The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-04-19

By 4. c. HoLsrRr.
CHAPTER 1.


4 When anyone sets out to give d
: rections as to how anything shoul
be done, it is commonly suppose
3 that he deems his methods bette
) than those in general use, or at leas
worthy of attention. l may her
: and now explain my reasons fo
writing this series Of articles, and,
i possible, relieve myself of any lia
bility to the charge Of egotism NJ
reasons for publishing are:
1st. In twenty years constan
! work in the school rooms of differ
ent States / do think that hay
some few methods that are worth,
of attention, more particularly o.
the part Of the comparatively youn1
or inexperienced teacher.
i I'd. / consider that in the teach
er's profession methods should b
common property. We are all work
ing for the same end-the perfectio,
of the race of man; it thenis the ah
solute duty of every teacher to max
his methods public. If they hay
accomplished good in his hands
they may do the same in the hand
Of another. I know that in my ear
lier days in the school room ] vast
ed valuable time from not having
practical ideas derived from practi.
cal teachers. Institutes are intended
to do much in this way; they do
much, but the teachings of our coun-
ty Institutes are seldom of much
benefit during the session in which
they are held. The reason Of this is
that the institute commonly comes
at the wrong time. Teachers haYe
usually got their schools in running
order-their work arranged-and a
radical change will unsettle the run
ming of the school,
remember, when l was quite a
number of years younger than | am
now. ! attended an institute in which
many good things were said, and
one thing that particularly arrested
my atsention, and caused me to re-
solve to adopt it. My school was
running well. My term was hal
out, but when / returned home 1
was full of the idea 1 had got at in
stitute. and / at once attempted + I,
put it into practice. My school fo I
the remainder of the term was a fail :
ure; it did not accomplish: what il
should have done, at least; it We IS
just the same as though anoth sr
teacher with different methods had
come in. taught the same scho oil
the next winter on the plan / had
got at the institute, and it was sue
cess. l learned from that experien ce
to be very careful how l made radi-
cal changes during q school term,
and commend the same to you.
In regard to the articles of which
this is the opening chapter, l win
say that tho cgr1ater part is not orig
inal with me. The careful reader
will see much in them that he has
perhaps before seen elsewhere; he
may even find passages not enclosed
in the marks of quotation which he
knows are taken from the works of
others. When such shall be the
case, / trust he will attribute the
matter to an oversight. and not to
any intention of plagiarizing; in
some instances / have not marked
quotations because in the works
from which / got them they were
marked in single quotations, indicat-
ing quoted quotations. / trust, how
ever, that the number of such cases
is few.
In regard to authorities, / may
say that l have consulted about
twenty different educational works.
them are Page, Mann, Hart,
Ogden, Holbrook, Habert,
Spencer, Balm, Johonnot. Wicker
sham, Brooks, Baldwin; the Meta
physics" and Logic" of Sir Wm.
Hamilton, have rendered me aid;
Tyndal and Mandsley are quoted
from in afew instances. Education
al journals have not been neglected.
and l have obtained some valuable
hints from the prefaces to textbooks,
in fact 1 think authors prefaces are
too generally neglected by teachers.
and wherever ! have
found anything that could be of SER
vice to me in the preparation of this
series of articles have made a note
Of it," and though l have been
'cralnming" for year for them. |
read everything | could get my
hands on with y special view to their
and made careful and
extensive notes during my reading,
find that my work has been left in
many places imperfect. With this
shall pass at once to the subject in
hand-"Methods of instruction"
There is an old recipe for cooking
a goose which begins, First catch
yonr goose" so in this, first place
secure your school, but l suppose
that done. Now you want to make
your preparattonssfor your first day. |
Remember, the first day is the all
important one. The impression made
On that day will largely decide the
success of your efforts as teacher of
hat school. Prepare for it then;
visit your future room; note the seat
ing, conveniences, &c. Arrange in |
your own mind how you will seat |
your school. See that all things are
decent and in order. On the
morning of your FIRST day, III
advise you to be present early; see
that the house is properly warmed, |
and also ventilated. Have all things !
at hand that you may need-chalk |
in abundance, pens and ink, paper,
pencils, and if possible your own
text books that you will teach. III
you are a religious man presume
you will open your school by read
ing the scriptures and offering .
short prayer; take care you make il
short, too; you do not or should MOI i.
wisi to weary your pupils in TN e
first fifteen minutes Of your acquair :
tance. If you are simply . mors |
man you will perhaps use some OF l.
er method. / have often opened y ~
school on the first day by . ten mi
nutes' talk on attention, the text be-
ing the following from Sir Will am