The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-02-05
Pare tai Cooperation.

"SdI
The teacher feels that he only
begins the work of education IN
the school room :Nif the wave he
starts there could only be contins
ued at home, twice as maoh might
be- accomplished. So that the no
operation of the parents of the pu.
pills ia most essential.
The parents should visit the
school. Let the teacher consider
that he and the parents are CO.
partners in the work of educating
the children; that when he has
finished with them at the end of
the day, they are 10 be in the socie-
ty and under the influence of their
parents for a much longer period.
If he and the parents work together
much will be accomplished.
Pupils should be taught that
only the BEGINNING of things is at.
tempted at school; that all true
scholars have done much out of
school. Home study might be CO.
ordinate work, such as the reading
of travels, where geography is pur.
sued. In history, biographies. In
literature various authors will be
selected.
Great care should be taken in Sc
lecting a teacher. Any one who
a read can hear o recitation, but
this is not teachiDg--to teach is to
inspire, to arouse thought, to train
the brain for action. Whatever
best develops the mind, that is the
most practical education.
1t will not do to appoint as
teachers in the public schools, per-
sons who have done nothing to
qualify themselves for their work,
except to get together enough in
formation to pass an examination
in scholarship. They simply can
not do the work required in q mod
ern school.
The spirit Of this age is the spir-
it of unending study, and it is
making itself felt, and will in time
bear everything before it.
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS.
LIST. High Point school.
I'd. This session began Now.
her IL, 1894.
Sd. Terms of six monts.
4th. Thirty"three pupils enrolled.
9th. Do not use the late adopted
text books exclusively.
9Th. 1 think a child should have
instruction in mental arithmetic,
just as soon as he begins to distin-
guish between single things and
groups; in short, as soon as he
grasps the idea Of number, and
this is one of the first ideas formed
in the child's mind. He should
begin counting and doing easy
lessons in numbers when he starts
to school. After the child reads
huently, a text book a be used
advantageously both to pupil and
teacher.
Written arithmetic should follow
mental arithmetic, after the child
has learned to perform the funda.
mental representation, sub
stractior, multiplication and divis.
ion.
TIN. Which should a child study
first, geography, grammar or histo-
ry2
In my opinion the answer to this
question may vary, in that it de-
ponds on which is meant, technical
Grammar as a science) or practi.
cal Language lessons). If the
former is meant, I should say let it
succeed history and geography, in
as much as it must necessarily
treat of interdependencies, and deal
with distractions and g%eneralities
which the child is utterly unable TO
comprehend at an age when he
should have at least q limited
knowledge of The history and geog-
raphy Of the nation.
If the latter, it must precede his
tory and geography, because a child
can not proftably pursue these
subjects unless he can read, write,
and use the language understand
ingly. History and geography
should go hand in hand, since
they are 80 closely related.
9Th. 1 think q pupil should be-
gin Latin between eleven and thir-
teen years of uge. He should be
given only such parts as appeal di-
rectly to the memory, such as de.
clensions, conjugations, etc.
Latin as a distinct language, and
the close relation of English to it,
and in fact dependence on it,
should not be presented until after
English Grammar has been very
thoroughly mastered by the pupil.
Algebra is largely dependent on
a fair knowledge of Arithmetic, and
therefore cannot be presented with
any degree Of satisfaction until a
pupil has at command the funda-
mental operations, processes, rules
and princi, les, with q knowledge
of their application.
9th. The length of the daily seq
sion should undoubtedly vary with
the ages of the pupils. Very small
children cease to be instructed af-
ter four or five hours Of confine-
ment, during which time instruc-
ton has hean given. Oldar nupils