Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1881-10-22
Theory orTeachIng.
n Tribune.

To the Editor Of the Northern Tribune.
Cultivate the habit of always entering
the school with your mind divested Of
every thing foreign to your duties for
the day.
Meet your scholars with countenance
calculated to inspire friendship yet for
bid familiarity.
Let your rules be few but well observ-
ed.
Encourage exercise on the play
ground, but be vigilant in preventing
the use of coarse or prOfane language.
Reading lessons that treat of God or
Christianity should receive more than
ordinary attention; taking care to with
hold your special views.
Never allow religious books or tracts to
be openly or secretly introduced. The
use of such always engenders religious
prejudices, creates discOrd, and under
mines that neighborly feeling which
should exist, in every community, re-
gardless of creed or nationality.
Pay marked attention to grading or
classifying.
In teaching the alphabet choose from
either of the methods in general use
such as "Object Method" ""WOrd Method
or phonetic Method" but if you find
that you have more success in some 9TH
er method, which you have learned or
devised, use it; for if you have no opinion
OF your own, or are too diff1dent to put
forward any, you are not likely to have
much success in teaching.
Let you exercises in spelling be
chiefly from dictatiOn.
In reading leave nos lesson till the
majority can spell, define, and explain.
Bear in mind and bring prominently
before the school the fact, that acquiring
sound knowledge of the reading les
sons, is the key to cultivating taste for
reading and becoming intelligent in
the course of time.
Teach as much Grammar as Is neces-
sary in correcting common errors in
speaking or writing, but avoid too many
technicalities.
In conveying instructions in Arithme-
tic give but little time to the difficulties
that the majority understand, and that
IL understood will never be of any prac-
tical use. But have frequent explana-
ti0ns, and much exercise in those rules
that enter into the ordinary business
transactions of life.
Use the blackboard in teaching the
elements of letters and the copy books
in common use in helping your scholars
to require the useful art of good pen
manship.
Have one day in each week specially
devoted to letter-writing and reviews,
especially in Geography and History.
Letter-writing enters into all our bus
| mess transactions: and the want of q
facility to express our thoughts with
tOlerable correctness will render much
other knowledge acquired in school use
less.
The subjects mentioned are those the
people chiefly want.
One more very useful subject, Civil
Government, is now to be introduced in
to the common schools.
Occasionally advanced scholars of
more than ordinary talent, NAV be al
lowed to commence the study of higher
sciences, but the graded school, the
Academy, &c.is the proper place for such
studies; and the less of these introduced
into the common schools the better for
the interest of the majority concerned.
The present school law requires teach
ers to be acquainted with the theory and
art of teaching. lam acquainted with
teachers who have meyer seen a book on
the subject.
Twenty-six years have elapsed since 1
had one.
For my own use and that of any who
may need something on this subject /
have condensed in this sheet the theory
that I have earnestly endeavOred to
practice during forty years.
The art of teaching understand to be
the act of putting in practice the theory
adopted.
Minute details would make this docu-
ment too lengthy.
RespectfulIy. j. III.