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

w AOxl1 AvOs AVOOs
/ learn simply that attention cannot
be forced. You will not get it by
begging for it, pleading. preaching
praying or fogging for it. You may
lexcite an interest, and when the in
iterest is excited attention, in the full
sense of the word, may follow; il
the interest be deep enough. it must
: follow. l consider interest and at.
tention to be different actions of the
mind, interest is involuntary; at
.ention, on the contrary, is volunta-
Try. Another thing I wish you to
note specially, and that is that in
,terest precedes attention. There can
be no true attention until interest is
excited. Then if you desire atten-
ton, and what teacher does not, ex-
cite interest and you will have at
tention; stake my reputation on
lit; it cannot be otherwise.
| Having opened your school, you
sare now ready for the work Of "or-
/ ganization." l presume that you
4 have decided on some particular ba-
Isis of classification, and l will sup
{pose that basis to be reading. You
tmy, all who can read in the fifth
ssader raise their hands. Ten hands
LAM raised. "You may all 60 to the
lbaard and write your names" Copy
the names into your class-book be-
fore you dismiss the class. Now
/ YOU aaay examine them on the prin-
4 eiplse of elocution and reading. You
\ may aave each one of them read
a selection, which you have made
days before perhaps, and from the
character of the answers and of the
| reading YOU decide on how many
and whidhso them you shall admit
into the fifah reader. Bear in mind
| here, you are making this classifi-
ton; see thst you make it thorough.
Let no motive whatever induce you
to admit pupil to a class for which
he is not prepared The same meth
DDS may be pursssd with the other
readers-baving etch one write his
name on the board and ther copy
ing intp your class book. In arith-
metic the plan is essentially the
same, but after the examination on
principles L 60 to the board and
write out ten examples, covering the
range of knowledge whiGk the pu-
pills should possess of the branch.
Those examples / want sshyed by
them at once. The case anc .seadi-
ness, &C., with which they dc this
tell me much of their qualifications.
1t may be necessary to adopt a tam
porary organization. In fact IhsEe
never yet taught . school in which
such an organization WIS not ncces-
sary, but get your sch 'ol upon
permanent basis as soon as possible.
Rules and punishments. There
are two extremes. The first is mul-
tituclinous rules, and unliniteo hog-
gings' for every violation of .i,en.
The second is, no rules and no fog
gings- The miniature image of God
must, under no circumstances, be
profaned by rod. There is gold
en- mea n-make necessary rules, do
necessary fogging, and "when done,
if It's G one. 'twere well 'twere well
done" A boy sometime gets tue
devil into him, and nothing ON earth
known among men viii su Gce to
exercise the ancient Henry save
about fom. feet of good Timber b eech,
the young growth, applied wit. hout
any mind to ''spare for his cryi. ~ :"
One of the very best rules / yer
saw is that rule which some perso ms
call the eleventh commandment t"
mind your own business. Prop
erly understood it is rule which a
man or woman, a boy or girl, can
live by and die by" Properly fol-
lowed no duty will be left uno one,
for it is a mans business to peri orm
all duties. No man will wrong his
for it is a mans BUSH less
to live right with God and man. fhe
rule will have to be explained, but
when explained properly l ha We
never known it fail to appeal to.tl le
minds of pupils in a manner tina I
no other rule / have ever seen has
done in my hands. Here is another
rule; have it printed on cards and
posted in conspicuous places in your
school room. "Study to keep quiet"
This rule is the 'Istrive to enter in at |
he straight gate" of school disci-
Dline. Quiet is necessary. How |
ihal you better secure it than by \
having every pupil study to keep
70? But while you insist on quiet !
by the pupils, see that you are quiet |
yourself. Many a school is demor-
.lized by loud-talkin g, noisy teach
r. Never let your voice rise above !
.fe ordinary convers. ational tone. |
Give Your commands with the fall
ng infection" Rem e1nber, how
ever, there are two ki nds or quiet.
A dead man is very quiet, but he
loes nothing. He is gradually dis |
A dead school is the
same. There is the quiet of death
md the quiet of worE or business.
Cultivate the latter, b lnish the for
ner. Corpses are not agreeable OBJ
ects, and the corpse Of a school is no
"Allow no walking on
iyt0e-" 1t is an unn atural posture.
Deat do it yourself nor permit it
n your presence.
Tactics is a term applied to the
of soldiers,-to the
irilling Of soldiers--but it may just
Is properly be applied to the drill
ing Of pupils. BY carefully ar
an ged system of tactics, much of!
he disorder and confusion of the
c'noolroom are avoided. 4 have