Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-01-06
Educational Column.
lcoNDuorED By SURF. }. o. HAHn.l

IcoNDUoTED By sUPT. }. o. HAHN.]
interest and profit to the schools and school
officers OF the county. The co operation OF
teachers and school officials is solicited and
contributions to this department, OF pointed
articles on school matters will always be well
coined.
When you have q written spelling
recitation aud leave the marking to the
pupils on the exchange-of-slates sys-
TEN, do not take it for granted that the
grading is all done upon honor. Occas-
ionally, and suddenly, call for the slate
or tablet. Probably you will End that
two boys-chums-have established a
system of reciprocity IN marking. One
day while officially visiting a school
the writer of these lines. at the
close of the spelling recitation, exam
ined the states, and found, not to his
surprise, 100, 95, 80, etc., when there
should have been so, 20, 90. Perhaps
the teacher read the words too fast and
made correct reading of the fellow pu.
pills. written words difficult. Perhaps
there was deliberate dishonesty on the
part of pupils. The certain thing is
that the teacher, to save himself lit
| tie labor, or because of a beautifully
simple faiCh in boy nature, had fol
weeks assumed the grading to be cor
correct.-Western School Journal.
READING.
The character of nations literature
is an index of national lite, therefore
]. Teach children to read under
standingly.
2. Teach them to read with goo(
vocal expression.
8. Give them taste for good litera
ture.
4. Create the power to distinguish
between good and bad literature.
Some one has wisely said, ''chlldhoot
is an impression, middle age is duty
old age is memory" The success
and honor of the second, with TIT
sweetness and beauty of the third
are largely determined by the charac
ter OF the first.-Advocate.
LETTER WRITING.
| Write on the blackboard the date
address and subscription of a letter
also, draw an envelope and write al
address upon it, not forgetting to mari
place for the stamp. After attention
has been drawn to the above, let Letters
be written by pupils. The teache
should correct these, and have then
rewritten alter the mistakes have beel
carefully noted.
| TRAINING THE MEMORY.
The most important point in strength
ening the memory Is not that incident
and occurrences of minor consequence
may carried in the mind TO
years; because the memory. like
storehouse, can easily be overcroWde,
with mental rubbish; but that tine pit
of ones daily experience and learning
may be impressed upon the brain an
become part of its structure. In TIN
way only can one add to substantia
knowledge, day by day, and lay tn
foundation for ready understanding
keen perception, cute judgment, an
quick wit.
Said lawyer friend: II make it
point never to remember a word sal
in any particular case, what I remeu
Der are the facts, the mental research
the emotions, faculties, feelings Gale
into play by that case, and from thes
recollections, which are the meat with
in the shell, am able to argue NOR
and more forcibly each time in slmila
cases."
This faculty for discarding the chat
and retaining the wheat of experienc
is to be acquired only by persistent ed
ucation and training of the memory
seize upon and appropriate the sui
stance of events and incidents and no
the verbIage.
Begin In the school room by educai
ing the children to repeat, not tn
words, but the substance containe
in the lesson of the textbook; and til
habits of thought and memory ian
not parrot-like utterancej will yer
probably become fixed for a Lifetime
Exchange.
SCHOOL GOVERNMENT.
1t has frequently been said that n
man can govern others till he ha
learned TO govern himself. l have n
doubt of the truth of this. If an ind
vidual ID not perfectly self possessed
his decisions must fail to command re
spect. AS to leyity and moroseness i
the teachers manner, either extrem
is to be avoided. There are some teach
ers who exhibit such a frivolity in a
intercourse with their pupils, that the
can never comm and them with author
ity or gain their cordial respect. Thi
is grievous fault; and the teache
should at once find an antidOte for
by serious reflection upon the respon
sibillty of his position. If this will NO
cure it, nothing else can. There ar
others who are characterized by pei
petual peevishness, so that a pleasan
word from them is indeed a rare thing
Such teachers can never expect to gai
the affection of their pupils; and with
ont securing the love of children, th
government of them will never be o
the right kind. This habit of snappisll
ness should be broken up at once.
The above is an extract from Page
Theory and Practice of Teaching, chap
ter 10. Young teachers and some old
er ones would do well to read CAREFUL
and thoughtfully this whole chapte
on school government.
Gentlemen, One and All.