Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1857-12-12
Lancaster High school-Examination.

we dtIcuueu Win Iuduy oehoio, ~ =
view of classes and examination at the
close of Mr.. PAGES School, on Friday OF
last week.
We seldom enter a school room OF late
years, and can hardly give any reason
why; no where else is so pleasant or brings
to mind so many agreeable thoughts
| There is more instruction hourly given a.
way 10 a school room than at any place
we congregate; more to please and less
to annoy, less to tease and more to ENJOY.
Schools differ widely now in method from
what were considered High or FIRST Class
Schools twenty years ago; ex-teachers, su
perintenlents and parents may avoid cal
ling in at schools, fearing the little chill
dten may telIthem what they never learned
Most persons own up TO their equals that
they never learned much that IS easy to
understand, but they don't hike to be
taught by children. Perhaps this accounts
for the apathy Of people, causing them TO
neglect visiting schools. Seeing SO many
Improvements in the method of teaching
and in the books in use now, yet, true to
nature, unwilling to acknowledge that
schools and books are improved, they par-
poseIy avoid The school room. This may
also account for the apathy. The entire
order of instruction differs and the books
in use now differ, as we said before. The
examples in arithmetic and granmer are
new-greatly simpllied and less pulling,
and the Illustrations in geography AMI
philosophy are new with handsome per-
ispectiyes, SO plain and easy to. understand
,hat to learn what was hard some years
ago is q childs play. TO learn now is
no great triumph as formerly but a pleas
ing undertaking. 1t seems that by at
tending schools for a few weeks we could
learn as much as we did in several years.
The oral, of-hand, conversational method
of our best teachers of this day, and their
art of teaching the understanding by max
ing things plain, are so far in advance of
.forme! times that we are ashamed of the
age we narrowly escaped from. The teach
er of 1887 was a dignifed terror, feared
but respected and seldom loved; in 1857.
he is a digniied, intelligent boy, loved, re
spected and initiated; he leads now
then lie forced; he sweetly constrains and
gently admonishes now-then he threat
ened and reigned furiously with the rod
Then it was we heard of school rebellions;
now Of the pleasures of school,of attractive
exhibitions and of intellectual treats
at the close of each session, as glorious to
The retrospective of the child as the anti
of heaven TO an old saint.
At the examination, Mr.. PAGE was free
and ready, although little preparation had
been made for a public exhibition; he aim
ed not at display but TO accomplish exact
y what was required and without seeming
to caie what was thought by persons not
his scholars. To act and speak properly
al the right moment, to preserve a natu-
raj dignity without solemnity and to ron
der perfectly clear what might be obscure,
are his leading accomplishments as a teach
er. The children tell us thatMr. PAGE makes
them understand as far as they go in ev-
cry study, and then by often reviewing,all
is made familiar. This accounts for the
prompt answers to questions innumerably
p%yopounded at the examination.
The second term Of Mr.. PAGE'L school
will commence on Wednesday next, and
we hope it will be well attended. His
terms are as reasonable as can be expec-
ted, lower we believe than the charge else
where. Board is offered in private fami-
lies at $500 per week.
Miss BURR will have charge of the de-
partneat in Music and Drawing Her
qualifications are undisputed.
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