Part of a letter from George W

So much for topics connected with Nat. Hist. - at least for the present. I hoped ere (?) this to have seen something from your pen in the N.Y. papers respecting our new Cause. So far as we can perceive from the experience of 4 ½ months, they are just the thing. All men of discernment - especially young men, whose opinions we have heard, are in our faun. The outlines of proceeding are manifest enough in the laws: but perhaps a few of the details will be interesting to you. Our students are divided simply by their studies, without any regard to their time of residence in Coll. Thus the class in Algebra - ____ -French - Chemistry. If a portion of the class is less efficient naturally or less industrious, they are due to fall behind the rest (for the universal maxim is to go forward only as far as is compatible with going well) - that portion is made a separate section, convening for recitation however with the rest (so far as we have had occasion to do this during the past term) they are made to review & study till they can go forward. Though we don’t let all scatter just as it happens, we let each corps, composed of those who can draw well together, make all the headway it can. In my recitation room (for though I should hear a dozen classes, they all come to my own recitation room & ___ of the rest) I have no les than 4 black boards. Thus I can set 4 at work at once & I can generally attend to the recitation of 4 as fast as they can draft in geometry, Algebra and the like. Consequently I am able (?) usually to hear each scholar recite nearly all of the lesson - often quite all. Our seasons for recitation are except in very short days two hours before breakfast and two in the afternoon. A student is deemed to have his lesson well, when without assistance from the instructor or book, he can go to the board & exhibit it from beginning to end. The Conic Sections for instance ( ____ ____) every good scholar in the class, upon my saying to him when we began a recitation “proceed with the lesson” , would go to the board and draft __ the whole & explain it step by step & ___ geometry ____. Each instructor has printed forms of “Instructors Bills” which he fills out ___ for each of his classes. On this he is obliged to note at each recitation wether the student is present, absent or comes tardily in. Also assuming 10 as a convenient standard number for a perfect recitation he is obliged to write at each recitation by a figure what he deems the character of the individuals recitation with reference to the standard number. These bills properly signed by the instructors are reported to the faculty weekly. At the end of each term the average character of each one’s recitation for that term is easily made out. His p____ity __. Our examinations at the end of the term are conducted in an analogous manner. You may judge something of its ______. Our students were above half away teaching but eighteen being present. We were nearly 4 days (beginning before breakfast in the ___) in examining them on studies of the term. Just as much is required of the student in examination as in the recitations. The greatest care being taken to propose to all equal tests & to each one such tasks as, if he performed them well, will prove that he has not forgotten what he learned. Each instructor marks independently, the character of each particular examination with reference to the standard number affixed to each question according to their relative difficulty. From comparing the results of all the examiners , a mean is taken for each study by itself. All these results are recorded & likewise transmitted to the parents of the students. Thus every inducement is held out for each student to constantly perform every duty & to keep up his knowledge , a matter easily done & very important, yet usually neglected very much by students in general.

We have tried this method but twice & have witnessed since its adoption very great improvement . Of course it is impossible to bring students up to the highest mark of effort & acquirement without a reasonable time being assumed. It takes a long time also to make a young student , who has not had proper examples before his eyes fully apprehend what is meant by doing well and what is the best method for him to pursue in order to acquire the most in the best manner.