The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1901-03-15
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.
By County Supt. L. r. Clark.
The Closing Days Of School.

The Closing Days of School.
The warm spring days are coming
On and school terms are drawing to q
close. Older pupils are dropping out
and the younger ones that remain are
beginning to take less interest in their
lessons. Everything out of doors is
looking so bright and cheerful that the
walls of the old school room seem din
gy and cheerless by contrast.
Every healthy boy and girl has an
Irresistible longing to roam about in
the warm SUNSHINE, to roll on the
grass, to climb trees, and ''go bare
foot -
These are natural desires which
children possess in common with the
young of all animals, just as neces-
sary 10 their growth and development
rs food and sleep, and which the wise
teacher or parent will not attempt to
restrain.
But how is the interest in the school
to be kept up? The teacher is paid to
keep the children within the four walls
OF the school room, dingy and smoky
tho they be, and teach them reading,
writing and arithmetic, regardless of
the balmy breezes, the singing birds
and the opening flowers.
Take d lesson from nature, Teacher.
She is throwing off her winter garb
and bedecking herself in the cheerful
garb OF spring. Do the same with
yOnr school. Rearrange your pro-
gram to meet the new conditions. If
possible make the recess periods a
little longer. Introduce some new and
interesting supplementary work.
Now, if ever, is the time to study
nature. Dig up your course of study
from the rubbish in your desk and
read page eight, if you don't know the
meaning of the words look in the die
tionary.
Take an hour off next Friday, and,
with your pupils help clean up the
school room. Clear away, as much
as possible, the dinginess and dark
ness of winter and put in it's place the
bright symbols OF spring.
The old stove. will not have to be
red hot many more times. Reward
it's faithful services with a. good coat
of backing. AS soon as the spring
HOwers appear encourage the children
to bring them to school where they
may be studied according to direc-
tions. Keep a fresh boquet on your
desk and wear one in your battonhol
In short, bring the cheer of the vernal
season into your schOolroom. Don't
allow your pupils to think that the
merry springtime is all out of doors,
and that they are shut out from its
joys by the school door.
What is that I hear some teacher
say? ''SchoOl will soon be out and l
can't afford to go to so much trou-
ble." Indeed!
Can you afford to make the closing
weeks of your school successful?
Can you afford to give pleasure and
instruction to your pupils?
Can you afford to have the interest
of your pupils maintained until the
last?
Can you aff ord to be as much of an
inspiration to them during the last
week as the first?
If you can answer these questions
in the negative your excuse is good,
and you may count the days on the
calendar and let your school drag to
a close as best it may. But if you do
you would better go home and lay
your certificate away in the bottom of
your trunk as a relic and never try
to teach school again, for you have
not the true teachers spirit.
An adjourned meeting of the Third