The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-11-16

to assume the same title since we are all
students during this probationary sojourn.
We are pupils now, were yesterday, will be
tomorrow, and on from year to year, until
we have swept the entire docket of secular
existence, and, since zoe are pupils, let US
look at our own mental tastes, or to the
manner in which we consider our mental
faculties are best developed, or by what
means we could soonest attain maturity,
could such stage be reached by the clumsy,
flittering man. Now as to the desire of
those who wish to fill stations in the cir
cles of wisdom. We all have that propen-
sity, from the largest to the smallest, from
the oldest to the youngest. The small
child makes its various inquiries upon diff
ferent subjects, and is much dissatisfied,
unless some one come to relieve it of the
burdensome weight which bears down as
no other weight ever has borne. l say as
no other burden ever has borne, for the
weight is unbearable, and when there is a
thirst created for knowledge, it is not sat
|
ed, by having to drink of the pearly foun-
tain into which it has stepped to lave its
tired limbs, but it must be entirely droun-
ed before it is willing to end the pursuit.
But in every thing else it is not so raven
Gus. Nothing that we seek seems to claim
SO much untiring zeal, SO much arduous
labor, as the tilling of the fields of science
and the endeavor to become master edu-
Gator.
But in what mode should we propose to
satisfy this vehement or impetuous desire,
which is more or less contained in all minds.
Is it by imparting to them the meaning of
the different phases of the studio, is it by
giving off to them that which we have
acquired, is it by bestowing on them that
which man was inabilitized to bestow on
US, is it by communicating our thoughts,
our knowledge to their resources, that they
may share the benefits we have received !?
Is this the idea, fellow teachers, you would
have me soar into, is this the channel into
which we are to flow, or are we to seek
higher grounds, elevate our professions,
and our pupils and schools for the pupils
improvement as well as our own. Although
we deprive ourselves of some ease, let US
earnestly endeavor to promote the inter-
est and welfare of those entrusted to our
charge: but l need not urge this, as it is
undoubtedly the intention of every teacher,
Of lo,St II ic tb, doSiro Of avarv bonpsf and
true representative of the teachers circle.
When we wish to strengthen any particu
lar function, or where we wish to become
masters of any particular study in the en-
tire curriculum, we must first analyze to
see the principles contained in that field,
then fully establish them, then reason
them out, and finally to render all things
satisfactory we must prove them; all of this
by our own mental forces, by this process
and similar ones, we become proprietors of
the task, and can make additions to the
vocabulary of principles wrought out by
US: thereby strengthening all our mental
capacities in a manner that will make us
competent to perform almost any task
Detailing to us on our travel. When
Newton saw the apple fall to the ground;
when Franklin placed his knuckle to his
kite-string and plainly felt the electric
spark, whose were the benefited minds:
were they any others than theirs? To be
sure we have all been reaping the reward
that they obtained by following what they
have established; but unless we become the
recipients of thought and actors in reason
ing, we can never feel the strength of the
greatness attained by them. Morse's mind
received all the benefit from the vast
amount of reasoning and earnest study put
forth by him in the planning Of an appara-
tus which would girth our globe and con-
vey our thoughts from place to place with
lightning speed.
So we can trace out all men who have
become renowned, who have had world
wide influence, who have had genius
bright, and find them in all cases made by
their own exertions, steady application,
and sound judgment.
By requiring pupil to perform his du-
ties, by requiring him to solve his own
problems, demonstrate his own theorems
and principles, we strengthen his thinking
apparatus and his ability to reason. We
need not place before him difficult pro-
blems, theorems or principles: but some
thing that will require some thought, but
not over tax his ill-natured, half developed
intellect.
There is new danger of placing rocks in
the channel which they cannot remove;
thereby crushing his heightened spirit into
submission, but you can remedy all these
things by making the task light at first and
adding little each day. Remember
man can lift COW by lifting the calf, and
continuing to lift it each day, and this
takes strong man, so it will be with the
pupil, by daily additions, you finally have
strong minded man ready for any task
imposed upon him.
Let him reap his own field and he will be
the more careful in gathering the sheaves
and garnering the grain. 1t will make
him ready to operate at once in a thought
full manner and this accomplished will add
| much to his future success. For how
often we find it the case that pupils under
take to perform task without thinking
about it. l once heard of a teacher hav-
ing pupil whose name was Johnny,-but
not Mr.. Calhoun's Johnny-who was pref
ty ready in speaking and acting, but not
in thinking. The teacher calling him up
one day, said to him, Johnny, 1 have a
problem for you to solve, but l want you
to think about it before you try. Very
we'll, said Johnny, let me have the pro-
blem. Teacher, yes, but Johnny, l want
you to think about it, All right, let ME
have the question, (being inpatient to act, }
and will solve it for you in short time
Well, will, but want you to think we'll
over it. Suppose cat should fall into a
we'll forty feet deep, and should climb up
two feet in the day, and fall back four at
night, how long would she be in getting