The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-04-12

TEE pupil, by . judicious training in
the school.room, acquires more than the
facts which are to be the basis of future
inquiry. AT least, he ought to. Machine
teaching places in his mind certain facts,
as water lisa fluid, air is gas, ETC.. 80
the cabinet-maker puts q sofa, three ordli.
nary chairs, two arn-chairs into parlor
and calls it furnished. But one is not
teaching, nor is the other furnishing.
There ID something else needed; there
is further step which the mind must
take itself, and which it will take if q
real teacher is present; that Is the absorp-
ton and TRANSMISSION of the knowledge
into the living knowledge it already has
obtained, SO that the new knowledge and
the old are one flesh. This is discipline
of the mind-a somewhat old term, it is
true, but the meaning of it is we'll under
stood. We understand by this phrase at
least three things. The pupil will, in
other words, evince the discipline of
rind by his ability to make present and
practical use of the facts he has already
acquired, and also employ them as a
means to accumulate new ideas. If each
new acquisition does not render the plat
form of the pupil more firm and secure,
and he himself more conscious of strength
and ipower; if, as he learns lesson after
lesson, he is not qualified by acquired
power to learn them, then he is not prop
erly disciplined. Suppose man attacks
o mine of iron with stone he picks up,
and thus breaks some outlying fragments;
suppose he now takes these pieces and
melts them in the fire, and thus makes
crow-bar with which to pry and dig;
suppose, with this bar as lever, he
forces off other detached masses of ore,
and with these he makes q sledge and q
q steel drill; suppose that with these and
explosive powder he rends the very
mountain asunder, and makes q regular
rate of progress daily as though he were
working in sand or clay-suppose these,
we say, and we have correct idea of
what we mean by the acquired power
part of discipline.
Mr.. Squeers' method had some merits
in spite of the painful pity one felt for
the poor boys. "Spell window" The
scholar spells, "w-i-n-d-e-r." Mr.. Squeers
thunders out, Now, go and wash the
windows-that's the way we make our
education practical" Here is something
to be learned as disagreeable as the les
son given is. Suppose the child has
learned to write, let him write the names
of things he sees and knows-bOOk, desk,
ball, kite. This is using acquired facts,
it evinces discipline, it also confers it.
Hundreds Of children are denied the priv
ilege of discipline because the teacher
does not know that it Is the "better-half''
of education. They think that "pouring
in" is the teachers sole duty, little know.
ing that it forms but small part after all
of his magnificent function. "Take your
book and study your lesson" was the old
command, and swiftly followed by come
and recite it," There must be basis OF
facts, but that is one thing entirely remote
from the subject we are considering.
With this discipline has nothing to do
that is the mechanical part (if there is
such thing of the teachers art. Lastly,
there is the desire to continue accumula-
ton and investigation. This is the won.
| derful part of this influence of one mind
over another. A country trustee some
years ago in describing the qualifications
of teacher, who had been employed in
his district during the past winter, used q
homely but emphatic expression, His
scholars will study their tOe-nails of. y
This was remarkable man. He under.
stood secret no normal school can i'm.
part. Such man is worth untold gold
to community. He is able to impres:
upon the young minds that come to him
mark 50 distinct and clear that ont
thinks of their minds as soft wax. NJ
teacher can claim to be able to impart dis
| cipline of mind who has not this power
Power to use acquired fact; power Of
original investi Cation; desire to use thu
strengthened powers to continue in study
these are the elements of the teacher,
| infiuence.-N. Y. School Journal.