River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-06-12
Educational.
HIS. RAKER. a. R..Editor.
COUNTY suPERIETEsDesT.)

TIE plan of half hours noon inter
mission seems to be in general use this
summer.
CLARA HgALY, Pierce Valley, Cliff.
| ton, is having her usual success. That
means enough without specifying.
| NEARLY every school thus far visited
or heard from, is seated by grades.
Good. When this is done throughout
the county it will lead to wonderful
| results.
UNLESS you can give some reas n for
| it. do not have your class III practical
arithmetic waste IL fortrlight's time
upon Averaging Accounts The
same might possiolJ be said of other
topics.
TRy to have those pupils who are
together in one branch-say reading
together III ALL Ii your pupils are
seated by grades, this will be more
necessary. You may have to change
them from one reading class to anoth-
Ell to effect this.
School boards desiring to purchase Il
large and accurate map of Wisconsin
can now do so by sending 81 to the
State Superintendent. Nicodelhus and
Conover's excellent map is now fur
nished at that price by the department.
We will send blank application forms
to any one desiring them.
WE have more hope OF Il teacher
who is Il radical and an innovator than
Of one who is conservative. The
former is, of necessity, favorably in
clined to new methods, and has energy
that will give good results when di
rected into proper channels. But the
latter pities the one wko is bold
enough to say that there is a better
way than the one he uses. What is
the difference between a conservative
and IL conceited one!
Ir is more graceful to criticise only
when you know you ca. do better, and
in better taste to volunteer opinions
and advice upon those topics alone of
which yol have some definite knowl-
edge. But in relation to educators
and teachers, the above axioms seem
to be reversed i'll practice, and we
find few so ignorant as not to be able
to speak las they seem to think with
authority upon school matters, and in
a brief sentence to seal the doom of II
teacher or school. 1t is both sad and
mysterious, that the American people
are most laxative upon those matters
of which they are most profoundly ig-
norant. Observe it and then shun the
fault.
If your class in the second reader
does not make perceptible progress in
two weeks the fault is your own. You
have put them over too much ground
and have not been thorough. If we
could have every school room furnish
ed with the motto ''Never let u pupil
leave sentence until he can read it
well" and every teacher heed it, we
would do so. Therein is the secret.
The elder Booth studied the Lords
Prayer for many years, and when he
repeated it, his hearers were moved to
tears. When one sentence is conquer
ed he is encouraged to meet the next.
When dozen are mangled the pupils
think that the next is invincible by
them.
WE believe the time has come for
forward movement all along the line
in the direction of introducing some
sembance, at least. of grade, into
country schools. As a first step we
are urging three things: Seating by
grades, recitations at seats, and study
programme. When these three forms
are adopted, there will of necessity be
some drifting toward the substance.
The inconvenience of having those
who reclte together in reading, recite
in three or four classes in arithmetic,
will be apparent. Please try these
improvements. They are not hastily
urged Without confidence in the
teachers, based on observation, we
should never have urged these adj
vances. Teachers are ripe for these
steps. When these points are adopted
you will be ready to appropriate the
most approved and elaborate practices
and methods--in short, to use the
best methods of Boston and st. Louis,
without change except abridgment.
and to step into graded school with
out a very great change from your
every day customs. Let every one
who heeds these hints write the result.