The principals of our city schools have for two years been carrying on a series of monthly evening meetings which have proved to be highly interesting and instructive. The topics chosen have been along lines that directly affected the work they are doing.

One of the meetings was devoted to the subject “How the Principal Can Help the Teacher.” The topic was assigned to two principals, who prepared questionnaires which were sent to all the teachers in the city. The questions asked were along three lines: (1) What can the principal do to help the teacher in a professional way? (2) What can the principal do to help the teacher in an administrative way? (3) What can the principal do in making his personal relationship to the teacher more effective?

Replies were received from about fifty per cent of the teachers and were classified as follows. Percentages indicate the number of teachers giving the replies which they follow:

I shall discuss briefly some of the main suggestions made by the teachers.

I. How the principal can help the teacher in a professional way.

a. Assistance with the exceptional child. In these replies it will be noted that thirty-seven per cent of the teachers advocated assistance with the exceptional child. This gives further emphasis to the need of greater attention being given to the classification of pupils in the public schools. The use of tests and measurements has demonstrated the wide range of abilities that can usually be found in different pupils of the same grade. The teacher with from thirty-five to forty-five pupils must handle the work of her room more or less in groups, which often fails to reach the retarded or the accelerated pupil. Too often the teacher through her efforts to give extra assistance needed by the backward pupils gives them a disproportionate amount of time. The entire class suffers from such a procedure. It is unfair to the ninety per cent of pupils of average ability to have one fourth of the teacher’s time given to the other ten per cent of the pupils in the room.

How to care for the special pupil is a difficult problem. No plan thus far advanced seems to meet it entirely. The ungraded room with an auxiliary teacher has proved to be fairly satisfactory in schools sufficiently large to justify such an arrangement. The principal in the smaller school as well as in the larger must give greater attention to the use of intelligence tests as an aid in classifying the pupils so that they can be better graded according to their ability. No teacher should be required to keep a pupil in her room indefinitely who is not mentally able to do the work or who is a constant disturber. The “ninety and nine” who “can do” are more important to save than the one lost sheep who may never be able “to do” if saved.

b. Interpretation of the course of study. Twenty-nine per cent of the teachers called attention to the need of greater assistance in interpreting the course of study. I am not surprised to get this expression from the teachers, as they are sometimes given at the opening of the term a new course of study with little or no explanation of the plan back of it or how it is to be administered. I question if any course of study entirely new in content should be put into operation until the teachers have had at least a semester’s time to study it thoroughly and get explanations from those who have been instrumental in working it out.

A good illustration of the difficulty in getting satisfactory results from plans new to the teachers has been demonstrated by some of the results obtained with the problem and project methods. It is very easy for a supervisor to pick out some good problems and illustrate them before the teachers and thus leave the impression that all topics can be handled in a similar manner. The teacher goes back to her classroom and attempts to follow the directions given. Some of the teachers have gone so far as to attempt to make every lesson in geography or history a problem lesson regardless of the nature of the topics to be covered or the reference material or textbook assistance that is available. The results from such a procedure are certain to lead to a poorly connected, piecemeal knowledge by the pupil of the subject as a whole. A semester of practical study of the problem method for any given subject before introducing it would give the teachers, and I dare say the supervisors, a better knowledge of what can reasonably be expected to be accomplished. It is this failure to be able to reach that visionary goal that discourages teachers and causes them to lose confidence in many methods that are excellent in themselves if they are used with moderation and sense.

After a course of study has been in operation for a few months it is well to ask some of the teachers who have been the most successful in getting satisfactory results to explain what they have done and how they have done it. Small groups can then discuss such a report with much profit to all. I have never experienced any difficulty in getting large attendance at a teachers’ meeting if the program provided concrete help for the group in the work they were doing. This is indeed a rich field for the principal to cultivate.

Supplementary books are often purchased and sent to the teachers as a means of interpretation of a subject. They, too, need explanation and discussion.

c. As a professional leader. The desire for professional leadership is coupled with the need of interpretation of the course of study. There is probably no more damaging contribution to the teaching profession than the presence now and then of school executives who give but little, if any, of their time to the professional inspiration of the teacher. The teachers in a building with such a principal in charge soon lose their spirit of wanting to serve and become a part of a routine business organization. The lack of holding power of such a school is soon apparent.

Some principals and department heads feel that they make a sufficient contribution professionally when they say to a new teacher, “I am glad you are to be with us. If you have any trouble, come and see me.” This is one of the best invitations one could possibly give to get a teacher to remain away. The best evidence that a principal can show that he wishes to help the teacher is really to help her, and, best of all, to find means to help her without being asked.

Not long ago a teacher who wished a transfer came to see me. He said, “I have been in —— building for five years, during which time I cannot recall having received any professional suggestion from the head of the department. He sees that I have ample supplies and textbooks, but that is merely routine work. What I need is to be encouraged and shown how I can grow.” I wonder how many teachers have had a similar experience.

Two years ago I visited an algebra teacher who happened to be assigned to a portable building. He had five classes daily in the same subject. I had known this teacher for a number of years and had regarded him as an average instructor. On this visit I said, “You are out here by yourself and I would like to see what kind of record your pupils can make at the end of the year in the competitive tests which will be given to the algebra pupils in all the city high schools.” His face brightened and he said, “All right, I welcome the invitation.” Six months later the test was given and his five classes of pupils made more A and B grades than all the algebra pupils combined in any other one building of the city. To-day, this teacher is easily one of our best instructors in mathematics, and he has recently prepared suggestions as to the teaching of mathematics by the supervised study method which have proved to be of great assistance to the other teachers. He simply caught the spirit; his pupils also caught it, and the results were assured. It did not require professional suggestion to arouse this teacher, but rather a real chance of recognition to show what he could do.

II. In an administrative way.

a. Furnishing supplies and equipment. One half of the teachers have apparently suffered from the delay that so often occurs when school material is not ready when it is needed. Sometimes conditions arise due to the shifting of pupils or other unforeseen difficulties which make a delay in the furnishing of supplies and equipment unavoidable. In the large majority of cases, however, there is no excuse for the delay other than “Order too late,” “Board held up requisitions for investigation,” “Copy of outlines not ready to be printed,” etc.

No efficient business establishment would make a practice of permitting highly paid help to remain idle a part of the time waiting for necessary material. In the schools the loss is much greater than in business because it affects the work of the pupils, who form bad habits early in the semester which are hard to correct later on.

Some principals make a practice of keeping their stock rooms in perfect order. Pupils often assist in this work. This makes it possible to keep a close check on where material can be found and how soon the supply will be exhausted. Such a spirit of order is contagious and teachers and pupils are unconsciously encouraged to give greater attention to the proper use of school material. Thousands of dollars are saved annually in some school systems having free textbooks and supplies by the careful checking and transferring of the supplies. We must not forget that some of the most valuable lessons for the girls and boys come from experiences gained in other avenues than those learned from textbooks.

b. Definite directions. The lack of a well-defined plan of administration is called to the attention of the principal by one third of the teaching force. It is sometimes astonishing to note how little some of us practice what we preach to the pupils and the teachers about the need of being punctual and definite in the work to be done.

Not long ago, a questionnaire was sent to the teachers of the high schools asking for suggestions for the handling of school activities. One of the outstanding replies was—“make a definite schedule for activity needs and assemblies.” One teacher stated it as follows: “I will plan my work with the classes for tomorrow with the expectation of having a full period for its recitation and development. On the following day, without a moment’s notice, the bell is likely to ring for an assembly which will mean a shortening of all the forenoon periods about one half. My plan of work for the day is practically ruined and the worth of the period to the class is lost.” While it is not always possible to foretell the time of an assembly or school meeting, it is generally known by the principal a day or more in advance. A knowledge of the schedule of such meetings on the part of all the teachers a month in advance would often save much confusion and embarrassment. Rules covering tardiness, the issuance of report cards, school discipline, and general building routine should be definitely understood by all. Much of the friction between teachers often arises from lack of well-understood building rules or of enforcement of rules that have been made.

III. In personal relationships.

a. The higher human qualities. The last item of the three main suggestions by the teachers was the subject of the greatest unanimity of opinion.

The human element is one of the greatest prerequisites to successful leadership. Time and again I have heard teachers say, “I do not want to ask Mr. ——. May I take the matter up with Mr. ——, for he is much more approachable?” The irate parent is usually quickly calmed when he is met with a feeling of friendly welcome that puts him at ease. It is hard for the majority of people to tell their troubles to anyone, much more so to tell them to a superior in authority who has an outward coat of formality that is difficult to penetrate.

Too much of the principal’s time is often given to looking for the difficulties that arise in the administration of a school with a view to checking them. This naturally gives the teacher the impression that such a principal is always looking for trouble, and he is not, as a rule, a welcome visitor. The principal should endeavor to find something the teacher is doing that is worth while and to give it the proper recognition. No principal, however, can see what to commend unless he keeps closely in touch at all times with the work the teachers are doing. Idle flattery is far worse than no praise at all.

The kind word or a pleasant “good morning” sincerely spoken by the teacher has always meant much to me. Why should not a similar expression on the part of the principal be equally refreshing to her? It is one of the biggest dividend-paying investments a principal can make. Try it!