The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-05

restore them to a fair measure OF
health and contcntment
| As a rileanssof establishing this re-
lationship. ] make three definite su%-
gestions. First. look for the good IN
every child, and use that as the basis
J for the flife-structurc you are to build.
The evil Will appear soon enough, ana
yot need not search It out. Carry sui
shine in your face and heart. ADOPT an
optimistic philosophy (story OF the two
home life and surroundings. and
give him practical knowledge that
lyou are his friend. Ask him about
iwhat he does at home, and how ana |
why he does this and that. Tell him
how much you would like to do this,
that and the other thing that he does.
Accept social invitations to his house;
such friendly interest will bring them.
This policy will at once produce In him il
tho feeling that you are the greatest
person In the world. and he will be-
have for you, and study, too. The In
centivc Is present. Thirdly, practice
what you preach. Do not make tho
children. 1t isn't right to fool them, In
the first place: and In the second place
1t can't be done (famous sayings of
Lincoln). Children arc quick to
detect shams. A rugged honesty, n
logged consistency and uniform
course OF fair dealing are virtues which
even childhood understands. and adj
mtres. Confidence in the teacher and
admira ton for him. once established|
and always maintained, will BIO a
mighty bulwark In time Of trouble. 1t
VIII allay the pretty frets and restrain
the emotional storms OF thoughtess
little rebels. and soon enlist them with
the joyous forces Of righteousness and
truth.
The third prerequisite as a stimulus
and incentive to secure the abiding in
terest OF pupils Is that the teacher
should love his work. The teacher who
performs his tasks in perfunctory
way, who goes through the schoolroom|
gyrations OF the day with monotonous
punctuality and sameness, who is a.
mere time-server for pay, can never
hope to have interested workers under
control or reach to any measure OIL
success in his profession. But, on the
contrary, the teacher who looks upon
teaching as his profession. takes a
pride in it. loves and studies 1t, will
ever be ready with an elasticity OF pro-
gram. method and device to meet every
schoolroom emergency to secure the
coop erative interest OF his pupils, and
supply effectively their varying needs.
The one sort OF teacher spells failure:
the other, success. II n teachers heart
| is not In his work. neither should he
Ing, for teaching, like every other pro-
fession, Is jealous mistress. 1t is a
martinez, and demands OF every MEM
Der "uberrimam fidem." the utmost
good faith and the most exacting SER
vice.
The fourth prerequisite for enlisting
the good graces of the children so that
they VIII love their school tasks is
that the teachers methods OF lnstruc-
| tion be inductive and concrete. Failure
In this is absolutely inexcusable and de-
structive OF good results. We must
appeal to children through ways and
means that they like; for, when re-
duced to it's last analysis. 1t Is found
/ to be true as matter Of psychology
and Of experience that the ways they
like to do things conform to the funda-
| mentals of modern pedagogy; that Isl
! to say, distractions. formula and rule
teaching are incomprehensible, dry and
repugnant to the average child: while
inductive and concrete teaching fill him
4 with raptuous delight and give him an
ever broadening consciousness of his
own powers. The former will drive
him from school, or at best make of
him a mere automaton and copyist.
The latter will train him to be an in-
dependent, self-reIiant, happy toiler.
Such distractions a definition and clas-
| sification are the results OF the accu-
mutation of experience. Let neither
teached nor children mistake them for
knowledge or power. AS soon as we
/ begin to compress knowledge and ex-
i perience into the limits Of definition
we take away life. spontaneity and en-
| thusiasm. Definitions are merely guide
posts which can be erected only after
the road to knowledge and power has
i been explored. The teacher has OPP
| portuntties by the employment Of meth
1 DDS and devices in harmony with the
nature and disposition OF children to
win them, to control them, to interest
them. to train them. to make them mas
4 ters of themselves.
Il wish, in closing, to note few prin-
j ctples and devices which teacher
should use as school incentives for
children. present only partial list
i list, yet one which from my own ex-
i perience and observation has appealed
to me as being Indispensable aids in
am sorry that have time merely to
outline these. not at all to dissect or
enforce them.
i No. /. Coordinate the school inter-
ests with the out-of-door life interests
Of the child. Let him see and UNDER
stand that education is one thing, an
; entity, and that all his thoughts and
efforts and actions in all places are edu-
cative. Bring to bear upon his school
J tasks his extra-schoolroom interests;
for example. encourage him to clip
pictures or stories to embellish his his
tory and geography work. let him make
up his own history and geography
questions and his own arithmetic exam
pies. He will love to do it.
| No. 2. Recognize his individuality
and give him credit for being somebody
and knowing something. You know
that one OF the most potent arguments
! against the public schools is that all
} the children are ground out through
: the same mill, without proper recog-
milton Of the individ ualty OF each child
and without the diversity Of training
3 suited thereto. And it Is undenlable
> that there Is not only FEASIBILITY, but
unanswerable logic In the structure
, thus passed upon our work. 1t is our
> business to escape from this dilemma
> not by specious protences OF self
righteousness but by manfully recog-
, nizing this defect in our work and by
! using methods and devices through
r which the individual tastes and traits