The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-11-05
HELP THE TEACHER.

tried H. Respectfully,
TEACHER.
HELP THE TEACHER.
The confinement of the school.room,
and the sedentary conditions inseparable
from student life, are irksome to the
young. Hence little children should,
during the school.day, be allowed fire.
quently to lay down their books and run
out to, play; and, when called in to
books, they should never be kept long at
any time-ne longer than they can be
interested in the lesson. To keep them
longer is not only wrong, but useless, be.
cause no one, young or old, learns any
thing in which the mind is not engaged.
And when the little ones know from e1-
perience that they are not to be kept
long and physically worried, they will
come cheerfully when called and readily
give their attention to the lesson. The
inattention Of teachers to these necessary
precautions and plain principles has,
doubtless, been the chief cause of dis
gusting most little children with books
and with school. 49, .a
z; Nor should the older pupils be ever
taxed with confinement to their books
that strains their physical endurance.
Experience has proved beyond question,
that the half.day's schooling of modern
times-when- a high degree of mental
activity and interest is kept up BY due
variety of studies accomplishes more,
progress in education than was ever,
effected under the old all day system.
The foregoing will servo to indicate
the main idea that we wish to present for
the consideration of our readers. It is
that the voluntary application and hopec-
=ful, cheerful, personal efforts of every
pupil are necessary TO his or her advance
ment in the acquisition Of literary knowl:
edge. Every teacher who understands
even the primary principles of his busi-
ness knows that, and therefore exerts
himself to stimulate his spupil to self.
exertion. But it is a lamentable fact
that comparatively very few parents
seem to know it.
Since under even the most judicious
arrangements. aud best devised plans, all
young persons necessarily find study and
confinement disagreeable, and since the
voluntary application Of ones own mind
is absolutely necessary TO mental culture
and the acquisition of knowledge, it is
obvious that the young constantly need
to be impressed with the great impor'
lance Of becoming educated, or they will
not cheerfully submit themselves to the
necessary prerequisites Of ever becoming
80. If heparent treats the child's edu-
cation as matter of secondary impor-
tance, they cannot expect the child to
regard it as of the very. 6rst importance.
And unless children are taught to so
esteem it, they will never be educated,
because they win not apply their minds
with the necessary earnestness and de.
vote the necessary timeito the achieve.
merit of the object.
How can any boy or, girl be expected
to regard their education as of the very
first and highest importance, so long as
their parents are willing for them to lose
| day or two every now and then from
school, and not unfrequently a week OF
two,a when there is.no absolute necessity
for such loss of time? A visit of some
friend to;the family, or5thet occasion of
somelmeeting Or other public assembling
of people in the neighborhood, even the
advent of monkey show, or the depart.
ure of friend from the he5railroad depot,
is often,dsemeds quite q. sufficient cause
for school children to be allowed to stay
away from their school exercises. All
teachers know that children who are SO
indulged soon lose interest in their
studies, and frequently they, fall behind
their classes, and at length become ut
terly discouraged and give up all desire
of standing we'll in their classes or Of
ever becoming we'll educated. The more
young people 60 into company, the more
they desire to go; and the more time
they lose from school the more they
become averse to going to school.
tits obvious, then, that the patrons Of
| schools can, if they will, very greatly
help the teacher to accomplish the work
expected of him, aud for the not doing
| of which he alone has to bear the blame.
The way for the patron to render the
help due from him to both the teacher
and the pupil, is simply to do every
thing in his power to impress his child's
mind with an exalted appreciation of the
work in which he is engaged-the work
| of becoming we'll educated. This is tc
be effected by means both direct and in
direct. The direct means are such as
will stimulate the child to regularity and
to diligent application to his books
But the indirect are still more important
and efficient: they consist in carefully
removing from the way of school-childreu
every thing calculated to divert their
minds from the matter of their studies
and education.
When the; scholastic education and