Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1889-09-27

always make him prepare the lessons
of his class for that day and let him
know that you expect him to make
up in his leisure moments what he
has lost by absence. This rule ad-
hered to will soon lessen absence.
Note the absentees in your recitation
book and when lessons come, have
the absentees do the blackboard, or
slate work, for you. That it is prac-
ticable to have schedule Of graded
work for the primary schools of the
State, trial and determination to
succeed will easily prove.
jefferson county has tried it for sew
eral years and those districts that
entered into the scheme with will
have succeeded and now have a
schedule well adapted to theirlwants
and schools that will compare favora-
bly, with any similar school in the
State The teachers get along better,
the pupils show more interest in their
work, the absentees are fewer, pa
rents feel more interest in the schools,
and there is marked interest and
progress in all school work.
SUGGESTIONS.
The pupils that complete the sixth
years course, and sustain q satisfac-
tory examination upon the same, shall
be entitled to certificates or diplomas
certifying that fact.
Until the schools are regularly CLASH
fed, pupils may be found ahead in
some branches assigned to a class
and behind in others, and the teach
err must Judge from the age and habits
of study of the pupil whether he will
be able to make up deficiencies if
assigned to class pursuing his most
advanced studies.
Examinations for promotion shall
be held between the 18th and 25th of
December If any pupil, in examina-
ton for promotion, fail on not more
than two branches, and said pupil de-
cation, he should be given another
| examination.
The examination for graduation
shall be written and shall be held on
a day named by the superintendent
and shall be conducted by the teach
err in charge, aided by the Trustees.
The teacher examining shall forward
the manuscripts and grading of the
several candidates to the County Su
perintendent, who shall cause certifi-
Gates, or diplomas, to be given to
those who have completed the pre-
scribed course and in their eXamina
ton have not fallen below 70 per
centum in any one branch and have
made an average of not less than 80
per centun in all the studies.
In the further consideration of this
subject, it may be we'll to answer the
following question for those who have
not fully examined into the subject:
How will you adapt the schedule to
those schools that are only kept open
! four months in the year, as is the case
in large number of the counties of
the State?
There are two ways of doing this;
list There will pre- badly be no troub-
lie for the classes of the first and sec
ond years to complete, in a term of
four months, under skilful teacher,
the course of study prescribed for
each of those years, and the course of
study for the remaining five years
could be extended to eight or nine
years of four months each.
end. The teacher should bear in
mind that the pupils are not expected
to commit to memory everything to
be found in the text books, or even to
study every topic discussed in the
text books on different subjects; and
if he will appeal to his own expert
ence of what he had to do in his
school days, and call to mind how
much time he spent at school in learn
ing what has been of no use to him
in after life, the teacher would see
many things that could be omitted
from the textbooks, and yet the pupil
get good knowledge Of the subject
studied. By picking out the grain
from the chaff, the teacher could
bring along his pupils and give them
a good training in the studies named
in the schedule, even in eight years
of four months each.
For example, after the third reader
history could be taken up and by
using it. first as reader and en-
couraging the pupils to tell in their
own language about what they have
been reading, the way should be pre-
pared for an intelligent study of the
subject. Again, one geography in the
series might be omitted by the teach
er taking the intermediate book and
marking for the pupils certain things
that he desired them to study, and
emitting the long list of map ques-
TONS about the location of towns,
rivers, capes, &C., that are found in
some books, and which the pupils
can not remember beyond lone day
and it would do them no good if they
could remember them. In English
grammar, the definitions of the differ
ent parts of speech could be simpli-
fed by not multiplying the kinds Of
each. 1t would be sufficient to say
there are two kinds of nouns, proper
and common, and so on with the
other. The fewer and simpler the
definitions the more easily will they
be remembered. Keep the important
things before the pupils mind. Do