Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1861-01-31
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Edited by A. SMITH, County Superintendent.
For the Educational Column
Teach Scholars to Think.

reach Scholars to Think.
One Of the old complaints against teach
ers, and one that it is always safe to urge,
IS that they are too apt to follow beaten
path, to repeat what others have said, to
make parrots of their scholars. 1t would
be quite strange if this were not true. The
general tendency of mems minds is toward
passive reception of whatever is offered by
trusted hands. 1t is hard to think, to
study with deep earnestness, to investigate
for oneself; so, very naturally, the multi
tude, teachers as we'll as others, are content
to pass along in respectable Incidence, re-
putable mental sloth. Perhaps it is un-
wise to disturb the easy faith of any; but
the question will at times occur to all ar
dent, thoughtful, truth-loving minds, what
is the use of living without thought, des-
titutc of mental and moral life and inherent
strength? Can it be that minds are grant
ei to us to treasure up the wise words and
tar-reaching thoughts of men and ages past,
but not to search for ourselves into the ma
ny sided riddle Of life? Truth is urs,
not so far as we assent to 4 shapeIhent of
it, but SO far as we have sought out its ma
turs and meaning, and made it our own
The principles Of any science are of use
to us as disciplinary instruments, only so
far as we have fully mastered them. 1t is
nothing that we are able to repeat them
without error; nothing, that We pretend to
teach them, unless we knoV them by steady,
conquering, assimilating thought.
How much effort is daily put forth by
the teachers Of this State, to induce their
pupils to commit to memory the assigned
lessons yet how little Of all that is daily
committed and recjted, is we'll understood
so that it is an actual possession Of those
who repeat the words Of the books. Words
are exceedingly useful as means of commu-
nicating ideas, but Of what conceivable ben
eft are they when the ideas have fallen out
OF them? Words, the best words are only
tools with which the mind expresses the
thought that otherwise could not be COM
municatcd. But no words must be suffer
ed to usurp the place Of ideas. Rules of
grammar and arithmetic must be SO care
fully explained that they must no longer
seem TO the pupil like the arbitrary direc-
tons given for the aniablc purpose Of puz-
zling learners and bringing the answers,
but as concise statement Of the natural,
analytical process by which the true result
must be obtained.
Fellow teachers, we Hecd to think mere
ourselves; to have all the operations of the
schoolroom tend toward fostering in the
minds of our pupils disposition TO search
for the truth, for the principles Of things,
for that which is best and essential in all
that we teach. We ought to rise above
any petty desire to be brilliant, and to win
a reputation for success in teaching, and
strive to Undue our pupils with the spirit
of honest thoughtfulness, Of earnest, care
ful, candid inquiry, The world is built
and governed in reason; all the phenomena
of Nature, and all the facts in human his
tory are problems for us to solve, controlled
by laws which We do well 70 understand
and to heed.
There is hardly saddcr sight than
man or woman who acts, and speaks, but
never really thinks For how many idle
words and aimless deeds must such have
to give account. On the other hand, whom
do we revere more highly than those who
earnestly seek to know what is true and
right, and then zealously follow whitherso-
ever the Light may lead. These are the
true teachers, the guides, the correc-
tors, the prophets of the world Itmay
be we can give an impulse to some noble
mind, which shall hereafter be a rich bles-
sing to the State and to mankind At least,
we may incite those under our care to in
quire, to study, to think. If We do this,
we shall confer a priceless benefit upon
them, even if they never became lights in
the world. Men and women were not sent
into the world to be great or brilliant, but
to be thoughtful, truthful, and ever asp,-
ring to that which is best aad dearest of
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