o'urrney ano IracIsco (clail. ) lateI Collepe

Promnote intercultural nuderstandixg

EDITH GANN

In her discussion of the functions of leadership in the field of socialstudies, Edith Gann, principal, Camden Street School, Newark, N. J.,urges leaders in education toward greater comprehension of theteacher's relationships with her pupils. Miss Gann emphasizes that ifguidance is to achieve competency, sensitivity to and awareness of theteacher's problems are important factors in stimulating desirable profes-sional growth.

IN THE SOCIAL STUDIES, morethan in other curricular areas, it is per-haps more difficult and complicated tofind the modes by which a high degreeof professional competence may bestimulated. It is probably an area which,because of its complexity, reflects boththe maximum competence of a teacherand offers opportunities for the mostimportant and creative relationships be-tween children and teachers. In thisarea we hope that teachers will be in-strumental in helping children to find arealistic and satisfying understanding of

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themselves in relation to their own com-munities and culture and to other cul-tures in the world. In this process, ateacher will inevitably interpret theworld in terms of her own values andthrough her own attitudes, and to someextent, no matter how objective she mayprofess to be, the means and techniqueswhich she utilizes with children will beaffected by her own social philosophyas well as her philosophy of education.Therefore, especially in this area, thesupervisory process is subtle and per-sonal and cannot be thought of realisti-

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cally in terms of a planned program ofactivities which will, through a well-organized, logical plan of approaches,ultimately be accepted by any profes-sional group.

Most persons, though mature andadult, have not yet achieved a consciousunderstanding of their own biases andprejudices, and so are unable, even whenthey may be willing, to hold them inabeyance, while they permit others theopportunity to think for themselves,formulate opinions, and come to indi-vidual and group conclusions. It wouldseem important, therefore, in helpingindividuals to expand and grow pro-gressively in' this area, to understandeach personality in terms of his rela-tionships and attitudes toward the dem-ocratic way of life. It would probablybe necessary for all to effect changes intheir own concepts before growth couldbe expected in their work with children.It would mean changes not only in opin-ion, but in attitude, behavior, and inrelation to dynamic living in a democ-racy. This is probably one of the mostdifficult but thrilling inter-personal re-lationships that the supervisor' may de-velop and it is in this very relationshipthat the most profound leadership quali-ties he may possess are called into play.When a relationship is established withanother individual in which there is mu-tual confidence, respect, and faith, thesupervisor may then, if he is sensitive toopportunities, encourage the individualto break through his present organiza-tion for excursions into new thinking,attitudes, and practices.

I The term supervisor has been used here to meanthe person who is directly responsible for the im-provement of the process of education. In manyschool situations this would be the school principal.

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Study the ChangesThese suggestions may not be scien-

tific in their approach, but it is this writ-er's firm belief that individuals change,for the most part, through relationshipswith other individdals, and that super-visors must possess qualities of leader-ship which mobilize the forces of otherindividuals into a willingness to forgeahead. Especially in this area, wherepersonal values, faiths, and attitudes af-fect the processes of education, the su-pervisor is dealing with a psychologicalchange in individuals as well as resultantchanges in educational techniques. Therecognition of the latter without theformer may produce resistance ratherthan an acceptance of change. Varia-tions in gestures and forms which aresometimes interpreted as techniques ineducation may have appeared to havealtered, but actually the deeper per-suasion which produces real change maynot have occurred.

Fundamental Equipment NeededBesides this subtle psychological proc-

ess, the supervisor should realize thatsocial studies, by their nature, requirea professional competence and acumenthat are not easily achieved. If it canbe agreed that the social studies repre-sent one of the most significant areasin the school experience, then the super-visor should have a very complete andever-growing comprehension, if not ac-tual professional experience in this area.The supervisor must recognize the kindsof competence necessary in the well-equipped teacher, so that he may under-stand both the capabilities and needs ofhis staff. He must then utilize all of hispersonal and professional resourceful-ness in finding and creating opportuni-

Educational Leadership

ties for stimulating and guiding growth.The specific means and supervisorytechniques which he may employ willnecessarily be related and appropriateto the skills to be developed. Funda-mental equipment for the teacher wouldneed to include:

The development of a conscious socialphilosophy in terms of a democraticAmerican society including the manyimplications for cooperative living forthe benefit of the individuals who com-pose that society. The supervisor maystimulate such thinking in a number ofways-by group discussion; by the freeexchange of social and political ideaswith individual staff members; by paneldiscussions at faculty meetings; and bythe consideration of the contemporaryscene in relation to curricular planning.

An acceptance of a philosophy of edu-cation which is based upon the com-prehensive understanding of democraticideals and processes; a belief in the modesor ways of education in terms of an"experience curriculum;" and the utiliza-tion of psychological findings whichclarify growth and maturity processes ofthe individual as well as group relation-ships in terms of the needs and in-terests of children of various age groups.All of this must somehow be held atonce by the teacher if she will plan ef-fectively with the children for theirrealistic growth as citizens. The super-visor must always be ready to extendand ergich the teacher's philosophy ofeducation. Good professional readingwhich helps the teacher to synthesizethese aspects of the educational processis helpful. A most useful way in whicha supervisor may demonstrate his ownbelief in the democratic way of livingis to live democratically with his staff.Recently, this has been called "demo-cratic administration," but in operationit would have the same attributes as anyother democratic grouping. A way ofworking becomes a way of living, andthere is nothing more convincing than

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the satisfaction which teachers derivefrom improved means of living together.

The ability to recognize and guidechildren to the recognition of vital sit-uations which can serve as a focus fortheir activities for a period of time.The choice of these experiences is prob-ably the most crucial and difficult re-sponsibility which the teacher has, forthese are the curricular materials whichform the center of the school activity.Her understanding of the present socialneeds of society as well as her under-standing of child life will help theteacher in making the most significantchoices. Teachers need the guidance andsupport of the supervisor in makingthese choices or decisions. To achievethat sense of what is primary and im-portant to the special group of children,the teacher must be a student of childnature. In this phase of the work, thesupervisor might arrange for individualconferences with teachers, and attemptto identify himself with the personalityand thought processes of the particularteacher, for he must guide her into hermost original and creative functioning.The teacher should be encouraged to ex-periment and "try out" with her chil-dren, so that when the final choice ofactivity is made, it represents the fullestand richest experience possible for thisparticular group of children. Supervisorsmay help, too, by the provision of back-ground materials as well as the experi-ences of other individuals working inthe same area with similar problems.Reports of experiments in current jour-nals should be encouraging to teachers.Visits might be arranged to otherschools and experimental centers, againfor purposes of sharing and for profes-sional intercommunication.

Skill in organizing and helping chil-dren to cooperate in organizing "unitsof experience," in which there will bea fusion of the current, the historic,geographical, and social economicaspects in terms of the problems thesituation poses. There are many sugges-tions in professional literature for the

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construction of units of work, and thesupervisor may recommend helpfulreadings for this phase. A few of thetexts may form part of the school'sprofessional library. However, theteacher develops the sense and skillthrough the actual development of themwith the children in the real situationand the technique improves with ex-perience.

An appreciation of the many oppor-tunities that this medium provides forthe original and creative expression ofchildren. The supervisor may suggestthe inclusion of various types of ex-pression, but this aspect of the socialstudies depends in a large degree uponthe sensitivity which the teacher herselfpossesses, for the teacher must sense theopportunities for creative expression,and inspire the children to utilize theappropriate medium. It is only whenchildren are deeply touched or movedby some experience in relation to socialliving, that they can find expression inthe arts. Children are capable of beau-tiful sentiments in relation to vital anddynamic events, and the movements to-ward the solution of social problemsshould give rise to inspired expressionby those who feel them strongly. Thedramatic quality of human events is animportant factor in the creation of at-titudes and these are the mainspringsof social action and behavior which arethe final goals of all teaching in thesocial studies.

The skill of helping children to or-ganize group enterprises in which theylearn to work cooperatively and throughwhich they come to realize that theirindividual contributions will furthergroup goals. In this case, the supervisormay suggest group enterprises, but hecannot convince teachers of the demo-cratic method unless they personally feelit. The inculcation of this way of livingmay best be developed indirectly inrelation to staff activities. If the groupis helped to work democratically withschool problems, and the best interestsof all are served by this method, it will

gradually become the "way" of theteacher in relation to her own group.Obviously the verbal appreciation ofdemocratic methods will not result in thedevelopment of democratic behaviors.

The means by which children learn tothink together as well as work together,by methods of group discussion whicbis such an important part of democraticliving. Children are capable of themethod of discussion and are releasedthrough their own expression. Theyshould be led to communicate theirnotions easily and sincerely. The teacherstimulates thought, but does not domi-nate. She permits the group to utilizeits own best resources and come to itsown conclusions, no matter how tenta-tive or inadequate they may be at theparticular time. The supervisor mayoffer to hold some demonstration lessonsfor teachers who have not attemptedthis method of teaching.

A willingness to experiment with extra-curricular areas which may supplant theprescribed curriculum and which aretruly social studies situations. There aremany opportunities in the communityfor the school to function as a real partof its living. Such situations often provemore vital to children than a study ofsome faraway culture quite unrelatedat the time to the interests of the groupor the needs of the larger community.Real living and real contributions tocommunity life have an important psv-chological effect upon children and helpthem to attain a position of real im-portance in group living. Present livingin the postwar period offers many newopportunities for children in a realisticsocial studies curriculum. Supervisorscan help teachers to free themselves ofthe need to follow the perscribed cur-riculum slavishly. When teachers areconvinced that the supervisor will nottest for certain prescribed learnings thatmust be achieved, they will be morewilling to deviate. For example, thesupervisor might encourage teachers tomake Red Cross activities a real part ofthe curriculum instead of an additional

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"duty" to be worked out during someavailable spare time. Today's Red Crossprojects are some of the social studiesof our lives.

Readiness Is a FactorThe supervisor, therefore, should be

ready to function wherever teachersneed help in becoming more competentguides for children in ways of intelligentdemocratic citizenship. He should be ina position to function not only in reg-ularly planned situations, but also spon-taneously as opportunities arise both inand out of the classroom. The super-visor, too, has an opportunity for trulycreative relationships in capturing thosemoments of intercommunication whichproduce real change. There is a kind ofreadiness to respond, or there may bemoments of willingness or receptivityin individuals which are recognizablewhen a supervisor works very closelywith members of his staff. It is at suchtimes that changes become more readilypossible, and they usually occur whenthe teacher faces certain problems inrelation to her work with the children.The feeling for the temporal factor intaking advantage of readiness is mostimportant, for fine opportunities maybe lost if the supervisor does not catchthem when the need is strong, or theinterest high.

A Case for UnderstandingHowever, whether the supervisor ex-

erts his influence and leadership in casualand informal situations or more reg-ularly planned procedures, he shouldhave a very comprehensive understand-ing of the actual functioning of eachmember of the staff. This sort of knowl-edge may be gleaned in -a number of

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ways, both informally and through visitsin the classroom. Much can be learned-from the way in which a teacher plansher activities or her programs, or in theway she plans to use materials. At anyrate, the supervisor must be completelyaware of the particular competencies ofindividual teachers before he can fashionthe means by which individual growthmay be stimulated. In surveying his sit-uation, he may find that certain activi-ties may be planned for the entire group,for small groups, or for individuals.

It is not sufficient, however, in choos-ing one area as in the case of the socialstudies, for the supervisor alone to real-ize that there are growth possibilities.The teachers themselves, somehow mustcome to feel the need to reconstructpractice, deepen insights, expand activi-ties, or further refine techniques. If thesupervisor is keen and sensitive, he willknow whether he has struck upon some-thing which the teachers feel is also theirproblem, and represents their needs. Un-less this is true, there will not be theinterest and energy on the part of theteachers which is required in makingreal progress.

Early in the process, but after the firststirrings have actually taken place, thesupervisor and teachers might well cometogether to discuss quite openly andfreely what their needs are. Actuallythere is no generalized procedure for theimprovement of any school program.Each school situation will present itsparticular problems and its individualneeds, and the supervisor must functionin relation to these particular needs, andnot in terms of some preconceived planor system of instruction. If the super-

(Continued on page 273)

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(Cotim/aed from page L53)

visor can help teachers to free them-selves from the "subject-matter ap-proach" or the yoke of a "settled cur-riculum," then gradually they will de-vise means appropriate to the new expe-riences.

As the work proceeds,' many moreavenues of growth for teachers may pre-sent themselves which cannot be fore-seen in advance. Many suggestions forgrowth will come from the teacherswhen they become aware of their par-

ticular needs and the supervisor woulddo well to forego any personal plans hemight have at the time. Ideally, the su-pervisor would help teachers to sensetheir own needs. When teachers feelfree enough to suggest the modes bywhich they as individuals, in relation tothe staff as a whole, may move forwardin relation to particular school needs,then the supervisor has fostered an at-mosphere in which true self-develop-ment may ensue.

THE LISTENING POST(Coltinued from page 264)

The general purpose of that bill was toauthorize the appropriation of funds toassist the states and territories in reducingthe inequalities of educational opportuni-ties through public elementary and second-ary schools. The bill would have provided$15o,oo0,ooo the first year, increasing to$2So,ooo,ooo the third year. It proposed toallot funds to states by means of an objec-tive formula which took into account(a) the educational load of each state,(b) state economic ability, and (c) stateeffort.

It is likely that the same or similar billswill be introduced in the present, the 8othSession of Congress. Our Association andthe National Education Association will doall possible to inform school people aboutthe bills when introduced, their status in

appropriate Senate and House committeesand on the floor of both Houses, and aboutwhat teachers, parents, and other citizenscan do to help speed their passage.

In the meantime, school people shoulddo all possible to apprise themselves andothers in their communities regarding thepossibilities of local, state, and federal re-sources to increase funds for public edu-cation-an essential not only to keep manyschools open and all teachers on the jobbut also to protect and extend educationalopportunities for all of America's childrenand youth--our Nation's, our democracy'sfuture. You, an Association member, havea responsibility as an individual, as well asthrough group effort, to inform yourselfand to go into action on this vital issue.-ASCD Legislative Committee.

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Copyright © 1947 by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. All rights reserved.