Motivated English-A Class Paper

BERNICE HARTLEY, M. A., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,

SIOUX CITY, IOWA.

ANY high schools edit a newspaper, which is supposed to correlate with all school activities

M and to furnish a basis for English work of a

certain kind. This type of newspaper furnishes practice in written composition to a few of the better English students to the exclusion of many. Sometimes the staff does most of the writing and under such conditions the school paper helps only a few and neglects many who have even greater skill than the staff chosen. Very often the staff of such a paper is chosen from class or school favorites rather than students who may possess marked literary ability. Even under the most favorable circumstances it is difficult to manage a regular school paper so as to make it equally helpful in the English work of all students.

For these reasons, I decided upon a plan whereby all my English students might have equal opportunity to show their skill in writing newspaper articles of various kinds. It is the practical type of English they read every day and in which they are keenly interested. The newspaper contains the vocabulary of the average American and he reads it, if nothing else.

In the high school in Hampton, Iowa, with a class of fiftythree eleventh grade students, who were in two divisions of third year English, I carried out the following plan:

First, we studied the daily newspaper. The class observed the various sections of the paper and the type of composition contained therein. They noted the type of headings to the different articles, those which were given preference and placed on the front page and other details. Next they studied the purpose of the cartoon, the editorial and the special features; in fact, no detail was overlooked for fifty-three students

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were really studying a newspaper for the purpose of writing one of their own.

The Des Moines Register, the Des Moines Capital and the two local papers of the town were used as a basis for this work, because all the class had access to one of these papers at least. Others without the State were used for material, but the general plan of the Des Moines papers was followed.

Each class was organized with an editor-in-chief, associate editor and a business manager to act as an executive committee. This committee assigned each member of the class some place on the staff. The executive committee was chosen and the staff positions assigned each week, so each student had the opportunity to write for various departments of the paper as well as organize the material. The committee in charge for the week collected all material, corrected mis-spelled words, punctuation, and grammatical errors, made a cover page for the paper and arranged the material in order. Each class selected a name for the class paper so the cover page bore the name chosen and was oftentimes very artistically designed. One division chose "Junior Echo" as a name for the paper, the other the "Junior Tatler." Sharp competition often arose between the two divisions, since material from these papers was sometimes chosen for publication in the official high school paper for the "annual" which the school published.

The paper contained the following sections:

(1) National News-This covered the best and most valuable news to be found upon national and international affairs. (2) State News-The most interesting news of the State was presented here: real news, which the class decided every Iowa boy or girl ought to know.

(3) Local News-The best information concerning the affairs of the county and the town was written in this section.

(4) Cartoons-Each paper contained at least two cartoons, usually related to the editorial written for the issue or to some phase of school life in which there was interest. It was through this department that the cartoonist for the high school annual was discovered.

(5) Editorials-There were two editorials each week, written by the editor-in-chief and the associate editor. They presented any present-day question which they thought worth while. Out of these editorials I often drew material for debates in oral English.

(6) Sport page-The local sports of the school were written in this section as well as many important athletic events in the State. When the high school relay team was successful in winning a place in the Drake Relays this page was filled with comparative rankings of colleges and universities of the country. This led to an increased interest in colleges and college catalogs were collected and reviewed with enthusiasm. I am sure this encouraged some to go to college who hitherto had not considered it. This page was never overworked, although each boy was especially interested when his "turn" came to write for this section.

(7) Society page-It dealt with the social affairs of the school and community and always contained the best things the community offered, such as plays, concerts, church programs and so on.

(7) Story page Here short stories were written. One paper ran a serial quite successfully, despite the fact, that a new "author" must appear each week. This aroused a keen interest in short stories and more and better story writing was done.

(9) Advertising section-The business manager had charge of this department. The "want ads," "lost and found," "for sale" and others found space here. Many advertisements were answered in letters by the students. One advertiser, an automobile company, asked permission to use the advertisement in the local paper, which was gladly granted.

As the work progressed from week to week the paper grew. Some girls taking domestic science contributed menus and recipes; an occasional book review crept in, as well as poetry and a few jokes, but never to the detriment of the paper.

The staff were assigned their places on the paper on Friday of each week and the paper "came out" the following Thurs

day. This arrangement gave plenty of time for preparation. On Friday a drill was given, covering all errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar. The executive then gave out slips of paper with the individual errors listed so that each student might know the exact errors he was making.

This plan continued for eight or more weeks until each student had had the opportunity of writing for the different sections of the paper. As the class paper was designed only as an exercise to motivate the English composition work, it was not printed unless the superintendent could loan the class the office mimeograph, although as indicated above the best features usually appeared in the regular high school paper.

The two classes exchanged papers each week; this helped to quicken the interest in the school work. However, the interest grew from week to week and I have never carried out the plan in any school but that the classes wished to continue the paper, even though all had had the experience desired.

It was a type of composition which appealed to the students because they saw a need for it and all tried to produce their best. They wrote and re-wrote without hesitation or suggestion because it was "their paper" and they felt it must be well written. They not only succeeded in producing good English composition, but derived much valuable information for other studies, from reading the daily newspaper and selecting the material best suited for the class paper.

No one will deny that the work was thoroughly motivated. It was, and it was an acceptable type of motivation. It connected directly with life activities and community interests. It made instinctive appeals. The pupils were planning and doing. There was rivalry of a friendly, wholesome type. Some would call this "an English project." But it lacks the life pattern, so it is not a real project, but it is a highly motivated exercise. It furthers the main purpose of the work,— the teaching of English. It is not hampered by the requirements of actual publication. It can be carried as an exercise in any English class in a high school of any size.

School Publications

JOSEPH ALBRECHT THALHEIMER, NEW YORK CITY.

HE school publication has two functions of the utmost importance to develop and encourage

T school spirit, and to give training in literary and

journalistic fields. It is probably the greatest single factor, with the possible exception of the Assembly, in the fullest development of school spirit. Through its columns the student body is

brought more closely together, and communication is established between the home and the school and with other schools as well. The training gained through work on a school publication is, of course, the most direct of its benefits. Practical training in journalism is possible, as well as the inculcation of the proper journalistic ideals. An opportunity for self-expression is given the pupils, and the publication furnishes an incentive for literary effort. The school itself, aside from the student body, receives the benefit of the publicity which a good school publication affords, and has, if files are kept, an official record of its progress.

Since there can be little doubt as to the value of a school paper, the question of what kind of publication would prove most valuable to the school naturally arises. As one of the great benefits is the opportunity for self-expression given the pupils, it would seem desirable that the publication be issued as often as possible. Hence, the weekly newspaper seems the best type of publication. One issued more frequently would prove difficult to maintain in any but the largest high schools, while one issued less often would result in a lack of interest as well as a lessened opportunity for participation on the part of a large number. A magazine could not conveniently be published weekly, nor is there as great a possibility for the development of school spirit in a purely literary magazine as there