Learning To Understand Children, Part II (1947)

e the next morning I got to school early there were the plans for the day's activities beet and material to be ar the thought of AA kept recurring in my mind could her interest in art be used to help her overcome her school maler hello what brings you here so early I hope I'm not bothering you but you said you wanted to see my dra of course how very nice of you I'm very anxious to see them they really are lovely yeah I keep them for a while oh yeah you won't mind if I show them to a few teachers will you think they'd want to see them I'm sure they would oh thank you I was moved by early visit I felt confirmed in my belief that Arts pointed the way to her Improvement my first task was to enlist the cooperation of her other teacher during the day I called on Miss Clark her art teacher was understanding and Cooper she suggested an attractive art book that I might use for a remedial reading work Miss Davis the science teacher was pleased that a could draw she pointed out that the unit in plant life provided a chance to draw flowers and label parts she agrees that art might direct road to a better understanding of science Mr Bradford the social science teacher was open-minded but skeptical he pointed out that a reader was at a great disadvantage in the study of Civic and government relations because of the amount of reading required however he would see what he could do to V Mr Henley A's mathematics teacher was least enthusiastic of all he explained that a diagnostic test which he had just given showed that a was deficient in basic arithmetic she was entirely unprepared to take the work for which he was scheduled I cannot forget his parting words I see no connection between art and number work when it comes to mathematics a like many others is just D my efforts the although not completely successful at least gave her a better than even chance in her other subjects my own plans then began to take more definite shape during the supervised study period I gave a the art books suggested by Miss Clark I determined to let her alone for a while and see what happened then I made my rounds with the other p what a range of abilities and personality types were represented in this one class there was Eugene Johnson a slow dull student so far he was getting very little out of the scheduled work I must do about him there was Betty Gibson alert poised intelligent the scheduled work was much too easy for her she might well turn out to be a problem unless I provided her with tougher and more challenging assignments there were others too but Aiden needed help right now one of the basic difficulties in all hers was her retardation in Reading if only her reading could be improved her General level of achievement would be raised Brown this book I never knew a woman could paint like America they're wonderful pictures aren't they oh they're beautiful it says here she was an American and lived most of her life in Paris do you think I could take this book home with me just for night well yes I think so aidah you may keep it a little longer if you like oh thank you a read the book from cover to cover then took other art books from the library she was building a list of unfamiliar words derived from her reading and seemed to enjoy adding to it during the succeeding weeks her reading habits began to improve and she was developing greater speed in comprehension her written work show in spelling and sentence structure I felt satisfied that she was off to a good start in her remedial work but there was much to be desired in her social adjustments where she had made no friends I realized that she was suffering from a deep feeling of inferiority a little success a little recognition would help her so much then provided the opportunity our literature lesson was based on Shakespeare's 12th night which we were reading just as I was about to open the period a placed a number of drawings on my desk their characters from night these are very good thank you I have something here that may interest you made back of a won't you show them around good did you really draw yeah would you like these placed on the bulle board so we can all enjoy very well a they're your drawings why don't you put them up on the B board you'll find some Ta on the top of my Des thank you that day was important in A's social relations students looked at a with a new interest she was becoming a little more responsive to their friend following a dramatization period an event occurred that helped a further in her you play the clown I don't think you come in for a moment Mary why don't you stand over there and make an all right we ready n either tell me where thou H or I'll not open my the brle may enter in the way of thy excuse my lady will hang thee for thy accident let her hang me he is well hang and this world needs to appear no color peace you rou no more I think that pronounce Rog peace you no more of that here comes my lady make your excuses wisely you were best with enter be they will put me into good fooling God bless you lady take theol away do you not hear fellas take away the lady right fine that would be all that was a very nice reading I suggest the suggestion was made to present scenes from 12 night as a class project the students readily agree under a student chairman committees were selected to car out the plan a was chosen for the committee on cust the groups met during oral reading periods AIS committee had the responsibility of both designing and making the costumes we have to decide kind of for the costumes well how much money do we have for the material well so far the bus committee collected $9.7 but if we spend all the money for costumes we have any left for Refreshments after the show shame not to have any refresh we could use CRP paper for costumes CRP paper comes in many nice colors and it's Che don't make so much noise shall we use paper sure boy I hope I could go for some right now no you ought to be on the refreshment committee instead the costumes committee worked in my room during lunch periods and at odd times I get 5 and a qu yard from the V costum what do you get I get and a half oh now listen girls we' got to figure these measurements right we don't want to waste crayer use up refresh M but you know bad working with figures this way more fun than those stupid problems they give us in school especially with their ex and wi and things I don't see why we have to study that stuff anyway we never use it but you do have to know arithmetic to measure and cut out costumes of course but what they teach you in school doesn't help you have to figure out things like this for yourself anyway look girls we're never going to finish this way I've got an idea why don't you over to my house tomorrow afternoon we can work there and have lots of fun idea then you come I may not be able to come please try all right I'll try Okay somehow AA managed to go her experience at Sally has proved very important for her it was so new and exciting that she told me about it herself the girls had had a pleasant afternoon working stopping for teens keeping up a steady stream of Gossip that young ladies find so wonderful was thrilled by it all I have an idea why not you try this C well if you want me to doesn't she looks sweet you want to be in the play oh no I I can't why not You' be very good you know if you just your a little different you look Grand we fix a ha now how's that she have lovely hair come on over and see what you look like now what do you think of yourself oh it really is nice isn't it you look St maybe maybe I'll wear it home this way want to you should wear your hair like that all the time Aid at home ay confronted her mother well what kind of nonsense is this wearing your hair that way L his sty all the girls work this way oh they do eh let me see makes you look more grown up well I am going let me look again that ain't too bad oh you young people what will you think of me then you like it well I wouldn't say I like it plain you do then you'll let me wear it this way well I guess you are growing up oh thank you Mom oh I wish I had some clothes like the other girls they all look so nice I don't want much just a sweater Aid skirt sweater is sweater well I may be able to get you one oh I'd love that have a skirt that's been hanging in the closet for years maybe I can cut it over to fit you but it ain't PL oh Mom I'd just love to have a skirt even if it isn't bad I'll be good and help you and mind the baby all right all right now get alone I'll see what I can do the new hair do the sweater and the skirt did a lot for a acceptable to the other students for her part she began to feel the joy of companionship I checked on her work with her other teachers her skill in art was helping her in science this Davis showed me some excellent drawing she her notebook was one of the best in the class her work in Civics reflected her Improvement in reading skills she was doing passing work Mr Bradford showed me a sketch which she'd made on the organization of the fire department Mr Henry her mathematics teacher had noticed some improvement in A's work but pointed out that she was still weak in fundamental skills however he thought that with continued efforts she might make up for a poor St it was just before the end of the semester and the Committees were making their final reports to the class on the status of the play project we collected all together $145 great paper past props and other materials cost 685 leaving 460 we didn't think that was enough money for a party after the show but we're not so bad off after all well because some of the girls are bringing cakes which in the end leaves enough money for ice cream Cy soda for well that's a was called upon to make the report for the costume committee she had designed the costumes and the girls on the committee insisted that the job of reporting was rightfully hers they themselves acted as her assistant at first we began to make the costumes out of Pap we were a little worried but after a while we saw that it was going to be all right this is a costume for lady Olivia in those days women wore R their neck this is the costume for the Duke Frederick the men's clothes weren't too comfortable either and besides they had to wear swords Eugene Johnson made these shiny aluminum pain this is the costume for the G in those days always had to be in deep contast as she talked I couldn't help recalling the pter during her first attempt to speak in front of the class we're trying to get bells for his head so that he can accompany himself by the day of the performance finally arrived from other classes and parents too a had invited her mother but with her household duties and her baby didn't know whether she could come aah looked anxiously as each person entered the room she obviously wanted nothing so badly as to have her mother s and actually come but she was bound to be disappointed [Applause] Welcome to our play many students worked on this show not only those who will appear before you but others who took care of the lighting the scenery and the costumes I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoy putting it on for you and now Shakespeare's 12th night if music be the food of Love play on give me the excess of it that suring the appetite May sicken and so die that strain again it had a dying oh it came on my like The Sweet Sound that freed upon the of viol dealing and giving enough it's not so sweet now as it was before Oh Spirit of love how quick and fresh thou that not with standing capacity rece enters there of what falls into a in low price even in a minute I was torn between the performance on stage and the drama of a being with the help I was able to give her a had come a long way she still had far to go ptil that inant was I into a and my there were deep currents in A's life and I could touch currents that sprang from her environment yes even her heredity what will happen to a that will a large extent upon the strength she draws from her future School experience