Teaching in a Navy School

Abstract

T O THOSE accustomed to higher education in peacetime, teaching in a school for war training under the direction of representatives of our armed forces presents some interesting contrasts and stimulating challenges. While it is still too early to see the total effect of the war on American higher learning, it is possible to describe the work of teaching in a war-training school, and to make some suggestions based upon this experience. The writer has been employed as a civilian instructor in one of the United States Naval Flight Preparatory Schools since shortly after its inception at the beginning of I943. These schools provide the first groundschool work in the rigorous training of Navy fliers. Except for physical training, this work is presented entirely in the classroom, and includes courses in mathematics, physics, code, navigation, and theory of flight. The greater part of the material is taught by civilian instructors-many of them members of the faculty of the college at which the school is located. The head of one of the regular college departments acts as co-ordinator between the college and Navy school. As such, he has the task of setting up classroom and faculty schedules in accordance with current needs-a difficult job because of conflicting faculty duties and the short notice given concerning the number of cadets to be taught at any particular time. The school is under the command of a Navy officer who has a staff of officers under his direction. The nature of the varied backgrounds of the civilian faculty members in war-training schools has been commented upon in other articles. At this school, as at others, there are some unusual combinations. The Bible professor teaches several classes in theory of flight, and a number of men who have spent many years in missionary work in Egypt are also on the faculty. In addition, several local business men teach int the school part time. Among them are an osteopath, a lumber dealer, a commercial photographer, an undertaker, and a newspaper editor. Several of these people are better qualified to teach aviation cadets than their regular jobs might indicate. One of them, an amateur radio operator, is a successful code teacher; another is an experienced pilot. However, the m,ajority of the present faculty members-college staff