Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-08-19
THE PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING.


agement Of the college Of the city OF New
York, has recently published an unpretentious
work bearing the title Of "The Teacher, the
Pupil, the School, :" which is q thoughtful and
suggestive treatise upon q most import,pt
suolect-that Of educational first principles He
goes to the base Of human teaching and Illus
trates the beauty Of that eductive and inductive
co-relationship which beginning at the
mothers breast proceeds through all the quiet
processes of mental development in infancy
Childhood and maturity; taking the view that
education, mental and physical, Is but the
absorption Of surrounding elements into the
mind and body-an arran cement and assimiIa-
ton OF materials so as TO incorporate them into
the being 10 whose nourishnsnt they are ap-
Piled just as the tree or plant assimiates to its
growth and subsistence the materials which il
draws from the air and the soil. He advocates
q radical change in the system of teaching
youth, and proposes q school where
pupils shall be taught by illustrations from
nature as well as from books where the muse
um- chemical laboratory, and workshop shall
fnd place; where, in short, the mind of the
learner shall not be forced, bat shall have lust
the kind Of food suitable for its age and deyel-
opment- The true teacher does not teach by
simply putting books into the cnild's hand, and
bidding IL TO learn; he addresses himself to
which bring it in relation with the world in
which 1t lives. Sight, hearing, touch, smell,
taste are exercised, and thus observation, juds.
ment, perception, reason, memory, hope, imagi-
nation, and the love Of the beautiful are appeal
ed tc,deyeioped and strengthened by natural ex
ercise, even as the organs and limbs OF the body
are developed and strengthened by gymnasuc
and other appropriate exercises The method
of teaching now is from without inward. II
we inyert the system aud teach from within
outward, then means and appliances must be
adapted to this change. Tue task, the forcing
process, the stufhng and examining, must
all give way to natural mental growth,
fostered. cherished, unfolded by culture
In accordance with nature and law.
The mind hungers and feels out for and il
Impelled by a natural Internal impulse to
gather 10 itself the elements of kno wledye: thu
wise teacher steps for ward and becomes 70 the
terminating intellect what the sun AMI dew
and rain are TO the plant The teacher de.
yelops this craving for knowledge by stimu-
latirg inquiry; ard when the mind gives signs
that its hunger is temporarily appeased, that
time is now required for mental digestion ana
assimilation, the wise teacher rests, aud would
no more attempt TO stuff aud cram the mind
than the wise mother would seek to force food
into her childs stomach. The body being Wis
iole, and we do not think OF feeling impatient
al the long months and years required for 1t
to attain its full proportions; nor do We
seek by any forcing process TO produce a man
al ten instead c: 81 twenty or thirty years of
age. Mans first impulse in an uncivilized
state Is generally a resort to force for the c.
conpllsnment Of bis Directs: and as he took his
hrst step forward, the habits Of his barbaric
NE remained with han. Hence the first steps
In teaching were by force-the lash, the rod
the school penal code; and these, under Mr..
sands system, are Of course TO b. dispensed
with His views 50 far will meet the ap proyaI
of most OF those charged with youthful train.
ing, and deserve the earnest consideration of
all thoughtful men; but when be condemns " as
worse than mere waste of time the wears
devoted 70 Greek anc Latin," be must
expect 10 encounter strong opposition
The question with which he mainly concerns
himself-whether.Latin and Greek and certain
other branches, shall be taught u the exclusion
of more practical studies-is one, however,
which Is attracting more attention every year:
and the number who think with him that what
Is commonly known as the couture demanded
by modern life"-chemisry, mining, anatomy,
natural history, political and social economy,
the science OF government, etc should take
the place now usurped by classical studies is
constantly increasing. Some are willing to
temporise, but he takes ad vanced ground, and
does not believe in making any compromise
whateyer between the useful sciences and the
classics. On one point however, We are dsci-
dedly Of opinion that he allows his faith in
utility to carry him too TAR. In his warfare
against Homer, Virgil. Ovid, ct a., in the ORR
ginal, he has the prayers and good wishes of
multitude OF suffering children for his success;
but he must expect 70 lose their sympathy
when ne turns his guns on Aladdin, Blue
Beard, Cinderella, and Robinson Crusoe sAu-
ecdotes Of great men suitably arranged, events
In history and biography, carrying with them
valusble and important msrals,' would hard
ly console the little ones for the loss Of those
false and exaggerated" of Mr.. S. will have 1t
so,)but fascinating works of fiction, which have
been the delight and alteration OF youthful
MINDS for centuries past, as they will be, no
doubt, until the end Of time.