The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1874-01-08
Manner Of ceadaetins Recitations, or;
- The Manner Of RecitinR.
LECTURE pFItyERsp. BFFoRE THE rKACHEfss'
tNsTxrUrE AT JACKSON, JANUARY i, 1874, BIZ
MISS EMMA r. BROWN.


fNsTrrurE At Jackson, JANUARY i, 1874, By
MISS EMMA r. BROWN.
Perhaps, there is no subject that affords bet
ter opportunity for writing than does this one.
Are not teachers as general thing, too apt to
place their estimates too high upon the lesson
to be learned, and too low upon the manner OF
reciting9 Or, In other words, do net teachers
stiffef their pupils to recite in such an invaria-
BILE tone to make IT impossible for them to
know whether the pupil has recited correctly
or not? Do they not allow their pupils to mis-
pronounce words, to slur ovet whole syllables
in words, and violate the most simple rules of
Grammar?
How often do we hear pupils read in such low
jumbling tones that even the teacher, while
looking on the book, can scarcely discern what
they saying. Pupils should be made to
bring ont every word SO distinctly that 1T could
be heard in all parts of the room. This is a
point which ought to receive the utmost at
tention in every schoolroom, and that for
many and excellent reasons. Clear speech is a
great helper to elearness of thought. You get
pupil In the habit of speaking distinctly, and
you may rest assured that he will ss51h form
habit of thinking distinctly and correctly. You
will always find the pupil who speaks his words
plainly, without any jumbling or lazy, drawl-
ing sounds, to have a better idea of what he
reads than one Who jumbles over it in SLOW
means, by which each pupil may become bet
ter acquainted with his work, is it not the duty
of us, as teachers, to see that each pupil per-
forms, what he pretends to perform properly?
FelIow-teaehets. insist that your pupils shall
speak distinctly If you wish to understand
how much depends upon their distinct utter
ance, compare the knowledge of those who
speak plainly with that of those who tumble
over it. 1t is amusing, sonetit1es, TO HEAR the
answer you viii Set BY ask ng the meaning of
certain words in the lesson. Did you ever no.
tice the pronunciation of many words by those
jumbIers? Do they not make some funny ex-
pressions, some funny words2 Such drones,
not unfrequently, cause every pupil in the
room, except themselves, to laugh. Give one
of those a question in Arithmetic, and he will
twist and work; and, in all probability get the
figures that constitute the answer; but he has
not touched the rule by which the question
should be solved, and if you ask him how he
got the answer, he will manage to tell you in
such a Jumbling manner that you cannot tell
what he is talking about. How could it be
otherwise when he, himself does not know?
Not long since, heard of young man, who,
when reciting grammar lesson, was parsing
the following sentence: "Each soldier was
host in himself" When he parsed the word
soldier, he said it was nom. to each. The
| teacher called for the meaning, and he replied,
| quiry was, Does that young man read clearly
and distinctly? Why, knew he did not, be-
fore asked the question.
This is only one instance, and perhaps, it is
only an average one of which there are hum
| dreds in every school, each week. will modify
that by saying in nearly every schoolroom in
the county. 1 could produce many, even more
| ludicrous than that one; but almost every
| teacher is familiar with them (if he watch his
afx1IIx-
| by citing others. Now, if this be true, and the
teacher permits his pupil to pass over his recit-
| ations in that careless manner, both as to tones
and sounds, and meaning; is he not doing a
great injury to his moral and social habits?
Then, should not this manner OF reciting
| command more attention than it does? Let
| every teacher, then, who would do his whole
| duty, and who would make that whole duty
| become larger and easier each day, give his
utmost attention to the matter of correct, clear,
and forcible utterance; and correct and inde-
pendent thought.
| Let him insist that each word be spoken
| clearly, that every pause be properly noticed,
| that each infection be properly made, and that
proper emphasis be made, and, in a short time
/ his labor in the schoolroom will be greatly
lessened, and his results much enlarged. This
| accuracy and distinctness is not merely a
beauty; but it is necessity as well as a beauty.
| This should be carefully distinguished from
| that measured formality ofspeech which seems
| to measure off words like astorekeeper measures
calico; by the yard or the word. This measur-
| ed style is illustrated by the Prof who had
great habit of measuring his words one at a
| time. 1t is said he fell overheard from a boat,
and exclaimed as he rose: Will-not-some-in
-di-vid-u-al-per-so on,-have-the-con-de
| -scen-sion, ,-to-ex-tend-to- rope +?
Now, do MT mean anything of that sort. But
do mean that teachers should exercise such
care in the matter, that each pupil should be
| made speak with such accuracy that he would
| convey to a listener the very idea that his
| words would naturally convey, when properly
spoken, without any of that pedanttc style. 1
have dwelt more particularly upon tone, clear
ness and distinctnessE Ethan accuracy on account
of its being necessary to form these habits first.
After these have been obtained, let no pains be
spared in having things accurate. Habits of
accuracy will greatly assist the pupil in every
| thing he undertakes, whether it be in the
schoolroom or at his daily occupation or trade.
Take the case of systematic workman, who
goes into shop to work, and the tools with
which he has to work are dull, you will see him
go to work to pat his tools in order the first
thing; but compare the cobbler's course with
his, and you will see the difference between the
person of accurate habits, and the one with in
accurate habits. Let the systematic cabinet
maker take up his plane and board to go to
| work, and you will see him first examine his
board for the purpose of finding out which
side will be most easily dressed; and when he
places the plane upon it, and gives it a shove,
If it fail to take hold, you will see him examine
his plane-bit first, to If it be dull and then
tofsee if it has deep enough set But how is it
with the careless cobbler? He will continue
to attempt to plane without so much as looking
to see whether there be bit in the stock. The
difference is this, the one knows what to do
and how to do it, while the other, neither
knows what to do, nor how to do it. As it is
with the systematic workman and the cobbler,
so it is with the accurate pupil and the inaccu-
rate one. My only apology for the weakness OF
this essay, is the want of experience.