The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1885-03-26
EDUcATloNAI.s
Ingenious Method of Drawing the Cpries
itXaand Attention of Pupils.
valuable Hints from Various sourocs--Lons
so Distance Teaching In Australia.
CURIOSITY.

"Curios ty is as much the parent O.
attention as attention is Of memory
. 10 teach one who has no curiosity tc
learn, is to sowa q field without plowipa
it. - IThateiy !. ....s,
a methodist minister, ontbc'ng asked
why that denomination indulged in
such lively music, answered, that they
didn't believe. in letting the wicked
world have III the good tunes. So il
may he said OF harncssing in that un.
c0nqucrablc attribute to human nature,
ttat turnc everything topSy-turyey i"
Edenic days, to help do the work of The
schCoI"roOm in demonstrating this
same fallen humanity. 1t has the logic
of the S:mili0 $imitibus theory for o
foundation. and the favorable testimony
Of our best thinkers and teachers in the
practice Of it. Prepare the ploScnta.
ton Of Il new subject never SO careful
ly, il it comes before the class as y set
of alternatives, they will acccptit much
in the spirit OF the good deacon who
slept all through the sermon because OF
his implicit confidence in the Soundness
of the preacher. Such al mQuestion
ing acceptance Of facts by class is the
death warrant OF its interest and attcn-
ton, and results us fatally to its enthu.
siasm Us the CAIN sleep of man frccz.
ing-tO death. Let the teacher put in.
genuiiy to work, and devise some way
in which lesson can seem to contain
Bomc hidden thing that the children are
10 seek for, AID if skillfully done, not
much of clue need be given before the
class will be digging for it, under the
sharp spur Of curiosity, which, strange
to say, has as much impclling force in
boys as in gir!S, the popular hercsy tc
the contrary Notwithstanding.
A good principal once came into our
school-room and gave y first lesson in
decimal fractions. Taking q half-shcet
of paper and pair ofScjssors, he stood
before the chil,lr n and silently be-
gan cutting it INTO slips. Gradually
the rustic Of the school-room died
away. Everybody wondered As piece
after piece OF that mysterious paper
iiuttercd down on tho bows desk in the
front row, the wiGo-rycd children held
their breath in suspense rs to what it
could all mean; and when he had gath
cred them all up again on u boolx-cov
cr, making restored whole out of the
ten parts, he held it up 10 hundred
Watchtul eyes in Il room 20 quiet that
the ticking OF the clock alone broke the
silence. Not much difficulty in hold
ing the attention Of the class after that.
10 borrow OH text figure, curiosity
had ploughcd tho field, and the seed
would fall on good soil. Each Of these
ten pieces were cut into ten others, and
these in turn into ten more tiny bits,
with the Same impore:rabIc air of mys-
terry. Or course explanations and
blackboard work followed, but the class
had been led by curiosity alone TO walk
pleasurably into that bottomloss sea of
intinitcsnlals, without knowing that
they were in the very Styx of waters.
OF ever finding it out aftcrward. for
dccmals were carried with n furore
that ycar.tand the transfers from the
little papers to the convenient meter
measure, which, though it could not be
cut apart was yet never confusing, was
easily made.
II is surprising how much of this
way of arousing attehtion can be intro
duccd into School-work, when once we
seek in ourselves for variety OF ways
to accomplish it: Individuality has
here a lmitlGss feld.--Mr~. EUa d.
HCiiOgq IN JOHTN0I Of EtLuc0tion.