Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1897-09-25
OF THE cHILD's MIND


icar and Mental Capabilities
PAPER Read by j. ID. Bell at
the Teachers association Sat
urday, Sept. rs, at Biackfoot.
A perfect condition is an ideal to-
ward which we aim, but which we can
never reach in an imperfect world, yet
we shot at random without mark.
/ shall deal with this question chiefly
in its relation to the teacher and the
school, as it is this aspect OF the sub
iect with which we as teachers are
most closely connected and greatly in
terested.
Itpresents itselfto US in three phases,
physical, moral, and intellectual, and
perfect development can be made only
by complete. symmetrical formation
of all three of these and not OF one or
more to the exclusion of the others.
There is a false but prevalent idea
abroad in the world that schools and
school life have TO do with the mental
side of the child and that the moral
and the physical are TO be gained out
side of the school.
In some few cases, truly very few.
this may be possible, but in the great
majority OF cases there must be a
school-training of the physical and
moral as well as the mental. Our very
definition of perfect development in
cludes all three.
A perfect mind can work only in a
perfect body and, though we may find
apparent exceptions, yet on closer ex-
animation these seeming exceptions
more fully establish the rule. Parents
come TO the teacher and ask that such
pupil, generally some shy, puny child
of imperfect development physically.
be excused from taking part in the cal
isthenic exercises OF the school. This
shows that such parents think little OF
the advantage Of physical drill in
school. OF course the teacher must
use Judgment and common sense, but
most often the child, asked TO be ex-
cused, is the one truly needing such
exercise to counterfeit shyness and cor.
rect physical faults. In other cases
the general argument is that the child
gets enough physical exercise out o.
school 70 supply all needed wants of the
body.
Let us consider this argument little
to see if it is true. Every teacher knows
that among the scholars are two gen
eral classes, one that engages activel,
in games, and one that looks on or is
mere passive participant. The passiy
class. we all know full we'll, need phys
ical exercise. but do the active elias
also? Watch your energetic scholars
Do they use all their muscles? A casua
observer will say yes, but the teache
says no. The child will use his strong
est and most easily worked muscles an
avoid the use of those that are wea
and imperfect. Do we find the poe
jumper engaged in jumping and so 0
through the list? No, the good jumpe
will be jumping, the good runner rur
ming, and each one using his best deve
oped parts. There is one important rul
to remember whether we apply it mel
tally, morally or physically, that an
part, organ or faculty grows strongt
by use and weaker by disuse or abus
The fear Of ridicule will deter the chi
from using his imperfectly develope
physical powers and the love of praii
or Of excelling will cause him often
oyer-exercise, that Is, abuse the stron
err ones.
How can the teacher help in the pc
feet physical development Of the chill
In two ways, first by general owe
sight and suggestive leadership at pla
time and second by calisthenic exc
else in school hours. There are certa
calisthenic exercises that require Il
use of particular muscles and no chi
can engage in such drills without usir
those requisite muscles. The advantaI
OF such exercise lies in this fact al
the added fact that it is judicious, re
ular and systematic.
Our city schools especially need
watch the physical development
the child through over-crowded room
small play grounds, and an excessi
tendency to over-dress.
There is feeling among the girls
our schools that such exercise are
ting for boys but are not lady-like al
suitable for girls. This the teach
must combat continually as the futu
welfare OF our race depends fully
much upon the physical development
The girls as the boy, and no girl can
come a Venus of Milo, the world;
knowledged type of feminine beaut
without perfect physical developme
which can be acquired only by physic
exercise.
But the teacher can do very little
the physical education of the child /
til public sentiment gives large al