Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-03-19

/ Educatlonal Column.
/ JOHN b. SCOTT, EDITOR.
"A true story. entitled "Politeness
Pays,n was published 4 few years ago.
A gentleman went into small town
with view Of building . large mill.
The building was to be frame. He
Inquired, Of those supposed to know,
as to whether there was good car
penter in the place or not. He was
told that a first class mechanic lived
there. After being told where he
would find the carpenter he proceeded
there with the intention Of getting him
to build his mill. He found him plan
ing rough plank. The miller gave
him pleasant salutation which was
responded to by morning 40 des-
titute of cheerfulness as an iceberg aud
with no cessation of the activity Of the
plane. While the miller continued to
address him pleasantly he did not cease
his work. and replied to his would-be
customer in tones that indicated that
he had never been subjected to pro-
cess similar to the one through which
he Was carrying the plank. In few
weeks afterwards it was ascertained
that gentleman living in another
town had secured the contract for
building the mill. Certainly the me-
chanic's want of politeness merited the
treatment he received at the hands of
the miller. Politeness, aside from be-
ing necessary part Of civilization,
pays.
There is a great difference in the dis
position of children to be accommodate
ing, but the quality in all is suscepti.
bic Of development. A man who is
not accommodating is one in whom the
brute nature preponderates. This no.
tile trait, without which no man can
be neighbor or friend, is developed
in childhood and youth Thousands
of little incidents will occur in the con-
duct of our children that will give us
opportunities to train them with refer
ence to this subject. The method to
be used in training children to be &C.
commodating, is that which represses
their dogged selfishness This is ac-
complished by having them perform
acts of unselfishness.
The following Is paper Of much inn
portance both to parents and teachers
and should be carefully read by all:
"HOw MUCH EXPLAINING SHOULD
TEACHER Do?"
(Read at a meeting of the teachers Of the.
Anerscan Normal College.)
This Is very important question,
for it calls to mind that educational
law which says, "Tell q child nothing
that lie can be easily led to discover
for himself" Now all strength, wheth-
er mental, physical or moral, comes
from the exercise of the powers of
which our triuDe nature is composed.
Hence to develop the physique physi-
cal exercise is necessary. To develop
the mind intellectual exercise is indis-
pensabie. To develop the soul, con-
temptation of the coed. the beautiful
and the true is necessary.
The question before US is one relating
to the Intellectual development Of the
child, therefore the laws of mental
culture must be studied before the ques-
ton can be eintelligently answered. The
question is derivative one. To an
swer it fully requires an investigation
OF the following:
lst. How much explanation should
the assigned lesson receive?
"a. How much explanation should
be given in the recitation?
lst. Now it is a mistake to assign a
lesson without some explanations. At
that time the teacher can render the
pupil valuable service by teaching him
how to study. This is as much the
duty of all instructor as conducting
recitations or administering discipline,
and pupil trained to correct ha bits of
mental activity-study. is in possession
of that which will be of more benefit
to him in after life, than the forgotten
laws of the pendulum or the dates of
history. Hughes, IN his excellent
manual, Mistakes In Teaching re-
CARDS the duty of assigning lessons as
Of very great Importance, and says
that, ITO assign lesson without CIV
ing some idea of its leading features,
1. e.,what you will expect to he known,
explained or proven at the next recita-
ton, and how and where can he OBJ
tained the most light on the difficult
points-resembles the sending Of a
man into wilderness to bring some
thing ne has never seen and which has
never been described to him. "But,n
says one, ''are not all the facts of
science related to one another?' Ger
tainly they are, but has not each les
son definite object? Is there not q
step to be made into the unknown at
each lesson? Knowledge IS valuable
in the proportion that It Is reliable.
One of the conditions necessary to ae-
cure this is, that our first impressions
be correct; another is that carelessness
and superficiality must never take the
place OF thoroughness. In order that