The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-03-29

"''h0i IL lFpuSiidIIt vi 'uCOili pICHeuol-
hle, but to tina; which falls in with the
daily experience. and through this led
to that which is higher and yet to be
known.
For example, the first reading books
might lie about animals, then about
plants and trees, and so on by means
Of pictures, then to the lives of the good
and the true ard the heroic, &c. This
principle seems automatic. Yet if time
allowed We might show its almost con-
stant violation in.the school-roonl.
.. Another principle laid down by
Mr.. S. "Our lessons ought to start from
the concrete and end in the ABSTRACT"
knowledge hegius with individuals,
and passes to the general.by combina-
ton. "No child generalizes at first"
and so education does not begin with
rules and formulas. In arithmetic,
counting. by balls or marbles or objects
must precede tables and rules. In
grammar, correct language learned by
imitation must precede any rules of
concord and government; therefore,
the school-room must have appliances,
as maps, globes, black-boards, appa-
ratus, &C., &c. These are not only use
full, they are necessity.
5. Pupils must be encouraged to self
development" Here tact and intelli-
gence on the part of the teacher are es-
sential. Ignorance and Incidence are
curses anywhere, and if anywhere
more than anywhere else, they are
such when found with the teacher Of
children. From such teachers let US
devoutly pray to he immediately de-
livered. Intelligence and untiring in
dustry and a loving devotion are neces-
sary to lead the pupil to work for him
self, to do some of his own thinking, to
grasp at tand reach some knowledge not
yet known, to love to solve problems
on his own account. How to dc this?
The Intelligent, earnest, painstaking,
devoted school teacher will find way.
It would do no good to show the way
to one of the, other kind.
4. Another one of Mr.. Spencer's priu-
ciples (and this may help to answer
the inquiry just rnade,) is that "learn-
ing must be made pleasnrable."
The teacher, to succeed, must find
his work pleasant. Shall not the same
rnle apply to the loupil' Yetit lis much
to be feared that many teachers prac-
ticaliy reject this principle. Some will
tell you that it is impossible to make
school-room work interesting to chill
dren. If so, there is an end of the
matter. But is it so? We will hardly
90 so far as that. There are some sub
jects taught that some pupils like bet
ter than others, and there are different
ways of teaching these subjects. There
are subjects and subjects, and there are
teachers and teachers. Perhaps with
the right kind of both, the difficulty
would be largely overcome.
know that there is much limit to
the choice .f suhjec's in the school
room, when the work must be done in
classes composed of all sorts of likes
aud dislikes. Yet it is not impossible
to select subjects in some way meeting
a majority of tastes; and then the vi
vacious movement, the speaking coun-'
tenance, the emphatic voice Of a teacher
deeply interested in the subject taught,
and thoroughly in earnest, will inevi-
tally infect the pupils. Few of them
will escape the contagion. A kodak OF
teacher and class at such a moment
would catch a most interesting picture.
But some tell us it is not desirable to
make study pleasurable. Life is rea!
and earnest; hard work, undesirable
work must be done in the days to come,
and the discipline for such stern reali-
ties must be acquired in childhood and
in school. Mastery of dull books will
fit for mastery of life's painful routine.
There is something in this, but not
enough for US to make the life Of the
child in school consist in hard benches
and repugnant studies. "You want
only sorry nag to draw sand-cart, !"
said Carlyle. But the majority of
young colts in our schools will not be
used for such labor. Some Of them
will be the high spirited Arab courier
whose proud neck and swift foot will
be an admiration and praise. There
fore We need no dull routine, but sone-
thing that will stimulate intellectual
activity, and quicken mental energy.
know just as well as I know any
thing, that theory and practice are very
hard to bring together in this matter
of making learning interesting. Easy
to recommend this, and most difficult
to carry out theI, ,mmendation. And
this is exactly what you teachers are
now saying within yourselves, those OF
you not hirelings. But am also sure
that the principle is worth your earnest
study and your constant effort. 1t has
been said, "The great difficulty of
teaching we'll is but poor excuse for
contentedly teaching badly, and it
would be a great step in advance if
teachers in general were as dissatisfied
with themselver as they usually are
with their pupils"
It is the teacher of the elementary or
primary schools, or primary depart
ments, upon whom comes the onerous
duty of applying the principles OF edu-
cation. And in closing this little paper
I cannot refrain from quoting a para
graph that day or two ago found in
a clipping from the n. Y. Recorder.
"Lift your hat reverently when you
pass the teacher of the primary school.
,bo rro,t oDool of tho Rpnublic