Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-12-10
educational.
EDUCATIONAL PAPERS.
PUBLICATION BY AUTHORITY OF KENT COUNTY
TEACHERS ASSOCIATION.
No. O.

comprehensive OASIS, there would not u
SO much mischief done by change of teach
ers The same teacher ought, if possible,
teach several years at one place, but this
under many circumstances, would be dflicul
to accomplish. yet If we have uniform sys
tenn of teaching and education, then thns
who teach at all, even though il he not long
must conform to it,and those who are taugl
will be the gamers. But another advantag
in system Of education that would embrac
all that was necessary, even including tn
college curriculum, lies in the fact that man,
Of those attending college from the countr,
could do SO at much less expense. If tn
expense were lcssened many might attent
that under present circumstances cannot dt
it, Now all that is done in a country schoo
has but very indirect bearing upon th,
higher part of the course. Ii, however, th,
work were done Systematically, no matter
how little a child learns at common schoo
in quantity, il upon growing up he Or sh,
wishes to attend a college all the knowledge
previously acquired will be in the right form
There need be no course for this, and one
| for that, as we now have it.
If circumstances influence one to change
his intentions at fifteen or sixteen all, Of
nearly all he has previously learned will be
to no purpose One would almost thinl,
the millennium had been inaugurated, il
throughout whole State the same system
of education and the same text books were
to be found in every educational institution,
from the infant school up to the college. Ii
would seem as if people were in earnest
about what they were doing, and were de-
termined TO do the best they could with the
means and knowledge in their possession.
But it may be objected, that it there were a
little detection in the system, being so ex-
tcnsively spread, il would become very
great. There is, however, very little dan
ger OF going far wrong at the present day,
when so much is said and done for this
cause. No perfect system in anything can
be expected, but in education, the nearest
approach to il would seem TO be in every
thing working harmoniously for the same
end. This would certainly be far better
than TO let every one pursue his own whins
and inclinations. Even those who do not
teach to instruct would thus be compelled to
do little in the right direction. The mite
they would thus contribute would not be
counterfeit money, but genuine coin. When.
then, the teacher has, as it were, map be-
fore him, representing the whole course, he
will better know what facts to present first,
and this must be determined by the impor-
tance or obyiousncss of the facts.
When the child has learned facts then prin-
ciples should be presented. One thing that
the teacher ought always to keep before him
is to teach thoroughly. No matter how lit
lie he may he able to impart in quantity, if
the quality be good SO much is gained and it
is clear gain. Oftentimes single fact be-
come a nucleus around which many others
will cluster almost OF their own accord. If
the fact be not at first apprehended with
accuracy, il should be repeated until it is so
apprehcnNl; and the time required for re-
petition will not be lost. The teacher will
be making the best he can of tho intellect he
has to deal with. Ifa childs mind be such
that it does not apprehend readily, and facts
and principles are hastily passed over with
out being thoroughly understood, the teach
er and the pupil will soon find themselves
in u labyrinth more difficult to unravel than
even that Of Daedalus. such treatment will
injLie even good mind and hopelessy ruin
a mediocre. We say then, repeat the Obser-
vation until the fact is firmly fixed in the
memory afterwards try to fix in the mind
of the pupil definite image of what has
been described in words; and lastly unfold
principles so that they become facts. "When
a child observes accurately the principal
facts OF a science and remembers them con
ceives clearly lis hypothesis; and under
stands thoroughly its leading or fundamen-
tal principles; that child has not learned
that science superficially. -. Inaccurate OBJ
servation. imperfect conception, erroneous
view of principles, these are the proofs of a
superficial knowledge"
The question of superficiality is not one Of
quantity but OF quality, and the teacher
every teacher, to guard against so common
an evil, ought to adopt the oft repeated
adage non Dult0 Sed nlultune remember
ing that in trying to lay the foundation of
an education he may present facts so hurri-
edly that not one-haf OF them will be re-
membered. So much care is not necessary
for children of very good intellects, but it
ought to be adopted as rule of conduct. :
We sometimes find such as learn by intui-
tion, but by far the greater number Of chil-
dren have only ordinary intellects, while IN
other respects they are as good as the hest
and entitled to as much care. No child,
however, will be injured by requiring II,
slowly and thoroughly, TO do its work; for
as Locke has said, the eager bent of the
mind after knowledge may be an injury
rather than benefit. In our zeal to know
what is beyond we may not sufficiently mas
ter what is before us, and our knowledge thus
becomes superficial. 1t frequently happens
that pupils of this class finally become in
volved in such intricacies that they are
obliged TO retrace their steps and go over
their work again. Ofen those who seem 10
learn most rapidly do not leave school with
the best education, and are TO this extent
therefore not the best disciplined for the du-
Ties or life. But while the teacher can do
much for the pupil in selecting studies and
pointing out what and how to learn he
must be careful not to do too much for him.
Let him know what study means as soon as
he is sufficiently Injured to the work to hear
1t without injury. One great argument in
favor of much more extensive course of
study is that children more than half the
time in schools at present do nothing. If
told to study they will answer, 81 know my
lesson, and of course conclude that there is
for the time being nothing more to do. In
very many schools very little government
would be necessary if The children had their
lessons SO arranged that they would most of
the time be kept at work on them. One of
the most important things to be learned is
the habit of application, of concentration of
mind. If the pupil meet difficulty he
must not be too soon helped out Of it. He
should be made first to tax his powers to the
utmost. and then help should come but
sparingly; perhaps in the form of sugges-
ton or two, so that as much as possible he
may himself master his difficulties. De-
pendence upon Others is apt to be grievous
fault. IL should always be remembered that
education is only a means, not an end a
preparation for lifes duties, and if the pupil
learns always to depend on others. he will
he apt to look upon the whole thing as n
sort cf farce. If education has thus ner-
vertad his view of things what can he expect
| OF him when he leaves the school and enters
upon work where he can no longer depend
upon others to hear his burdens.
,, CHARLES M, SUPER,
MILFORD, Delaware,