Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-06-13
To the TEACHERS Of Ortord county.

The Summer schools are now general
~ in operation. y few poiaIa are worthy
Of our special consideration.
See to it that YOU devise ! way To- keep
the young children empIoycd aud inter
calcd in their work. not unlrcqucnlly
visit I school whcc from one third 10
more .han one half of the children are
idle large portion OF the Time, because
the teacher has not devised way, and
means to keep them employed. find
some teacher who understand the art;
then why should not al! be- able to go it
Let me suggest some methods. Teach
the itllc one how to write script hand
on the board AMI on slate, by learning
one or two letters u day and putting them
in practice in writing words. \, soon rs
Il child can spell cat, it should, and can
easily learn Ia write cat. Ia the Deaf
Mute .chool in Boston, rs soon a u child
learns Ia speak a word 1t learns 10 write
ittapidly on the blackboard. Why should
not our children learn to d5thc same ? |
Lave tried the experiment sufficiently 10
he satisfied that children wiIl earn To
write the script hand more readily than
To print the letters. Let them, then, 20
to the board and write and draw alter they
have read and spelled their lessons.
Another method is to let the ID and 3rd
Reader classes take their spelling books
after they have spelled their lessons and
90 to the board and copy off the words.
Th, is IN excellent exercise.
Have some little exercises Tor them to
perform ON their states in Arithmetic. BY
these and other methods you can keep
them employed in such way as not TO
weary them deem n teacher who can
do this as having the very highest quail
licalions for taking charge of l school
See 10 it that Penmanship is Taught at
n certain hour erery day. Do not wait
Tor writing books. Have copies on their
states or on the blackboards, regularly.
Give The school sentences to copy. hay
ing regard to spelling. Give out this
sentence and see how many will write it
incorrectly. / recoHed int there tccre
rery many men IN the rillagc yeSterday.
Let your older scholars draw maps the
latter part OF the day when they feel
weary with study.
Thu in many ways You can interest
the children and drive stupidity and mis-
chief out of lhe school house. You will
find that children love to do things when
they know hoc to DO them. Make out n
list of exercises which shall occupy their
time through the day.
There is nothing SO depressing TO a
child's energies rs to be compelled to do
nothing but you should not err on the
other hand By compelling children to
keep their eyes on their books by the
hour. There is Il better way by aiming
at frequent changes in the exercises
and by interesting them. II you cannot
do it, visit some teacher who can do it,
and be yourself learner OF the art of
teaching for II few hours. Hereafter, l
shall consider this point of the greatest
Importance in visiting school, and shall
estimate the value of the teacher very
much by this rule find this sammer
that some children have no states.
Every child that can spell cat should have
little slate and pencil, aud learn how to
write cat. Do not let me hear the mis-.
cradle excuse OF one teacher, that the
states make noise Ask the little ones
to coax father or mother to buy a slate
and pencil, and they will be forthcoming
just as soon as they find out that they will