WHAT SHALL I DO with MY EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT? R. W. WOLINE Community High School, Gillespie, Illinois
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WELL-EDUCATED layman recently criticized the school system because i t was satisfied to turn out "average" students. It is a severe indictment against the school system that we teach the average students and make so little provision for superior students. It is disturbing to have an outsider tell us that the American schools are more proud of their "averageness" than they are of their superiority. I have read articles, listened to speeches, attended education classes in college, talked with instructors in other fields as well as science, had discussions with my principals and with other educators whose opinions I hold in highest regard; but I am still undecided what to do with my "extreme" students. By extreme I mean those in the upper portion of the upper quartile and those in the lower part of the lower quartile. My belief is that most of us teach to the average group. Consequently, we turn out many average students, a few failures, and a few superior students. If there is any emphasis toward either extreme, I believe that most of us put more emphasis on the lower group than on the upper group. Now what can I do about it? How can I care for the "extremes" in my classes? Some of the recommended devices are: maximum and minimum assignments, supplementary work, projects, club work, workbooks, work after school, unit method, progress a t the students' own speed, outside reports, scrapbooks, research topics and problems, library work, motivation charts, and so forth. These are all helpful and are called upon in my daily class work.
The purpose of this paper is to present still another means of providing for superior students. By superior I do not necessarily mean superior in ability to master textbook material, or in ability to rank always among the upper group on test grades. I do not mean the "smart" student, but rather one who is willing to exert himself to get the most from the course. These students are used as assistants in our science department. We have a regular student staff, called the "Science Department Staff" and known all over the school as such. This staff serves two main purposes. Primarily, it gives these science students more contact with the science department, science material, and helps to keep them busy. Call i t "busy work:' if you please. Secondarily, i t relieves me, as instructor, of many little jobs which have to be done and which the average science instructor finds difficult to get done because of lack of time. The rest of this paper will be devoted to a detailed explanation of my procedure in handling this staff. If this explanation should give some other instructor an idea, should corroborate some other instructor's present method, or should bring critical communication to me, the time and space used in presenting this paper will not be wasted. A few assistants are generally camed over from year to year, but these are not necessarily sure of their appointment a t the beginning of the new school year. After a few days of school have gone by, I issue a verbal and bulletin-board invitation to all of my students to make a written application, indicating that they would
like to be on the Science Department Staff. The qualifications regarding each candidate, the duties he or she will be expected to handle, and the rewards are listed along with this invitation. These are as follows: Qualifications: Must be enrolled in a science class. Have a fairlv . good scholastic record. (No definite limit set up here. One of my best assistants, profiting most, is only a C or D student.) Must have parents' and principal's consent. (This prevents possible unpleasant relations in the future.)
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well these jobs are done. They seem to take pride in doing their particular job better than the others. There certainly is a good-natured spirit of rivalry among them and also good-natured "razzing" when someone slips up. We seldom have any dissatisfaction, and when we do, i t can always he ironed out if a little tact is exercised. One thing I am careful about is to emphasize that very few of the duties are "must" iobs. The iobs are arranged so that they can be done a t the student's convenience. This is possible in most cases; however, one can see that there would be a few necessary exceptions to this rule. The definite duties assigned are as follows:
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Duties: 1. Must be willing to work. 2. Must be willing to spend some time after school hours in the laboratory, and occasionally on Saturdays. 3. Must not neglect other school work for this work. (In other words, this plan operates in the same way as the eligibility system for athletes.) 4. Must be willing to cooperate, to take orders, and to do rather unpleasant jobs occasionally. Rewards: Absolutely no credit toward the science grade. (Some of the work is not all scientific in nature, so why should the science grade be raised?) Satisfaction to be gained from a job well done. Prestige. (This appointment is sought after by more than can possibly be handled, and the appointed students are respected as "Science Department Assistants.") A monogram which will be awarded a t the Honor Assembly in the Sprina or a t a Special Assembly put i n by the Science ~ e ~ a r t k e n t . (These monograms can be secured for seventyfive cents to one dollar a t any athletic supply house. They are prized very much by the rt..rlnmtc
After studying the applications, looking up scholastic records, checking up on other activities the student might have, and after discussing the applications with my principal, the selections are made. I try to consider very carefully how much this work will benefit the particular applicant. Is he capable, is he willing, does he have time, will it make him a better individual, will he add t o a t least hold up-the present departmental standards? If he meets most of these points, he is selected. This year ten students were selected, and in addition there is one post-graduate boy who is not taking any regular work and is paid a small amount of money through the NYA. Definite duties are assigned to each assistant, and they understand that these duties are their own responsibility and no one else's. I t is remarkable how
Student A: Keep - dispensina - room in order. Keep glassware in two reserve cabinets clean. Handle chemistry dispensing room on alternate laboratory periods. Student B: Get materials ready for chemistry experiments. Handle chemistry dispensing room on alternate laboratory periods. Student C: Same as student B. Student D: Handle dispensing room on alternate days. Help keep the apparatus clean. Student E : Keep record in the record book of experiments and other papers as they are OKed-bv me. File these oaoers in the student;' "return file." bo other record keepina - - for me and also some typing. Student F: Type all correspondence, bulletins, supplementary material, and handle other typing. Also do various chemical demonstrations for the biology instntctor. Students G, H, I, J: All help to get physics apparatus ready for experiments. Keep physics apparatus in order. Student G: Keep basement storeroom in order. Student H: Run still for distilled water. Student I: Help on "Test analysis" sheets. Student T: K e e ~ basement storeroom in order. Student K: student) Handle Visual Education duties for the school. Help in laboratory.
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In addition to these duties which are each assistant's own responsibility, there are various other duties: helping with the inventory, correcting objective tests, making out test-analysis sheets, doing some of the mathematical part of the assigning of letter grades to numerical scores (according to the method as outlined on page 123 of "Construction and Use of Achievement Examinations" by Hawkes, Lindquist, and Mann), dusting shelves and bottles, polishing apparatus, helping general science students who come to the laboratory after school to do extra work, and helping other students who want extra help in their course work. The reader has probably wondered if some of the
assistants do not handle more duties than others. This often happens because of the other extra-curricular activities the student may have and because of differences in the ability of the assistants to get things done. It is not intended that this work shall keep any student out of athletics, music, dramatics, and so forth. neither is i t intended that a student should try to do more than he is capable of doing well and still keep his course work up to par. I am still old-fashioned enough to believe that his four academic subjects are his primary reasons for being in school. The reader has also probably wondered if some of the duties are not unscientific in nature, for example, the typing and record-keeping. Some of the applicants applied, more or less specifically, for this "commercial" type of work. They are "commercial" students; hence, this is where I use them. They elected science as a subject only to round out their schedule properly and to secure a balanced training. There are two other criticisms the reader may have raised in his mind. First, is the student being exploited? To a certain extent, yes. This is made clear to the student when he first applies. However, he feels that since he actually is having a part in running the department that the department is "ours" and not mine. It seems to me that this one advantage more than overcomes the disadvantage of possible exploitation. Secondly, does it not require a lot of my time to train these students? Again the answer is yes, but i t is my belief that this time is well invested, as the assistants get a type of training they could not secure in any other manner, and because this system yields interest in the time saved for me after the students are well-trained. Now does this method yield results that are worthwhile? If i t does not, i t should not be used, as we have no time in school for methods which do not yield valuable results. I sincerely believe that i t does. It provides these students with an outlet for their surplus energy and ambition. I am not sure, yet, if i t is the best outlet, but it does provide an outlet. It gives these students a certain prestige and poise among their fellow students. We all know that we get a certain degree of satisfaction from the knowledge that we had a
job to do and that we did it well. It gives these students a better acquaintanceship with, and knowledge of chemicals, apparatus, experiments, applications of laws and theories, and so forth, than they would get without this experience. It gives these students some idea of the value of keeping neat, systematic records and the value of an orderly science department. I t helps to develop a systematic method of thinking. It helps to make them think, because often a job is assigned to a student by explaining the results we must have, and then the student attains those results by his own method. Occasionally, the student uses some very devious methods, but the important point is that the student got the desired results, and he did i t himself! It helps to develop a feeling in the student that he is a vital and necessary part of the department. He feels that a failure on his part is a discredit to the entire department and that success on his part is a credit to the whole department. This scheme helps to develop leadership. These students would generally be the leaders of their cliques anyway. This provides a way for them to exercise that leadership. I t develops cooperation and the ability to work and to get along with other students. The staff, and students, are encouraged to offer suggestions for the improvement of the department. Often these suggestions are very good. They feel that it is their department as well as mine. From the general results that this system seems to give, I believe it is very worthwhile. Of course, my opinion is very subjective, but as I have not been able to devise an objective method of testing the results, it is necessary to rely on subjective opinion. If anv of the readers have used or are usine a svstem similar to this, I would enjoy receiving communications from them and also any criticism from other readers. Dr. D. E. Wobbe, former head of the Department of Chemistry a t Iowa Wesleyan College, should receive a word of credit for the experience I received under him in a similar type of assistantship while I was an undergraduate. Credit is also due Mr. L. E. Dodge, my predecessor, who had a student staff started here at Gillespie, and also to Mr. E. J. McNely, my principal, for his whole-hearted cooperation.
