Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-10-11

been prison pen. ruled by tyraHt
who placed upon young and tender
shoulders burdens too grievous to DC
borne. Under the new, the school room
became an attractive gathering place
presided over by one who knew now
to make the exercises there as attrac'
tive as the play had been at home IN
the old days learning to read and write
and handle numbers was solemn
slow and tedious task. In the new II
became a pleasant pastime, and the
rapidity with which it was accom-
plished surprised alike the learner, the
teacher and the observer. The new
system worked so well that it<received
instant commentator from critics at
home and abroad, and gained for the
primary schools of America a reputa-
ton that they still hold as the best In
the whole world.
But the primary teacher was not lett
long without imitators in her practice
of the new order of things. The teach
ers of other grades argued to them
selves that what was good for the low
est grades must also be good for oth-
ers, and, further, that as the new sys-
TEN was a good thing it was Impossible
to have too much of it. So the faSnlon
of giving abundant aid to the pupil
spread from the primary grades to all
the others. The normal schools dld
their full share in disseminating the
new idea. They taught prospective
tea chers the art of developing lesson
until the pupil who was supposed TO
have to learn had to do nothing except
exercise his memory a little bit. and
he need hardly do that unless he
pleased The old motto of everything
made as hard as possible for the pupil
was changed to read everything made
easy. Labor on the part of the pupil
was no longer regarded as an essential
or even important element in school
work The teacher had come to be the
chief factor and the minds of the pu-
piIs were regarded merely as empty
receptacles into which the teacher
might pour knowledge as nearly pre-
digested as possible. The result was
Just what might have been expected.
The pupils began to lose all original
power of thought and could do nothing
except lean on the teacher. Then the
conservatives took hand in the game.
They said thing that is very good in
llSptl HAS DeeIi dltcsoCtilNl ~
far. In the city of Washington some
old United States senators who had
trodden the thorny paths of knowledge
paid visit to the schools run on the
ew-fangled plan, and as result the
head of the system was forced to seek
other fields. The trouble was that the
reaction from the rigid and barren
methods of the old days had carried
the pendulum quite as far in the Oppo-
site direction. Now we are trying to
settle upon the golden mean between
the two extremes, and there are indi-
cations that we are not altogether I'M
successful in our search.
Just one word in regard to another
circumstance that must enter into the
case. No teacher will find two classes
exactly alike in point OF power or abil-
ity to do work. The class of last year
could do well with this or that amount
of aid but the chances are that this
years class will have to have more Or
less. Different divisions in the same
class will need varying degrees of aid,
and there are still to be considered GER
tain individuals to whom the teacher
must give more time and more assist
ance than she gives to the rest. l have
not time to go into that subject at
length, but every teacher knows that
it requires her consideration.
One point more and 1 shall have fin
ished The kind of aid to be given de-
mands our attention for moment. To
my mind it should be determined by
the old educational precept of from
the known to the unknown All along
tho line l would avoid as much as pos
sible the introduction of work as en-
tirely new. Rather introduce it as
something with which the pupils are
already partly acquainted. They VIII
thus become more interested in 1t as
an old friend, and they will feel great
er confidence in their ability to grapple
with it successfully. This is an impor-
tant matter. for what the teacher tells
them as her superior knowledge may
make but slight impression, but the
steps they take for themselves little
in advance of the point to which they
feel themselves already familiar are
valuable steps indeed The self-activ-
ity of the pupil is thus constantly en-
courag ed and he is gradually led to
believe that there is practically moth
ing that he can not master If he has a
little time in which to do it. Once es-
tablish this spirit in the minds OF your
students. no matter what the grade
Continued on page 11.)