The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1867-04-12
FintlIay Union Schooy.

What is worth doing, is worth do
ing well. A person compelled to la.
Dor necessarily with all his physical
powers, day after day, and year after
year, will in a very short period de.
stroy himself. But If the intellectu.
al faculties are kept on strain for
long periods of time, the destruction
of both physical and mental vitality
will come sooner.
Our Primary schools, as conduct
ed with reference to the branches
taught and the lessons assigned TO
he learned, as well as the variety of
exercises, are of just that character
to create both mental and physical
distortion. Let person visit one of
them (ncho does ? and see the crowd
of little children huddled together
in a small room, seated in such a
manner that the visitor himself would
consider torture, and large classes
rapidly succeeding each other in rec.
itation, so as TO get round,--classes
in the 3D. reader, in the I'd reader, in
the lst reader classes in mental
arithmetic, in geography, in primary
grammer, in penmanship, in spelling,
in the alphabet, oral instruction, map
drawing, &c; then consider how,
when and where all these are to be
prepared by little images in Aesh and
blood, and what will be the only, the
inevitable conclusion reached2
If our schools were organized so
that teacher should have bu. forty
scholars, and no child be permitted
to have more than three studies, the
learning and reciting all carried on
within the walls of the school room,
alternating with songs, reccsses, gen
eral gymnastic performances, calling
into action the whole muscular sys-
tenn of the body, so creating such an
intense interest among the scholars,
that when the hour for closing ar.
rived, the child would be able TO go
home, just as fresh, just as active and
vigorous, as when he entered in the
morning; then the school room would
become place Of comfort, happiness
and contentment.
In order to know what may be
done in q properly organized and
well regulated school, | will quote
from the report of one who is pre-
cminently an educator in the best
sense of the term:
"Go with me into a school kept
by one of these meritorious teachers.
Observe the condition of the room,
its Geatness, order and cleanliness !;
look into the happy faces of the pu.
pills, rejecting the intelligence and
love beaming from the countenance
Of their teacher. See their position
in their seals ts,--neither stiff and re-
strained, nor careless and lounging,
but easy and natural. The tempera.
ture, ou will perceive, is what it
should be; and the atmosphere un.
commonly wholesome for q school
room,-no children roasting by
stoves, or shivering in chilling drafts
OF air Now witness the operations
going on. The windows are opened
more or less, according to the wealth
er. The bell is struck, and the pu-
pills are brought to their feet; they
perform some brisk physical cxercis
es with their hands and arms, or
march to music, or take n lively vo-
cal drill. In five minutes the scene
changes the windows are closed,
half the pupils take their states with
simultaneous movements, place them
in position, and proceed TO print,
draw or write exactly what has been
indicated for them as n copy. They
stand, ranged soldier like, in a com
pact line, with book in hand, and TAX.
ing their reading lesson. Not one is
listless or inatteItive. Sometimes
they read in turn, and sometimes they
are called promiscuously, or they are
permitted to volunteer, or the whole
class read in concert, or they are al
lowed to read a paragraph silently
Many judlcious questions are asked
about the meaning of what is read,
and all needful illustrations and ex.
plantations are given. A stroke upon
the bell brings the whole school
to position" in their seats
the states are examined, and
returned to their places gen.
eral exercise on the tablets, or an
object lesson follows. Now comes
the music. A little girl takes the
platform, and, with pointer in hand,
conducts the exercise. She asks
about the staff and notes and bars and
class. They sing the scale by let
ters, numbers and syllabies, and close
with a sweet song. They are next
exercised on numbers, by combina-
tions with visable ohjects-the ball
frame and marks on the blackboard
figures on the states being
interspersed with oral instruction.
And thus goes on the whole session."
Friends OF education, our schools
can be equally as good as the one
described. More teachers, thorough.
Iy qualified, with their hearts in the
work, with rooms such as we antici
pate in our new school house, and
.hen what may we not expectp
L NJ.
The Pittsburgh Commercial OF
q 1 a..s.