Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1862-04-18

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PEELED to limp along, making but poor
progress. The school is broken up into
fragments of classes. The teachers time
is over taxed with but little benefit to the
school. The excitement, the ambition
the interest, the laudabIc rivalry, which
are SO essential to success in the school
room, are not realized and under these
conditions, 1t will require almost, or quite
super-human power, to make the schoo
what it ought to be,-one of profit
Through this want of order and ar.
rangement in taking up and pursuing the
studies in some of the schools, one hall
Of the money, appropriated to the Dis
trict is lost; /; that is, the school does not
receiva one half tho benefit from the
money that it ought too.
Ii you would make your schools what
they ought to be, the scholars should bt
started at an earlier age in the sevcra
branches taught in our schools, and re
quired to take up the studies in classes
and persuc them in regular order, accord
ing to the direction of the Supervisor
Every scholar should have three or more
studies each day.
have laborcd, the past year, in bring.
ing this about in our schools. have alst
introduced the study Of geography and
mental arithmetic, into the classes il
the First Boo, of Town u Holbrook :
Progressive Series. The teachers, as a
general thing, readily, co-opcratel with
me in this effort. And, wherever thi,
mode has been adopted, the result is most
satisfactory. \ geel degree Of intcrez;
was awakened. The order and discipline
Of the schools were promoted and the
scholars advanced mere rapidly in reading
and spelling; new life, ani mental aetiyi-
" were visible in these schools.
The teachers bear testimony to these
results. They dni the task Of governing,
directing, in>truetjug aud exciting the in-
tcrest ct the school, much more pleasant,
agreeable ana satisfactory.
The advantages u this course, cannot
be oeere,timatcd l. enables the holar
to improve hi- school hour, to the be=t
alyaatase-for without tbs system .
large share of his time must br wasted
or viii be more than WIstcl-lii, interest
is excited. His mental powers are awak.
enel and strengthened, and his ambition
Is aroused. lis ,cl.-rc>Pt.t, walch Is -
c,stutial to all that i, truly good aud
sfcat in human Hatafe, IS iasalfel; a4l
II, power is jg,t ia uf-jug him on to hj-a.
ar atiajmsat,. TIE u1aeaea q tn.
spirit, isu. tie ds-t importance T. III
>9i,ce., of tie -sAolI. ArT Ills, ny -
rlLf,. and aaR h.. rs are reaI1eI Iae
Ida.l reatue et dajuy ljuie or nothing, Is
passed away; aHl Is meaul crashing
process : ouiy 10 be remembered, to be
aatrd
That there are difficulties IN the way OF
carrying cu, Ills sy,lem IN the schools i
7 very cyiiout,
Tae plrcut,, too often, fail to furnish
iac,r chiarlu with suitable b4ahs. Ia
.ome Instances, Ia, scholars are Supplied
With ou!y reader, or spc,!er, when
they ought u be furnished with an aF'th-
m,tic, geography and history. They evil
leutiy suppose that the scholar can Pur-ue
one branch Of study to better aiyaa'aea
than he can several. lleace they are un-
willing to have their children attend II
more tAan one sta ly AZ the same school.
The remark has been quite frequently
made to me, when have laborci to nave
the scholars pur-u1 scYcra. studies lH>tca4
Of one only, = want my child attend te
reading only, want him learn to read
first" or want my boy attend only to
arithmetic as this Is the most important,
Now such parents mean well, but they
make sad mistakes. In this way, they
are depriyine their children Of what they
might obtain, aud what they ought 10 o5'
tain, better than not,-the knowledge oi
several branches of study instead Q! one
And here, let me urge, upon the atten.
ton of parents, the importance Of sup
plying their children well with books
Giee ttcR b7ols, 30 that they Shall not
be held back in their course, while . her,
Of their class are supplied, aud advanced
to higher : ade.
Another defect OF many oil the schools
impairing their efficiency, was the want
of good order, or discipline. THIS did
not arise from any thing Ike in5ubordlna'
ton, or from disposition ON the part oi
the scholars, 10 be unyuiy' or d''o'edle"''
As a general statement, 1t Is correct 10
say, that the scholars IN this town are wei,
I;-,oSa1 'TbaV arc rs easily MANAGED