The Mineral argus., 1884-10-16

HANoNAAA AAAAN1 III OAAN VI Jul EiCANNoL
defects, and one that threatens to be a
curse 20 our nation, is a superficial,
shallow theory of education; the ten
dency of the American boy and girl to
rush into the responsibilities of life,
lacking competent knowledge, with no
reserved force from which to draw as a
mental capital. 1t is next to impossi-
bic to convince the precocious boy of
sixteen, who has acquired quite a share
of information and a smattering of
most of the studies taught in our high
schools, the necessity for a few years
more of study, that he may lay up a
store of information for maturer iudg-
ment. No, to him life is too short to
be spent thus; he must start out for
himself and be getting along in the
world. So he rushes on like a wild
mountain torrent into any business that
strikes his fancy or seems most lucra-
tive, from a news boy on the train to
the presidency And what is the re-
suit of this feverish haste, which fills
society with vast multitude of youth,
smart as steel traps, but with no habits
of mental discipline, no stock of gen
eral information, no reserve of moral
force? If we look carefully we can
but note innumerable wrecks of life,
ability and character along the way,
that, instead of illustrating the truth
"Life is real, life is earnest, are the re-
suits of making of it a game of chance.
How far are we teachers responsible
for this state of affairs? AS the
schools of our county are with few ex-
ceptions still in primary state, it is
with elementary education that we
have largely to deal, and as the foun-
dation underlying all future attain
ments, no department is more import
ant or needs greater skill, a finer touch
or more thorough workmanship than
this grade so often put off with an in
different instructor.
1t has been truly said that 'the
grandest of the arts is the develop
ment of the infant mind" Fellow
teachers, let US keep this definite aim
constantly before us. Let it be our
mission, which shall be to us labor
of love, and to it let us bring our best
powers, our most earnest, faithful and
devoted endeavors, that we may so pre-
pare the mind of the little child, and so
carefully select the tiny seeds to be
sown there, that rich harvest of real
knowledge and power of self reliance
may be the result. Does anyone ask
farther how this can be secured
Certainly not by allowing the pupil to
be satisfied with glimpse Of the truth,
by helping him over every difficulty,
and fastening him on to studies beyond
his years of comprehension; neither is
it by filing his mind with dry facts and
statistics which serve merely as infor-
nation, soon to be forgotten or retain
ed in so confused a state as to be of
little worth; but it is by studying the
child's nature and ascertaining, if pos
sible, the natural method by which he
had acquired the knowledge already
gained, and following out that plan;
first, objects should be presented, then
he may be taught to recognize by sight
as he had before by hearing the word
which stands for the object, and thus
may he be led step by step, always
within the power of his full compre-
hension, using every truth gained as a
stepping-stone to a higher and broader
plane.
We need to study the theory of the
new education so widely discussed at
the present time, though it must be
admitted that instead of new, they are
old methods, for Plato taught by OBJ
jects and Quintillian dwelt largely uopn
the importance of studying individual
character, while the great Teacher of
drew from surrounding OBJ
jects,-the grass, the lilies and the
trees-those deep lessons fraught with
living truth, that have influenced
for more than eighteen cen
turies.
There are teachers of high culture
and successful experience, who con-
slider it small work and beneath their
dignity to teach children in the lower
grades of instruction. If there are any
such here let me say to them, "you |
have mistaken the real work of the |
teacher" When the illustrious deeds |
and character of statesman, patriot |
Dr warrior, are to be commemorated, |
IN artist of the greatest skill and ex-
oerience is sought TO make the design |
md block out the work; after that any
workman, who can use the chisel well 1
enough to finish the statue or monu-
nent may be employed. Thus in
eaching or moulding the young un-
developed mind, (of greater import