The herald., 1897-06-25

He also appreciated to the full the ne
tcessity for self-activity in the child ant
discovered that the faculties of mos
children are stunted for the want of ap.
propriate exercise. He noticed that the
child from 3 to g. perhaps the most sus-
ceptible period of its whole life, was al.
lowed to scatter its energies. And ths
child at the age of entered school Will
no systematic knowledge, no power ol
concentration, no strength of will Coulo
| not these undirected or misdirected pow
| ers be brought under wise guidance
without curtailing either the happiness
or the natural spontaneity of the chill"
dren? These were some of the ques-
tions Froebel asked himself. And his an
swer was that novel plan, education
T, through play" so entirely misunder-
stood by his contemporaries and more
or less misapprehended by the majority
| of people today
Plato says in his Republic: From the
earliest years the plays of children
ought to be subject to strict laws. For
if their plays and those who mingle with
| them are arbitrary and lawless, how can
they become virtuous men. law abiding
and obedient? On the contrary, when
init to laws in their plays. love for these
laws enters their souls with the music
accompanying them, and helps their de-
velopment."
Time would not permit, were 1 in
clined. to go to any length on the work
of the kindergarten and its results Its
keynote is: '4The child learns to do by
doing, and in doing right he learns to be
| 4. l. 80
every reform in educational methods
since the time of its founders because
it develops every side of the child's ma
ture towards the good, the true and the
beautiful.
Its foundation principles call for the
constant exercise in the child of all his
faculties, expressive, creative and So
cial all of which must be developed to
produce true culture. 1t is, therefore.
the nearest approach to an all-sided
harmonious development of the whole
being that man has yet conceived.
The kindergarten seems to carry out
Matthew Arnold's idea in what he says
of the building of life-"He summons,
to the work the power of intellect and
knowledge, the power of conduct, the
power of duty and the power of social
life and manners" AS all know who are
familiar with the work of a true kin
dergarten, it inculcates all four of these
ideas-the cultivation of thought, the
development of self-control and the ac
quirement of right ideas in regard to
conduct. The love of the beautiful, in
dustry and the exercise of social virtues
are ever before the mind of the kinder
garten teacher.
The kindergarten was met at first by
the most stubborn opposition on the part
of the government, of the different re-
ligious sects and of the teaching fra
ternity in general; it has gradually wor
its way until now no system of public
education is complete that does not in
clude it. 1t is claimed that it is rarely
the case that a child from the lowest
quarters of our cities ever grows into a
bad character, after attending the kin
dergarten.
This, then, is one of the exalted mis-
sions of the normal school, to train stu
dents to understand and apply the teach
ings Of the greatest educational phil
osopher and reformer of modern times.
May you, my yourg friends, whether
you teach in the kindergarten, the pri-
mary school, the grammar school, or the
high school, be inspired by the example
and work of Frederick Froebel. His
motto was in truth like yours: "a little
child shall lead them" Though his life
was one of ceaseless toll and conflict and
disappointment he was continually sup
ported by the idea that God had given
him a work to perform. You canrot
all be geniuses as he was, but you can
have his hall marks" which are sale to
have been: First, that he was filled
with the inward force of an idea"
which worked like a n inspiration within
him, urging him on to the accomplish
ment of something defirite second, the
infinite power" that he had of taking
pains" He toiled and studied and
thought of every phase of his plans un-
til he wrought them into a symmetrical
whole that all students can understand
ard appreciated; third, he made use Of
all that came in his way, and, as one OF
his biographers phrases it, Turned all
that he thought of into gold"
Bear with you then, as you go to your
work. these thoughts from the life of the
great German teacher. Having an idea.
work with all your powers to carry it to
reality. This reality must bear fruit in
the ennobled lives of the children. Adapt
your work to circumstances, but al the
same time, bend them to the successful
of your mission.
The graduating cass of 97 are: Mrs
Anna Kalliwoda, Misses Leila Barnes
Blanche Eliza Bristol, Irene Cochran
Alice Grey Crowell, Florence Beatrice
Flood Alice Gem Hall, Flora Harris
Lillian d. Hazen. Edith May Hodgkins
Nora Holleran, Ida Emily Wilmington
Emma D. Langman, Evalyn Austin
Layne, Katherine Margaret Reddy, Nna
Ellen Rice. Florence Addie Ritchie, An
"a SneGden Ella j. Waters, Harrie,
Lynn Willis, Frank Preston Sproul Will
ford w. Nichols,
Kindergarten section-Mrs. B. F. Al
ison, Misses Augusta Carhart, Marga-
retta Harris, NJ. Louise Johnston.
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