El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-10-05

The primary concepts OF cOnQuct are
often quite as necessary to be taught
obi ctively, AS are those of numbers
The swift iufiction of punishment for
the willful violation of law is worth
more to the ordinary child than all the
sermons upon the advantage of obedi-
ence and the beauty of right conduct
that were ever preached. 1t is some
| thing he can understand. 1t Is true
| these object lessons in obedience should
! be given by the parent at home, but
| when this is not done, the duty de-
! wolves upon the school, and it has no
right to shirk it.
| The moral basis of school life as tn at
of all large communities is Justice a
child has keen sense of justice, and
when we speak of ruling child
| through love. it is not merely through
| the pers love we have gained, but
the only true and lasting obedience
comes through the child's innate love
OF justice
While it may sometimes be necessary
to resort to the fear OF punishment as
an agent in control or to cOrpor al
punishment itself, we believe that 1t
Should always be held as the court ''Of
last resort and that the best teachers
will have the least occasion to make
use of it.
Were 1 giving advice to inexperienc-
ed teachers L would lay stress upon the
following points:
Make your school rooms, land every
thing in III neat and attractive. Never
speak above a CONVEX SttiOnal tone (un-
less it is during the progress of a
sandstone when the less you try to
say the better it will be
Cultivate cheerful and kindly man
uer. Emerson says. 1.-The aristOcracy
of Great B itain have ruled that king
dome empire solely by the magic of
good manners Study the physical needs
of your children. M any children are
restless and troublesome because OF
some physical defect Or discomfort.
Have d well arranged program allow
log time for physical exercises or at
least change of position every hour.
Be master of what you intend to teach. |
Above all let every child have at all
times some thing to do and a motive for |
doing it.
Too Often we are content'with control |
ling the actions of our pupils while in |
the school room, and do not realize the |
of impressing their thought |
which is to control them, after they |
b ave passed beyond our restraint.
We aim not for mere external
effects but for the development of
self government in the child.
We should act as If 1t were the |
child's bUsins SIS to correct his faults, to
q JuSb MS mistakes, w HaG are you
the boy going to do about your mis-
chief?'' The pupil must feel that be
alone can right his wrong, that he is
the one to worry over his conduct, not
the teacher. He must be brought to
see his relation to the sch Dol and
against his acts to it-this develops
character.
And the chief factor in bringing
about this desired result TO its success
full att ,iDments is to be found in the
unconscious element, the silent in
fiuence of the character of the teach
err.
The artist teacher will arouse an in
iuence in the minds and hearts of her
pupils that will lift them up intellect
ually a I'd morally.
1t is said that the structure of coal and
the diamond is the same: that different
Influences brought to bear upon them
during their formation make of one the
dark carbon, of the other the crystal
gem. Perhaps our influence upon a
life may be just the thing that shall
determ inc whether it be the black coal
Or the pure diamond. Truly ''the
place where on thou standes5 is holy |
ground' AS the material with which |
we work Is immortal, we must put into |
our lives things that are eternal if we |
would help TO mould into perfect forms
the character intrusted to our care.