Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1843-10-10
From the Albany Argus
AN IMPROVED MODE OF TEACHING

FROM Wc [itOuHy Argus.
AN IMPROVED MODE OF TEACHING
The District School Journal of Septem-
Der, contains some suggestions on improved
methods of teaching, so valuable that we
deem them of interest to every citizen of the
State.
1t is well knnwn that the rote system of
learning from books is calculated to stifle in
quiry and make the child rest upon the OBJ
servation of others rather than his own But
one of the great and leading objects of edu-
cation should be, to teach the child to think
for himself-to take pride in investigating
the cause and reason of things, rather than
in the knowledge of an immense amount of
crude and undigested facts
To attain this paint, it is suggested that
school exercises be given out by topics. As
this idea may be INV to most readers, VIC
will explain it in the language of the School
Journal:
SAT the beginning of the last half hour of
the day, when the pupils are usually too wea-
ry TO study with much.profit, and too restless
to be controlled without difficulty, let the
teacher direct the books to be put aside, and
the pupils 10 arrange themselves convenient
ly for him to talk to them familiarly, and for
them to reply in concert. The teacher an
nounces something familiar and interesting,
as the subject of the exercise. Suppose it
to be iron. The children are first asked the
name of the common metals. They reply
iron, lead, copper, tin, silver, gold Which
are the precious metals! What is the most
useful metal? What are its uses? Or what
is made of it? Let the children name over
every thing they know to be made of iron,
and if any of the more apt scholars anticipate
the slower minds, let the teacher 50 order
the exercise that every child will impart all
the knowledge he possesses In this manner
they will be taught to think; and the same
children who few moments since were
sluggish, wayward and restless, will now be
animated and happy. The teacher next
tells them some interesting facts about iron
in what state it is found; how it is separated
from the ore made into steel, and of its i'm
mcnse increase of value by being formed in
TO the springs of watches, &c. &c. The
children are then told to write it on the last
page of their copy books with the date of tho
month.
"A subject is now given out for the NOR
row. Suppose il to be salt. This is written
on the black board, or on slate hung on the
WALL in large letters, and the children are di-
rected to come prepared to tell all they know
about how. and where it is made? Where
it is found in masses? Where there is a salt
mountain? A salt desert? What is the com
plrative strength of our salt springs. and of
ocean brine? What are the uses of salt, &c.
&c. The following day the exercise is at
tended 10; the word written in the copy
book and the date; and new subject writ
ten on the black board On each succeed
ing day, there should be a similar exercise,
and on the last day of the week, all should
be reviewed.
The advantages of such a system of in
s,ruction must be obvious; and we can only
wonder that instead of half an hour every
day it was not suggested that lessons be
generally given out in the same manner
The rote system by which grammor has been
taught in most of our schools, has been dee
med almost farcical. Those who have ne
yer studied the English grammar, in many
cases write far more accurately than those
grammar scholars who have been drilled by
fp't' <hhu 81 vi oSoGiSPhhs lSCt hs sup
pose the teacher gave out TO the class in ge-
ography, "New-Y York" as the subject of to-
morrow's lesson; and that the class must
come prepared to tell him all they know
about it's history, its rivers, its laI,es, its
counties, i,sfolR of governmentna System
of education, iN canals, its tNp;kes, its
railroads. &c Now it is clear that half off
the questions to be- asked 5y the teacher, |
would not be answetod.in the text book.
This would induce the scholar not only to
CLEAN what is in the school book Of geogra-
ply before him, but to most minds, especial |
ly as emulation is excited, TO 90 to other and
additional sources of information.
A constant practice of such habit would |
extend the power, as well as the range of
the child's observation. Not content with |
making inquiries of his parents only, he |
would be instinctively led 10 search the Ii
brary; and as every school district has IL
brary now provided by law, these treasures
could not be denied to the poorest, and thus
he would learn one invaluable hab.f-io