Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-03-21
wnssss Tor ~ Oxford psuscras.
hHl PiN0 PuPil0.

Il y an axiom that Il 70 what the child
does for himself and BY himself, under
Wise guidance, that cducates him.
There Il much more 70 b done BY tho
teacher Of to-day besides inculcatlng 10
the mind o. . child tho Fundamental
princlples- Of our text books. Those
principles arc the sure foundation, upoh
which We must build, bot there must be
. strong and symmetrical up-building 10
order TO attain perfect conformation and
secure true culture Of mind and body.
The true tee cher cultivates the power
of observation from the earliest period
of A child's school life; II IL . practical
work, great help to the pupil, and its
results cannot fail Of being good. Rus
kiu said, ssThe greatest thing human
soul ever did In this world, was to see
something and tell what 1t saw In plain
way"
The child's attention should be called
to the book Of Nature, the wise, kindly
teacher who has 90 many lessons for as
ain; lessons Of truth and beauty, OF
strength and patience. Question the
boys and girls about the common sur.
roundings of their lives, the trees about
the school building, the flower: OF road
side, wood and field, and the birds that
fiy around them. These lessons Will be-
lifelong source Of enjoyment, and help
to them mt many times.
One Of the first lessons to be taught
In the school room Is self-rellance; the
pulpit should receive from the teacher
clear explanation, wise direction, and
sympathetIc cooperation. But he must
understand from the first that within
himself lies the power to acquire educa-
tion. He should not be allowed to de-
pend upon his quick witted neighbor to
perform the hard problems, for II the
explanation has been clearly made, he
can do bis own work. True, II may
take him q long time, and II requires
patience on the part OF the teacher to
walt for him to do work which they
could themselves do much more rapidly I;
but that would bea wrong to the scholar,
hindrance, and not O help. The
smaller class of scholars In our mixed
schools need more Of the teachers help
than the advanced pupils, and 1t IL just
as easy to make child's frat impress
sion OF school life pleasant and prOfta-
BILE, as disagreeable and Improbable.
We cannot take course OF Kinder
garten work, neither could we Introduce
Il wholly In the country school; but we
can practice many Of Its methods to
great advantage, and learn much our
selves from the study Of the principles
Of education rs shown by Froebel, who
has surely the right to be called the
patron saint of the little ones.
We must keep In plnd, that the ex-
pansion of the chlld's mind must be
perfectly natural. There must be none
Of the screaming" process, learning by
rote an amount OF matter, facts, dates,
etc., which to the child of four or five
years IL useless material. Ii Is not an
aid to put such matter In the brain of
the child, and Il II just to ask them to do
work which II would be difficult for an
adult to PERFORM
IL seems we'll that the children should
know the names of the state and town In
which they live; but when In addition
to that, on exhibition day, the teacher
calls for the names Of the presidents, the
states of the Union with their capitals,
the longest river and highest mountain
I'm the world, We listen with wonder
and with pity for the child, trying to
conceive where In the tiny brain Is stored
this material.
In regard to help to be given Older
pupils, the teacher can be of assistance
to them In the careful selection OF
studies that will be OF real benefit to
them. They should know thoroughly
those rules and principles Of arithmetic,
that are to come Into the business trans
actions of after life. 1t Is surely nee
essary that they may he able to write a
letter that shall be correct In its spelling
and composition; a comprehensive
knowledge of geography and physiology
seem very desirable possessions, and II
Ia important they be able to read In an
Intelligent manner. Many of our classes
In the fifth reader to-day, do not read al
clearly and understandingly as the little
ones OF the second and third classes.
The district school II the only one to
which many of our boys and girls have
access; here they must prepare for LIES
work, and We, the teachers OF these
schools, should give to them all the helT
that Ia within our power.
Some one has said that the true teach
er must have the faith Of martyrs
However that may be, We know that IL
our own experience, abundant faith and
Astounding patience has worked miracles
DIR. Arnold of Rugby, dear to all who
knew him only by reputation, reveret
and more than beloved by his scholars
was the ideal teacher. Helping thu
boys to be upright and manly, teaching
them Greek and Latin, with so muci
kindness and far-seeing patience; stern
when the occasion required II, but al
ways with heart filled with love fol
his work and his boys.
We cannot reach our ideal, but we cat
receive help aud inspiration to do earnest
work from the life of one who "beinl
dead yet speakcth."
HATTIE ABBOTT.