Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-05-04
LECTURE ON PEDAGOGY,
Dr. Cordy's Interesting Talk on "Cul-
tIYauon Of Attention."
nov IT WAS pErISED.
"Pcrccpllon and objective Teaching
The subject for this Evening.

DR.. Gordy delivered his second Ice
turo on pedagogical principles at the
metropolitan hotel parlora last even
inc. The subject was the "Cultlvation
ofAttention." The lecturer first i'm.
dressed upon the minds Of his audience
how important attention really Il; how
the eutlro mental part Of man is com
trolled by 1t. II IN nj the founda'
lion Of every sensation OF manf
being ut the base OF every perception;
IL uuderlies reasoning, memory feel
ing, will. Every conscious sensation
DEFENDS upon attention. Prior to the
discovery and USE Of ohloroform
pa,ient. were Obliged to passthrough The
seyerest operations, and, without cxhi6-
iung any perceptible signs Of suffering,
and subsequently, would declare that
they felt little or no pain. The reason
was found In the fact that they had
concentrated their minds by u power
ful struggle.
The lecturer observed that our past
lives were saharas OF forgetfulncss-
blank, bleak, batrUn--swAllowed up IN
oblivion. but here anu there CLEAN
spots Of memory, like little oisss IN
these great deserts arise before US.
How can this he accounted fOrl
Generally speaking the things we re-
member arc those which receive
our attention. A person old
In years, iorgctful Of what
occurred yesterday or the past week,
without difficulty, calls to mind what
transpircd mnny yVan ago, because nj
that time the mind was perhnps re-
lieyed from care and gave an unusual
degree Of attention 10 the incident,sud
stamped II indellibly upon his memory
Tor all time.
Suppose a case, said the lecturer. a
boy las n Lesson TO learn, anu young
companion invites him 10 20 fishing.
WIN no accept the invitation or will lac
remain and Gel his lcsson2 That de-
tends entirely upon what he attends
10. IL ho allows his mind 10 dwell Oh
the sport he might have anu not ON
the consequences OF the neglect Of
work lie Will 40. IL he thoroughly
realizes the dlsplcasurc Of his parents
and the disapproballon VI his teache
and the likelihood OF going TO the foot
vi mis- class no viii remain nj home.
The difference between an educated
aud Rn uueducated person does no,
consist as much In amount OF knowl'
edge ~ In close, continuous, con.
centTated attention.
The way TO train and develop the
attention Of our pupils Ia 10 cultivate
Just M We DO any other power OF tho
mind. students learn to observe by
observing, to think by thinking.
Likewise will they learn to attend by
attending. When they hrst 40 to
school their attention IL generally ex.
ceediugly limited. Attention must 10
part Of their education. The idea
that attention IL natural Ia entirely
Incorrect. The successful teacher
must and can get attention from
pupils by providing the proper condi.
lions for drawing II out. What IL nj.
tention? Simply tho concentration OF
the mlnd upon one thing to exclusion
Of all else, or hn act OF the mind bring
Ing into clear consciousness any sui.
!tot OF object.
The speaker then Mt length interest
ingly detailed tbs difference between
voluntary and non.voluntary Atten-
ton.
Interest on the part OF the pupils Ia
Indispensable to both kinds OF atten-
ton.
The only true way for q teacher uni.
iormly 10 get aud keep his pupils atten-
ton, is by attending 10 them; by con
Hiantly bringing before them. some.
thing that will interest and entertain
them, something pleasing and pronts.
bic, by stirring their intelllgenoes aud
exciting and feeding their curiosity,
by frequently periorating his instruc.
tons with pertinent questions, by oc-
caslonally asking for and demanding
nm answer Of Individual members Of
the class and thus creating friendly
rivalry among them.
Fine teaching consists In bringing
the mind Into contct with subjects OF
mn intellectual value, In a manner 10
make them interesting.
The lecture was listened 10 with pro.
found interest from beginning TO end. .
This evening tho third OF the series
will hn delivered on "Cultivntion OF
Perception and Objective Teaching.r