Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-12-12
TEACHING %L,TERATups
what a School-Teachcr Has .,
Subject of General -. say {

''1HAIURE.
""a' a sehool-Teachcr Has to Saw
Subject of General 1ntcres. .As On
i am afraid the custom Of
ing choice selections from Anemoriz
writers has dropped somewhat intn a
use IN our schools, although it ;s ulY
we can i'll afford to dispense with ON
ing as 1t does an opportunity for 'eia1
culture as well as storing the m;,S 1oicS
the children with noble thoupht 81
pressed in choicest language. VIZ
the whole book world to Choose .tilavI
and no teacher, be his literary iudem NOM
ever SO poor, is likely to 90 far sn.eh
in presenting to his class suitah,a" ni
ter for memorizing. Give them 1at
tons suited to their capacity. arS elec
them the substance of the remainder' u
the article chosen; help them to find oo
when a thought is we'll expressed, sbo11
them that slang is used bx roan'
good writer's, teach them to detect .nil
thing like looseness of language in tbon
selves or others, suggest the care that
exercised BY. writers in revising beforl
sending their manuscript from tho,m
thus, by intoxicating patience in comm
sition, help them to make the lanoml.oI
of literature their own, SO that af 0a
consciously they will adopt it for d.T,
use; The Association will pardon }
slight depression here, in order to giva j
practical illustration of what is meant
A week or two ago, on waikiki
to school in the morning, one of on5
teachers noticed, as probably WY
all did, hat houses. fences. ever,'
thing "a covered with ice and M
branches of the trees kept up a contin
uous rattle as they swayed in the wind
Her class had been reading, the d.1
previous, THE Wreck of the Hesperns !
a selection familiar to most bows and
girls. One line in it, describing tbd
condition of the wrecked vessel, rune
thus: The rattling shrouds all sheathed
i'll ice," and by a very natural ~associa]
ton of ideas the lines required to heI
repeatedly, as she walked. Just afte]
opening exercises, the class was asked
whether anyone had noticed anythjnd
peculiar on the way to school; mora
than a dozen answered.: 1.-The branchel
of the trees are all ice." "Well,n said
the teacher, ''what then" ''They rattle
when the wind blows" Snow" sho
continued, 'they have been reminding
me of n line in the Wreck of tho
Hesperus;' can any of you tell me
which one?" After a few moments and
without any further assistance, two
hands went up, and the line was re,
peated, one boy adding, cts the rat,
thing trees all sheathed in ice" thiJ
morning. The teacher was surprised
and pleased, particularly at the volunl
tary adaptation of the words, and thi|
perhaps helped to fix the incident III
her memory. 1t. is wonderful with what
rapidity these little folk convert abb
stract notions into every day realities
and how quickly they familiarize I'd
themselves the names and works Of
writer's until even the teacher feels aJ
if they were personal friends in'whom d
hearty interest was taken.
Never take a book away from a boy
be it yer so worthless, without sug.
costing, or, if possible, supplying hin
with a substitute, and do not think
few minutes at recess or noon wasted
that is spent in calling him to you anc
showing him wherein the book is val
ueless. He will remember your crid
icisms long after you have foreottej
them, and will probably judge TIL
next book he reads by the STANDARD
you have set before him. There arr
some boys in the city who are carry
ing the names of several books BY
certain cntcrprising authors about will
them written on u scrap of paper
"so's we know what to ask for wheI
any one wants to give us a book.
OF course the paper will be destroyed,
used as bullets for pop-guns, or rolled
into wads to fire at any offending
companion, but the impression will
have been made and retained in after
years. 1t is to be hoped, though,
that the present possession of the lisls
will not suggest the asking, or parents
and friends may not grow enthusiastic
over the device.
1t is only in little ways like these,
quietly interviewer in u daily school
work, that we can direct to any ex,
tent the present and future course o.
reading II pupils may adopt. NJ
arbitrary rule will effect the desired
result, but we are wiser than to at
tempt any such plan. Steadily an(
perseveringly we must work on. film!
up each nook and Granny in our boys
minds. leaving no vacant space w1cr'
dust or refuse may find lodgment, 81
that when all the varied literature 0
the present day is open to them, the,
may find no place for useless o.
vicious matter.-Afiss Aiice Freeman.