The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-05-02
SCHOOL MELANGE.

Tho surject Of child study 81 per-
haps rs llttic understood as any other
subject under discussion In tho educa-
tIonal world to-day. There are as many
Views on the subject as there are those
who write on It. No two seem TO agree
entirely and perhaps Il IL well they do
not. It may be that 'ehild study" Is
not the proper way to put It; It would
perhaps DO better to say 1.-THE study OF
children" It IS 90 cosy to theorize on
the subject. How nice to imagine q
model child and then put into It all the
traits we would wish q child to have.
After doing this It becomes easy to
morallze on the effects OF oil the influ-
euces brought to bear upon TO deyelope
It Into the full grown. perfect man or
woman. Or Imagine n with all the
baser nature predominating and then
show how the man or the wonan can
be evolved by the use Of Just such
training as the writer claims will do all
claimed for them. Many teachers, the
great majority, we fear. study the i'm
aglnary child. and when they enter the
school room and come IN contact with
the real and flesh and blood American
boy and girl, they wonder why the
methods that wrought such wonders
on the imaginary child will not have
the same effect on them. What the
teacher needs to do 10 to study chill
dren: do this as much as possible be-
fore entering the school room as teach
er,but especially must she study the In
dlvldual pupils under her charge. There
IS no necessity to use corporal punish
ment in school, except, perhaps, in
very extreme cases, II the teacher pro-
rerly studies to know well the DISPOSE
lions OF the pupils under her charge. A
child can generally be led to do right,
81 made to see and to know that the
teacher IS trying to. do all In her power
FOR Its good A great mistake IL being
made by our teachers IN thinking that
shs study Of the children Is not ueces-
sary in the higher rooms OF our ward
schools, and in the high school. The
writer has been trying to make this
study q speciality for quite q number OF
years, and he has come to the conclus-
ion that although 1t is good from the
beginning to the end OF the public school
course, there Is more real necessity for
o thorough study OF the child or pupil
In the high school or the higher classes
pt the elementary school than anywhere
else. Just when boys and girls are bud
ding into manhood and womanhood Is
the critical period OF life and It Is here
whezs the teacher needs to do his or her
best work. and hence at this age the
child should be thoroughly studied, es-
pecially be made to feel that he has q
friend in the teacher. One who Is will
!ng to DO everything possible to assist
:n every way to the proper development
Of his mind. The teacher should i'm
press the pupil s. that E.e will feel that
In him he has not only a friend, but q
guide who Is anxious, as well as will
Ing. to point the true way to success.
The writing OF the above was caused
bv hearing a teacher remark concern
!ng a fifth year pupil that she could
hardly imagine how there could be any
difficulty in governing that boy, when
he was so good during the first and Sec
ond years OF his school life. Now here
IS Just where child study has its place In
O graded school. The teachers should
keep in touch with the pupils; know all
ubout their environments. /. e., the
home and the street influences to which
they are subjected. In the Wheeling
schools the pupils pass from one teach
er TO another, year after year, and It
would be well for the teacher receiving
the new class of, pupils to learn all she
can from the teacher having them in
charge the preceding year, and then to
watch well the influences that tend to
change the course or rather the conduct
OF the pupil. II a pupil is started right
", 1t should be kept right and 1t can
be so kept.
II is a question which is the better
plan: 70 have the pupils and teacher to
be promoted together, the same teach
er continuing year after yearlwlth the
same set Of pupils, or to have the pu-
pills pass from year to year through the
hands Of the different teachers. year
after year, as is now the case. We do
not attempt to argue which Is the bet
ter plan. only TO say that both have
their advantages and their dIsadvant-
ages. Speaking of n parent, the writer
would say that when his child is under
the care Of n good teacher he would not
care how long it continued under her
care or instruction, but II otherwise,
would like to have a change as soon as
possible. 1t Is perhaps better. though,
for a child to pass from room to room,
as now, In order to make the thorough
scholar; for where one teacher lacks,
another may supply the dencie-.7 One
thing, though, is certain, in order to get
the full rounded school education that
oil coming from our graded high schools
ought to have 1t is necessary to have
both male and female teachers. Now
the question Is, do We have enough
male teachers in our schools. The Peda-
gogue will not attempt to answer the
question. ~
The A., B. and grammar teachers OF
Rltch!e school held an interesting meet
ing IN the Office OF the principal on last
FRIDAY afternoon, at which quite
q number OF topics were discuss
ca: Two subjects were discussed. IL
what constitutes good order in school.
:."hy do our pupils dislike the sub,
Ject OF grammar. Quite q number Of
OPINIONS were expressed on both top
ics. the general opinion on the first
was that where there Is a perfect un-
~ue'slandinE between teacher and pu-
yhs and all arc striving to do their
oest' good order exists, although that
.ehoo may not be as still and quiet as
.ne grave. The second query was left
uust as found. Nwith the understanding
.nat oil would try TO find out why our
pupis dislike the very study they
saou!d prize above all others.
THE PEDAGOGUE.
A Clever Trick.
II certainly. lonks lilo u b,,t +ho.n a.,