Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-02-10
lCommunicated.l


Communicated.
WOODSTOCK, VA, Jan. 30, 1873
Mr.. EDITOR with the hope Of I'M
proving the work done in our school-rooms
wish to make a friendly suggestion OF
two TO those teachers Of our county who
are DESTROYS Of making their work suc-
cess and are willing TO lay hold Of all
the means of obtaining this end. First
then, if we go into factory OF any kind
we will probably find at wsrk those who
are well acquainted with the machinery
aud tools and their uses and who know
each step necessary to make most OF I've
manufactures from the raw material, and
can finish this work ont aud ont with very
few suggestions from the master We
will also find others who are less skillful )
and occasionally we will find a number OF
apprentices or noyices who know almost
nothing about the work or business they
have come to learn. You will find the
same classes of woFkmen on the farm, in
lilt NiNit-AD'hif III tf'Ag hAhh VI b''A'''''
Now at the head Of every successful en-
terprise whether in the mercantile, agri-
cultural or mechanical line you will find
one who Is, OF should be, master Of the
art in which he is to guide and direct
those under him. Let me suggest right
here that if tho term master, in its most
comprehensive sense, can not appropriate
! " be applied to the person at the head OF
any enterprise it is his duty to spare no
time or trouble in earning the title or 1t is
his duty to quit the business, and let a
more energetic, conscientious man take
his place,
AZ wish to draw my suggestions from
the daily avocations of men, let us see by
glance or two to what course the success
full leader, director or master, on the farm
or in the workshop or stOre-rooIn resorts
We find that he is constantly among his
men, moving quietly, now slowly, and
again quickly among them, observing all
their movements, supplying want occa-
sionally, and occasionally assisting gener-
ally by a suggestion only even those who
are best able to get along without help
Most frequently, however, we find him
with the apprentices, or Young hands who
need the masters directions and guidance
at every step, because the work is entire
~ new to them. He goes among those
who are able to get along with little help
chiefly with the purpose of inspecting their
work. and encouraging them to labor dill
gently. but he attends the Others to assist
them in any way that he can, chiefly to
direct their work, however, and TO keep
them at it. Now let us see what is not
done here. This 0verseer or master does
not tell the men in the morning that un-
less they do a certain amount OF work he
will pay them nothing In the evening; he
does not say that unless they have com
pleted a given amount of work by noon
they shall remain in the field or in the
shop and finish 1t at that hour, or that he
shall work after the other hands have
been dismissed in the evening, in order to
make mp lost time, though in rare cases
the icorkman may be permitted TO do this by
bis request. And why is not this the
case Because TO be successful in any
business the work must be done promptly,
to order, and certain amount must be
done In given time, and that amount and
that time must be known. Besides to al.
low any tagging or irregularity Of this
kind would demoralize the whole force
and throw all the machinery out Of gear.
Now several questons-Is not the school
room place where children are to be
trained for active life-taught what to do
and how to do it. and are not the same
rules alike practicable with the boy in
the schoo-room and the boy in the corn
field or Workshop Should not the older
pupils be required 10 help themselves so
far as lies in their power, outside Of an
occasional suggestion Should not the
smaller pupils be called on more frequent
ly to recite, or better should not the teach
or 90 10 them oitener to instruct and help
them, give them shorter tasks and more o.
them Should not the teach er be among
his pupils all the while encoura -iag them
to work, and seeing that they dia, that
they wers busy all the time as bees IN the
hive, instead Of allottiug them certain
task and giving them llttle or no atten-
ton until they are called mp to recite and
then keeping them in or giriHg them lines if
they do not know it : Would it not be
better TO do as the manufactures, the mer-
chant or the farmer would do-let them
understand that idleness would not be
permitted during working hours even for
one minute that an idler would not be
permitted TO remain in the school, show
them all the while, however, by your
manner that you wished to be, and would
be kind to all if these regulations were
carried ont by them. Should children be
allowed to be idle in the schoo-room for
a single minute Would it not Doe better
to send them ont to play than permit
them to fritter away their time Ia looking
around the room, or annoying some other
pupil who wishes to studyi And isn't not an
easy matter to train pupils to be diligent,
If you start right II the teacher deserves
to be called school master, and If be him
self be diligent aud ylgilant, he will have
such a school as any one might be proud
of. Y. PEDAGOG.