Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-09-12
$tauntott Spectator.
RATES OF ADVERTIsING:
Leading Up to the Love of Books.

Leading Up to the Love of Books.
As the schools of all kinds reopen In the
early days OF September after the summer
vacation, the pupils return to them, saws
the Bait. Sun, with varied feelings and pur.
poses. Some resume their studies as a dis
agreeable task, some gladly because they
enjoy intellectual exercise; others with
simple feeling of contentment because,
though they do not enjoy their studies, they
recognize the advantages to be derived
therefrom, and are willing to make some
sacrifices to obtain an education. If teach
ers could obtain information about the dis
position of school children to return to their
studies, and could make due discrimination
for the prejudices or shortcomings of some
Of them, they would have valuable guide
for their own efficiency and usefulness.
The teacher may make school studies hard
and disagreeable task or pleasant diver
sion, and may inspire the pupils with a
hearty desire for more knowledge, or leave
them in utter ignorance Of its advantages.
The art of teaching, like other arts, can be
taught only to a limited extent; something
depends upon the talent and disposition of
the subject Hence the great value of ma
tural teacher who has also been we'll in
structed. She will make the task of learn
ing lessons so agreeable by frequent illus
tration of the usefulness of every advance,
and by luminous explanation of each step
in the process, that her pupils will enjoy
being instructed, and be quite as eager to
return to school after vacation as they were
to 60 off to new scenes at the close of the
school term. Far different will it be with
pupils whose only remembrance of school is
that of hard tasks required to be mechani-
cally performed without proper understand
ing of either the process or the purpose of
study. Like Shakespeare's schoolsboy
they will "creep, like snail, unwillingly to
school," and if they continue under the
same kind of instruction they will derive
very little benefit from it, or less, at least,
than they should. The mental capacity of
the pupils has, of course, much to do with
their dislike or appreciation Of school. If
they are mentally quick, with good men,
ories and inquiring minds, they will natur-
ally enjoy their school studies, even though
their teacher should not be entirely compe-
tent to impart instruction in pleasing and
effective way. If, on the contrary, they
are dull and slow of comprehension, they
will find it task to follow the best OF
teachers, and unless sustained by strong
purpose to conquer difficulties, will bsceme
discouraged and return to their lessons with
aversion. In mixed school made up Of
pupils of every degree of intelligence and
every grade of home associations, there will
naturally be those who enjoy school attend
ance and those who continue their studies
only on compulsion; but making allowance
for this, a reflection of the qualities of the
teacher may be found in the spirit and dis
position Of her pupils as they return to
school after two months or more of vaca-
ton. All thoughtful people who have
reached mature years, and who look back
to their early school life, can probably re-
member teachers who made their studies
hard tasks, and others who encouraged
them in their efforts to learn, and by cheer
| full assistance to all the pupils made the
school-room as pleasant as the play ground.
Remembering this, and also recognizing the
great importance to child of being encour-
aged in habits Of study, they should look
carefully after the education of their chill
dren, and secure for them, if possible, only
those teachers who inspire their pupils with
desire to resume their studies after the
summers holidays. Learning is not or
should not be disagreeable task. Chill
dren seem to be naturally of an inquiring
and if, when the means of teaching are re-
duced to system, this natural disposition
is changed, and they seek to avoid acquir-
ing knowledge, it is safe to assume that
there is something wrong with the system
or with the way in which it is administer
ed, or with the teacher. Wherever the
fanlt may be, it should be rooted out, that
the children's inquiring dispositions may be
preserved, their desire for increased knowl-
edge continued through life, and their
minds trained to habits of observation and
study that will serve them long after their
school days have ended. One way of at
tanning this purpose is to critically observe
the children at the end of vacation. If
they cheerfully return to school it may be
assumed that they are getting instruction
in palatable form; if they look upon school
as place of punishment, from which they
would gladly escape if they could, then
they are in danger OF losing that love for
study and for advancing knowledge that all
should have; there is fault somewhere, and
the parents of such children should seek it
out and remove it, if possible, or have their
children transferred to other instructors
more capable of inspiring them with love
for study and ambition to excel.
PROTECTING" LABoR.-A working man