Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-06-15
TWEEDLEDEDEE OR TWEgDLEDEDUM.


The following article is from the pen
of Prof A. r. Read, who edits an Ed.
ucational column in the Warren (Pa.)
Ledger
Some very fine distinctions are FIRE.
quently drawn by teachers IN ad9ocat.
ing their superior methods of opening
school, calling the roll, calling classes
out to recite, dsmissing the same, ETC.,
dd minimum. There is so much mod
ernized method in some of our schools,
that the essential points Of school teach
ing are lost sight OF, in order to give
more prominence to these unimportant
matters One teacher claims there is
but one good way to test the presence
Of the pupils in the morning, and that
is to have them run over their numbers.
Another calls out their names in the
good old.iashioned way and still anoth-
er marks them by sight without calling
either numbers or names.
Any one who thinks this matter
over little will readily SEQ that the
comparative merits of these methods
are about as tweedlededee, tweedled.
edo, and tweedlededum. Yet many
teachers who attend our Institutes will
make two or three speeches at each
one, telling how they call the roll
There are some who open school in
the mornings by reading the Bible, &c.
companied by singing and prayer.
There arc some who only have sing.
ing and prayer, others who read
chapter in the Bible, and still others
who don't do either.
Again: There are some teachers who
call out their classes with call-bell,
others by making motions, others by
swapping their fingers as you would at
a dog, or by rapping with stick, and
others who call them out by letters or
the name of the class.
Now, we have no objections to the
preference any single individual may
have for any of these methods but we
do enter our uncompromising protest
against any attempt at coercion for the
sake of uniformity, because it destroys
individuality, and a teacher without
individuality or tact TO adapt means
according to their fitness is no teacher
at all Nor should old-time methods
be condemned unless it is plainly obvi-
Gus that their day Of usefulness is past.
A theory is neither good or bad be.
cause it is old, but must be judged on
its own merits.
We would not be understood to speak
too lightly of the little things in
school room for here as well as else.
where II is the little things that make
up the great sum Of life. They, there.
fore, should receive due attention, as
the burrs and bolts OF a locomotive
should be well made and fitted but it
requires neither the skill or labor TO
construct them that il does to make
the driving wheels, cylinders, and con.
densers, nor does il matter whether
the burrs arc screwed on with monkey
wrench or blacksmith's tongs, so they
are well screwed on
So II is in calling classes out to re.
cite or in opening school, II IL is done
IN order and with advantage to the
school it is well done and the particular
way Of doing 1t is of little moment.
The great central idea-the intellec.
tual and moral advancement Of the
control all movements.
This is the great orb which should
attract all the lesser orbs and keep them
revolving in their proper places in har.
mony with the entire system.
By giving more attention TO the es-
sentials and less 10 forms better work
would be done in many of our schools.
Teachers should get along with as lii.
lie red tape as possible, study tho dis.
positions and mental calbre of their
pupils and learn how to apply the
means to give them a proper under.
standing Of the subjects before them.
Our common schools mean education
mental and moral Development and
for usefulness In after life.
With this object steadily in view
and a determination TO accomplish il
with his pupils, the conscientious and
able teacher will adapt the means to
this end by wasting as little time as
possible, and let those ofsmaller calibre
decide whether II shall be tweedlcdedee
or tweedlededum.