The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-10

49, u ~ y =
lini1ie thar not The story shows the
two influences at work In tile discipline
or the scfoolAn,oral suasion and the
presentation OF the task to the child In an
attractive light. There Is ground Tor
| much doubted Is true, as to whether the
last word on school discipline can ever,
| be said by those who Wteld eliminate
from IL the lesson OF duty, at1, at the
expense OF everything, make The child
believe II, the school as one con tinuous
GLAD, sweet song" There are tasks III
school as we'll as In life, which nothing
but a strong sense OF moral obi ton
Will tide us over, and the DEVELOPMENT
OF that sense Is II necessary part OF the
prepare ton II for life. There are times.
too. when the lesson OF Implicit obedience
is tho one which. above all others. needs
to be learned, and most Of our public
school teachers. at any rate, would natti-1
rally have misglvlngs about any system 4
OF discipline which did not recognize this
fact, At the same ti,nea II gis true that
the art OF discipline has made great pro-
gress In tho direction Of d wise acsthe
cisin, and that the old purltanical idea
Of duty always to the fore Is beins
happily modified by methods more effcc-
tive because less obvious. Scolding IS
out of date and the old conception OF
the .sschoolmn' am as properly ono with
unbcndng back Sand ,,,lsn,ilng 'front.'
whose name is a synonym for al that
e-nspring. Y Is giving way to thntEof
the wise companion and guide who llns
tho tact 10 brighten ZIP the dull and
heavy tasks, knows how TO avoid unneces-
sary issues, and Is ready to make 8 her
requests appear reasonable to the child
Indeed the emphasis has shifted so
/ 49, F., tJ.r{g E,f
the teacher that lis hardly too much
to say that the dominant idea IN the new
or methods of5instrhction. MS well bas IN
those Of discipline, Is that tho work shall
at every punt be made as attractiyeB
as possible toEythe child. Dizziness III B
teacher or subject Is rcckoned the 5,ln =,
parlonabel sin, and under the influence
Of this uuckenlng spirit, studies once
held to be Synonymous with tedfousness
and difficulty. are coming to be invest
cd 4 with real charm. The old Z labor1o1ls
methods. Swfichiipnt a. premium on mas
|ftcring tile 1ullest tasks and developing
the more strenuous mental processes are
breaking down before the idea that the
child's natural tastes and habits OF
Thought cannot all he worthless or WRONG
and that the best results may be gotten
by meeting \ him ut his own point Of
view and tiizing all his capacities for
enthusiasm. IA The idea is work. ny y sell
all the knowledge presented to him, 70
bca,itify5and correlate 1T by every device
to- treat subjects broadly and pictorially,s
to make less Of facts and more OF tnilu-#
ences, to insist less I on text books Il ana .7
moro OIL Il independent thinking TO u give
Larger freedom to the student as well as
to the tea cllerSand to cultivate the schild.sF
Individuality at every point while seek
ing to curb it wisely The old pas
sion for drill has been superseded by
the passion for the Development OF y the
childs mental life and the broadening OF
his interests and fsympathies and SO each
subject OF, study is being brought into as
! direct relations ms possible with his owl,
actual environment and experience. Thus
| geography. fro mbeing a statistical array
of boundaries. rivers and capital y cities
to be learned In long and forbiddins lists.
begins to-day with the school room Itself
as n center. reaches out era dually to in
cl,ide%the city and State and in time has
all the world brought within Its range
by a process of natural extension and
yisualization, which makes a/rital inter-.
est easy. That interests stimulated by
I converse lions based on experience, real
! and Imaginary Journeys, pictures or every
kind ilnpromptu drawings. sand III table
| play. globes and maps and later by the
/! reading of rnagazineE articles, railroad
! guides 81 newspaper clippings and " indeed
| by any other device which the ingenuity
OF the teacher may suggest. SO Will MIS-
| tory, the ST Dry cling, conversational. pic
| storial method Is obtaining more and more
ldates and the stubborniy increasing lines
Of presidents. battles and kings are claim
| ing less prominence en- masse; and the
Typographical side of history with the rela y
i3tlon OF its personalities Il to Its leading
| events is being emphasized 4 In a way
| that makes history first of all a revela ton
| OF life, and leads the children to lie
1.-THE great characters OF history as a par
| OF the same great procession in which they
! themselves are moving The nature study,
| too. which is ia pidly #superseding the old
natural science, that drilled In technical
terms and dry classl fcationsa With 1lt ever
| giving breath of fresh life, has opened
l3llp a new world of charm for the child
/ Now the changing seasons give the chief
! direction of the study and the inspiration
tof having the eye constantly on the OBJ
/ ject is made evident at every point. The
! autumn habits OF birds. beasts and flow
crs, the care Of indoor pets and flowers
| in winter, the bursting life in the spring
\ time everywhere. the study OF the birds
trees and Wild flowers that grow close
around. all these and countless other
| available, materials stimulate the child 8;
i interest in the creat lon all about him and
enlarge his sympathies in a way that re
! acts most hclpfuly upon his own cha
| actcr. 5 81
a Some one might 90 on pointing out the
influence Of the new spirit In each depart
lncnt Of study. But aside from dues
/ mn noa tti Diva thtnk 7 had A r. fcIt for q