The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-03-15
PSYCHOLOGY FOR THE TEACHER

inities The surgeon must know the
anatomy of the organs and the conditions
for their functions. The orator must be
familiar with the psychology OF the emo
tons. The spiritual teacher must drop
his plummet till he sounds the depth OF
the hidden man." All these deal with
nature. The measure of their success is
dependent on their fidelity to her. They
deal chiefly with the physical and the
emotional. The teacher deals chiefly with
the intellectual. Nature is too an intel
lectual trainer. She alone can be relied
on as she is constant and consistent
Mischief, disaster, and ruin are the penal
ties for disobedience to her in the phys
ical world. Can it be that in the empire
| of intellect empiricism and the caprice of
artificial methodizers should furnish safe
guidance? If 30 true universal phil
osophy never can be reached, but without
substantial philosophical basis there
can be no abiding structure. Nature is
then our guide. But while we obey her
laws we need not make products identi-
cal with hers. Physicists obey her, but
they nuke electric light, not lightning;
they combine her colors, but not to have
them blush unseen;" they economic,
she wastes. The maxim, follow nature, y
is, unless properly limited and clearly
understood, in danger of becoming a
modern pedagogical fetioh. Nature de-
velopes all the faculties In proper order;
but she is too slow and she deyelopes I'M
symmetrically. She makes the senses
acute while leaving reason almost dor
mant. But to use her we must know her;
know her order; know her methods; know
the work she has done before pupil is
locked in 1.-The prison CELL of learning.
To know her order is to know what psy-
Geological powers she educates. To know
her methods is to know effective, abiding
pedagogical principles. To know the
| work she has done is to know that nur-
sery training is not to be done in school.
| To know all is to know the laws of men
tai action, it is have the teachers min
imum knowledge of psychology. If we
know nature we see she teaches percep-
ton by exposing her objects; by holding
them before the learner she teaches mem
DRY; by being attractive she exacts atten-
ton; by exposing variety she leads to
comparison and reflection, to judgment
and reasoning. Thus her elementary
teaching is objective. An analysis of the
process will show that she places the con-
crete before the abstract, the particular
before the general, that she is inductive
rather than deductive; that perception
conception, reason follow in order; that
she is the director, the child the learner
Order and method of mind training are
here given. Teacher must adopt. But
he may intensity, accelerate and adapt
He may supplement the quality of ma.
lures teaching by mental conflict, men.
tai friction, by rewards, but he must
never violate. He may train faculty
by natural method, but he may use what
material he will. Against nature then
we urge nothing. She is true as far as
she goes. She is elementary, however
She is easy. She does not prepare for the
complex battle of life. She is slow and
does not make mind self-conscious of its
lack of discipline. Rousseaus youth with
language at his command is a product Of
nature, and very defective product fol
civilizations; he is superficial and hasty
his training gave no mental strain.
But We are apt to err in interpreting
nature. And the error is apt to lie in oul
conception of what the objects of thought
should be and in regarding natures pu,
pill as one possessing clear thought at an
early age. Objects of thought need not
be natural objects and our method still
be natural Natures aim is ultimate
clearness, but historical psychology would
show that nature reaches that clearness
only by passing through the vague and
indistinct. To reach then correct no.
lions of what to do, we must study ma.
ture as we see it in the child, but We
must grapple also with the sociological
problem of mans mental evolution
through the ages past. But we must
study empirical psychology from books
as well. Study of books is essential
Human intellect we cannot afford to
waste or trif1e with. Personal experience
is invaluable, but it is narrow. We
recognize many truths when brought to
us, but we would die ignorant of them
relying solely on personal experience.
Reduce text book psychology to prac-
tice; assimilate it first, however. Stud
led in connection with the nature of the
child and the historical development of
mans intellect there will be no rash, in
tolerant dogmatism on such questions as
the following, all calling for the most
careful study and every true answer to
which is perfectly reconcilable with ma
lures methods.
O. Should child philosophically un-
derstand all that he learns? No; nature
has filled the world with error and indis-
tinct notions; but she has a corrective
power which in due time disipates mists
and prepares slowly for the dawn of prin.
ciple.
(2) Should one memorize what is not
understood? Yes; if to be Immediately
used for thought to center around. Ma.
ture prevents study of what is not in the
mind. Subject-matter is held for thought
by memory. z. S. constitution is best
studied By exercising memory, Judgment
reason, then memory again of new facts
developed.
(3) Should memory always be ..intelli.
gent memory?" 1t should never be rote
| 1t should be of words, however when an