ScHOOLSdENGEMATHEMATICS

VOL. XXXI No. 1 JANUARY, 1931 WHOLE No- 284

SOME NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS.

BY THE EDITOR FOR CHEMISTRY.January 1st, 1930. I hereby solemnly resolve, as a

teacher of chemistry that I will endeavor as much as pos-sible to forget that I am supposed to be teaching chemistryand remember that I am really teaching boys and girls.While, perhaps, considering some few of the multitudinousfacts of chemistry with them I will try my best to focusattention upon and arouse interest in the broad generalrelations rather than the petty details of the unit we areat work upon. I will try to discourage mere memorizationand to encourage my pupils to learn so to master the essen-tials of the subject that they will be able to apply theirlearning in other situations of related nature. I will thinkup and set before them real or contrived situations in orderthat they may have practice in applying the lessons of theunit before passing on to other topics. From time to timeI will contrive to bring again into use, in new situations,the more important lessons of the recent past in order thatmy pupils may fall into the habit of making use of theirlearning as occasion may require and that they may gainsome assurance that they can so apply their knowledge.When my administrative officers, from time to time, in-

terrupt my work by demanding "marks" for my pupils Iwill endeavor to make use of the interruption to try togauge the growth in power of my proteges since the lastinvasion of the office and I will seek to select wisely fromthe newer type testing instruments while holding fast tothat which has been proven by much experience to beworthy.

Finally, I will seek to make such friendly personal con-

10 SCHOOL SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

tacts with my pupils that they will unconsciously be influ-enced by my life not only to acquire the scientific habit ofthought but to habitually choose the better way in ^.ll oflife’s contacts.�F. B. W.

A CHRISTMAS PRESENT TO THE CENTRAL ASSOCIATION OFSCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS TEACHERS, INC.

Just before Christmas the Secretary of the Central As-sociation of Science and Mathematics Teachers, Inc., yerceived the following communication:

Dear Mr. Roecker:�You may cancel this as a Christmas gift tothe Association.

Attached to the letter was a Journal debenture for$100.00 and the request that the donor’s name be keptsecret. Earlier in the year another debenture holder madea similar gift of a ten-dollar debenture. On behalf of theofficers and members of the Association, the Board of Di-rectors acknowledges receipt of these gifts and .extends tothe donors the heartfelt thanks of the Association. Suchgenerosity encourages the Association to greater effort inthe cause of education and better teaching.

A TEACHERS RESEARCH PROBLEMS.

By HOMER W. LESOURD.Several years ago in a talk to the faculty of a certain

preparatory school, the speaker asserted that the schoolshould keep no teacher on its faculty who was not activelyengaged in some form of research work in addition to histeaching. This man who is well known in America becauseof his own contribution to scientific knowledge was appar-ently ignorant regarding teaching conditions in secondaryschools. His statement, however, gives us something onwhich to meditate.

Just one hundred years ago Joseph Henry, while ateacher in Albany Academy, made his famous discoveriesin electro-magnetism. Doubtless, there can be found todayin secondary schools a few scientific investigators but theyare working under obvioug limitations of time and equip-ment.

Research is commonly defined as a continued, carefulinquiry or investigation into a subject in order to discover

EDITORIALS 11

facts or principles. However, if the term is more broadlydefined, it may properly be claimed that the ambitiousscience teacher who develops a new method for presentingsome difficult concept or incorporate some new idea intoapparatus with a view to improving the technique of teach-ing is engaged in valuable, creative? research. .It followsthat the results of his efforts should be published in someform, and throughout its career, this magazine has wel-comed the opportunity to serve as a forum to which orig-inal ideas may be brought for exchange. "If two men ex-change two dollars each will have but one; but if theyexchange two ideas each will then have two."

A GREAT SUCCESS.The Thirtieth Convention of The Central Association of

Science and Mathematics Teachers under the direction ofPresident W. G. Gingery, Principal of the George, Wash-ington High School, Indianapolis; was held at the LincolnHigh School in Milwaukee November-28 and 29, 1930. Itwas a meeting that will long be remembered by all whoattended. Every session was packed with wholesome edu-cational nourishment and stimulating mental viands. FromFriday, 9:00 a. m. until 11:00 p. m. the time was occupiedby lectures by the best scientific talent in the schools andcolleges of the middle west, by exhibitions of the recentimprovements in scientific apparatus, by book displays,and by reunions with old friends and meeting new ones.Saturday morning brought additional attractions�themarvels of starland, atomic wonders, and last minute de-velopments in the field of education. Those who attendedwere doubly repaid; those who did not lost a real oppor-tunity. Milwaukee and the Wisconsin teachers were gra-cious hosts. They irriade the convention more than justanother annual meeting.The reports of the Section meetings are published in this

issue. A part of Miss Alice Hahn’s paper from the^ Geog-raphy Section also appears this month. The remainder ofher study and other addresses will be published in Febru-ary and following issues. The 1931 meeting will be heldin Chicago, November 27 and 28. Plan now to attend.Write to your section chairman at once stating your hobby.It may be just the thing for the next program.