Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1875-05-13

5 4
IConxuxrcArED.
CAIIYoasIA. M, Nay 1lth. 1875.
81 s. Aasys Bsaeos. Leosar5sorn.
Hd.-Dsar6sv rendering you my sin-
eeresymrsthiss in our late bereavement.
I ask the spaes Of = few squares to ex-
press ny hearty approval Of the senti-
ments Of one Of ysurlast correspondents.
Tread, with much pleasure, the CON-
munication over the signature g." in
your issue of the 9th inst. and am sat-
isiied that the writer has discovered the
greet error in our primary teaching
swords, words,-worls instead Of clear
~ appreciated ideas. Could all Of his
fellow-teachers be brought TO compre-
bend this error and its consequences. .
great change for good might Be antici-
pated in our public schools.
He who understands any subject
thoroughly can successfully communi-
cate that understanding to others
This Is an old maxim, but / doubt the
truth of il. There are matters that en-
ter the understanding only by and af-
ter close study and considerable expe-
rience, and l Judge that long ssaadiag
and geserauy accredited practical error,
can be detected in no other way. Ide-
sire your correspondent to test the mat
- ~ 49, A. 4 l.~A:~k<
to his fellow-teachers.
Every faithful teacher should and
will investigate every question connec-
ted with his professional business. Our
entire school system may possibly be a
''humbrg"-an improvement only on .
long standing absurdity. This is not
at all improbable. From the best au-
thority we have, the primary schools of
the ancient and middle ages were very
much like those Of the last preceding
generation-loading the memory with
words, at the expense of the knuckles
and the back, instead of storing the
mind with valuable ideas, as founda-
ton for useful knowledge.
When lad tells US that Interest is a
consideration allowed for the use of
money" it does not follow that he knows
what int. is. He may even perform
the operation on the slate, and still he
entirely ignorant of int. in a practical
sense. A child may repeat the entire
Multiplication Table, and not realize its
meaning. 'Three times five are fifteen"
are merely words. The lisping begin
ners can repeat them very readily, with
oct ever knowing or asking what they
really imply. Indeed the whole of our
primary school instruction seems to be
regarded by the younger pupils, as 80
much to be repeated only, and not to he
believed or understood. A boarding
school Miss, we are told, considered the
rotundity of the earth to relate only to
its horizontal perimeter, and assured
her friends that but one of her class
was fool enough to believe that the
world was spherical.
1t is true that the first primary teach
ing is, and must be dogmatical. Wemust
learn words, before we can express ideas,
and no reason can be given or appre-
ciated why one sound should be prefer
red to another, as the sign of any idea.
No attempt towards science however
should be made, until the mind of the
pupil is so far developed, that the Gin
tercedent" teacher can fill the space be-
tween the subject and the pupils ap-
prehension.
From few remarks in the End and
3rd paragraphs of the communication l
find that your correspondent looks far
deeper into results, than many others
of his profession. The consequences of
defective primary instruction are unde-
niably visible in practical after-life, and
that too precisely as the writer theori-
yes. therefore respectfully desire to
hear from him again and again, and if
agreeable to him, upon the same subject.
The teachers of the county are in serious
earnest for the improvement of them
selves and their schools. We desire to
know our errors and deficiencies, but,
fettered as we are by long standing
precedent, we cannot so easily suppose
| that what has alrays been, has always
been wrong.
respectfully suggest to your young
friend '.G." to write plainly-toi illustrate
freely--tol look topractical good--to disre-
gard criticism and "not to shoot too high"
The uneducated teachers require in
struction as we'll as the more learned-the
old, as well as the young, and the peo-
pie as much as the teachers.
Iexpect moreover to hear from your
correspondent at our next Institute, and
1 can suggest no better subject than
| that of bis communication.
Very respectfully Yours. &C.,