Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-02-16


victories or defeats of contending ar
mics. In the daily review of the pre-
ceding lesson, which should always
be taken before entering upon the adj
vance, the teacher may, to vary the
exercise, simply point out on the map
the places referred to, calling on diff
ferent members of the class to narrate
the story connected Herewith; some
times he may allow pupil to conduct
this exercise, and thus awaken en-
thusiasm, especially among smaller
scholars. Indeed, the study of his
tory and that of geography seem to
be so closely connected that it is al
most impossible successfully to teach
one without teaching something of
the other. There is attached to the
place in which any important event
has transpired an interest scarcely in
ferior to that in the event itself. If
it be important that the pupil know
that at Yorktown was fought the last
battle in our struggle for independ-
ence, it is also necessary that he
know whether Yorktown be in Yer
mont, Maine or Virginia. If he should
know that on the bloody field of Wa
terloo was broken the power of that
wonderful phenomenon at which for
a time all Europe trembled, lie should
also know whether Waterloo be in
Greece, Italy or Belgium.
Perhaps the greatest obstacle the
teacher will have to encounter will
be the tendency of the pupil to con-
found the different characters and
events; and this can be overcome
only by painstaking, persistent effort.
In some of our text books portions
belonging to the same topic are sep
arated by intervening paragraphs.
Strive to teach the pupil that in the
preparation Of his lesson he should
carefully analyze it, grouping togeth-
er such facts as belong to the same
subject, that he may thus have a
clear conception of one theme before
proceeding to another. In no case
should the recitation be conducted by
the use of the questions at the bottom
of the page. In the books of
pupils whose teachers have en-
ployed these questions / have
frequently seen marked off in the par
agraphs to which they referred, just
enough to answer these particular
questions, and if others had been ask
ed them, or if they had been request
ed to state IN their own language
what they knew of the topic, 1t would
doubtless have been discovered that
their knowledge on the subject was
extremely meagre and vague. The
teacher should encourage the pupil to
narrate the events recorded in his les
son as simply and naturally as he
would relate to the home circle any
occurrence of which he may have
been an eye witness, or any story
which he may have read. The ac-
complishment of this desired result is.
| realize, by no means the least OF
a teachers difficulties.
Often one topic will suggest anoth-
er taken up, it may be, several weeks
before. Let this be again discussed.
and the points of resemblance or con-
trast carefully noted. The more inn
portant events-those that have had
the greatest influence upon all subse-
quent history-demand careful atten-
ton, and to these landmarks must the
pupil be directed again and again,
otherwise he will often find himself
bewiIdered, in the intricate mazes
leading therefrom.
AS regards dates, | would not at
tempt to burden the memories of pu-
pills with a great number of these
yet there are some-focal dates we
may call them-that should be made
as familiar to them as are the letters
of the alphabet. "But how shall this
be done?' asks one, ''since it is diff.
cult for some to remember even q
few dates?" / answer by any and ev-
cry means that your ingenuity car
devise. Write them frequently or
the board, OF repeat them when least
the class expects it, asking what
each suggests. In written tests
which should frequently be given
these, together with the event should
often be called for. Oftentimes how
ever, it is only by sheer force of viii
that these can be retained, and thus
is brought into action another of the
minds powers.
But 1t is in the field of imagination
that the teacher will observe the
greatest diversity in the minds of bis
pupils. While one will narrate the
most thrilling occurrence with as little
enthusiasm as he would repeat {
problem in arithmetic if required te
learn it, the eye of another will kindlt
at the recital; he seems to rush into
battle with contending forces, to hea
the roar of the musketry, to be in
spired by the martial music, and il
elated or depressed by the victory O
defeat of the army whose cause h,
has espoused. Of course the forme
of these will derive but little pleasure
or profit from this study, unless il
some way may be stimulated this fac
ulty, the lively exercise of which /
essential to the student of history, a
well as the historian himself. Some
| it is true, are endowed by natur
, with much more vivid imagination