The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1868-05-07

I may illustrate the the appreciation
which is prevailing anong latter, day teach
ers, OF the idea contained in the words
''school management" by telling story
A farmers boy was required, one pleas ant
spring day, to gather the stones which lay
in the meadow and heap them together in
the corner of a lot. The stones were quite
numerous, and the task is no small one,
but the boy began his labor cheerfulIy; he
knew there was reason for the clearing, and
for awhile he worked vigorously But his
back began to ache before long, and the
merry shouts of Some mates of his, who were
playing not far of, began to annoy him.
He was Yankee boy, we may be suro, for
his inventive brain soon devised plan for
saving labor and gaining time. He raised
an old post in the corner in which his stone
heap was 50 be- and then left
work and Joined his friends At
convenient moment he threw stone ut a
neighboriDg tree. ''Who can beat thatP"
said he, as fortune favored him, and his
stone struck the mark. Immediately the
others were aiming and hurting stones at
the tree But stones were net plentiful.
'Come," said the young Yankee ''there are
lots OF stones over in our meadow let's go
- K
soon there ammunition was abundant
the post In the corner was an invi ting
mark, /" and by the time the boys had be-
come wearled Of this kind Of sport, and
there needed little urging to induce bis
friends to finish the '.Etent" and then all
went or together to play at something else
There are many points in this illustrators
which are worthy Of study, and making it |
a kind of text, we may notice that: lst. |
There is pork to be done in school-rooln. |
Now, shall the teacher require of his schol- |
airs that they labor at the dull task of re-
moving tho stones to the pile, or shall he |
ceneTlye sonls way whereby the labor shall /
De performed, yet be disguised as play n
While the boy toiled slowly at his task !
alone, each stone grew heavier than the
last, MS back ached, and he thought more
OF that and the distant shouts of his plav 4
mates, and how to ''shirk" the work. than |
Oh the Improvement he knew he was
Iqeslng and the pleasure he was giving 70 |
his father. But when his comrades were
arouRd him, and the stones were flying. he
forgot the task IN the sport he worked
harder than he would have done aud &C
complisbed more in given time than he
would have done alone, and there was
pleasure in the business
Cd. The boys who came to ''ire at a
marS'' could not have been persuaded
probably, to come to bel p their friend gath
or stones into heap They were dscSjUed;
they went cHeerfutty to work without suspect'
ing 70 60 De work, and all worked harder
than they could have been induced to work
K.they had entered on it as task aAE
3D. Similar deception is only iustifable
but expedient on the part of teacher in
his school. He can and he ought, to re
move from school duties their character Of
dEeary drudgery to make study pleasaot
and attractive. He need not make the la
Dor less; in fact he will find, most surely,
that his scholars will do more and work
longer when work is made play, than when
work Is left mere work and he may1se.
tighten the hours that they shall fly by
Pisasantty aud proftably, both to himself K
aud to them.
4ttf When the farmers boy threw stones
al a mark, 'for fun'' he NO, ked harder than
he did before. Boys alwaysrun fartherand =
faster when playing than they can be easily
induced to run on an errand. The motive }
makes the difference. And in another view
labor is iightened when amusement takes :
of the attention from the task, as such.
Sailors work better at the cspstan With a {
''Oheerliy o!P-the heavy anchor comes up
moro easily and sooner, and the men the
sooner get at some other duties Soldiers
march better and fight better, when thew
hear the music of their band. And it is sol
with the boys in school -Root on s.Sehoot
Ansasemsats.
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