-or a curriculumdirector sits down with himself and carefully examines the way inwhich he has worked with teachers for a period of time. How does hefeel about his successes and failures ? How does he evaluate his achieve-ment in terms of working with teachers? We asked some of thesepeople to engage in such a self-evaluation-with particular emphasis onrelationships with beginning teachers. Their self-analyses point outsome aspects of the supervisory relationship which are basic in anyprogram of cooperative planning.

Me Talking To MeMiss X, a curriculum director, takes alook at herself and asks herself what shedid to help new teachers move ahead:the one with imagination and vision, theone who needed new materials, andthose with varieties of personal prob-lems. She invites us to sit in on thisself-examination session.

"Hmmm. Do those ASCD people rea-lize what this assignment means?

"It means you are forced to evaluatewhat you do.

"Why this job is making me face un-pleasant facts.

"How have I failed beginning teach-ers?

Dcremmber 1947 165

"You don't even know."Well, think about it."It's much easier to recognize when

other people fail."How did you fail?"Well, you can think about how you

succeeded."Do your dirty work first."How did you fail?"What about that good, new teacher

over at Birch School? The one whoselife was made miserable in and out ofschool by subtly cruel, pseudo-helpfulremarks made 'sweetly' by the teacherswho'd 'been there for years and hadfound out that these new ideas justwouldn't work.' The ones who fromfear--or jealousy--or insecurity, killedby glances, by well-timed sighs, and byautocratic control of the children, anew teacher's chances to reap satisfac-tion from her work?

"I did try to help her. I talked to herand to her principal.

"Yes, but you were two months toolate. Her confidence had been des-troyed. She didn't believe you. Youleft her too long to the claws of bitteroldsters.

"Well, how else have you failed? Didyou get to know the individual needsand interests of last year's new teach-ers?

"No."Why not?"Because I tried to do too much."You criticize teachers for a 'once

over lightly' kind of education. Nowif you don't take time-make time-toknow these new teachers you're failingagain!

"Were you sure that all the begin-ning teachers were at least secure inthe routine management of their chil-

166

dren in lunch rooms, assemblies, whichentrance their children were to use, andabout keeping their registers?

"That's the principal's job."Yes, but you know that one school

opened up with only a head teacher'cause the principal had had an accident.

"Were you there that first week?"No."Where were you?"In the office."Failed again. You shouldn't have

been. Besides, you know that some prin-cipals need to be helped to help theteachers. Face facts!

"Did you ever fail to publicly andverbally support new teachers for whatyou knew to be the expression of agood point of view? Did you fail to sup-port them in the face of criticism andopposition?

"Well, I'm not afraid. I think I canbe proud of an honest 'no' in answerto this question which could be a mostuncomfortable one.

"What about getting materials to newteachers? Did you dodge this one byblaming the budget? the principal? Youknow how to use your imagination tofind materials. Did you help them toknow how? Did you use your owninitiative for them?

"Sometimes."Well, you know that some teachers

were neglected. Maybe you'd betterplan a few regular but informal meet-ings for all new teachers and take careof these problems. Maybe the newteachers themselves would like to or-ganize such a meeting.

"What did you do about the principalwho always told new, young teachers'not to be too good too fast' or itwould be resented by older teachers?

EducatiomI Lederhip

"Well, -"You're squirming, aren't you? An-

other failure."What about this particular article?

Did you do it all by yourself?"No, I had to ask the help of a first

grade teacher."Then, already you've gotten too far

away from how a teacher feels, whatshe needs, and how you must help.

"Well, what are you going to doabout your failures?

"Get out of the office and into theclassrooms.

"Well, see that you don't forget!"

Enough RopeThe principal of an elementary schoolwent directly to three of her teachersand asked them to help in this matter ofself-evaluation. From their statementsshe comes to the conclusion that theimportant thing is to give the particularkind of help each teacher needs at thetime when that help is needed. Sheshares with us what three of her teach-ers had to say.

"Much initial strain could have beenspared me if you had given me moreinformation," says Miss N, who hascome in from another system. "I hadto ask about many things, such as firedrill exits, health inspection, whether ornot to communicate directly with par-ents, just where to find materials, suchas the visual aids equipment, and whenand how one might use it. All this couldbe put in a mimeographed bulletin. Ishould have liked, too, to have knownmore about what is expected in theschool.

"There should be conferences, fre-quent and over a fairly long period oftime for the teachers new to a building,

PoQMWr 194.7

including both group and individualconferences. It is hard to know howmuch responsibility to take in a newsituation, hard to feel confidence inwhat one is doing. When school beginsthe principal is too busy with too manythings. The teacher flounders while shewaits for specific help.

"The new teacher needs to knowwhether she can come to the principalfor help on specific discipline or otherproblem cases. She should know whatphilosophy governs the school proced-ure, and whether formal or informalteaching is expected. To start in one'sown way and then to find that theschool as a whole does it very differently-well! that is a cause for chagrin!"

But Miss L, new to the system also,with two years experience says, "Therelationships among staff members heremakes it easy to find your way quickly.I liked the freedom to get things inhand by myself. The new teacher hasto adjust to a new environment anddifferent conditions. The thing sheneeds most is the chance to know herchildren. She shouldn't have to bestudying the principal or the supervisorat this time. It is better to make a fewmistakes at first than to be confused bywhat someone else wants done."

We Shatter a MythA supervisor in a city system, herselfremoved just four years from the class-room, takes a look at the teachers withwhom she worked during a summerworkshop and finds her faith in teachersrenewed.

"There were forty of us-thirty-nineteachers and I, their teacher-workingtogether for two hours a day in a uni-versity summer session. We represented

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all possible types of experience-"littleMiss Craig" with her one year in athree-pupil school, five boys home fromthe service, seven Negro women fromthe south, four principals, four 'house-wives' returning to teaching on emer-gency certificates, several young anddelightful girls not long out of train-ing school. The rest of us were nice,middle-aged first, fourth, or sixth gradeteachers from Florida Nebraska, Idaho,and points east and west. We fairly wellrepresented the American school teach-er, and, insofar as we did, my faith inchildren, teachers, and 'progressive edu-cation' was renewed and strengthened.

"Current educational articles popu-larly feature our 'starry-eyed youngpeople just out of college' and lamentthe weary, deep-in-a-rut creatures theybecome a few years later. In that groupthis summer we shattered that myth.Many of those young people freshfrom their first difficulties in a class-room were the ones somewhat distrust-ful, lacking in faith, wanting prescrip-tions and panaceas, and more ready toturn back to 'the way they did thingswhen I was in school.' As we discussedchildren's interests,learning as behav-ior change, our re-sponsibility to allchildren whoselives we touched,the work, the satis-faction, and thechallenge of teach-ing these children,the starriest eyes,the most eager ex-pressions, the mostenthusiastic com-ments were those th

of the teachers whose years of exper-

ience had given them faith in childrenand a vision of what we should be doingfor them."

"Because Of" or "In Spite Of" Me

The elementary principal who says she'stried to help the beginning teacherslaugh at their mistakes and not takethemselves too seriously is one, we aresure, who has a concept of what ingre-dients go into a working situation inwhich human relationships flourish. In

her statement we find further evidenceof a concept of human relationships thatincludes both children and adults.

"I like to think that the few begin-ning teachers with whom I have workedare better because of me, although some-

times I'm afraid it is in spite of me."In happier moments I can see evi-

dences that might indicate I have helpedthem establish a place for themselvesas members of the staff. I've tried togive the new ones opportunities to workwith the experienced teachers most like-

ly to welcome new blood. I've tried,too, to help the new ones appreciate thework of the oldtimers. I have sought

to protect themfrom the domineer-ing veterans whowould mold themto their own nar-row little patterns.

"Perhaps I havehelped the commu-nity accept themand helped them,in turn, appreciatethe communitywith its standardsand customs so dif-ferent from their

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own protected lives. Perhaps, too, I'vehelped them understand their role in acomplex city system, which, howeverkindly, hardly allows individuality incurriculum, methods of reporting, andthe like.

"In low moments, however, I am surethat they are better in spite of me.Emergencies that must be met immedi-ately invariably interfere with promisesto demonstrate a teaching technique orto observe them at their request for aparticular purpose. Or, I have had toprod them for reports or return reportsfor corrections when there were somany more interesting things for themto do with children.

"My conscience would be easier ifwe were able to eliminate all responsi-hilities except those that directly con-cern the development of children. Thenthe help that I should be able to give allteachers, but doubly needed bv the in-experienced, would be available."

Take Time for HelpThe pace of modern living is, too often,carried over into the rush-rush-rushof our relationships with teachers thinksanother elementary school principal.She says:

"I have learned that beginning teach-ers like to have you devote some timeto them; that they want you to greetthem with the attitude that you have'time to listen.' The hurried trip throughthe hall with 'I'll talk about that later'dampens the enthusiasm of the begin-ning teacher.

"A friendly conversation where youdo not lay down rules of what is rightand what is wrong but, rather, help theteacher to do the talking and where youwatch for cues for further understand-

December 1947

ing is worthwhile. 'How can I helpyou?' brings questions small to you inimportance but ones that loom largeto her. Too often questions about dailyroutine such as attendance proceduresor playground duties are consideredlightly when, in reality, they sometimesharass the new teachers into nervousreactions that do not make for basicconfidence and ease in going on intoinstructional planning.

Enthusiasm Plus Security"Was this too much help.:" asks a sec-ondary school curriculum director asshe reviews the steps in the process ofhelping a teacher grow in ability andconfidence. We think not. What wouldyou say to the procedure described inher account?

"One of the teachers of our newlyorganized core program in junior highschool had taught three years in a verytraditional set-up. She was eager to try'something new' because she realizedthat the way she had been teaching waspretty sterile and that the seventh grad-ers' enthusiasm for learning was prac-tically nil. She was very interested inworking with the other seventh gradeteachers in planning the core program.She contributed much at our regularweekly meetings, and showed a basic in-terest in children. However, she had notlearned, in her teachers college, any-thing concerning pupil-teacher plan-ning, group work, or student evalua-tion. Most of the other teachers had atleast a speaking acquaintance with theseterms, and a few had experience inworking with children in this manner.

"When I visited her classroom thefirst time there was plenty of enthu-siasm, but also a great deal of disorder

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and confusion. She was discouraged!In talking with her I discovered that shewas not only trying to do the profes-sional reading that we recommended,but was taking three courses to 'makeup subject matter deficiencies.' Ourstate requires certification in both socialstudies and English for teachers of corecurriculumn Such a situation gave hervery little time to gather and organizematerials and to do the careful plan-ning needed for a core course.

"These are some of the things I didto help her. Maybe you would call it'spoon feeding,' but by the end of theyear she was no longer discouraged andhad become one of the most ardent sup-porters of the program.

-I praised her to the skies any time I sawinteresting developments in the class-room.

-I went through materials and got listsof movies and other materials for herparticular unit.

-I asked the librarian to give her extrahelp in selecting student material atvanous reading levels.

-I made an appointment for her to talkwith the school psychologist regardingthree students who were definitely prob-lems.

-- I helped her work out a plan chart whichwould give students a share in plan-ning, and yet help her to see that therewas "direction" in this kind of teaching.

-Because the students accepted me as afrequent visitor, I often took part inthe classroom discussion and helped hersee ways of relating the sporadic com-ments of the students to the over-allpurpose of the activity.

lent her some of my own books forher cours, and read and criticized someof her papers.

-I went to bat for her when the principalfelt that she should not be permitted toteach the "new way" because she washaving a little difficulty' with "dis-

170

cipline." His solution had been that shego ack toassigning day by day lessonsm the grwmar and speing book.

-In our weekly meetings I encouragedher to talk about both her successes anddifficulties and, consequently, several ofthe other teachers shared materials andgave helpful suggestions.

-At a dinner party with several seventhgrade parents I told about the splendiddramatizations I had seen in her roomand about the fine way in which she washelping the timid children.

"To much time for one teacher? Per-haps, but she wanted help then, and shenow needs very little!"

Consider the PersonalMany of the problems which teachersface in the classroom or in school situa-tions can be traced directly to personalproblems originating in the home or toa teacher's degree of emotional matur-ity. An elementary principal in a citysystem on the east coast and an elemen-tary supervisor from a west coast cityreveal these aspects as they analyze thecases of teachers they feel they "failed"in some degree.

"I was unable to help Mrs. Brownlast year. During our first conferenceshe impressed me as being a calm per-son, with an understanding of children'sneeds and a desire to provide rich andvaried experiences to meet their needs.Reading through the records of heryear's work I can see that she continuedto give that impression for the firstmonth. Then things came to a standstill.Her work followed a pattern which of-fered so little to children that they be-came bored and problems developed.

"As the children caused trouble shedisplayed quick and uncontrolledperiods of temper which, in turn, caused

Edueitioal Leadesip

more trouble. She was often irritableand very sarcastic with them. Duringour conferences to talk or plan togethershe was always on the defensive andvery critical of the children's behavior,the courses of study, the necessaryclerical work, and the school system ingeneral.

"I met her husband toward the endof the year and found him to be ratheranti-social and inclined to treat Mrs.Brown with the same irritable and sar-castic manner she used with her chil-dren. He is also the kind of person whois never wrong.

"Mrs. Brown is with me again thisyear but in a different grade for whichshe feels she is better qualified. As Ithink through our experiences of lastyear, evaluate them, and make plans forhelping her, several things stand out inmy mind--

+ Home conditions influence the be-havior of everyone; the more knowl-edge we have the better we can helpthe person.

+ It is necessary for a person to feelsecure in order to succeed.

+ It is important to find something topraise about a person's work. Sincerepraise, but praise no matter how smallthe thing is, does help."

"Miss L. had fine papers: her scholar-ship was excellent, she had a Master'sdegree, a fine background in guidance,and splendid recommendations fromfour of her university instructors. Shecame to school the first day with youth-ful ideals, enthusiastic interest, apparentwillingness to work, and knowing shewanted to be liked by the children.

"She found the youngsters in her

Doomber 1%47

classroom more difficult to guide thanshe anticipated and that the ,childrendisplayed very little or no liking of her.

"Her pride interfered with her seek-ing help. She tried all the tricks sheknew to win the youngsters' coopera-tion. She becauie silently frustrated. Shefound an outlet for her emotions oneday. It happened the day the principalnoticed this teacher's youngsters en-gaged in petty quarrelling on the play-ground. The principal stopped andhelped the youngsters organize a gameand played with them.

"Miss L. resented it whole-heartedly,claimed that the principal interferredand took the control from her, and gen-erally projected the blame for her poorclassroom control from herself to theprincipal.

"Time elapsed. After many hours ofre-hashing the incident, profuse apolo-gies, and the like, the teacher still re-sented the action of the principal, andcontinued to do so the whole year. Infact, from that point forward therewere many up and downs, as is the casein the life of many new teachers.

"I believe that, somehow, someplace,and in some way, as a third party, Ishould have been able to have helpedher see this in the right perspective. Itshould have been realized early that herfine background was incongruous to herown emotional maturity. Maybe a di-rect attack, maybe taking her to seeor helping her to learn of the strugglesof all new teachers might have helpedher regain confidence and face. Perhapsseeking her strengths and giving satis-faction would have been helpful. Orperhaps, an added responsibility such aschecking youngsters as they came in thecafeteria, something where she could see

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some success and approval and then rea-lize wherein she needed help, wouldhave been the solution.

Teachers Give the CuesThere are statements, too, in which wefind germs of suggestion for "succeed-ing." A secondary curriculum consult-ant says that the comments which in-dividuals made following a two-day pre-school session for substitute and begin-ning teachers were revealing in termsof suggested procedure. Said the teach-ers:

"Now I know that there are real peo-ple in administrative jobs who actuallycare about what happens to the newteacher."

"I can never feel so insecure againafter those discussions of discipline andclassroom management with other peo-ple who, before the conference, wereas scared as I was."

"Those awful forms-I'm so glad I'veseen them, heard them explained. NowI have an idea of how to fill them outinstead of being completely bewilderedby them on my first day in school."

"I'd never have dreamed that J couldget so much help from divisions likevisual education and the curriculum of-fice in trying to make my work in-teresting to the pupils. And the waythose directors of health and of coun-seling and research talked made me feelthat it is part of my job to know some-thing about the boys and girls as people-not just whether each one did hishomework the night before."

A Suggestion Bears FruitAn elementary principal gives a sug-gestion on how to cement teacher-par-ent relationships.

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"One of our beginning teachers cameinto the office early in the year with apoorly written letter to one of the par-ents, trying ineffectually to explain aclassroom situation which involved oneof the children.

"'I really don't know what to do toget the parents to understand,' she said.'Do you think this letter is all right?'

"'Why don't you invite the parentsto school and teach for them some morn-ing? We can send the children to an-other room for the last hour and have aconference with the parents. Thatwould be an excellent way of helpingthe parents understand a great manyof the classroom problems and givethem an opportunity to see their chil-dren in relation to the others. AmericanEducation Week is coming soon. Itwould be an opportune time for it.'

"The youngteacher demurred at first,thought it over, came back for sug-gestions, and together we planned themorning and the conference.

"The parents attended enthusiasti-cally, were greatly pleased with themorning, asked intelligent questionswhich the young teacher, her specialsupervisor, and I helped answer, andleft satisfied that their children werereceiving good instruction and fairtreatment. The young teacher faced therest of the year with courage and con-fidence in herself.

Accent on YouthWhat happens to relationships with boysand girls when an individual loses sightof the things that are really importantin the teaching-learning relationships?Are lesson plans, perfect procedures, ora give-and-take with adolescents mostimportant? Probably good balance of all

Educational Leadership

is necessary. That's what a new super-visor found out one summer.

"I was teaching at a summer demon-stration school when the news camethat, beginning with the new fall term,I was to be supervisor of history in thatcommunity-Neutral City. I had hada right good time that summer up tothat point. We had planned togetherand taken a number of class excursionsduring hours, and quite a few informalhistorical trips after school. Some of theninth grade boys and I had our regularrecess-time cokes and 'reform world'discussions. There was an informalityand camaraderie which was more typicalof the summer camp than the school.

"The news of my appointment wasrather sudden. Of course I was pleased.I was going to show these beginningteachers, who observed me rather regu-larly at the demonstration school, thatthey hadn't seen anything yet. Therewas still three weeks to go and I would'shoot the works!'

"A whole week-end elapsed betweenthe time the news got out of my ap-pointment and the beginning of classeson Monday. There weren't many ofthose sixty-five hours that weren't spenton lesson planning. I wrote down whatI was going to say every minute of thenext week and what the students wereexpected to respond. Yes, this was to beletter perfect now-after all, wasn't Ia supervisor! I just couldn't take achance now.

"So it went all that week. There wasno time for recess cokes with the ninthgrade gang. The informal after-schooltrips with Bill and Frank and Mary hadto go, too. I needed all that time forlesson planning.

"Two weeks had gone by since the

Demember 1947

news of my appointment, and nearlyevery hour had been spent on makingformal lesson plans or in carrying themout. The boys stopped asking me tojoin them at cokes and adopted a be-ginning teacher who replaced my statuswith the gang.

"So it would have gone for the finalweek, and possibly for some time be-yond that, had two remarks not beenmade. As the boys left for the store oneday I heard, 'Don't ask him anymore,he's a supervisor now.' That hurt!

"But the blow which knocked me outwas Bill's. He was arguing with Frank,and loyal as ever. 'He's still O. K. It'sthese orders he gets from the fellowshigher up. Notice how he looks at thosesheets of papers every now and then.I saw them. They even tell him whathe's got to say to us and what we haveto answer. I tell you all supervisors haveto take orders.'

"Fortunately there was one week left.One week-end for soul-searching andrelaxation! When Monday came Imade a clean breast of it. I asked therecess gang if they would take me back.When my ninth grade class came I toldthe students I had a job to perform infront of them--a sort of camp punish-ment. I asked Bill to help me with theritual. It was a public destruction ofabout one hundred sheets of 'ordersfrom the fellows higher up'-what thetrade called lesson plans."

Using Teacher Problems

A supervisor of language arts for theprimary grades takes the suggestions ofteachers, and from them develops plansfor an in-service program based on needswhich the teachers revealed. They said:

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-We need more help in working withslow-learning pupils We need materialswhich meet the needs of the over-agepupils and that are of high interest leveland low vocabulary.

-We need meetings which have a directbearing on our different curriculumareas, and demonstration lessons inwhich desirable teaching techniques aredeveloped.

-We need more appreciative commentsfrom principals and supervisors. Fre-quently both leave our classrooms with-out any comment--either encouragingor suggestive.

-We need supervisors who will teachclasses occasionally to show the devel-opment of certain desirable learningsituations.

--We need supervisors who are human,understanding, and willing to acceptteachers where they are, and providesuch further training as may be needed.We want constructive suggestions, notmerely criticism.

-New teachers and those having new as-signments for the first time need specialassistance in becoming acquainted withschool policies and curriculum develop-ment.

HAROLD G. SHANE

In many schools today an effort is being made to provide more oppor-tunities for teachers to plan together the means of solving instructionalproblems. Harold G. Shane, superintendent of schools, Winnetka, Il-linois, tells how a group of teachers started with a specific problem andmoved ahead in the various steps of group planning.

CURRICULUM, community relations,administrative policy, and a thousandsimilar matters which confront edu-cators! These are matters of commonconcern in places where experiencedteachers meet--graduate classes or edu-cational conferences, for instance--totalk over ways in which school staffscan work together democratically. Insuch informal conversations there islikely to be as much or more interestin what teachers are actually doing towork together effectively than in theo-ries as to how cooperative work mightbe carried forward.

How GROUP PLANNING MOVESFoRWARD

The following paragraphs contain asimple account of how our staff at-

174

tempted to bring their values, includinga strong faith in the importance ofdoing things together, to bear upon thewell-worn problem of curriculum re-vision. No particularly new, unusual,or unexplored practices marked ourprocedures, but we did confirm ourbelief that it is more desirable to freegroup creative power than to delegateto a select few the planning and actioninvolved in decisions and policies bywhich a teaching staff is expected toabide.

Starting With a Specific Problem

A year ago last September the di-rector of the Winnetka EducationalPress, which stocks teaching aids writ-ten and used locally, reminded us thatmost of the books and materials used

Educational Leedership

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