The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-05-23
TI3AgsuENG POWER.
Afa ESSAY Delivered by Miss Esr0Ns-
Icy OF CastIctOn Normal school at
the Teachers, Institute ut Fair
bnYcn, May @ist, 1874.

O'ERtsf7 May -iSt, 1871.
Unframed fingers can never do finished
work. Unskilled fingers may strike chords
harmonious and pleasant, but the touch is
not that Of a trained musician Unskilled
fingers may clip the marble but when the
work is done we look in vain for the trace
that the master workman leaves 1t is the
trained artist whose very touch tells. 1t is
the trained artist only who can make dull
marble speak, or lend beauty to stone.
When unskilled fingers are laid on the
heads of little children we tremblc for
they attempt holy work who have to do
with human souls, and married or beautiful,
the work must stand.
True teaching power there must be pre-
ceded by a thorough preparation for the
work Ii is not enough that the teacher
understand the subject matter to be taught
This is the beginning but only a beginning
Here must be professional training. The
man who makes one shoe thinks it inct,m-
Hillt lOli illlli " IL VI VIC
who makes our bonnets finds it necessary
TO serve an apprenticeship. 1t is not so
with the teacher of children There are
fixed laws that govern every part Of that
moving, restless body of the child. The
teacher can help that body to a complete
development, she can helpto dwarf it hope
lcssly. Can she know too well the struc-
turc of the human frame? Can she I'M
derstand too thoroughly the laws that gov
orn it? The mass Of bone, and nerve, and
muscle, and tissue, is not all. God has
breathed upon that matter and it is living
soul, The faculties of mind are governed
in their developments by fixed principles.
The greatest, the most learned men of ev-
cry age have made this matter a study.
They tell us that there is natural order of
developing true faculties of mind. The
mistake of moment may cost the work
of years Can the teacher whose work is
with the mind know too well the laws and
necessities and workings of mind. Is it a
matter of no great importance to the
the teachers? There are the children whom
the mothers gave up. There is nothing
they could send from Their homes so pre-
cious. The mothers heart is in the school
room through the day 'for where their
treasure is the heart will be- The little
ones come with their fresh glad hearts,
their faces all aglow, and they are plastic
in the teachers hand. The only time in all
their lives when her influence will be so far
reaching, so fated for good or ill, she is
moulder and they are clay. In "templc
not made with hands," we know these
forms which she fashions shall hold place
and they will be beautiful or unsghtly,
according to the measure of her fixtures
and her preparation. plead then for this;
no work of preparation can he too thorough
too cXacting. A celebrated occulist was
once asked how he had acquired so great
skill in working with the human eye. said
he, 80 acquire this. have spoiled moro
than bushel Of ewes How many minds
can teacher afford to spoil If the first
requisite is thorough training IN what does
the teaching power consist. Let us con
slider some of the leading points.
!. There mast be the p0,cer Of hOlding at
ti0A. 1t is no easy matter to hold still
those restless feet and fingers, to keep the
eyes fixed, to control the busy wandering
! thoughts, and hold them to the matter il
hand, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five min
utcs. 1t must be done, and it can be done
| 1t is possible for teacher to do her work
so well that attention to study and recita
| ton follows as the night the day. A schoo
trained to be attentive will govern Itself
whether the teacher is present or absent
| Is this too much to expect =? We can take
| ;pn, AND l,rocu nd 10 oh hat ,x,il
| keep time when the owner is asleep, thai
will run on correctly for year. Can We
do more with dead dumb metal than W.
can with living, loving and throbing human
hearts? Can we accomplish more definite
reliable results with our skilled hands thar
our trained minds Shall teacher of i'm
mortal souls yield to maker of ma
chnery?
II. There must be tie p0'rer IF question
ing. Very much of what each recitation
will accomplish depends upon the teachers
power in this respect. The drawing out
process so accurately defined and comment
ed upon by Page, is not yet one of the
"lost arts" the same might be said of the
"pouring in" powers Measured by the
pure standard such teaching can have
but one effect, that of Supplying
mind One object of questioning is to ties
the pupil. Questions as general thing
unless wisely put suggest ideas of the an
swer required. The leading points in the
lesson ought usually to be brought out will
few questions and these carefully chosen
If there is anything in the question tina
suggests the answer to the pupil, that ques
ton is lost, and not only is nothing gained
but the opportunity of leading the child t.
reason for himself and teaching himself
reliance is gone for that time. Another
object of questioning,is to awaken thought
The most that we can ever do for pupils Il
to help them TO help themselves, and skill
fnl questioning will do much in this direc
ton. If we can by one question bring ou
ideas of their own, that link themselves
with other ideas, and show the subject il
many lights, if we can unfold new mean
ings and lead them into new paths, if W.
can lead them to question and then invest
gate, we can hope for grand results. AL
questions should be clear and to the point
concise, exhaustive, logical and well ad
apted to the capacities of the questioned
| Ill. There must be The polcer Of systenaq