Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-07-01
TME SPIRIT or THE scnooL.nooM
An Admirable Paper Read Before the
Teachcrs Association In Galveston by
Mrs. q. walden OF Fort worth.

Galveston, June 2s.--'rhe feature o
the State Teachers Association to-day
was the admirable paper on "The
Spirit OF the School Room, y read in al
effective manner by its authoress, Mrs
Z. walden of your CITY. 1t was con
coded by distinguished men
present learned in law and
letters, to he among the nblest pa.
pers read before the association, and
the only one that did not havea gram.
NAUTICAL flaw i'm it's composition. Re-
garding the paper as deserving more
extended reading, as well as a high
tribute to Fort Worth, your cores
pendent waited upon Mrs. Walden at
the fremont House, and, after consid-
cradle persuasion, induced the talented
lady TO allow him to have II for publ
cation In the Sunday issue of the GA
zErrE. The following is the full text
of the excellent essay:
To arrive at proper conception OF
what the spirit of the school-room
should be, would involve discussion,
an understanding of what the school
room Is, what Is its object, its scope,
what is true education; and this would
lead back further still to the profound
question, what Is man? Grand rs
these themes are and important. en-
gaging the best thoughts Of philoso.
piers all along the March Of time and
ever knoclxingat the brain of the hum.
BILE, earnest teacher, yet they are too
vast to he touched upon just now.
To be very brief and very practical
is the object of this essay, merely to
show the writer's idea of the animus
that should characterize our schools,
xst 4,
ply the why and forecast the conse-
quences.
First, 1t is patent, not that the teach
er should be but that he Is, he must be
the embodiment, the concentration of
the spirit auimating his little world.
AS sure as lasting rs the law of cause
and effect, is this truth The school Is
the mirror that reflects the character,
manner and temperament of him who
guides It. Does any one start
at this and Immediately recall some
personal experience or observation to
the contrary? Let us together visit some
of those hives where intelligent work
ers are gathering, preparing, develop
ing and storing ideas and we can with.
out doubt establish the law. As Is
the teacher, so IS the school. The
faltering OF the other, while self-asser-
ton, bigotry, egotism and egoism cast
their own images as surely n the dark
trees aud rocks are Swallowed in the
tranquil water: SO, too, the love, per
seryance, energy aud all absorbing
earnestness glowing in the heart OF
the leader shine as the stars in the
clear eyes of the child. a quiet teach.
er makes Il quiet school, Il loud teacher
makes loud school. Has any ore
ever sen mild, amiable, quiet lady
or gentleman that still had Il turbnlera,
dissrderly crowd? What would that
indicate2 A weak teacher makes
dis0rderly school and this Sis true
= whether Tat weakness man.fests it,
self in a lack of selfcontrol and spas.
mode display OF severity and illtcm-
per- or WI ether ii Is shown in a culpa-
bic Inertia which shrinks from accept
ing painful truth aud Selling
the dilemma by the horns,
shrinks from bringing every
power of the mind to bear upon the
questions, How can | best govern NV
school? How can ! bring out the
nohlest that Is in that boy? or lead to
the highest possible development that
glrl2 The school-room is no place for
Aaggards, or moral towards, and the
sooner II is rid of such characters the
better for our world. Far be II from
me TO discourage the weak, the Young. |
the timid. From among such may de. |
velop our first teachers. Some persons /
are born to command Their very |
presence inspires respect. These, how |
ever, are the minority, and to those
conscious of deficiency here, would |
say, You have no cause for despair; no |
faculty is more susceptible Of cultiya-
ton than this ability to gather in to |
yourself, manage and direct the ener-
gies ofpupils, though it requires deep
thought, unwearied patience and |
boundless charity. There are those |
who have natural aptitude for Iuath- !
ematics, and they ny over space al |
most without touching the ground |
where others have to plod with weary |
feet and sore; still the latter can study |
That branch and attain not only the |
highest degree of proficiency but |
an invaluable selt.discpline, the /
parent of self-power which is
the foundation of power over
others. Faithtulness, steudiness, de- /
formulation, all included in seif-con- |
troll are the qualifications that must |
be cultivated every day and hour,
''Self'reverencr, selt-knowledge, self
control. These three lead life TO soy
ereign power
You, yourself must be progressing
II you wish progress To be the spirit |
and watehword of your school
Let us look into our model school /
room, Orderly, neat and cheerful |
must be the general air of things, for /
these elements are in harmony with /
child nature. Beauty, too, conduoes /
to the expansion OF beauty in the soul |
system, the product Of brain, the par !
ent of order, the requisite for the best
ana most effective work rcigns, vet .
with an easy and natural sway, as If 4
unconsciossly adapted from living ex- /
ample, Quiet must there be, not the I
oppressive quiet that is the result of /
sharp, watchful eyes and strong dis
cipline, and that necessitates the fire.
quent recess to relax the unnatural
tension, but the stiffness that arises
rom an earnest Interest In the work, a
iorgeliulhess OF all beside, and from
Just appreciation OF the rights of
Others.
| cannot refrain from limiting, how.
ever that enc condition indispensable
TO habitually quiet school Is an on.
portunlty to throw OF theI restlessness
generated by the restraint, even though
seiilmposed on the growing boy or girl
ana the nervousness consequent upon
protracted application on the part of
the more advanced student. This de-
a good recess and as large n
rs possible. Oh. 1t is cruel
not 10 give children space to run and
M ]