Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1863-08-20

exhaust his stock OF knowledge. He will
then wonder at the restlessness of his pu-
pills. and the difficulty in managing the
school. He has fairly thought himself
threadbare and the keen eyes Of his pupils
see it. This must be the fate of every
teacher who does not study and keep post
ed.
We place this habit Of the teacher cf
studying in advance Of the lessons to be
taught, in the front rank of qualifications
for success, because teacher that has this
habit is ear nest and striving to rise III his
profession. and, as consequence, will i'm
prove himself aad his school.
The teacher should not only study for
ideas, but for methods for imparting the
same. and inciting thought in his pupils.
There is another secret in teaching
Where manner and matter 60 together in
the teacher, success must follow. What
is the best method of presenting subject
should be a constant thought with the
teacher. Any one method Of conducting
q recitation will became dull and monoto.
nous.
In short. the teacher who would dis
charge the debt he owes to his pofession
must be the most studious and Industrious
Of men. If We honor our profession it
will honor us.
The teacher should not be satisfied with
merely following the usual routine of stud
les and using the textbooks furnished by
the scholars. A portion of each day
ought to be allotted to familiar converse
tions. in which explanations are given cf
the common phenomena, and facts in na-
ture with which all are familiar, but which
may be put imperfectly understood. For
4nstance. the formation of clouds, the cause
of thunder and lightning. the formation Of
animal heat, &c, DC. After this course
has been pursued for awile. it would be
profitable to assign to different scholars
the task of explaining to the school the
causes of certain effects, and tho laws that
govern certain phenomenas with which we
are familiar.
AT the commencement of the week he
might inform different pupils that on the
last day of that week he wished them to
explain certain principles which he would
assign to them and that he wished them
to avail themselves Of every opportunity
to obtain information on their respective
topics; and that if applied to he would rem
der them all the assistance in his power.
This would teach the scholar. to think,
and would be of incalculabie value to them
in the acquisition Of knowledge.
Many teachers might regard this as out
side of the duties that devolve on them; as
they are employed to teach only those
branches which the pupils are furnished
with books to learn from. This is an ell
Tor. 1t is the teachers business to impart
ALL .he instruction to the pupil that he
poss bly, can, which will be of use TO him
In after life.
We have often heard teachers say that
they were doing more than their duty
This we deny. 1t is impossible for
teacher to do this. for the simple reason
that it is his duty to do ALL that lies in his
power for the benefit of his pupil.
In every branch that is pursued, thor
oughness ought to be particularly aimed at
As in war. so in science. No step ought
TO be taken until the last step is conquered.
Every principle ought to be thoroughly
explained and every example plainly eluci-
dated. 1t is often the case that the pro-
gress Of the pupil is judged of by the a
mount gone over rather than by what is
thoroughly learned and completely un-
derstood We will relate an incident in
illustration of our idea. and hope that we
shall not lay ourself liable 10 the charge
Of egotism by so doing.
We were once teaching a school in the
State Of New York in a neighborhood
where resided the most wealthy man in the
community. He had a daughter verging
to womanhood whom he wished to have
thoroughly educated. Being fully able to
give her the advantages OF the best semin-
aries in the land. he determined to send her
frem home to be educated. Before their
arrangements were completed for her to
leave home in company with other ladies
she paid my school q visit. While she
was present we took occasion to illustrate
several principles of arithmetic on the
blackboard. and among others explained
WHY in subtraction, in cases where the
minuend was Of less positive value than
the corresponding one In the subtrehend.
We added one to the next left hand figure
in the subtrahend. We endeavored to
make the matter plain. and so far at least,
as our visitor was concerned, we succeed
ed. On her return home she said to her
mother, Il shall attend the district school
this winter, for l wish to go where can
understand WHY do what do. always
knew that 1 had to carry one to the next
figure in certain cases in subtraction, but
never knew WHY before
We can truly say that we would rather
child of ours were taught in this manner
only through the fundamental rules of ar
ithmetic. than to go over tie whole book
in cursory manner. ss many do.
The true object of going to school is to
be qualified for the practical duties Of life;
and of what practical benefit can an educa-
ton be where the principles Of science are
not thoroughly understood? This is q
fault with many teachers. They are toe
chary Of their words, and it seems to them
to be task. as something beyond what il
actually their duty, to add any explanation,
to those given in the text book. It is i'm
possible for any author to write book &C
that his rules and explanations will bs
adapted to the comprehension of all tn,
different pupils who may peruse it. bu,
this unavoidable defect will be supplied by
the teacher if be or she are competent fol
their vocation.
We have no sympathy with those teach.