CRITICISM AND STANDARDS OF WORKMANSHIP
=Criticism.=--An important feature of all self-directed activity is the
ability to judge one's efforts and intelligently measure one's success.
This ability is a matter of slow growth and must be cultivated. It is not
enough for the teacher to pass judgment upon a piece of work and grade its
quality. The worker himself must learn to find his own mistakes and how to
correct them. Class criticism offers the best means of developing this
power, but must be tactfully conducted.
Little children are brutally frank in expressing their opinions and need
to be taught how to be truthful and yet not unkind. They need to be taught
what to look for and how to find it, and how to compare one thing with
another and discover why one pleases and another displeases. The first
essential in the training is emphasis on the good rather than the bad. It
is a gospel of "do" rather than of "don't." The earliest efforts of the
class may well be confined to comments upon the features they like and, if
possible, the reason for the liking. This will forestall any tendency to
call undue attention to the poor efforts of weak workers. At first many
children will scarcely discriminate between their admiration for a piece
of work and their love for the worker and will be apt to praise the work
of their special friends. This tendency will gradually disappear through
the development of a real basis of appreciation.
The second essential concerns the improvement of the things which are not
good. Criticism which merely points out what is bad is of little value.
Helpful criticism must point out what is good and why, and what is weak
and how to make it stronger. If, for example, the class is considering the
success of their efforts to illustrate the story of the Three Bears, they
should be encouraged to make such comments as, "John's chairs look too
small for his table," "Mary's bowls are all about the same size." The
criticism should direct the thought to its possible remedy. It is
generally better to pass over defects for which no immediate remedy can be
suggested.
=Standards of Workmanship.=--The standard of excellence by which acceptable
work is measured must always vary according to the ability of the class.
The best the child can do, alone and unaided, should be the only standard
of measurement, and his best efforts should always be accepted, no matter
how crude. In no other way can real growth be observed and genuine
progress made.
In schools where arbitrary standards are set either by supervisors or by
the rivalry of teachers, the tendency to _help_ the children by doing part
of the work for them for the sake of the _apparent_ results, offers the
teacher's most serious temptation to selfishness. In a few cases it is
helpful for the teacher to add a few strokes to a drawing or adjust some
detail in construction, that the child may see the value of certain small
changes in the place where they will mean most to him. Such work should
not be exhibited as an example of the child's accomplishment, but should
be treated as practice work. As a rule the teacher's demonstration should
be made on other material and not on that used by the pupil. In no
particular are primary schools open to greater criticism than in the too
common habit of setting arbitrary standards of excellence and attempting
to force all children to reach them. Such standards are usually too high
for honest attainment and tempt or force the teacher to use methods which
cannot be defended by any sound principle of pedagogy.
Values change with the purpose of the work. A thing is well made when it
serves its purpose adequately. Toys must be strong enough to permit
handling. Mechanical toys must work. Sewing must be strong as well as
neat. In illustrative problems, in which effect is the chief
consideration, technique needs little emphasis, and workmanship may be of
a temporary character.
Each thing made should establish its own standard in a way to appeal to
the child's common sense.