Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-07-04
EDUCATIONAL
@. D. BELDnN. EDITOR.

'My teacher made me what am, said
q successful businessman IN our hear
ing, q day or two ago; and What I am"
was not so much his knowledge OF books
as his industry, thoroughness of work,
patient waiting for results, and high.
minded, pure. souled manhood. These
elements of his character he largely al.
tributed to the teacher who had had the
molding of his habits in early life.
This remark is suggestive. Books and
their contents are small portion of the
wealth Of the world with which a child's
mind should be made acquainted. The
teacher who sees only the written text
book as part of the pupils education,
has a narrow vision. The teacher is
herself the volume most thoroughly
studied and the life daily lived, in and
out of the school-room, for series of
terms or years. tells strongly on the un-
folding of the child-nature. This object
lesson is a constant one. and often oyer
balances all others; and the teacher who
can conscientiouslY say to her pupils,
''Be what am as we'll as what teach, F."
will find precept and example the most
powerful co helpers in her work, The
child Is bundle Of habits, and the max
ing of correct ones is large part of the
good teachers work.-Public School.
While mathematics and the natural
| sciences endow the scholar with direc-
tive power over matter, and enable HIM
to combine things and forces; on the
| other hand, the studies of language,
literature. and history endow him with
insight into human nature, and make
clear to him, the means by which the
combination Of man with man takes
place. and those giant selves" called
institutions arise.
Said one of the patrons of school not
long since, when applying for teacher
Il wish we could get such teacher as
we had last year; he taught the children
hundreds Of things they never thought
of before. and my boy has pestered me
with questions ever since; he will scarce
ly give any rest; he tells me everything
he has ever heard there, and relates to
me all the stories IN his reading book,
and comments upon everything" He
could not have paid higher compliment
to the former teacher. The teacher had
succeeded in awakening in the pupils
mind desire to know. Curiosity, that
great incentive to the acquisition of
knowledge, was fully aroused. Educa.
tiOnal News
A Good Method.-A school superin-
tendent was asked how he managed to
advance his pupils in all their studies so
much more rapidly than his predecessor
had done. HIS reply is worthy of special
note: Il make it point TO bring them
along as rapidly as possible in reading.
In the primary grades give more time
to this exercise than is customary IN
other schools. and persuade or entice
the pupils of the higher grades to read
books, newspapers, magazines, anything
wholesome that will give them practice,
and at the same time instruct them.
Every day we spend from fifteen to
twenty minutes asking and answering
questions about what we have read.
To excite curiosity, we post the most i'm
portant caption lines from the columns
Of the newspapers. The next morning
nearly every one of the older scholars is
prepared togive particulars Gu the subject
of the previous days bulletins. If can
get our scholars to read, it is easy to in
duce them to study; by as much as they
become more expert in reading. so much
is the labor of pursuing their other
| studies reduced. and their enjoyments
| heightened. "-Chicago Inter- Ocean.