The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1908-11-12


the poorest positions and will finally
lose out altogether. Self-improvement
is necessary for self-protection.
5. RESERVE FORCES.
The wise general does not keep
all his forces actively engaged. He
has some in reserve against the time
OF need. In some desperate situa-
ton, this strong reserve force. which
the enemy knows nothing about. will
save him from defeat. Likewise, the
teacher who is looking out against the
day of trouble has his reserve forces.
When the school has been going on
for some weeks and the dull grind of
monotony begins to settle down, when
the little faces grow long and signs
of Encouragement appear a part of
the extra forces may be brought into
play. The following list is offered as
having done valiant duty on many a
hard fought field.
A New Song.-Or a dull afternoon,
when the energy is at low ebb,
have a new song ready. school song;
I If possible, one with action in 1t.
Write the verses on the blackboard
one at a time until all are learned.
See that it is sung with vim and good
will. II it is a marching song. all the
better. Get some boy who is skillful
with the mouth organ 10 play an ac-
compartment, and have all the school
march arourd the room. Five or six
minutes OF this will take away the
dullness, and work may be resumed
to much greater profit.
New Ways of Hearing the Lessons.
There are a dozen ways OF hearing
spelling class recite. Hold back
your latest invention until the interest
lags, then spring it. Drawing offers a
, fine field for interesting novelties.
A new object to draw, with interest
ing details of shading and measure
ments, cannot fail to charm away
lethargy. The geography is a store
house Of good things. Make a map.
showing the various products of the
United States with pictures Of
objects, in grazing countries cut
out small pictures of cattle, horses
and sheep and rin onto the
map. To show the corn belt, grains
of corn may be pasted on white in
the south, yellow In the north; wheat
grains TO show the wheat states,
bits of cotton to show where that is
raised. wood for timber and so on.
This plan is an excellent thing in
itself. but may well be kept until t
is needed 70 revive interest
A Ciphering Match.-This has Of
ten helped to revive tagging ener-
giles. The pupils choose sides as n
a spelling match. The one last cho-
sen goes to the board and selects en-
opponent from the opposite side. The
latter chooses the kind of work, rs
adding. subtracting or multiplying.
When both are ready, the teacher
gives a problem and they go at it
with might and main. The figures
fairly fly. The first one through
reads his answer. II it is right. he
has won. The loser goes to his seat;
the winner selects his successor, who
again chooses the kind of work, and
so the game goes on until one side
or the other is vanquished There is
plenty Of excitement in 1t and stimu-
lates TO rapidity and accuracy.
Bird Day.-In some parts of the
country, a day has been set apart
for the study of birds and is called
Bird Day" IT'S rather the culmin-
alton of series of studies on birds.
Country children have a fine oppor-
tunity for this study and ought 20
Irow much more about it than they
ordinarily do. They may first rough
ly classify all as song birds. useful
birds and harmful birds These bran
ches may be studied separately. com
uaring different kinds of one class. as
the robin and the wren.
Bird Day gathers together the
knowledge acquired in several weeks
or months and makes as great a show
ne a. possible. The children have
learned 20 diaw picInres of the var
ious kinds of birds they have studied,
to describe their appearance and ha-
bits, to intimate or describe their note
or song to tell where and how they
build their nests number OF eggs, APP !
pearance of young ones and so on. A
collection of nests may be made, be-
ing careful to take only those that
have been abandoned. The literary
part of the program may consist I
songs, poems. stories and written de-