Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-09-29
RETURN OF BISHOP e g
-slIlALDO
Back Fro
lpSognitlon QfplLS.
-ncy of Philir
aware Of the great
lNllEPEN0EMpdeaf have to meet and
''S-t 6ttbL,, nhA,;,,;,,cr M ol,,na i'm

Oupuire the learning hearing child
gains in a few years schooling. One
great fault in the education of the deaf
today is that many teachers attempt to
give them the same amount of book
education as is given to hearing chill
dren in the same space Of time regard
less of the fact that tho deaf have no
command of language at the start.
The too early use of textbooks dur
ing the first two years of the course is
hindance to the best mental devel-
opment of our pupils. 1t is q we'll
known fact that hearing children
acquire great number of words from
the lips of theis parents and friends
which they use in expressing their
wants long before they enter school.
The teacher should begin with his
pupils as mother does with her
child. He knows better than any one
else what his pupils know and what
they do not know, and so he is able to
teach them the things which they are
able and ought to learn.
All children have not the same intel
ligence and abilities. Some require a
great deal of work to open up their
minds, while others seem to have
natural aptitude and need relatively
but little care. One cannot make out
of child what is not in it. But
every child is capable of culture. 1t
Is the teachers place to call out or
develop the latent power of the child.
The first requisite is to study the
child, and form conception of its
needs and capacity. Teach the child
nothing but what will help it to be-
come a man Or woman. If it is de-
fcient in command of language, would
not the time be better employed in
giving knowledge of language than
in teaching advanced arithmetic,
geography or history? If the teacher
has at heart the future happiness and
success of the child under his charge,
he will lay aside his pet theory that is
of little or no use to the child, and
give it all that is best to fit it to fight
the battle of life. Hurrying pupil
through a thing that he does not
understand fully is waste of time,
and of the pupils energy as well as
the teachers.
The ancients surpassed us in many
respects, as in poetry, sculpture, and
architecture. The fewness of books
compelled them to study thoroughly
those they had access to and to task
their own resources to the utmost. So
when we come to teaching child, We
should adhere to few things, ano
go over them again and again, unit
they become part Of the child's being
The child that has fair command o
language, and has been trained +,
think for itself and study to advantage
will have better chance in the aren;
of life than one with good deal o
book learning that it does not know
fn mt n
The child is intrusted, to tn,
teachers charge at the most i'm
portant period of its life. He finds it
mind in rude, chaotic state. HOY
great a responsibility rests upon him
How much courage, skill, patience
perseverance, firmness, discretion, ar
Indispensable! The teacher has NOR
influence over his scholars than an,
human being on earth; indeed, tn
influence remains with them long afte
the teacher is gone.
The success of teacher depend
upon himself. As to what the hes
system may be, it does not matte
much if the teacher is competent, an
has the ability and talent to accom-
modate the system to the capacity {
the child. If he fails, the fault
more on his part than on that of til
system. 1t is of cardinal importanc
that the teacher should exercise hi
own judgment in every case.
Two great essentials to the teacher
success are energy and cheerfuluess
is well to implant in u child ideas ,
industry, ambition, neatness, an
truthfulness, but example makes IL
best and most lasting impression.
the teacher will arouse the enthusiasts
and interest of his pupils in what /
is teaching them, he must feel II
same enthusiasm and interest himsel
What the presence of vigorol
energetic teacher means to chill,
few can realize. He is to his pupi
what good general is to his arm
His influence is so irresistible that
new life is put even into the lazy al
indifferent.
Cheerfulness contributes more
making a child learn willingly thi
anything else. He is a SUGGEST
teacher who inspires the timid al
down-hearted with courage, and pr
serves good nature in spite of dit
culties and annoyances when ct
young idea'' refuses to shoot. !
imparts cheer to all around:
happy, contented spirit pervades t
whole class The school work shou
be so interesting and attractive as
make the pupils love to study. !
deed, the memory oi pleasant, G
couraging word from the teach
fingers with the pupil through the dt
y The reason why so many deaf perso
write bad English is because they W.
not taught as they should have bee
Some teachers argue that the d.
child IL slow. All! true, and there ;
thousands of hearing children who,
the beginning, are slow too. 1t mi
be borne in mind that many of [
most eminent scholars were, at the
ginning, considered dull by tn
a teachers. They were not dull, |
[. their teachers were too dull to co
prehend the wants of their pupils, v
only needed few kind words Of
enlargement.
The deaf child, because it is slo
should not be given less attention
q this account. The teacher shol
exercise all the more patience 9
care, and give such children enco
agement.
Instructors of the deaf are often
careless about. backward pupils {
leave them to themselves, while Il
give encouragement to the brigh
pupils and push them along. S,
Instructors are not true teachers.
true teacher has the child's intere
at heart, loves his work, and ne
flinches from his duty, however h
and disagreeable il may be.
Give the backward pupils a char
1t pays hundred-fold to give att
tion to such children; in the long +
when they are grown they have be
staying qualities than brighter OF
and what they are forced to do
acquire knowledge serves>them well
tho xrorlr thn.r 1,ni1nt de, In, La "a;