imum.

5. The placing of periods in such a manner that the greatest economy of time and labor will be entailed on both teachers' and pupils' parts.

6. That so far as possible, periods are to be so arranged that psychological and physiological laws of fatigue are obeyed.

7. That all possible conflict of classes is prevented.

SOLUTION

The data of this problem divide themselves into: I, constants, and 2, variables.

The constants (i. e., those facts which cannot be changed by any principal) are:

a. The subjects to be taught.

b. The minimum number of periods. c. The length of most of the periods (40 minutes).

d. The fixed periods electives, manual training, and opening exercises-which must come at definite times during the week.

e. The number of teachers available in any school, who are to undertake the departmental work. f. The plan of the school building. Every other consideration is a variable, and must be adjusted according to the discretion of the principal. Preliminary Steps:

1. Dispose of the unassigned timeseventy-five minutes in each grade. I shall here adopt the disposition made in one of the schools in this city, which is as follows: One full 40-minute period added to English in 7A and 7B, and added to Mathematics, in 8A and 8B. 20 minutes added to Music and 15 minutes added to Phys

dition of 20 minutes to the time in Music makes it possible to divide Music into two full periods of 40 minutes each, and the addition of 15 minutes to Physical Training and Hygiene, making a total of 105 minutes a week, is disposed as follows: 5 minutes each day at the end of the second period, a total of 25 minutes, and the remaining 80 minutes are subdivided into two full 40-minute periods. If these periods are considered too long for these subjects, it is possible to divide four of the 40-minute periods for each class into two equal parts, and combine Music, Physical Training and Hygiene, so that 20 minutes will be given to each, four times a week.

2. Determine the subjects and the periods for each, in each grade, from the time schedule, as follows:

(See Table of Periods on page 406.) Final Steps:

1. Make provision for two of the

constants.

a. The length of most of the periods is 40 minutes, and the greatest number of 40-minute periods that are possible in a school day (300 minutes) is seven -four in the morning, and three in the afternoon. This disposes of 280 minutes. 15 of the remaining 20 minutes must be used for Opening Exercises each day, and the other 5 minutes may be used either at the end of the second period in the morning, for additional physical exercise for the departmental classes in the school, or at the end of the last period in the morning for the purpose of preparing for noon dismissal.

The above now gives us the key for the preparation of a blank program for the week, for which the writer proposes the following:

Take a wooden board, and divide it into five equal parts for the days of the week, and subdivide each day as indicated in the figure (page 407). The horizontal divisions indicate each teachers program for the week I have assumed in the figure that four teachers are to do the experimental work). Next fix a small brass tack in each. space and the general form of the blank program is now permanent, and may be used from one term to another, and if some change either in period of a subject, or of a teacher is desired, it will not be necessary to destroy sheets and sheets of paper, and rule and double rule until patience is nearly exhausted.

b. The total number of periods to be assigned to the four teachers is 140 (see above table of periods), i. e., 28 periods per day. Since our board has been divided into just that number of

spaces for each day, (see figure), our work thus far tallies.

Now take 140 small tags, and divide them into four equal groups, one group for each grade. It is advisable to use different colors for each group, class colors if possible, but if colored tags cannot be obtained, then tags may be labelled with the number of the respective grades as shown in the figure. Next mark the upper part of each tag as follows. (Refer to the above table of periods in subjects) English on ten 7A-tags, English on ten 7B-tags, English on eight 8A-Tags, English on eight 8B-tags, Elective on five 8Atags, Elective on five 8B-tags, Geography on two 7A-tags, etc., one tag for each period in each subject. If English is to be subdivided into Reading, Composition, Grammar, etc., add the words Reading, Composition, etc., on as many tags as required.

DEPARTMENTAL PROGRAM-Showing Program for each Class and each Teacher for two Days of the Week. The Program for the other days of the week would of course follow the same scheme. A blank column may be left in front of 1st period to indicate opening exercises.}

1

407

ers.

recitations and

Thus far, the making of the program has been purely mechanical. Now the best judgment of the principal must be employed in dividing subjects into properly correlated wholes, and in giving teachers those subjects which they are best qualified to teach.

Superintendent Edson says (SCHOOL WORK, Vol. 1, No. 3): "One factor, in making departmental instruction a success, lies in the proper assignment of subjects. So far as possible, the, natural preferences of teachers should be regarded. In the main subjects, the following is a suggestive division for five groupings: 1. Oral language,

memory

gems, oral reproduction of fables, anecdotes and stories, reading and technical grammar; 2. Written language, including copy-work, dictation, written reproduction and original composition; 3. Geography, History and Civics; 4. Arithmetic and Science, or Music; 5. Manual Training, and Science or Music. For two groupings: 1. Oral and written language; 2. Arithmetic, Geography, History and Civics."

In addition to the above suggestion offered by Dr. Edson, the writer now adds a few groupings of major sub'jects now actually followed in some schools in this city.

3. The placing of the tags. a. Dispose of the fixed periods— Electives, Manual Training and all others which the principal knows must come at definite periods on different days. Place the properly labelled tags in the periods desired.

b. It is conceded that it is a wise general provision to have each teacher meet his own (official) class in one of his subjects during the first period each day. Place tags accordingly.

c. Dispose of the study periods for each teacher. Place as many of these as possible during the last period each day. Each teacher should meet each one of his recitation classes during a study period, at least once a week, in order to show each class how to properly study his subject.

d. Take those subjects which require most mental effort, and place as many of these as possible in the morning periods.

e. Take the remaining tags for A, and fill in the spaces in A's program for the week. Then B's, then C's, and then D's.

f. The colors of the tags, or the grade of the class on the tags, will

be a great aid to the eye in preventing conflicts. No two like colors or grades should appear in any one vertical column (see figure).

g. When all the spaces are thus filled, no conflict of classes is possible, and no period in any subject for any class or teacher can possibly be omitted, and thus much annoyance of making program after program, because of repeated omissions, is saved.

h. Now take the plan of the building into consideration, and exchange some tags from one position to another, so that the classes will be saved time in moving from one room to another.

i. Any and all other changes which may be required, so as to save time and labor for teachers, especially those who have manual training and science work, may easily be made by a simple exchange of the tags.

j. The program is thus both permanent in form and easily managed to suit necessary changes.

SUMMARY.

1. DIVIDE A BOARD INTO SEVEN EQUAL PERIODS EACH DAY.