The Forrest City times., 1891-03-27
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.
V. W J. J. MooHfiWArN. Editors.
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 l.. If merchant should keep his store open three months and spend the remain der of the year on his farm would he be a merchant or farmer? If a farmer. how long at the same rate would it require him to become farmer. or vice versa? What would be his commercial rating ac- cording to Bradstreet's agency? What would be his gains from the mercantile business at the close of the year? Would his store he popular in the community |? If not, how could he make it so?
 }. If a teacher should teach for three months and spend the remainder of the year in manual labor would he be . teacher or a laborer? If laborer of any kind how long at the same rate would it require him to become live, enthusias- tic and progressive teacher? What would be his true worth as an educator? Would his methods be in accord with the most approved principles of mind growth. Would his school be popular and his pupils fitted for life? If not, how could he make it SOP
 ''Never look at the clock" said Edison, the great inventor, to a lad just starting in business life. Of course the meaning is that the man who is afraid of working . few moments over time has no chance of successfully competing with the one who wants to finish what he is doing, whether 1t will take hve minutes or an hour longer. It is not merely the accomplishing of a little extra work that tells; 1t is that the workman himself is interested; it is the spirit of the thing that counts in the long run. The lesson learned herein is applica- ble to all, from those engaged in the rudest labor upward. How about teachers who count hours from Monday morning to Fri day afternoon. and grumble when legal holiday falls on Saturday-who never go to school until 9 o'clock and hurry away as soon after 4 as possible? Is not Edi- sons advice applicable to them?
 There is a common belief in the minds number of patrons that educational pro- gress and intellectual development are quantities that can be measured by stated and percentage marks. Too many outlines think that if the pupil can but get good percentage marks then surely there is good work being done in the school room, and failure to secure good marks is an indication that no progress is
 
 of the principles governing mind growth shows conclusively that mental power is something that cannot be measured by any system of marks or exactions. Hence to mark pupil 95. or any other mark that the teacher may see fit. is mis- homer and carries with 1t no just concep- tion of what that pupil really knows. There are many evils attending this sys- tem of marks and grades, all of which stunt instead of help the growing activi- ties of the child and hinder insulting into the mind the spirit of the subjects stud led. Says a leading superintendent in the Educational Gazette, of New York, speaking on this same subject: ''The per centage mania is the worst form of acute insanity that can attack either a principal or assistant. No other school malady that has ever come within my experience produces such dire results. l can con- pare it to no other great upheaval, unless use the language of Chief Justice Mar shall when speaking of the French Revo- lutiop, when he said: It was the admira- tion. the wonder and the terror of man. kind. Whenever teacher boasts that his attendance. recitations, and other fg- ured affairs have reached the highest possible results there is just cause for alarm. But one step remains to be taken which could sink the school still lower. and that is for the teacher to spend all his time in picking up small bits of paper in the school yard. The only effective remedy for this stage of imbeelity is to break up every ideal belonging to this category that the teacher has set up.n