Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-05-08
STANTON, VIRGINIA, THURSDAY MAY 8. is4..

prizes are awarded. In some schools an aux
iliary stimulus is applied. The fact of hay
ing passed up 50 many places, (say ten O
twelve,) entities The pupil to ticket and
gwen number OF these tickets is equivalent L
being "dur" once. When this sharper goa,
to emulation is 10 DE applied, the spectato
will see the teacher fill his hand with small
bits OF pastboard and, as the recitation goe
on and competition becomes keen, aud place.
are rapidly lost and won, the teacher is see,
occasionally to give one Of these tickets TO
pupil as counter, or token, that he has pass
ed up above so many Of his fellows that Is
he may have passed up above four at one
Time, SIX at another. and two at another,--and
u twelve is the number which entities to q
ticket, one will be given without any stopping
or speaklug,--ior tic teacher and pupil appear
to have kept silent reckoning, aud when the
latter extends his hand, the former gives q
ticket without any suspension of the lessen
This gives the greatest intensity to comreti-
ton; and at such times, the children have a
look OF almost maniacal eagerness and ankle
ty.
nave SAID that questions were put by the
teacher with rapidity almost incredible.
When once put, however, if not answered,
they are rarely stated again in words. If the
hrs''pupil cannot answer the teacher seldom
stops to say sNext," but-every pupil having
hls eye on the teacher and being alive in ev-
cry sense andfaculty, and the teacher walking
up and down before the class, and ges.iculat-
ing vehementE,-wilh his arm extended, and
accompanying each motion with his eve, he
points to the next and the next, until perhaps,
II the question is difficult he may have indica-
ted each one in section, but obtained an an
swer from none; then he throws his arm and
eye around towards one side of the room, in
wiling reply from any one, and, if still un-
successful, he sweeps them across the other
| slde.-and all This will take but half minute.
Words being too slow and cumbrous, the Ian
guage of signs prevails and the parties be-
ing all eye and ear, the interchange of ideas
has an electric rapidity. While the teacher
turns his face and points his finger towards
dozen pupils oonsecutively, inviting reply,
perhaps dozen arms may be extended TO.
wards him from other sections or divisions
OF the class, giving notice that they are ready
TO respond; and in this way question will
be put TO class Of fifty, sixty or eighty pu-
pills, In half a minute Of time.
Nor is this ALL The teacher does not
stand immovaby fixed TO one spot, Ct never
saw teacher in Scotland sitting in school
room, nor are the bodies of the pupils mere
blocks, resting motioDless in their seats, or
lolling from side to side as, though life were
deserving them. The custom is Tor each pu-
phi to rise when giving an answer This is
ordinarily done so quick, that the body of the
pupii, darting from the sitting into the stand
ing posture, and then falling back into the first
position, seems more like some instrument
sent suddenly forward by a mechanical force
and then rapidly Withdrawn, than like the RI
sing and sitting of person in the ordinary
way. But it is obvious that the scene be-
comes full of animation, when,-leave being
gwen TO whole division of class to an
| swer.-a dozen or twenty a: once spring to
lheir feet and calculate at the top of their
voices. The moment it is seen that the
question has been rightly answered, and this
Is instanianeously shown by the manner of
the teacher, all fall back, and another question
is put. II this is not answered, almost before
an attentive spectator can understand it, the
teacher extends his arm and flashes his eve to
the next, and so on, and when rapid signal
is given TO another side Of the room, dozen
pupils leap to the floor and vocilerate reply.
Nor can the iaintest picture Of these excit-
ing scenes be given, without Introducing
something of technical phraseology used in
the school
If pupil is not prompt at the moment, and
1t the teacher means 10 insist upon an answer
from him, Oor it will not do to pass by a
scholar always, however DULY he excams,
in no very moderate or gentle voice, "Come
away" or "come away now ;'-and If the
first does not answer and the next does, he
directs the latter 10 pass above the former bv
the conventional phrase, "Take him down.
ii whole section stands at fault, for mo-
ment, and then one leaps up and shouts out
the reply, the teacher excams "Dux bov,''
which means that the one who answered shall
take the head of the class.
Suppose the teacher to be hearing his class
Id reading lesson, and that the word sim
pedimeni" occurs, something very like the fol-
lowing scene may take place.
Teacher. "Impedimeh," from what Latin
words
| Pupil In and pes
r. What does it meanP
| p. To oppose something against the feet
to keep them back.
| I. How is the word apeS' used in statu-
airy
! p In pedestal the block oil which STA
tue is raised.
r. Jn architecture
y. Pedimeht.
| r. In music
Z. Pedal, part Of an organ moved by the
! feet.
| r, In botany
+. pedicle, or footstalk Of a flower.
r, Give me verb.
p. Impede.
! T. A noun.
p. impeachment
T. An adjective, which imports despatch
in the absence of obstacles.