The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-08-14
ATKINSON
At NORMAL
Continued from Page p

they can make their way readlly III
countries where those languages are
spoken The explanation of this is that
at universities and colleges the cart IS
put before the horse. The attempt IL
made to read first and talk Afterwards
and the result is naturally failure we
are striving to come to the natural
process to put the horse safely IN the
shafts and drag our books after US In
stead of pushing them before US. we
may make some failures, but In the
/ main we are succeeding remarkably
we'll
/ This is our platform, language. With
US by unavoidable course OF circum-
stances, the English language. Upon
this platform we build our mental edu-
cation. There is nothing when
teacher cannot build upon this platform
provided he or she knows how TO pullo
We cannot give forth what we 90 hos
possess. We have certain prescribed
subjects in which we must instruct our
pupils We have to give them training
IN mathematics, or the documentary
mathematics of arithmetic we must
teach them to write. We must teach
them how to make out accounts. we
must instruct them in rudimentary MS
/ tory, in geography; we must give tnefn
a knowledge of anatomy, of physiology,
OF hygiene. We even are ordered 10
give them rudimentary ideas upon art.
and give them some little knowledge OF
drawing We must teach them to sing.
to sew and to use their fingers.
| A teacher may be able to do all TINS
and yet give but narrow and maynap
a useless education. And yet another
teacher may do all this and give
broad education. Why? Because the
one confines the work to just the sub
ject in hand while the other gives life
and breadth to the subject IN hano.
The one gives forth or grinds forth
grist of dry bones, while the other
81 I'M
knowledge How does anyone acquire
possession of this precious well? BY
constant and unending study and OBJ
servation. There is nothing that one
can learn and observe that cannot De
put to profit in the school room A
teacher cannot be too broad mentally
The more a teacher knows, the more
can be given to the pupils. The mere
knowledge and training which you ac-
uuire at the normal school, the smat-
tering you pick up at the summer
school, all point you in the right way
The ones gives foundation and the 9TH
err stimulates ideas But the heart ana
life of teaching must come from your
selves To train other minds, to raise
them to a higher plane, we must tram
our own minds and rise to high planes
ourselves. We must make our teaching
live and have being and thus we shall
successfully cultivate the mind, and
help it to join our own efforts In the
formation of character.
L The Roman author got off a good
saying once when he wrote the words,
mems sana in corpore samoa
healthy mind must have a healthy
body. We have looked at the moral
and the mental aspects; we Will now
glance at the physical. We have not
so much trouble with physical attrib-
utes in this favored land, as there is in
a land of crowded towns and congest-
: cd nj moral
mental faculties are in our charge, so
are the physical. Much attention Is
given to athletic exercises in our high
er places of learning. 1t is true that
athletics may be and have been over
done, but the value of athletics prop
erly conducted cannot be underrated
either for their physical or moral in
i fluence
But we have not to consider adyanc-
ed athletics. such as / have alluded to.
! We can, however, consider the healthy
games of the children placed in our
charge Indeed, it is a part of a teach
tcr's duty to become interested in the
outdoor games of the pupils. Not only
should they be encouraged in these,
F, both by precept and example, but there
should be some regular physical train
ing introduced into every school room.
In the summer school we have attempt
ed to give those who have attended
some idea of what this training should
/ be. Those who attend the normal
school have g. special training in this
work 1t is regular exercise which can
begin with the receiving room, and
which can be continued into the high
est classes.
When possible, as in the very large
schools, regular gymnastic exercises
can be introduced, but these require
more and special training on the part
of the teachers for crude and unsuper-
vised gymnastic work is often apt to
be hurtful But in the slight physical
training 1 have indicated every teacher
can acquire the power of giving in
struction. Children in all our schools
should walk and run well, should hold
themselves we'll. They should be en-
fcouraged in out of door games, and
both girls and boys should take part.
The healthier your pupils are, the bet
ter pupils they will prove. From their
games if properly supervised, they will
learn self control, alertness, and the
valuable lesson of give and take. You
do not want to molly-coddle their play,
but you want to supervise and direct
it.
You young teachers, who are now
starting out in life. embracing a noble
and worthy profession, are better
! equipped than many of your predeces-'
sors. You have a most important work
to perform, you join those who have
! grown gray in the service, and as time
your efforts depends the future of many
hundreds of your fellow beings. You
may train their minds, you may train
their bodies but your work is but in
complete and worthless unless you
have added to it honest, true, high
minded character. You have given to
your charge almost as soon as they
can toddle from their mothers arms,
being with immortal souls and with
i immortal aspirations. Upon you who
go to teach those who will probably
never rise high in the education scale
devolves the duty of developing and so
stamping the generations which are to
follow that, with all their faults of
education and manner, they may rise
70 that higher plane of character which
J is superior to culture superior to pol
! ish. superior to skill, but which makes
of mankind the ruler and the regener-
ator of the world. Fail to do your duty
and You have injured not YOURSELF but