Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1897-01-07

mediately your slightest wish. Calls
themes, well admin istered, is wonder
full cure for confusion. 1t reduces it to
order in remarkably quick time, aud best
of all, without The knowledge of the pu-
pills. Try 1t, il but for five minutes day,
and be amazed and pleased with the re-
suit in week.
| hope every body here is a subscriber to
the Normal Instructor, and that he
carefully read the article in the Septem-
Der mum Der on government, where it said
that the days when the teacher marched
up and down the aisles doing police duty
over the children were gone. Who cares
il there is little wholesome noise some
times? Noise is the result of honest la
Dor; it is the dishonest toiler who labors
quietly and with stealthy looks and bated
breath to see that he is not detected.
Now l don't mean confusion, for / am
firm in the belief that il but one combi-
nation is to be had, that system and order
are to be preferred before lessons and up
roar. But | mean that il a child turns
around in his seat for minute, don't care.
he has probably earned two-minute rest.
Let us try to let the children govern
themselves from a sense Of right and also
OF respect toward ourselves, trusting to
their honor, and save ourselves from the
detective duty.
| Every child has spark of honor which
can be cultivated into a flame by trust, or
"A mr. np6 NV ITO, oil
lance. Be careful how you punish-if
| punish you must; be careful how you
speak. Each child has his own little
world and individuality, and that hasty,
cruel word from you, whom he deems SO
perfect. will strike deep and burn long
after you have forgotten it. Be sure that
the reproof is,justy deserved.
| Years ago-how many | dare not say
but it was my first term at public school
i received cutting reprimand from my
! teacher for something which did not do
| Ive never forgiven that teacher yet; the
sun has gone down on my wrath many a
night, and the same feeling of blind rage
rises in me when | meet her now, as on
that day when my childish mind planned
all sorts of deep revenge in the magica!
future when should be grown up.
/ Pm glad now hat she did it, though l
can't forgive her. but it has perhaps pre-
vented me from breaking some dear
chld's heart before | knew both sides OF
the case. Don't cause tears if you can
help it. Those children will weep enough
in he years to come, and it is your duty
! to i've ha, I INIT in he.ir
/ future your name will call back only
! pleasant memories.
I'm an earnest believer in the recent
| fads of "predominance of mind over mat
/ ter, .tpersonal magnetism aud all that
sort OF thing; but we've no time to dis
cuss them here, though educators every
| W here are making careful study of those
subjects. The teachers personality has a
! wonderful influence on the childish
! minds-let is hope always for good-and
many a teacher would be sobered and
awed to know the high place of
| honor and perfection that he occupies
in some Of those small intelects. And II
! we cannot be the ideal of perfection
which they fond!y imagine us to be, at
least let Us live as near to it as possible,
and may their idol never have cause to
! fall through fault Of ours.
|