that each child comes into the world with an inborn spiritual SELF which the senses do not reveal to us, but which, nevertheless, is self-evident and must be recognized and developed according to this law. Although he urged the study of the individual temperament, disposition and talents of each child, he believed that all should come under this spiritual law of unification; because by means of it each human being learns to submit to the laws of nature, to harmonize his relations with his fellowman and to rationalize his conception of the Divine. Froebel created his play-material and selected and rearranged his play-circle out of the mass of objects and activities which

the world offers, in order that the child might see in his play-tools the geometric forms that unite all forms, and feel in his dramatic games the social relationships which unite all mankind, and learn by means of his stories, songs and morning talks with his teacher that "this unity is God," and that "all things come from God and have their origin in the Divine Unity, in God alone."

Many kindergartners seem to have forgotten to keep in mind these two needs of the child, the individual and the universal, hence Dr. Montessori's appeal for the first came like a clarion call to many parents.

September and the new school year! May it be for one and all a successful year. How successful it will be for us, as English teachers, will be determined by many things-broad training, personality, experience, tact, enthusiasm, patience. Yet, we may have all these essentials and the many more that might be thought of and not reach our maximum efficiency. Whatever our preparation or power, we must make definite plans, if we are to carry to successful completion the work we have just begun.

In making our plans for this new school year, we must realize, first of all, that we, as teachers, determine the student's use of his time. If he is to make any progress in the difficult task of learning to use his mother tongue or to love its literature, we must not waste the precious moments he will spend in our class-rooms. To avoid To avoid waste of time, therefore, we should know the exact relation of the parts of the course we are teaching to the course as a whole. This will enable use to continue the student's training unbroken, without duplication and with due emphasis on the essentials. Even more thorough should be our knowledge of our own particular courses, in relation to the presentation as well as to the subject matter.

Whether we assign a specified portion of time for each part of the course in the beginning or not, we should have. some feeling for proportion, so that there will be no need of rushing or crowding at the end, because of time wasted on things that were more pleasant than profitable. Having then a definite aim in our teaching, we will make our assignments definite and the preparation of the lesson and the results therefrom will be equally definite.

As we enter the class-room in this opening month, we will find many little details that will call for immediate attention. Defective hearing or eyesight, impediments of speech, stagefright, laziness, carelessness, and slovenliness will remind the alert teacher that each of the twenty-five or thirty pupils must be considered individually. In such cases as we have mentioned, the remedy needed may be only a front seat, a seat near the window, a little more time and patience, a little encouragement, or a bit of prodding or reproof. All of the pupils-normal, abnormal, or sub-normal

must find something to do that will challenge the best that is in them.

The demands of the practical are insistent. Habits of neatness and a sense of form are to be developed or encouraged. The proper placing of

titles, the use of margins and indentation, the endorsement of themes, the division of words, the making of outlines, journals, and note-books, the dramatization of familiar classics and the writing of school plays and pageants, are but a few of the habit-forming activities that must be taken care of early and directed in proper channels. Spelling and grammar punctuation we must teach, from the grammar grades to the college-and beyond. But this is not unfortunate, for it keeps us down to the level of the practical, so that we will not, as one teacher expressed it, be treating our pupils for freckles when they are suffering from curvature of the spine.

and

This was only an original way of expressing what most of our English teachers are reading in the signs of the times. The remarkable develop ment of industrial, commercial, and technical education in the last few years calls upon the English teacher to justify the faith that is in him and to show in his product some practical results for so great an expenditure of time and money. But this does not mean that our ideals are being lowered. It means simply that we must realize that there is no more practical subject being taught in this country today than English. Our aim this year will be the same as it always has been-to teach our pupils how to read, speak, and write "good English," but, if we will interpret the signs of the times aright, we will teach it with fewer frills and find our satisfaction in definite results.

Finally, in making our plans for this year's work, we will do well to provide for a large place for our influence outside the class-room. Space does not permit even the mere mention of the opportunities for the progressive

English teacher in the local and state associations and in the great national movements for the improvement of the teaching of English such as are being advanced by The National Council and The Department of Education. The local school community affords abundant material for our purpose.

Only those who have realized them know of the frequency of these opportunities outside the class-room. Here we find that the larger part of the student's reading is done, and what a fine opportunity to suggest what is good to read and co-operate with the public library to see that it is provided. And how much better it would be to have the seniors produce some play of literary merit rather than one of those silly, "clap-trap" farces by an unknown author who was glad to get ten dollars for his manuscript from any one who would publish it. The selection of books in the school library might also reflect more credit on the English teacher, if he did not confine his influence so closely to the class room. And it is only for the same reason that the school paper contains so much "trashy" material from wells of English that are anything but undefiled. filed. Why not correlate our work with that of other departments so that we would have thirty teachers combatting the "bad English" of six hundred pupils rather than six? Why not do real work in literature in our literary societies? Why not teach real argumentation in our debating societies? Why not teach these young people to read the newspapers intelligently and to select the best magazines?

But we, as English teachers, are so busy! And we are. We do not deny it. Perhaps our only salvation is to plan our work more definitely, for if we do not, we may hide our light

under a bushel and lose our larger influence in bundles of themes and endless conferences.

Annual Meeting of the Indiana Association of Teachers of English.

This is the fourth year of the history of The Indiana Association of Teachers of English, the dates of the organization meeting being November 10 and 11, 1911. The dates of this year's meeting have not yet been determined. but the matter is now in the hands of the executive committee and all English teachers should receive notice some time this month or next.

The purpose of this association, as defined in Article 1, Section 2, of its constitution is as follows:

"The general scope of its work shall be broad enough to include all phases of English teaching in the

state-elementary, grammar school, high school, and university.

"The specific aims of this association shall be five-fold: to organize English teaching interests of the state; to conduct investigation; to publish findings; to co-operate in all possible. ways with similar organizations throughout the country; to promote acquaintance and good fellowship among English teachers of the state."

All teachers of English in the state. of Indiana are invited and urged to co-operate with the executive committee by offering suggestions as to profitable and timely topics to be discussed at the next annual meeting. The general, broad topic, "How may we improve the teaching of English in the schools of Indiana?" was considered by the executive board at its last meeting. Send your best suggestions on this or any other topic to A. L. Murray, President of the association, Hammond, Ind.