The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1879-07-25
Think for YouseIf.

"ooo tSuGiSiS 10 AloW OOcS IlliS
man effect success 7" making the in
lniry, evidently, tn follow blindly in
'lis footsteps whether he is qualified
for it or not. There are many meth
cds in school teaching, which may be
reduced to three classes: general, spe-
cial and personal. Let us examine
these. Genera methods underlie the
mholessGicneAe dEAnatfhclioag AID |. q are e
for all times, places and persons.
They are like axioms Of geometry,
sclf-eyident, admitting of no proof.
For instance, never tell IL child what
he already knows, or what h, can
find out for himself, is certainly an
automatic method.
Special methods arc rs numerous
AS teachers. Every little up-sLart Of
pedagogue has his special method,
ami there is nothing in what he is SO
selfconcei!ed and egotistical rs his
especial" methods. Some Of these arc
Of some value, 1ut most of them are
only chaf and traslh we advocate
Independence Of lholgIa, but This in
dcpence must not be at the expense
and sacrifice Of common sense. We
think every teacher should wear his
own shoes while teaching, and not
attempt to stumble along in bis
friends bcuausc they happen TO fl,
him better than his own. Each teach
or should be law unto himself;
should be himself and not somebody
else.
Then we have "pcrsonal" methods,
and it is Of this we wish mainly to
npcak. Teachers often fail where
some young preachers fail. They
get all their knowledge at second
hand-they teach what has been
hammered into their heads without
dcvising new thoughts and modes for
themselves. When Bccchcr was in
his glory, there were thousands Of
Beechers all over the land trying to
act and talk just like the great M
tional preacher, and they deemed
themselves fortunate if they made the
impression tllatssatlisy tssat were gooa .iii4ii::
tors, it nothing more. Some teachers
return from a normal school with
their note books, ,crammed full of Gin
structions how to teach" show 10
keep order" show 10 secure punctu-
olity," show. to prevent delinqucn-
cies," and so on. They enter the chool
room with more confidence than
bruins, thinking they can put to actual
practice what they have. learned in
,heory, but they soon, like Darius
Green and his lying machine, come
down with such thump and in such
an awful plight they become the
laughing stock Of the community.
They learned what some one else
knew and did well, and in which they
nrc failures. What we honestly are,
people like lis seem to be, even
though wehavc a clovcn foot. People
like out-spollln thieves better than
aen1cr-iootetl ami time serving chris.
tians. II is absurd to initiate some
one e sc because ho happens to be a
SUCCESS. We are not avci.sc TO adj
Sice, but what we mean is this folly
of Uindly following The judgment and
opinions Of others. Let us he what
we are. Each has his personal meth
0ds, doh't adopt others because they
are a little peculiar. II .rc is case
in point. There was once an excel
lent teacher Of languages who went
TO bed with his boots on, and there
was an imitator, fool we would call
him, who thought he also could teach
iaEsnagekby going to- bed with his
boots on. He shot at long range.
Ncander, the great divine, used TO
Start 10 his lectures with his study
gown wrapped around him, utterly
unmindfnl o! the absence of his lower
garments. Now, because Ncandcr
LID this must every sprie Of theology
'e'guilty Of the same neglect? Per-
sonal methods, like personal noses,
cannot he communicated. God II udr
man and when man tries to make
himself over he commits n mighty
Dlunder.
Better be yourself thousand
times, though uEcouth aud homcly,
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