London Normal School - Spectrum Yearbook (London, Ontario Canada)

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My First Lesson Joy, fear and peculiar feeling of great importance mingled together as I received my first assignment sheet. At that I was going to do what I really wanted to do. With trembling, clumsy fingers I took the sheet extended to me by the critic teacher. It was a mathematic lesson on time measurement. This I saw at first glance. All week-end it dwelt in my mind; I turned it over and over until I was sure I was thoroughly acquainted with it. Aided by Morton and several other good reference books I began to form slowly a pattern of what had to be done. Monday night the great work began to take shape on paper; every heading, topic and sub-topic was carefully worked out until it began to form a unit. Tuesday night I finished, polished and made out the final completed lesson plan. What a masterpiece! I thought. Now to learn it; that took hours, but I finally had every question down pat. At last the fatal day dawned, bright and clear; the morning passed all too quickly. At noon I hastily gulped my dinner, collected myself and all my concrete materials and rushed to the practice school. Seat work was put on the blackboards and all went fine till the bell rang. Suddenly I had the strangest feeling in the pit of my stomach; my hands began to sweat as I furiously scanned my lesson plan for the last time. Then everyone was in his place and the critic teacher prepared to introduce me. I was sure I just couldn ' t get off that chair or I ' d fall flat on my face. My heart was beating so furiously and loudly that I looked around anxiously to see if the students and children near me could hear it too. But no, there were no terrified or scornful expressions as I had expected; instead I saw happy, smiling faces, and from them I drew enough strength and encouragement to get on my feet and, without staggering or tripping, make my solitary way to the front. As I turned and dimly saw the rows of eager, expectant faces, I had the greatest urge to make a desperate lunge for that door; but I couldn ' t, so I smiled as best I could and bid them good afternoon. Suddenly it dawned upon me; these children were my friends, not enemies ready to pull me apart and cruelly ridicule me. What a relief! Now I knew I could go on and really put that lesson across! -JEAN MARTIN. Page Twenty-eight

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London Normal School When forests were thick and homes were logs And corduroy roads were laid, Some time before this century, Then surely I was made. With towering steeple full of bats, And creaking wooden stair, The students ' dreaded monument Of future long gray hair. The rundown prison of this town, To those who enter here, You scorn and laugh, deride me, I have my moments dear. At Hallowe ' en and Christmas-time My halls are bright and gay With laughter, fun and frolic — You ' ll recall some future day. -LOIS LE FAVE, Form III. My paradise is a garden small That grows behind a wee white wall. It ' s filled with flowers of every hue- Stop in some time; there ' s one for you. The pansy, rose and daffodil For colours rare, I ' ll always till Some phlox, verbena, columbine, Morning glory and trumpet vine. Blue and neat in my wee plot Grows the sweet forget-me-not; The gladiolus blossoms proud, And zinnias bloom with colours loud. In closing now please let me say, When I ' m alone, if by chance I may, To have you come and sit a spell. To chat with me when all is well. -BETTY J. COWELL. Class Of ' 47 The Immortal Artist Yonder grows the full-blown rose And yonder strolls the cattle; ' Neath our feet the green grass grows And overhead birds prattle. Dame Nature has before us spread, In resplendent red and yellow, A carpet that is Nature ' s bed Of colours soft and mellow. No artist could create So beautiful a picture, Nor could he clearly duplicate Regardless of his mixture. -G. A. BROAD. There ' s a harrowing tale that we have been told Of student teachers in days of old, Glued to one spot or dashing about Annoying critics by forgetting to shout. But this year ' s crop is not like that; They teach a lesson at the drop of a hat. Intriguing materials, concrete and fact In arms and in head no doubt are packed. By London Street Railway or L. P.S. (The destination of which you can easily guess), On Wednesday, or Thursday, or Friday morn. The students of London Normal are borne. To practice schools where from wall to wall The critic teachers their praises call. As for criticisms, they receive but few. I wonder just whom I am kidding— you? -ETHEL KING, Form III. Page Twenty-seven i

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The University of Western Ontario London Canada SUMMER SCHOOL July 7th to August 16th, 1947 1. Courses for the Permanent First Class Certificate and for the General B.A. Degree. 2. Courses for the new B.A. Course for Teachers of Elementary Schools. This has received the hearty approval of the Department of Education. Credit on this course will be allowed for many of the special summer courses of the Depart- ment of Education. It includes special options in: ART ASTRONOMY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION DRAMATICS ENGLISH EDUCATIONAL COUNSELLING GEOGRAPHY HANDICRAFTS HOME ECONOMICS MUSIC NATURE STUDY PHYSICAL EDUCATION PSYCHOLOGY PUBLIC HEALTH REMEDIAL AND EFFICIENT READING RURAL SOCIOLOGY SPEECH CORRECTION SECRETARIAL SCIENCE (TYPEWRITING) 3. Special Coaching School in Rugby and Basketball, June 19th to 27th. 4. Special Course in Community Leadership (Department of Education and Adult Educa- tion Board), July 21st to August 1st. 5. Special Intensive Course in the Fundamentals of Astronomy, August 18th to 22nd. 6. Special Lectures by Dr. Arthur Stringer, the Canadian Poet, July 31st to August 7th. 7. French and Basic English courses, July 3rd to August 20th, at Trois-Pistoles, Quebec. NOTE: No previous reading required before beginning courses in Summer School. Examinations held during last two days of Summer School— leaving remainder of holidays entirely free from university work. Enthusiastic social and athletic program. For a copy of the Summer School Announcement and other information write to Dr. H. R. Kingston, Director of Summer School, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. Page Twenty-nine