The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-06-21

Z Oll O4CLilLStll 4 SOt 90.
Wonderful said |; "9S per cent,
on chemistry. / doubt whether
there is a student at our colleges,
where they have all the appliances
for an intelligent study of the sub
lject, that can show such a record.
Do you know the table Of equiva-
lents?"
Not entirely"
Can you tell me what is the pro-
toxide of hydrogen" Water is
what it is
mo, sir"
"Do you know what will be the
probable result if you bottle chlorine
gas while hot and fit the glass stop
pers into the jars tightly at once?"
He guessed at it, which would
have done had he guessed correctly,
and said:
AN explosion would follow"
'Do you ever swear" said |.
Sometimes" said he.
Then in your case the explosion
would be an explosion of profanity
when you went to open the jars,
said |, ''for the hot gas, on cooling,
would contract, vacuum, and the
atmospheric pressure of 10 pounds
per square inch would fix the ground
glass shoppers 80 tightly as to neces-
state the breaking of the Jars"
He left me, and | walked Off pom
dering on the deceptiveness Of 81
per cent. on chemistry.
Per centage is a somewhat doubt
ful thing if made the test of prof.
cheney. | freely admit that the pu
pill who runs up a good per centage
is more likely to be proficient than
one whose per centage is low, just
as every one will admit that a good
teacher will most likely carry a good
certificate. vet some of the very best
certificates are shown b, men who
lack teaching power. But, at the
same time, any one who knows any
thing of the matter at all will read
ilv admit that there is a greater
prospect of securing good teacher
If one be employed with good GER
tifcate than one with poor one,
for while one who lacks teaching
power may foist himself upon an
innocent county superintendent
through good requirements, while n
stranger ne will not do so the sec
ond time, if the official has the nerve
to do his duty, and they generally
have it.
One mode of exciting emulation
among the pupils is the offering of
prizes. In former years 1 was op-
posed to this plan, on the ground
that the prize system fostered evil
passions and had depressing effect
upon those who failed. Another
reason was that the prize is frequent
" given not to him who has made
the greatest effort, but to him who
has most intellect; | mean the quick
est intellect Subsequent research
has led me to modify my earlier
views on this matter. lam now an
advocate of a judicious prize sys-
TEN as a means of fostering emula-
tion and awaking an interest. Our
colleges, which are the highest edu-
eational institutions, offer prizes.
What are ''honors" but prizes for
study? / think thata system might
be developed which would result
well. Graduation from the common
schools has been devised, and the
diploma is the prize. But think
that an actual prize to be awarded
to the best scholar in the school,
that is the one who has most perfect
marks, both for recitation and con-
duct, will act well A volume of
poems may be offered, a history.
gold pen, many things, but let it be
something lasting and useful-some-
thing that in after years will bring
back the past with all its remem-
brances OF JOY or sorrow. Boys will
work in the hope of reward. and
when that hope is something tangi-
bic, something OF which the value is
apparent to the senses, they will
work much harder than when the
reward is the far off one Of benefit
derived in manhood from knowledge
acquired in youth. Boys are men
in miniature" the things which act
as incitement to duty in the one will
be found to act in the same manner
in the other.
An interest may Otter be excited
by timely statements of facts which
are within the knowledge of the
teacher. Caution must be exercised
here in order that your pupils may
not think that you are striving to
"show eff your superior acquire
ments." Such ideas strike boys, as
well as men, and when they do
strike them, woe worth the day "
for that teacher Let him fold his
tent like the Arab, and silently steal
away"
a microscope is good thing TO
have in school room. The peeps
through the magic tube will open up
q boundless field for inquiry, and
many book will be read, and read
carefully, which otherwise would !
never have been opened, but micro
scopes are not yet down on the list
of apparatus furnished to our coun- |
try schools; perhaps in the saecha- |
rine ultimately they may be.
If the teacher is a reading man !
he can find many things to introduce
to his class calculated TO awaken in
terest. l once took hold of a school |
IN which the subject Of literature
had been utterly neglected; as en-
l remember we read
''The Parting of Marmion and Doug
las" by Sir Walter Scott. / suppos-
ed of course that they knew some
thing of him and inquired:
who was Sir Walter Scott2"