Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1891-02-06


ing each pupil topic to prepare
and be able 70 discuss the leading
events, answering Ill questions and
on going % the map DO able 70 trace
Ill the boundaries and marches and
locate all the places. When a pupil
has recited a topic, lead him to G
the connection and bearing il has
with other topics. By &c doing his.
tory 10 no longer a mass OF isolated
events %burdening the memory, but
knowledge which he can 8 with
out any effort Of the memory what
ever. Of course when giving a pu-
pil . topic to prepare | do not lnean
that he should not prepare the re-
mainder Of the lesson; but as he can
not remember everything. ! think
lie will obtain more knowledge, a
better Judgment and a finer dis
elimination by preparing one topic
critically in each lesson. The ma
jority Of the pupils in the public
schools are unable to discuss the inn
portance Of the different historical
events, because Of their limited
knowledge on account Of the school
not having a library.
/ think it is not advisable to give
a pupil many dates to remember;
for my part l cannot see that any
especial benefit is derived by re-
membering all the dates Of Ameri-
can history, except by a professor
Of history and even then he can re-
fer to his library. There are a few
Of the important dates which must
be remembered, and If a pupil re-
members these and the order of the
events he can fix them within twenty
years. When l first studied history,
Swinton's condensed History" was
used, and l can distinctly remem-
Der the class spending one and a
half TO two hours for two weeks
learning the thirty dates mentioned
in the Spanish and the French ex.
plorations and yet l cannot see tba,
the class derived much benefit by
memorizing SO much, and more than
one pupil has made the class con
spicuous by his absence his patience
| tried, his ardor dampened, and his
ambition to become a scholar cooled
in attempting to memorize SO much
: I think it is Of more importance t.
: remember hat Massachusetts, wal
settled at Plymouth by. the Pilgrim
and what class of people they wer'
and the causes that led to the set
Element, and the effects of it than t,
remember that Massachusetts, wa
settled by the Pilgrims at Plymouth
on the Goth Of December 1920. On
requisite that a teacher needs, no
only in teaching history but in al
other studies, is to knew what he j
teaching or else have tact and Ian
guage enough to conceal his Hitter
I acy. / think that a teacher canno
disclose knowledge to others If it j
necessary for him to have a bool
/ before his eyes fearing that he max
9 some mistake and he is afraid tina
1 some pupil has obtained a few fact
from some other source, thereb.
springing some question whic'
would confuse him. The teache
should know his lesson SO thorough
+ ly that he can answer any 6uestio
It promptly, accurately, and correctly
n When he can do this he can let til
pupils discuss the importance Of hi
d %torical events and not be afraid thu
# they will call his attention to wins
has been passed. If the pupils di'
|. cover or think they have discovere
j. that the teacher is not up to til
!, standard, his influence grows lei
% and they give him the cold thou
der. Professors in colleges ma
make mistakes, since they deal
d much in theories and hypothese
Of deducing different conclusions frol
h the same data and phenomena an
pr not lose the respect Of the class, 9
t. the members know from experient
it that this may be SO. But the Chi
J? dren Of the public schools, unit
/ they reach the age of fourteen /,
h fifteen, look to the teacher as a 81
il perior being, incapable Of maxim
mistakes.
,e But, If the teacher does a GOO
,e deal Of the reciting, there is o dal
ger Of his knowing too much
teach history intelligently to your
is pupils, for he knows the importal
ut facts so we'll, that he forgets the
,e importance and will call the atteI
10 ton Of the class to facts Of sc
81 ondary importance. The pup
Or hears SO much that he forgets near
Of all, or his mind not being traine
A. enough retains the chat. In COZ
d clusion | will say that it is nece
,e sary to review constantly, not on
the DAVIS work Init tho weeks n,