, 1888-04-06
HABITS OF THE MIND.
ValuRblo Suggestions to Teaohers-Con-
eentrntion of the Pupils Mind.

Valuable Suggestions to Teaohers-Con-
centrntion of the Pupils Mind.
Persuaded that some direct means must
be found for the development of more in
telligent and efficient working power,
and aided by the observation and expert
ence gained in contact with the minds of
nearly 1000 pupils, l was led to con-
clude that the power our pupils need lies
in the ability TO concentrate the attcn-
ton. Then arose the question, How may
the powers of perception and of concen-
tration be gained at school, and made to
become habits of the mind7 Plainly, in
no other way than by regular and sys-
tematio training to this end. Then was
formulated a 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 be attained, but solely to the
end of acquiring the power of attention.
To insure quickness and accuracy in
seeing, the reversible blackboard may be
made a valuable auxiliary. A 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 be required to
write or to repeat precisely what they
az IlltoS SAtISloNO, ~ III DS
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 as means to an end.
Various and multiform are the means
TO which the awakened teacher may re-
sort to quicken the minds of her pupils,
and to obtain that all important result of
attention-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 articles exposed to view.
1t has been proved that the power to on
centrate the attention may be cultivated
and strengthened to such a degree, the
mind becoming more inc more obedient
to the will, that pupils thus prepared are
able to learn lessons, within their COM
prehension, in less than one-half of the
time formerly required.
l venture to assert that n 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 vexing the mind of the de-
llnqucnt with persistent questioning, for
the mere sake of "hearing the lesson"
an endeavor as hopeless as 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 distinctness 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, be it
understood, is not for the sake of COM
hitting he words to memory, but is a
means of holding the pupils entire at
tcntion until she has full possession of
the lesson to be learned. To know that
the results must be produced at once will
stimulate the dullest mind to 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 a
quick account, and there is no escape.
The teacher will find it e~xpedient to
set apart, each day, short periods of time,
varying in length from ten to twenty
minutes, according to the age of her
pupils, for the single purpose of develop
ing and strengthening those faculties
which will, at last, enable them to study,
according to the true meaning of the
word.
In order to show how much may be
accomplished by training the mine to ac-
Curacy in hearing, when the power of
attention ha1 been acquired, some ex-
amples, by way of results, are here
given. In my school were assembled
about forty girls from IA to Is years of
age. A poem by Wordsworth, con-
sisting of twenty-four lines. was
perfectly recited by the entire
class in seven minutes; the teacher, as is
her invariable rule, read each verse once
only. An extract of seventeen lines from
one of Charles Lambs stories was ac-
curately repeated after nine minutes.
T%wenty-one lines read from Washington
Irving's sketch Book were instantly
reproduced without an error.
A part of the description of the battle
of Waterloo by Victor Hugo was read
aloud once, and the listeners immedi-
ately recalled thirty-six lines, or 416
words, precisely as they had heard
them; and this was done without the
least mental strain. The power had been
acquired by a slow and systematic pro-
cess of training, lasting but a few min
utes at once.-Catharine Aiken in The
Century.