Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-12-27
dec21eodtf

sents a sorry appearance among its fell
| lows; but ii is TO be piticd, not con
| demned. II grew enough. but its growth
| was not properly directed.
| one of the greatest mistakes teacher
| can make is to attempt what h. calls
| breaking the child's will" Formal ODE
| dience may be secured, but thr seeds Of
| instruction are SOWn. When "A boy i
| driven to learn a lesson or perform some
| act the driver should b. made To under
| stand two things: 1st. that there is moth
| ing in that lesson that appeals to the
| boys interest: that the various exercise :
are either below or ahoV" him. or entirely
| beyond his apprehensivc reach. and.
| therefore worse than useless to him {:
| and. md. instead Of driving the boy II
| perform his work he has driven him to-
| wards Il reform school y child may be
| compelled to perform his work. bit IN
! less the differences between him ana the
school become adjusted there will be n
reaction detrimental 10 the child. the
| teacher. the parent. ANA society. one
dicnCe should be habitual, not occasional
| The timc to begin the formation OF tn"
| hd bit is when the child is young enough
| Ia be bent without injury. obedience
| is necessary but il should be intelligent
and kind not blind ana unreasonable.
y school ought to be model republic.
In republic The citizens govern them
selves for their own best welfare. They
do right not h-CauSe they fear the law
ANA punishment. but because they know
il is best for them. As there is more
dom in republic than IN anarchy. 50
there is more freedom in school where
children prefer to do right than in one
where they prefer to do wrong. Ii is
possible. and practicable. too, 10 teach
children that the school is established
and maintained Tor them ana that the
teacher is put in the school to help them:
that all disorder ana bad conduct is an
interference with their rights. iy all
means teach them that the school Is
theirs. II they learn this, school pride
Will become as powerful an incentive in
the mind of the pupil as is patriotism il.
that of a citizen OF Il well regulated re-
public.
We cannot change the heart of q child,
but We can help wonderfully. otherwise
we are really not teachers in any true
sense. We can gain a strong influence
over him if we go about in the right way.
ANA can then be instrumental in chang
ing his disposition from bad to good
teaching him TO Prefer the right to the
wrong. To do this. however, the teacher
must he something more than Il martinez
more than a recitation-hearer. more than
an ter-of-information: He must be
the pupils friend, not professionally nor
profesSedly, but in truth and reality. |
There must be in the teachers heart gem |
uine sympathy for the child. There must /
be an earnest desire for the pupils adj /
Vancemcnt in learning. not from a pro- !
fesSional standpoint. because it reflects I
credit on the teacher. although no teach /
er can be expected to ignore considera- !
ton like that, but chiefly because ii Is ,
for the child'S good. And 50 in the mat .
ter Of conduct; the motive should be. NOT |
so much to ensure oneself against the |
dSa greea hleneSS of badness as to secure !
the high, ST good OF the pupil
Sympathy creates sympathy. If the
teacher is the pupils friend. the pupil
will soon find il out. and viii respond by
doing what will please the teacher. Does
imag CINE a child desires TO dis
please its friend? 1t may do 50 once in
a while, for children are no more perfect
than grown people: but Its own controll-
ing motive will be to please.
Between the teacher and pupil should
be the bond OF sympathy; the teacher
desiring and working for the
pupils welfare In every particular; the
pupil cheerfuly doing his duty with the
teachers assistance; that relation must
come between teacher and pupil before
a school can accomplish thorough work.
That school is governed best that is gov
erned least where the pupils wish to do
right. and only need the guiding hand
of II Sympat hetic ana kind teacher.
Nothing can express my thoughts better
{Continued on page s.