The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1885-09-02

beginning may lead to results 80 disas
trous as to materially interfere will
, the prosperity Of the school, and may
: restrict the teachers usefulness. II
may be necessary at first to have
seven or eight classes, the number may
afterwards he reduced as the teacher
takes the school better in hand-as he
better understands his pupils. The
same course may very profitably be
pursued with regard to other studies.
SYSTEM.
The appropriation of tire to each
class, and each class to occupy just its
own time, is one of the prerequisites to
: systematic school work As a con-
comitant, IA time schedule will be found
to be controlling factor in all matters
of school economy. To adapt the
classification to the time schedule can
not be the work Of one or even two
days, but to get the classes i'm unison
with the time table may require week
or two, even If it should occupy IA part
of the third week-it is "a sine qua non.
II will enable the determined teacher
to conquer success, his ability rs a
combiner will be recognized and appre'
ciated, it makes him master of the
situation. But whatever may he said
of the proper arrangement of classes,
and just adaptation of time to each
class, another essential element Of
thorough school organization must not
be overlooked.
Discipline Is the alcheinist's rod i'm
the hands of the skillful teacher, whose
magic touch reduces at once the base
metal of confusion into the pure gold of
order 1t brings the most antagOnistic
elements into beautiful harmony. The
formation of rules is natural conse>
quence of discipline. They are twin
sisters; the absence of either renders
success impossible. The rules become
the written and the unwritten laws OF
the little republic of which the teacher
is president, but not autocrat. But,
since the absence of law Is anarchy,
and too much law is despOtism the
president being law-giver as well as
executive, will choose the golden
mean, and rather have too few than
too many rules.
Students of political philosophy
of every age have taught that, "Those
communities that are governed least
are governed best" The principle APP
plies as well to the government Of the
school as to the government of the en-
tire body polite. The personal mag
netism of the teacher, his general SUI
pervisiOn and his untiring energy are
each splendid substitutes for many long
and tiresome rules. OF course there
must be general directions given as to
department, attendance and the
preparation of lessons, but these need
not be attenuated to the length Of the
moral law, or a bOmbastic disquisition
OH hOmOlitics.
The teacher takes the place of the
parents; his government should be rs
gentle rs the parents; to enforce his
rules, and to control his pupils he must
neither see nor hear too much. The
martinez is not teacher but tyrant.
Tyranny may subdue the body but does
not enlarge or enlighten the mind.
Rules, however few and mild, when
once adopted should not be changed
without the very best reason for doing
so. No teacher can impress his pupil
with an accurate idea of prompt attend
ance and close attention, who lacks
these attributes himself; nor can he
successfully impart true idea of per-
sonal dignity when he becomes a buff
foon before his pupils. He necessarily
is in the position of the devil rebuking
stu. The old adage, Like master, like
man." loses none of its pithiness in
being applied to the teacher and his
school, for there Is no greater truth
than "As the master, so is the school,"
Having thus briefly indicated som
of the principles which underlie the
organization of our common schools,
and some of the means by which diff
culties may be avoided, Lam forced
to believe that the teacher, carefully
surveying the whole field of his future
Iabors, is the only competent judge Of
the proper disposition of the peculiar
exigencies by which he may be SUR
rounded, and on his own good judg-
ment must depend the application of
such special laws and regulations As
will be best adapted to the circum-
stances existing at any time during his
labors in the school room.