The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-11-10
THE NORMAL OR YIFTRAS IN EHr.
CATION.

One Of the radical defects in the
prevalent system Of education, is that
the philosophy of mind is either not
understood or wholly ignored in the
instruction Of children. Hundreds
and thousands of young persons are
abused, yea driUep from the schools,
every year, into a modern Gland of
Nod' and utter hopelOssness and de-
spair by the ignorance and inefieien-
oy off those who assume to be teachers.
In the present article we shall make
but one or two specifications in proof
of the foregoing statement.
1. TAXING the mind Of the pupil to
nemOrize, verbatim ct H6eratin,, the
rules and definitions Of any particular
Textbook. This course pursued in the
case of yonng pupils, or Of those just
commencing any given study is sim
ply ruinOus. 1t is tantamOunt to eat
ing the ehaff and throwing away the
rich, plump kernel Of wheat.
Let US see how this principle works
in the practical affairs Of life in which
people generally act nationally, /. E.,
according to the dictates of common
sense.
Suppose John Jones wishes to be-
come carpenter; and with this pur-
pose in his heart, he goes to Mr.. Smith,
a superior workman.
"Mr. Smith," says John, AZ want to
be carpenter and wish to learn the
trade under your directions
"Very WELL" says Mr.. Smith, 'T
shall take great pleasure in helping
to the utmost Of my ability any one
who desires to learn a useful trade
and become worthy and respectable
member Of society. Here, John, is a
book on Architecture which viii be
your textbook. 1t will give all need
ed information on the subject of CD
pentry. Your first lesson will COM
mence at the first page and extend to
the fifth, embracing definitions of
architecture, carpentry, ehiseI, auger,
plane, square, and saw, which you
will thoroughly memOrize.n
John goes TO work and commits to
memory the definitions and descrip-
tions found in his textbook, aud,
when the proper time arrives, recites
them to his instructor. This course,
with suitable variations, is pursued
until the boy has finished his book,
and what's the result? What has he
learned that is of any practical avail
to him in his trade? Simply nothing
at all.
Such an exhibition Of nonsense is
never witnessed in business life, There,
folks usually act nationally. John
would be set to work at once with
saw, plane, or ehisel in hand and told
to do something which he knew hOtO
TO do, or concerning which he had re-
ceived the necessary Instructions
Thus, by actual practice with tools, he
would acquire more skill in their use,
and more definite knowledge than he
could obtain by studying his text
book till dooms-day.
\ child commencing, for instance,
the study Of English Grammar, is re-
qulred to begin with the first defini-
tion on the first page" English
Grammar is the art Of writing and
speaking the English language cor
reetly accordingto established usage" 1"
Then follow definitions Of Orthogra-
ply eEtymOlogy, Syntax and Prose-
dy, all Of which are utterly meaning
less to the pupil. The mind is treated
as vast Ware-rOOm in which can be
stored away an inexhaustable supply
of definitions and detached state
ments for subsequent use. Why
freight the ship with an extra supply
Of fuel and provisions when it y
known that no demand for it will ex-
ist during the voyage? Why torment
the child before its time by request
ing it to carry burden for which It
has no use, terrestrial or celestial? As
well make it eat three meals at once
for fear it may, some day, become
hungry!
The writer has known persons with
naturally good memories who could
give the definitions and rules Of their
textbooks with perfect accuracy, and
yet knew no more Of their appliea-
tiOn in language than the man in the
moon does about the Atlantic cables
remember very vividly my trials
III commencing Latin under College
( professor Of forty years experience in
that language. 1t ran as follows:
MemOrize thoroughly the five de-
elensions Of the noun and the three
declenslOns OF the adjective; then
that Of the different pronouns; then
the conjugations Of the four classes Of
regular verbs: next the irregular, and
finally memorize sirty-fUs rules Of
Syntax, with the sub-rules belonging
/ to each.
Many a weary, sleepless hour was
spent in vain attempts to meet the
unreasonable demands Of the Profes-
sOr, but when halfa dozen additional
rules were fixed, the last half dozen
had taken the wings Of the morning
and fed. Thus weeks and months
were spent, yes FILTERED away, which,
I if judiciously applied, according TO
natural principles Of study, would
have made me quite proficient in the
language.
In the next article, the writer will
ATTEMPT to show a better way-One
which is perfectly natural and sure to
/ produce definite results In mental eul-
ture. r
Republic, Oct. 81, 1870.