Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-04-27
HABITS or THE MIND.
Valuable suggestions to Teachers-Con-
centration of the Pupils Mind.

valuable suggestions To Teachers-Con-
centration of the Pupils Mind.
Persuaded that some direct means must
be found for the development of more in
telligent aud efficient working power,
and aided by the observation and expert
ence gained in contact with the minds Of
nearly 1000 pupils, ! was led to con
clude that the power Our pupils need lies
in the ability to concentrate the atten-
ton. Then arose the question, How may
the powers of perception and of concen-
tration he gained at school, and made to
become habits of the mindl Plainly, in
no other way than by regular and sys-
tematic training TO this end. Then was
formulated Il variety of exercises. to be
practiced by the pupils from ten to
twenty minutes each day, with no effort
at learning or memoriZing, although
these would bc attained, but solely To the
end of acquiring the power of attention.
To insure quickness and accuracy in
seeing. The reversible blackboard may he
made n valuable auxiliary. 4 collection
Of figures, groups of circles or marks for
unconscious counting, lists of words and
long sentences may each be presented for
an instant, and the pupils he required to
write or 10 repeat precisely what they
have seen. These exercises, il must he
understood, are as distinct and apart
from the work Of learning lessons as are
gymnastic exercises from the habits
which follow their use. and, like such
physical exercises, are to be considered
only rs means TO an end.
Various and multifOrm are the means
10 which the awakened teacher may re-
SORT To quicken the minds of her pupils,
and To obtain that all important result of
atteution-accuracy in seeing and hear
ing. One Of the most renowned of
French educators was accustomed to re-
quire the boys under his charge to run
with all speed past the shop windows Of
the streets, and on returning to write the
names of all the ~artisles exposed TO view.
1t has been proved that the power 10 con-
centrate the attention NAV be cultivated
and strengthened TO such a degree, the
mind becoming more and more obedient
TO the viii, that pupils thus prepared are
able 10 learn lessons. within their COM
prchension, in less than one-half Of the
time formerly required.
| venture 10 assert that a very large
part of the time spent in studying lessons
in school and at home is wasted for lack
of early training to habits OF perception
and attention.
Instead Of yexing the mind Of the de.
linquent with persistent questioning, for
the mere sake of ''hearing the lrsson.'
m endeayor as hopeless rs that Of TRYING
TO pump water from an empty cistern,
let the teacher first make clear the mean
ing Of the lesson, emphasizing with
marked distincrness the principal points;
this done, require the learner either to
write or to repeat the precise words, or
words Of the same meaning. which she
has just heard. This requirement, Le il
understood, is not for the sake of com
hitting the words I memory, but is a
means Of holding the pupils entire ut
tention until she has full possession Of
the lesson 4, he learned. To know that
the results must he produced at once will
stimulate the dullest mind 10 its full
measure Of activity, and in the effort to
recall the exact meaning, and the CORE
spending words, all other ISSUES must be
laid aside: the teacher is calling her to q
quick account, aud there is no escape.
The teacher will find it exPcdient to
set apart, each day. short periods Of time,
varying in length from ten to twenty
minutes, according to the age of hei
pupils, for the single purpose Of develop
ing and strengthening those faculties
which will, at last, enable them TO study.
according 10 the true meaning Of the
word.
In order to show how much may he
accomplished by training the mind 10 ac-
curacy in hearing. when the power Of
attention has been acquired. some eX-
amples, by way of results, are here
given. In my school were assembled
about forty girls from II to Is years Of
age. A poem by Wordsworth, con-
\ si,ting of twenty-four lines, was
| perfectly reCited by the entire
class in seven minutes, the teacher. as is
her invariablc rule. read each verse once
only. An extract of seventeen lines from
one of Charles Lambs stories was ac-
curatcly repeated after nine minutes.
Twcuty-onc lines read from Washington
Irying's sketch Book were instantly
reproduced without an error.
A part Of the description II the battle
Of Waterloo 10y Victor Hugo was read
aloud once. and the listeners immrdi-
ately recalled thirty-six lines, or 41G
words. precisely as they had heard
them; and this was done without the
least mental strain. The power had been
acquired 10y a slow and systematic pro-
cess Of training, lasting but n few min
utes at once. -Cutharine Aiken in The
Century.
How Loug u Takes to Think.
DIR. j. Mex. Carroll has constructed
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