Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-11-09
INTERMEDIATE GEOGRAPHY.

l first ask the pupils the question:
"Do you understand the lesson p and
if necessary, "What is your difficulty"
There is no branch that undertake
10 teach which / meet with so many
difficulties Have been in some meas
ure successful in teaching primary
classes, but as we advance, the work
becomes complicated and may.
You should not have more than
three classes of geography in your
school. Use good textbook in
teaching. You can do better work
with one than without Some defini-
tions should be committed as given in
the book, with absolute accuracy.
By this means pupils acquire the use
OF good English. Observe strict accu.
racy in your speech. Children copy
what they are accustomed to hear. II
is important, therefore, that the teacher
observe accuracy. But be careful to
have the definitions clearly under
stood as well as correctly expressed.
Let your explanations be given in in.
tolligible language. Adapt your words
to the capacity of the most uLintelli.
gent. Do not talk so much learnedly
as understandingly.
Teachers should not be confined TO the
book, absolutely, yet stick reasonably
close TO 1t, but so inform yourself on
the subject, that you can eye the pupil
rather than the book.
Have the class understand that the
"review" is always in the lesson. Al
ways ask few questions on the work
passed over, to keep up the connection
and fix what has been learned perma-
nently in the memory.
Teach, at this stage of the child's
advancement, only outlines, and only
of the principal countries. Let this
knowledge be intensified by constant
drawing Examine their work and
compare each with himself and com
mend his progress accordingly. Do
not compare the worst with the best, but
encourage the worst by saying this is
better than your last, il it be so, and
say to your best, # occasion justify, this
is very good, but not 80 good as you
might do. Have you not been little
careless to.dayY Whilst securing &C.
curacy have them combine with it
rapidity.
Teach the historic events of interest
connected with the subject under con-
sideration. Legends and traditions
excite curiosity and lend fascination TO
the study. For instance explain that
our book of maps came to be called
an "atlas" from tho fact that tho an
clients held a tradition that the earth
rested on the shoulders Of stout old
man whose name was Atlas. Some Of
our books represent it thus yet These
ancients accounted for an earthquake
by supposing the old man, in chang.
| ing his burden from one shoulder to
tho other bad done it with jerk and
caused the earth to jostlc and shake.
But toll how these foolish people for
got to enquire what old Atlas stood on.
In describing Cape Horn, do not
leave. the class to infer that it derived
its name from the supposed likeness in
shape TO the horn Of an OK, but ex-
plain to them how some bold naviga-
tors from Horn, in Holland, were the
first TO discover it, and gave II the
name of their native place. Do not
pass the strait Of Magellan without
telling that the first ciroum. navigator
of the earth, IN his wonderful voyage,
passed through this strait and by
giving it his name perpetuated it for
all time.
As we get into the higher classes,
the great question is, what TO teach
and what TO omit2 One safe rule is,
do not load the memory with unim-
portant facts. Teach what you know
to be Of importance TO know.
Teach topically. Draw maps. Find
out first whether the lesson is learned
or not Secondly, teach them how to
express it. Thirdly, clearly and def.
initely assign the next lesson. Fourth.
ly, give outside information. You need
not follow this order. Itestmy pupils
by requiring written answers TO ten
questions. Don't try to teach every
thing, but teach something well. Open
to them an idea of the wonderful things
there are to learn and make them hun.
cry for knowledge. Examine written
answers out OF school, or utilize the
advanced pupils by allowing them to
do il for you occasionally. Answers
should be as brief as possible 10 bo
defnite.-Miss Maria Sanford.