Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-12-27


and mature man. Will respond.
so nigh is grandeur to our dust
| So near is God 10 man,
',nen dIty Whispers 10. thou must.
| The youth replies, i can
| President Cook announced the fol
| lowing committees, which were in
! structed to report. this afternoon:
| Nominations-D. H Dole Portland
l. G. Phillips. lewiston, Prescott
| Reyes. Bangor
Reso!utions-W. l.. Powers. Card
| Ter; l.. W. Gerrish. Midtown: Alice NJ
Doherty. Augusta
The afternoon session in Representa-.
tiVeS hall was devoted to the depart;
inert OF grammar schools. Principa
II. Z. Williams of PASSPORT. the pres.
ident. presided. The first speaker was
Principal l.. w. Gerrish of Midtown
who spoke upon Pupil Government.
He said:
learned by experience, and | herewith
present no method of government that
have not found useful.
There cannot he first-class work in
there can he a great deal of government.
so called without tirst-class work
There are two kinds OF government.
with numberleSS varieties of these TWO
kinds The represSiye is that which NOR,
easily seen. and is the easier to secure
for the average teacher. though not the
easier TO retain when once secured. All
that is needed for that kind is physical
strength. By ii children can undoubtedly
he made to behave in the usual ac-
ceptation of that term. They can be- kept
as still as mice when th. cat is arouun
and their superabllndance OF YOUTH III
spirits can be subdued to tn. noint of
meek submission 10 all the rules OF the
school The government 81 the immortal
SuucerS was of this kind. The other Is
The developing kind of governments 1t
consists in training pupils to govern
themselves.
II is mistake To call one good dis
ciplinarian simply be cat@s he keeps or
der in the school-room and enforceS rigid
obedience to a set Of cast-iron rules: who
holds the rod Of terror over the children.
enforcing compliance 10 rules by fear Of
punishment. Fear of punishment is alb
lnIuI.lv necessary for the government of
some children. ii Tor mo other purpo.a
of rood behayis,t. Sut these are the en-
rantions. In .veryEsshoof the very large
maioritv do not need the motive of fear.
and will do much better il that motive
The motive 10 do right because il is right
is made prominent by the teacher at all
times. patiently and lovingly he will
have his reward: the time will come when
high motives leaving the teacher no
lrn,IbIe in his regard beyond keeping :.
general oversight and giving general di
rection to school sentiment and school
life The teacher finds happy relief
when he brings his scnool up to this
point Of development under his own guild
anct. Then he has so much more time
TO devote to ne work of instruction: ans
ne can DO TINS WORN more tholouS'tH
when free from the petty annoyances III
separable from constant watching ana
spying to see if the children are behaving
themselves. Teaching is then genuine
pleasure. and SO Is StuuH ana inns - tilt
great advantage Of the development sys-
tenn
Few teachers have reached the point
where they haye no apprenansi ron o non nis
because the pupils have noj acquired full
contidence in Them? Confidence must he
nilriIs they will not trust MIN.
one will saw that all pupils do not de
serve to be trusted. That is true, but the
greater. portion of any school can be de.
can be So trusted. In every large school.
and in some small ones. there are few
children who are incorrisiblE bad-mean-
IL. constitutionally. congenitally bad
iyb.t q ~ ha done with them? Must the
taa acne threw away a good theory OF
because it does not lit such
as these? Certainly not. But something
must he done-one OF three things; they
m,Ist h. excluded from school. or the
tnacher must rule them with a rod OF
iron. as il We're or the public opinion OF
the school must control them. BAD
bov can do an immense deal of harm III
school If he has the Endorsement ana
of his fellow pupils; II he |
~ ~, Ne - comparatively harmless. |
ids -, ~ ,,,,, nav he shamad into better |
'ilu ~ ''' Tb ta,cber shou,d cultivate a |
,,l,nIth, ,,,hIic sentiment In his school in |
I,analf ot right doing. so mat wrong do |
- ,,,iII yneat its inst condemnation in |
, ~ WIDE Of the pupils as well as in !
'ue n, ~ ~ taacher |
'nat oi ~ ~, ;S not n paxc article no. |
~ - ~ ~ ci,,,IJza,,on and the |
i III. 'e,ibn"i Ever since the davs of |
p ,ii, ~. haS hean n familiar character on |
,ha efape Of life. sometimes acting the |
mart of one who under the influence OF |
Inherited disposition or of training, or OF |
10Th has Developed along what are con- |
';Inred RIGHT lines. What else could be |
.,,n.rteJ9 # il worse than useless TO |
.., i'm, in Iamenting the existence |
W ia nnys or In depicting them as a |
u. ~" ~ The nublic school In many |
W " ,hn,, t6ara il niIch good some good |
-, ali hoy In whom there is no GOOD |
i; IL q frenk. one In whom there Is no bad |
,S also a freak. But, given the boys with |
:" ,nndapry TO go wrong what is the |
,a.cher to- do 10 change their predlec-