The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-05-03

dGlOu OF Oll6 JGdclleFS4 OF Cll6 county. 1Gl
contains much sound advice which
teachers cannot afford to disregard.
PRACTICE VERSES PREACHING.
1t has been we'll said that perfection
is made Of trifes, but perfection is no
tride. "A past age delighted ia theory,
and with all the aid of our modern
civilization, we have not passed beyond
it's influence. 1T is very easy TO preach,
but not 50 easy TO practice. There are
many who can tell what good school
should be, but few who have the c0ur-
age to teach one. Here is our nations
great trouble. viz, preaching instead Of
practicing. Those men in ancient
times, who for pr0tense, made long
prayers, were about as serviceable tO
the church then, as those who deliver
long addresses to teachers now without
being able themselves to teach
Two things stand in the Wayof
advancement: amateur educators, and
long, learned, but not practical text
books Third-rate teachers will describe
in glowing terms, the grandeur
of an educational system, the
manifest destiny Of country, the beauty
and advantages of our situation, in
reference to other nations. and will
then act as though the means by which
we are to prepare our youth for their
lif0-W0rk, IS by examining the mind
with facts concerning dead generations.
The past is only useful to us when it
shows us how we are to act in the
present, and prepare for the future. Is
it necessary that our children should
know more about Greeks and Romans,
than they do about themselves? 1t is
undeniablo that we have urged our
pupils too far into the dead past with
out showing them its intimate c0nnec-
ti0ns with the living present. Latin,
Greek, and Hebrew are necessary to
thorough scholarship, but for all prac-
tical purposes, what is gained by
preaching the classics to the thousand
pupils who never expect to go through
college; may, perhaps, be Obliged to
content themselves with q small part
Of what we call an education2 Then
let some part OF it be practical, and SO
be Of lasting benefit to them.
The study OF the languages only
reaches it's highest use, when at every
step the pupil is shown the connection
with, and influence upon, our language
manners, religion and thought. Our
age is different from all past ages in
many particulars, and no one point is
the difference SO plainly seen, as in a
universal preaching with correspond
ing amount Of practicing. A chemistry
without experiments, an algebra OF
geometry without proofs, would be
discarded from the sehc0l-rO0m. why
should we not also turn out all theories
not firmly established by actual and
successful application?
Internationally speaking, we are in
a transition state. From the dull
mOnOtOny OF committing to memory
without understanding what is learn
ed, we are passing into the pure atln0s-
ph0re Of practical thought. The learn
er ON the piano is not content with
mastering the principles Of music, they
are very important; but no rules how
ever good, no instruction, however
minute and correct, can make one good
performer, without practice patient
persistent, and persevering practice
That which 50 well applies to music
is equally applicable to the sciences,
mathematics and the study Of language.
There is a widespread and growing
dissatisfaction with the almost uniYer-
sal method pursued in teaching begin
ners. Some whose learning and exper-
fence can not be called in question.
pronounce it unnatural and wrong,
because application and Illustration
have not gone hand in hand with
precept, In Other words, preaching
and practicing have been divorced.
Many years are frequently spent in
studying the French and German, and
yet we have among American youth,
very few good scholars in those Ian
guages. 1t is not f0f lack of time and
effort, but because effort is misdirected,
and consequently time is misspent. A
young lady Of rather moderate natural
ability was able to speak, read, and
write with ease and correctness, the
French, English, and German, at the
age of fifteen. The acquisition of all
these languages, studied at the same
time,cost her very little labofious effort.
Her father always spoke and read the
French, her mother the German, and
English she learned at school. Her
instruction was natural, and conse-
quently correct and successful. III in
like manner, we unite precept with
practice, in. both elementary and HIGH
Ell instruction, we may always be
equally Sucoossful.-N0tjono5 Tocchers'
Mo2tb}g.