Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1857-04-08
For fhc Rafismdn's Journal.
SCHOOL GOVERNMENT.

Township Lyceum and Teachers AssOcia
tion," March 9TH, 1857 the subject OF School
Government being under consideration, JESSE
BRooNALL read the following communication;
after which resolution was adopted request
ing a copy for publication.
WORTHY President individuals who are
DESTROYS to be employed as teachers or instruc
tors of children and youth, should, in the first
place, qualify themselves TO instruct their pu-
pills in the several branches required to be
taught in the schools they wish to enter
They should also qualify themselves to govern
their schools with good degree Of modera-
tion and temperate feeling. Teachers can
then, with great proprcty, ask such compen-
sation for their services as will remunerate
them for the time, labor and expense they have
instructors of youth.
The first duty of teacher when he enters
school where he is a stranger, is TO be very
careful of the danger of making an unfavora-
Bile impression upon the minds Of his pupils.
An unfavorable impression created at first may
prove fatal TO his success both as discipline
rian and teacher as long as he remains in that
school Jacob Abbot says, when he was a
small boy, ''wc were thundcr-struck when our
new teacher, with q stern voice and sterner
brow accosted us thus: Take off your hats =
Take Off your hats, and go TO your seats =
The first emotion was that of surprise, and the
second was that of the ludicrous.'' No doubt
an impression made on the minds Of children
so unexpectedly would remain with them as
long as they lived so strong are impressions
received in youth. 1 do expect, ''take of
your hats" would be a by-word with the boys
in many playful gambol while that teacher
remained. The writer is of opinion that it
would have had a much more wholesome ef-
feet upon the minds of the children for the
teacher at such a time to go among them, take
some or all of them by the hand, inquire after
their health and the health of their parents,
make remarks on the state of the weather,
&c, and endeavor to show degree of socia-
bility that nearly all children arc pleased with
In this way teacher would gain the good
will Of his scholars from the commencement
of his school.
All teachers of any experience have, or
ought to have plan digested and settled in
the mind before they enter the school room,
how they mean to conduct it. Their duty
then is to put their plans into execution as
they come in course; and the writer's advice
is to follow out those plans until they are
found not to answer the end intended, or until
better offer. DIR. Blair says, s'He who every
morning plans the transactions Of the day, and
follows out that plan, carries on thread that
will guide him through tho labyrinths of the
most busy life.'' Those teachers who com
mence school without any system, or without
much idea of classification, and let business
take its chance, will find themselves in short
time so burdened in endeavoring to do many
things at once, that they will scarcely find
time to do any thing as it ought to be done.
Young teachers, or those who have never
taught, we cannot expect will have very many
good plans. They had better apply to the Su-
perintendent, or to some experienced teacher,
for advice in opening and conducting their
! schools. In commencing school, a new teach
er should do but little the drst day, other than
having his or her pupils properly seated, as.
certaining their names, how far in different
branches they are advanced, and above all, re-
| quire them to sit and do nothing during va
rious portions of the day. At such times
watch the children closely, without seeming to
do so-observe on whom this treatment sets
easily, and who are irritable under it. By
| this means, the dispositions of q large number
of pupils may bo obtained with a good degree
| of accuracy.
The writer don't think it needful in govern
| ing school to have very many rules, and
what there are may be short, somewhat like
these-ssKeep yourselves clean. Let every
| one attend TO his own business. Do to others
as you would have others do to you. No whs.
pering or leaving seats during study hours
| don't mean the above should be adopted in
all cases, or even in any-they are only sam.
pies of what teachers might choose.
AS general thing our schools are governed
| too much Children have, commonly, too lit
| tie to do during school hours hence their dis
positions and inclinatons lead them to find
something to do, aud what they find is not al
ways the thing most needful to be done. Ma.
| ny teacher, therefore, thinks those whose
youthful misconduct is somewhat reprehensi
bic and who come Immediately under his no
tice, must be governed forthwith, while 9th
ers they don't see are equally guilty. 1t i.
not best, as many teachers do, to seize only or
| those particular cases OF transgression, which
may happen to come under their notice
Those individual instances probably very
few when compared with the whole number O
faults, even of the same character, agains
which the teacher ought to exert an influence
1t is of but little consequence to punish one
| particular transgression. Tho grand point !:
! to devise somo plan to reach the whole evil
and to correct It il possible.