The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-12-01
Written for the CHIEF.
Education.
A Guide for Parents and Teachers.
BY REV. DIR. soPHAR.

/ H.
"I do not understand" you answer,
how one can draw such a conclu-
sion and consequence. Am / not the
same one as yesterdays If nay pupils
are no more the same, must not the
cause of these changes lie in them u
May be it is the case. But, before
you suppose SO, inquire whether in
reality you are the same as yesterday.
Very often you will find that you
have become totally different per-
son. Perhaps you suffer from indi-
gestion, or you have caught cold, or
some unpleasant accident troubles
your mind, or you have read some
thing which still occupies you and
prevents you from giving your atten-
ton to your business. One of these
incidents can change you into quite
different person for q time. Yester-
day you stepped among your little
ones with serene mind aud ardent
glance; your delivery was lively,
seasoned with jokes, your remem-
brances were mild and lovely, you
enjoyed the ViVacity of your pupils.
And to dayf Alas, you are no more
/ the same person you were yesterday.
Your mind is gloomy, your looks dark
and repelling, your temper irritable,
and every youthful lOoseness provokes
you. Did y0n not often engender
this in your own conduct Now, be
sincere-experiesaee is against YOU
confess you are the cause that to-day
your pupils are not as good as yester-
day.
expect still more objections to my
symbol. | shall megtion and answer
| some of them. Whosoever is con-
tented with these answers will easily
understand how to refpts all other
objections, and those who are dissat-
isded Sloald not be able to convince,
even if ! would mention ahd refute
| all possible contradictions. They are
blinded by self conceit and absolutely
do not want to be wrong; they would
declare all their pupils blockheads
and villains in miniature, rather thGa
confess having made uaistAke. They
| are unfit for being teachers.
Let us hear the ohjectious!
You say, your pupil had all the
faults of which you complain before
he became your scholar, how. there
fore, can you attribA<e tIaeir cause to
yourselfi Admitted your slere had
all the faults before you knew
him, why ID he still possessed of
them I. Does not the breaking of
bad habits form, the chief part, if not
the mere essence of education 7 Sup
pose this ia not done, is it then
not possible that you are the cause of
| themf
You received, say, the boy as q
weakly child, from whom little ga
| nothing could be obtained, wherefore
has he not yet regained his vigor Z
Have you never heard of weakly chill
dren that have peen made strong by
reasonable treatment Your pupil
has been spoiled-he is wiiful, Obsti-
nate, deceitfnl; wherefore does he
still remain thas, after i,aSing been 50
long under your guidance Have you
caused him to feel the consequence of
wilfulness i'm order TO induce him to
reflect? Did Ssu give him sufficiently
| to understand that you are man aud
he a child j; that you are his superior
i'll experience, in knowledge, aud in
strength; and did you thus try to
| congiRce him that he should be de-
Ipendent npon you and obey your Or
ders !? Have you always taken due
pains to inquire whether what he said
was true, and to Rake him ashamed
by uneovering his irregularities y
You describe your entire educational
method, the admonitions given, the
Iremonstrances made, etc., aud you
complain that in spite of the best will
and the best method your efforts are
sterile
May be; | even admit that / am
unable TO find fault in your method
but should perhaps see your acting,
might anyhow remark, the bad re;
Esult of the cure is your own fault. II
is not sufficient TO say good thing
or to act reasonably, but it depends
hOw one speaks and IN phdt manner on.
acts. " He that haiti, ears 80 hear, lei
him hear" The stress of voice witt
which one addresses youth is of great
Importance. Children are disposed
to be guided more 10y feeling than b,
reason. Therefore, whoever know
how to hit the right key-that is, tii'
most suitable one for the youthful
nature and at the same time the mos
impressive-will perform far more b!
few words than his colleague, wh'
is not aware of this mysterious llar
mony, accompiislles by Long speech
So we often find that the tone il
which many a tutor talks to the pu
pill, particularly should the latter hap
: pen to be the child of rich, Influential
parents, is ridiculously timid. LIE
j linn speak decidedly. The horse feel