The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1893-03-11
School Government.

| 1t IS Olff1cult to determine WHICH
eutails the more serious consequences
in the after life of the child, an ex-
cess Of authority or all absence of 1t,
in rearing him. What we want is
we'll regulated liberty. 1t is just as
important that the child should do rs
he pleases as it is that he should obey
his parent or teacher. Either extreme
results in serious loss to the child.
Too much authority crushes out his
elacticity of spirit, and prevents the
development Of self-con6dence, the
very handspring of his selfhood. Too
Little makes a tyrant Of him, an cir
repressible." Examples Of the former
may be found in many Of the homes
of foreigners; of the latter in many
of our American households. The
exuberant spirit of freedom charac-
teristic of American institutions has
degenerated into a spirit of lawless-
ness and irreverence styled Young
Americanism. Some one has face
tously observed that there is Just as
much authority in the home to-day as
in former times, only it has changed
hands.
The outward form of will education
is behavior; its inward development
is freedom. DR.. Harris says: "I'he
knowledge of most worth is, first and
foremost, the knowledge of how to
behave" The we'll behaved child is
interesting, attractive and happy.
Authority in the school manifests it.
self in the rules and regulations that
direct the activities of the children
and maintain the organization. Every
school must have these rules, either
or understood. The odium
that attaches to the old fashioned
promul cation of set Of rules has led
most teachers to abandon the practice.
In almost every village or city there
is code Of formal rules and regula-
tons adopted by the board. In other
schools where teachers make no
rules" there is tacit understanding
that certain well-defined uniformities
Of conduct must be maintained. If
the administration is vigorous one,
if there is any back bone to the DIS
,ipline, it is also understood that the
of the rules, or the over
stepping Of these uniformities, entails
upon the offender some form Of pun
shllent. The essential idea in pun
shment is pain. Not all pain is pun
shment, but all punishment Is pain
n some form. The administration of
punishment is the title of many . sad
chapter in the teachers life. No
,ther specific work that he does il
raught with such consequences for
rood or evil. It is here that he
meets the child at the critical periods.
he turning points in his course. In
he discharge of his duty the teacher
ouches the very soul of the pupil.
md the impression that he makes
'urns into the very fi6er Of his being.
t not infrequently happens that the
'nly lasting impression that pupil
eceives from a teacher he receives
his way. How often the only rem
niscence recalled Of one Of the "old
masters" is an experience of this kind.
1t is certain that here, if nowhere
lse in the school exercises, the teacher
5 affecting character. Here, indeed.
re the opportunities for moral inn
le,sions far U passing those made to
rider by the narration Of beautiful
tory. Many teachers who make very
Eerthy efforts to stimulate certain
motional states in the pupils for the
urpose of lnculcating moral lessons,
re blind to the occasions which arise
very day in the actual experience of
he child. They sit at the desk dur
ng recess or the noon hour and plan
moral lesson, while real interest,
nd actiyi les, pregnant with moral
ontent, are passing unobserved bv
hem upon the playground. We ned.
gogues want everything made To
rider. We rr fer not to make use of
he child's actual experience, but TO-
o about developing" cut-and-dried
ct, suitable to our purpose. When
hall we learn that the proper study
T methods is study Of the child?
'roebel said: Children have taught
ne how to teach them. / can conyert
hildren's activities, energies, ainu.e-
,ents, occupationsall that eoes 81
he name Of play, into instfuntnis
Dr my purpose" To be teacher :
b be close student Of child nature.
nd the teacher who lets the plav
our escape him has missed his NOT
aluable lesson in pedagogy for that
sv.-Prof: r. r. Rseder, IN tie Px6-
e School Journal.