The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-05-25

| C0V6LnGr. livery one ScCS tilC PloSIC VI GHC
pupils whose minds have been trained natural
! iy. think there has never been given set OF
principles in which there is to be found so
much order, regularity and good sense. Yes,
| I will 90 farther, and say, in which there is to
be found so much wisdom. They are not only
| suited to one class Of teachers, but to every
class 1t is as natural that we be guided by rules
and principles in teaching as those OF other
professions. We are not always capable OF
making our method. Then let us follow 9TH
ers if they are better suited to our wants. Be
| gin at the beginning and cultivate the child's
faculties in their natural order, taking one thing
| at Il time. This is about all child can man
age we'll. Teach it to perceive correctly, to
hear acutcly and in the right way; teach it to I'M
derstand thoroughly what it has been taught,
to reproduce, in its own language what it has
learned; teach truthful IDEAS rather than num-
| Der Of difficult terms, always keeping the work
| in the concrete. The abstract method is not
the better one. AS far back in the annals of
history as we can trace, we find that the best
/ teachers have followed unconsciously. Per-
maps these principles Socrates and Plato
| taught in this way, and we all know will what
success, but I can refer you to a greater and
| higher teacher stil-Jesus, the Redeemer OF
the world. Proceed from the known to the I'M
| known; we cannot lay a firm fundation for edu-
lscaton unless we do. A chill! cannot under
stand subject thoroughly unless he knows
something Of what precedes ir; much of his pro-
gress will depend upon his knowledge OF form
er subjects, and this only shows how careful
we should be that he is thorough in those
! studies which is the basis of higher ones. A
teacher should be thorough in the subjects he
| teaches. The idea that with a smatterng OF
knowledge and a good textbook open before
| him, is enough for the demands Of the pupils,
| is a wrong one and detracts much from the in
terests OF education. Work only half done is
never done, and am happy to say that there
are obstacles constantly being thrown in our
pathway that are doing away with these false
| notions. The teacher must be thorough, or he
cannot cause the minds Of those he is instructing
| to deveope to Il great degree. There are but
few of us who do not feel that in great meas
ure we are responsible for the kind OF work
| done by us in what ever station in life we are
| placed. The more do we feel it as teachers, not
only does reputation depend upon the work
we do. but we are held accountable for the III
| tellectual and moral development OF the pupils.
Well is it known that in many instances we
| mould their character for good Or evil; that
| these tender buds will either be blasted or will
one day unfold their petals in Il two-fold beauty.
| One thing that will urge us on to do duty is the
| consciousness that sooner or later we must re-
| iinquisll the places we now hold to stronger
and better teachers. Again, a desire OF reward
is the strongest incentive to perseverance, and
endeavors to make the duties instead OF artlu-
| GUS tasks, pleasures. Honors do not come in
Il profession like ours so quickly as in others.
The love Ut fame cannot here be ruling pas
sion, but the love OF doing good and noble
work can. Let LIS not strive for mere repu-
tation, but for character.
pa+o+;o :. ,,,, what 4h;a, -.
is es we" icy ~ "a ~. o's
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.i '', "a 49, 10y 49,. ~
$500, 80 ,'.I I,' 49,, a.
Us 100 S,sss't.1 We ena
SIMPLY wv ~ 70 ~
~ 80, s;e, ~ id'.so
!'so .nss IN l.tt. -, Nv"
not tbers 'rht ~ ho5 a. ~
norl, Vim ve,v to nonnnn, pan,ar, hl, hat
nan hos dana and an 10. 1ho sonnar wa 1oar'
snIf-nosspssion and overcnme onr timi,1itv thn
Iattar Co.. nc ,nlI +hn ,,rn;l, ,IJs W. oI.n,,o
the hast alnootnd mon VIII, n,al., tl .st taoab
ers. indned If is tlonrht tbat mn, viii a., ID
no,1,to l,nowlndua Is hattar tb,n on, wiz q
nrnfonnl ,nowleIge of a suhiect man will
r. nrofound lSnowln,Jna is 60 ,Sai r. lnnaraliz.
inc fiat he cnnnot hrin~ his mind to tha san,n
level Of a child's. A man who il conti,lent in
his own mowers s,,rnasses = mor. ta,ruted COM
nntitor in the fila helinvin,y thar hn has found
his vocation. and is determined tn he known =
A.ain, enthusiasm is no less essential to success.
IT. is a we'll known fact that if we wonld mcite
interest in orr classes we must he fnll of it our
selves, anu IL n''aI pe hepI iiesn curing many
uiotss no''ls ~ We no''iu ac,.eHe soou iesluts.
we iiliu colislueIaole el'lll'islas,h IN every
t tat c,'.n1n. etI h nG "a; Will p.pos,
.tI .s' W. lilus' pe o.e"l ~ our o",i Minus
a aa NV Wv, m'.O , ". az "1 d.,
w., 49, vlio 't, my us w. Wv .n
~; ;I e,,lt 4 tav o"i op'i' us NV
~ .,i''o .,.olI 10y W 'o.1
III ~, Iae s'ue;ea my ..is Ui'y WI
t, s.,.at n,,a hafnna r. = ,;sta,, ia
thot wa oa,, haon,ne tnn ,,uch nnrrosS.I j.; a,r
dntias flow ~ iii otbars ,,.1,,,ir, o.ra.t deal
Of ,ttnntinu ,rhnv ahsol,,tlv lia,nan7 If onr
intinemcn n,,on tho cl,sSos ,lnnnnd mo, s. =.
,na ar, i, III uorl5 St'.;vi,,r ~. no worlI,
honorS Ifwo are we viii 6a ,n,u.b disannoint-
ad in n.;njnr ria n,oisas of man an. hriyht-
oct ambit;on ' must r he to do wall onr worIN
,Tha'a an tla hono, IisS tbar.s nnst ha com
nlete observation-disclosures from selfish motives
forgetfulness of self entirely in the love of the
work, will lust here mention some Of the
difficulties with which we meet in conducting
a recitation. First. we often bring forward
too much: neither teacher i:or pupil can grasp
the idea with acuteness: confusion and en-
tanylement foil w. and the consequence is
we fail to ACCOMPLISH our plans, Tie design
should he to bring out the most important
points. and as much OF the detail as can be al
lowed to the lesson.
Every lesson we say should have q special