Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-11-20
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.
Edited and Conducted by
Z IT, f. LANGENBA UGH.
THIN TEACHERS.

their pupils with desire tor anything be-
yond the book answers.
"The children are not very far advanced
in the deeStrict where am going to teach,
and am sure can teach the school il
you will only give me a certificate" :"
Can't you excuse me from being exam
inegf in -? There will be no class in
il in the school have engaged, and l am
sure I can keep it, are statements that are
frequently made to surperintendents
The teachers who use these words belong
to a large class of persons who think that
''GRs'body can teach children"
Never was there a more fatal mistake
No person can teach the elements of a
subject sceR who does not have compre-
hensive knowledge of that subject. And
no other grade of pupils is so difficult to
teach 1reH as is the Primary Small child
ren do not know how to study.-and they
learn but little the first year of their school
life except by the assistance and careful
direction of the teacher; when they be-
come older they can learn an spite Of the
teacher. We want teachers, then, who
understand vel the subjects they have
to teach, even in the primary grades.
And we want more. We want teachers
who have great deal of general intorma
tioa. Other things being equal, the teach
er who has good fund ofgeneral knowl-
edge is worth at least fifty per cent. more
than the teacher who knows simply his
text books. fet
TO know the subject matter to be taught
requires study of text hooks. To know
the best methods of teaching and govern
in3 SCHOOLS, requires the study of books
on teaching, and educational journals.
To possess general information requires
much reading; reading of good papers,
magazines and good books. By good"
lpapgrs an.! books is not meant yellow
backed literature, but such as will give
desirable knowledge.
The evenings are growing long, and if
! tss< sxs-Swill act uson the above. sugges-
tons and open them as they may and
should, they will do themselves, and the
children they teach, great favor, and
will find by spring that they have grown
some intellectually.
Among the Jesuits it was rule, after
two hours Of study, that there must be
some relaxation, however trifling. Shrewd
people. these Jesuits, and worthy of inn
liation in this age.
Life is divided into three terms-that
which was, which is. which will be- Let
us learn from the past TO profit by the
present, and from the present to live for
the future
Young man after you have chosen your
vocation stick to it. Don't leave it be-
cause hard blows are to be struck, or dis
agreeable work performed. Those who
have worked their way up to wealth and
usefulness, do not belong to the shiftIess
and unstable class, but may be reckoned
among such as took off their coats, rolled
up their sleeves, conqured their prejudi-
ces against labor, and manfully bore the
heat and burden of the day. Whether
upon the old farm, where our fathers toll
ed diligently, striving to bring the soil to
productiveness in the machine shop or
factory, or the thousand other business
places that invite honest toll and skill,
let their motto be, Perseverance and In
dustry."
Some of the readers of the Educational
Column who have lived fifty years, may
be glad 10 know what they have accom-.
lplished in that time. According to a
French statistician, the average has al
that age, slept 5000 days, worked 19,5O(
walked 800 days, amused himself 1900
days, spent 200 days in eating, and beer
sick 500 days. He has eaten II, 900 pounds
of bread, 10000 pounds of meat, 4,OO(
pounds of vegetables, fish, ETC., and drank
1000 gallons of liquids. There are Il, ,25t
days in half century and from the above
statement it would seem that man slep
just one third of the time.
London has population of 3,SS3,092
is more than New York, Philadelphia
Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Baltimore
Cincinnati, New Orleans, San Francisco
and Buffalo all put together.
Rev. Charles Brooks, father of tn,
8 State Normal Schools in America, wa
asked by teacher this question:
"What shall l teach my pupilsg"
ANswERED-"Teach them very .hor
oughly these five things"
1st. To live religiously
s 3D. To think con,preheBsively.
e Sd. To reckon mathematically.
4th. To converse fluently, and
9TH. To write grammatically.
If you successfully teach them these fiv
things, you will nobly have done your dr
ty to your pupils, to their parents, to yor
country and to yourself
The first book ever printed was the B