Michigan historical collections Volume 14 - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 Excerpt: ...The students in the high school room furnished their own desks and chairs. These all being movable, and their occupants movable too, and the latter numbering some one hundred and fifty, all seated in one large room, a view of our situation will give something of an idea of the difficulty we had to encounter in endeavoring to keep the accustomed quiet and order of a well regulated school. I said to the director, when I consented to take charge of the school, that it would damage or ruin the reputation, for government at least, of the best teacher in the State, to undertake the management of one hundred and fifty pupils in a schoolroom thus unfinished and unfurnished, save with the multifarious and nondescript "desks, stands and chairs" which the whim of each pupil had selected and brought there for his or her own use. They acknowledged that the situation was unpromising but urged me to go and do the best I could. This was done. We considered our winter's work in that schoolroom the pursuit of knowledge under difficulties. And we often said to the students, "Those of you who acquit yourselves as good and orderly pupils under the adverse circumstances here this winter, will not only receive the approbation of all your friends, but you will have received a discipline that will be of great value to you in after life." There were two recitation rooms, partitioned off with studding and rough boards, at the east end of the large school room. I conducted recitations in one, and Miss Hinsdale in the other. Thus for the largest part of the time, during school hours, the pupils in the main room were left to govern themselves. This was an unusual thing, but even the' students saw that it was inevitable, and endeavored to make the best of it, as the f...