The teacher can neither
delegate, abrogate, abate, nor abridge her responsibility. The school is
either vitalized or it is not, according to what the teacher is and
does, and what the teacher does depends upon what she is. In short, the
school is an expression of the teacher, and, if the school is not
vitalized, the reason is not far to seek.
=A centralized school.=--For the purpose of illustration we may assume
that the typical vitalized school is located in the country, and is what
is known as a centralized school. The grounds comprise about ten acres,
and the building contains, all told, not fewer than twenty rooms, large
and small. This building was designed by a student of school problems,
and is not merely a theory of the architect. Each room, and each detail,
articulates with every other room in harmony with a general scheme of
which the child and his interests are the prime considerations. The
well-being of the child takes precedence over the reputation of the
architect. Every nook of the building has its specific function, and
this function has vital reference to the child. The location of each
piece of furniture can be explained from the viewpoint of the child, and
the architectural scheme is considered subsidiary. The seats conform to
the child, and not the reverse. The scheme of lighting concerns itself
with the child's welfare rather than with the external appearance.
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