The stayer. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1896-1903, 1902-12-04

what we become early in life. If
we become students then, we are
safely launched intellectually. If
not, the probabilities are that we
never will be.
In order to interest our children
in their work and thus secure good
studious pupils, methods and de-
vices beyond number have been
given and are given in every school
Journal, every teachers meeting
etc. Formerly the small boy was
given a Blue Back Speller and told
to get to his lesson" Now the
path of knowledge is strewn with
flowers and he is led along it al
most unawares. 1t is claimed by
some, and think there is agrain of
truth in the claim as there usually
is in most things, that the way is
being made too easy-that too lit
tie effort is required on the child's
part, and that we are training our
children not to be students in the
real sense of the word. You know
it is possible to abuse any good
thing and while devices and aids
are fine in their place, yet it is pos
sible, ! think, to use them to an I'M
due extent. We must remember
that the childs mental activities
grow stronger only by judicious use
and we must not make his work so
easy for him that we make him
mentally lazy. Children enjoy do
| ing difficult thing, they enjoy the
excitement and exhiliration neces-
sary to conquer anything hard.
We must be careful not to deprive
them of this pleasure.
There are various incentives that
may be appealed to in helping the
child to form studious habits, vari-
Gus incentives of perfectly legit-
innate nature and which the earnest
thoughtful teacher can not afford
to ignore, while some that are
sometimes appealed to are I'M
worthy and hurtful. 1t is not al
ways easy to decide between them.
The things that appeal to one will
not always to another, saw this
rather funnily illustrated the other
day in newspaper item. An old |
lady asked a small boy was he
studying very hard. He said, No, |
not very" But" said she, You
ought to, because if you don't you
will never be President" oh,
he answered, there's no chance
for that anyway, I'm Democrat.
The incentive failed.
| think it is the teachers privil-
eye to appeal to the very best mo-
tives in the child's heart and | do
not think she should be content
with anything less than that. do
not believe in the too free use of
contrasts and rivalries. | think
there is a higher level, a broader
plain to be reached than can ever
b. reached in that way. | do not
altogether condemn these things.
out do object to their too free
Use. | do not feel that we can af-
ord to crush the heart of one lit
lie child though by so doing we
nay stir to greater eXhertion nine
y-nine others. do not think that
vas the Great Teachers way, and '
We have no better model TO follow
han He. fear sometimes that
We as teachers become too much
mere creatures of routine-we feel !"
hat we must bring our grades I'D y
0 the standard. And in so doing ~
re are prone to lose sight of the i
Individual with his cramped sur "
oundings, his limited natural abli- .
es, perhaps and his little throb- :
ing heart that feels so keenly his &
allure, Our 40 or so children be- :,
ONE to us class of children and -
e fail in our efforts to make each
Mid make the required average bn =, =,
ach subject in the course to she y
lat this little girl is working ill :"
le tired little eyes are strained
j l. L