The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-01-08
B. F. VI, Teacher
in District No. 8.
WILMINGTON, March 2, 1876.


1t should then be directed 10 the county
superintendent for the county in which
you have taught, and be deposited with
the town clerk; or it may be left with the
district clerk or prudential committee to
be forwarded, if not convenient 10 you to
send it directly.
But we hope for more from you by way
ofading in the advancement ofour schools
than the mere furnishing OF statistics, as a
preliminary to certain future measures
having this great object in view. 1t is
your privilege to commence the work Of
Improvement directly, during the present
winter. BY increased diligence and fdel.
ity in the discharge of the duties Of your
important trust, some fruits may be gath
cred in of that harvest of benefits which it
is hoped We may reap in foil and rich
abundance. Bnt your earnest, anxious
and unwearied efforts will be constantly
demanded in order 10 secure this desira-
bic result. Your plans and means OF
usefulness must be studied and devised not
merely in the schooI-room, but in your
hours OF retirement from the immediate
duties Of your charge. Study out methods
OF enlivening the interest of your pupils,
of encouraging their hopes, and urging
them onward in the pursuit of knowledge
Erdeavor 10 make the schoolroom their
most attracting place of resort,-the spot
where their fondest interest shall centre,
and where their most delighfu and ener-
getic efforts shall be displayed. This
may be done; for there is implanted in
the human mind craving for knowledge,
which is no less active in earl y life, than
in more mature age; and the attainment
OF that knowledge must ever be delig hduI
unless some extrinsic circumstances rem
der the process of its acquisition repulsive
and unpleasant.
As one of the means of accomplishing
the general purpose in view, aim always,
in the first place, to secure and fix the at
tention of your pupils, in all their exer-
cises. So long as they are habtuaIly
needless and listess they cannot be max
ing any substantial progress. And here
very much is depending upon your own
efforts and skill. A wandering mind can
not be ofectualIy "called back" by mere
remonstrance." To effect the purpose
of enchanting the pupils attention, you
must make his exercises interesting By
your illustrations, or by at times varying
your mode Of Instruction. We cannot
here 90 into details, and in the main the
proper method of proceeding must he lef
to your own judgment and ingenuity
We will however illustrate our view BY
a few specific examples.
In spelling, as the exercise is ordinarily
conducted, after the individual has spelled
his word, his mind may be and often is,
keeping company with "the fools
thoughts" until his "turn" comes again.
But this mode Of procedure might be
varied to the following. Lot the word
be put out, and after waiting few sec
onds, name, or point 10 the individual
whom you would select to spell it; and
proceed in this way without reference to
the order in which your pupils stand. -
You may, in addition to this, require each
one Of the class who thinks a word mis-
spelled, TO declare it by saying " wrong"
If" wrong" is pronounced by more than
one OF the class, selec! one OF them TO spell
it again. Under this arrangement you
can, if you choose, have one Place of hon
Or" the head"-but we would recom>
mend, ia order to avoid too much cons
fusion or Inconvenience that it should
only be taken, unless an individual
shall spell word correctly, after hav.
ing alone pronounced The previous SPELL
ing wrong,' or when all others who
have pronounced wrong" shall have
failed 10 spell it right. In this way we
believe no. en y that an exercise which is
ordinarily dull may be made a most lively