The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-05-29

crust consumes more than labor
wears" This is true in the school-room
as elsewhere.
Much of the monotony and drudgery
of the school room can be alleviated by
the exercise of little forethought and
ingenuity. While system is essential to
the management of a successful school,
it is by no means necessary to con6ne
ones self to the same routine, day by
| day, the teacher thus making Of himself
mere machine whose every movement
may be calculated beforehand. The
exercises which follow are intended to
relieve the tedium of the days work, and
may be introduced early in the morning,
or at any time during the day when the
children need recreation.
For several reasons it is beat that the
regular order of school duties should be
varied for Friday afternoon ~ After
weeks work the child, no less than the
teacher is tired-menlally exhausted;
~ The last day of the school week
should be as pleasant as possible; (3)
No time is more appropriate for the
reception of visitors, whose attendance
lends life and interest to the school.
a very common way of conducting
Friday afternoon is to let it take care of
itself, in measure, the teacher simply
making the announcements. Next Fri.
day you must all have speeches; !" or,
"Each of you must write letter." The
consequence is, that the children being
left to themselves, and in most cases
compelled to choose their own subject,
the exercises are very dull and monoto-
nous, the same ckild reciting the same
piece, perhaps, time after time. 70 avoid
this sameness requires much work on the
part of the teacher. 1t should be his
duty to direct the work of Friday after,
noon as we'll as that of any other day of
the week. That this will require work
of the teacher, is not denied, That it
will cali forth all his originality and
latent energy, is equally evident. But
for all labor expended, the teacher will
be moro thsh repaid by the freshness and
delight with which the children enter into
their work.
Just here, let US observe that we do not
fail to appreciate the fact that every
teacher is more or less the victim of cir
cumstances; and for this very reason we
have given below, exercises of go varied
nature as to be adapted, some part of
them, to every school.
Many devices may be used to relieve
the ordinary tedium of the school.room,
most of which may be grouped under the
following heads:
1. Select Readings
Experiments.
8 Questions and Answers.
Il News of the Day.
5. Letters, Notes, &c.
6 Authors Birthday, &c.
/. READINGS.
1t is I'D excellent practice to open
school in the morning with some kind Of
reading. The age and disposition of the
pupils, ss we'll ss the peculiar tempera-
ment of the teacher, will often decide
what the character of the reading should
be. We have read to advantage, fairy
tales from Grimm, and Hans Andersen
also the tales of "Uncle Remus," Thomas
Nelson Page, selections from "Widow
Bedott," 'Esop's Fables" as well as
readings from the Bible, aud various
ether books that we could procure.
Many select readings may also be found
in childreus' papers and school journals.
BY these readings the teacher gains the
interest and consequent prompt attend
ance Ut his pupils, aud st the same time
he can gradually create within them
toota for i,oo1 litnratuYa