The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-01-19
School Management.

Billy Felix on Training of Boys and
Girls in the Common Schools.
To the Editor of the Dispatch:
One of the first essentials of sue
cess in any enterprise OF business is
right beginning. Calls we'll that
ends we'll" If we start right, con-
tinue right we will end hight. A
child should begin the first year of
it's school life right in order that he
make success of the succeeding
years and get the best possible re-
suits. Then. one of the first things
that should be impressed upon his
mind is the great Importance of max
ing use of the time he has of gaining
knowledge and not waste the precious
moments in idleness.
Today we fud all over this beloved
Southland of ours, a great number
of school houses with an innumerable
number of bright boys and intelli-
gent gi:ls seeking wisdom. They 60
to school to obtain the knowledge
which in few years is to give them
power to fight the battle of life snc
cessfully. They should beimpressed
with the thought that soon they are
to enter out OH the active duties of
life and make use of the time they
havesin the school room in storing
their minds with such knowledge
that will enable them to discharge
that duty to the good of man and
the glory of God.
We find in all our schools, yea,
even in the same family. children Of
different temperaments, hence they
require different methods to produce
the same results. We find in all
schools the so called ''dunce," the
genius and those of average powers,
and no one exactly like any one else,
hence the teacher to make it a sue
cess and bring about the best posi-
BILE results, must study the pupils
individually.
Education comes from the Latin
words 'se' out of, "duco" to draw or
lead, hence as an educator, the
teacher is to draw out the latent pow
ers of each child in order that they
may be fully developed, and the
teacher who knows best how to slim
ulate and direct these powers is the
one who will be most successful.
In our schools we have children
with all kinds of mental inclinations.
There is the artistic student who dis
plays talent for drawing all kinds
of strange and mysterious hero
glyphics which be takes great de-
light to display before the other stu
dents, especially if it be the portrait
of his present preceptor. Many
teacher chide and scold instead of
encouraging and aiding the little fel-
low to develop the art. By so doing
you not only keep the little fellow
busy and interested in his work but
you may be the means of making an
artist of whom the world might be
proud. Another shows a fondness
for mathematics, and another for his
tory, geography, etc. Let them pur-
sue their favorite studies, but not,
however, to the exclusion of all others,
and the one may become a great
fnaDcier while the other may become
an other Livingstone or Stanley, or
perhaps President of these United
States.
But the difficult part Of my sub
ject has rot get been reached and
that is, those who seemingly care for
nothing. They will neither study
what is assigned them and not much
of anything else. Here comes the try
ing part of the teachers work. He is
to exhaust all his skill to awaken in
the seemingly dull student an anx-
ious desire for study and knowledge.
They should be commended and en-
couraged when they make an effort
and should rot be scolded and dis
coured. There are times when scold-
ing do more harm than good. He is
wise teacher and likely to be the
most success who can exercise pa