The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1888-04-24

but, after all, the keynote is struck in
the primary school room. 1t is there
that correct pronunciation will be ac-
quired; there that enunciation and in
tonation are easily obtained; there that
the interest in study is FIST stimulated;
there that habits of order are first ac-
quired. Very onerous, very noble is
the position of the primary teacher.
Into her hands are placed the tender
minds which can be bent any way, and
it is with her that rests the future,
whether the child shall find the path
easy or difficult, whether it will run or
onlyIlimp along. Bruise and injure the
tender feet at the very outset, and the
runner can never recover his place in
the race. Gradually harden them, and
no matter what the difficulty may be
in the future they will easily be sur
mounted In the teaching / speak of
there can be no dull children, except
those who are mentally wanting.
What we want to follow in our teach
ing are the lessons of nature, and that
universal school mistress has no dull
lards in her school. 1t is only man,
who so misshapes and rough hews what
is good and beautiful, that creates dull
lards. Who ever heard of a baby pro-
perly gifted with the organs of speech,
that could not learn TO speak its own
language? If, then, we follow nature
as closely as we possibly can, we may
be sure that we shall not fail and that
dull children, as far as acquiring lang
uage is concerned, will be unknown.
If we take the child young enough and
proceed upon natural principles, which
are the truest scientific principles, for
science is but full knowledge of ma
ture-we must succeed in enabling it
to assimilate and make part of itself
the particular branch of learning which
we desire.
From the very first our teaching
must be alive; the child must see for
itself that it is acquiring something
practical. Everything it learns it must
be able to use. We must catch the in
terest of the little mind and lead it on
the way we wish. We can never sue
coed in driving it. We must deal less
in books and more in talk. IL we talk
! to child, it catches for itself our pro-
| nunciation. If our school children are
talked to and made from the very first
to use their vocabulary, however linn
! tied, they will soon use their English
Just as they use their various mother
| tongues. If the teacher will intonate
properly, the child will intonate pro-
perly; if the teacher uses proper en-
phasis, constantly, so will the child.
! There is no more initiative creature
/ in the world than the child, and we
only want to set proper examples be-
| fore it to have them initiated to the
life.
] shall speak at greater length upon
/ these subjects when we come to prac-
teal illustrations of the various means
of putting knowledge before the youth
! full mind; but / here have hastily given
you the keynote of what L consider
most important at the present stage of
Hawaiian education. In everything /
shall show you, English will be the
! pivot: whether the subject to be treated
of be arithmetic, geography, or the
| higher mathematics, the study Of Eng
| lish will underlie the Ostensible study.
Before proceeding to class work, l
should like to lay down lew princi-
plies which | trust my hearers will re-
member.
/. Teach effectively. The objective
teacher illustrates all new terms, as far
as possible, either by showing the OBJ
! jects or by means of models, pictures,
diagrams, etc. The impressions which
we gain from an object by means
of the five senses form an idea.
Thus we only form clear idea of
a mango when we have perceived it
through the five senses. We see its
color and form, feel whether it is hard,
soft or rough, taste whether it is sour
or sweet. We discern by the sense
of smell a difference between it and a
guava or some other fruit. We can
even recognize it by the sense of hear
ing.
ii. Teach intelligibly, so that you
can be easily understood. Teach ele-
ments thoroughly: all beginnings are
difficult. Proceed slowly. Teach little,
but let what you teach be precise.
Never advance to a next step without
being thoroughly sure the former has
been reached. Ideas should be illus
trated by things lying within the
mental horizon of the children. Keep
within bounds: that is, teach as little
as possible for future forgetfulness.
Do not talk over the heads of your
pupils and do not talk of things they
do not understand.
LII. Teach methodically. You
may ask what is method? Method"
says Professor Blemm, lis the way
upon which the teacher leads his
pupils in order to make them reach
the ultimate aim of instruction" To
be methodical, every lesson should
form a unit to some previously de-
termined object, which must always
be kept in view. A man cannot build
a house unless he have a plan to
build it on. How much more neces-
sary is it to have a plan to build up
the human mind. What would we
think of a carpenter who recSlessly
drove nails and Clipped pieces of tim
Der, hoping that somehow they would
fit? And vet this is what we often do
ourselves when dealing with the
child's mind.
We must be careful what we present
ito child's mind and how we present
it. We must be skilled carpenters
and not botches. We can only become