Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-04-30

AAAS WIN III BsRCA U8o AI8A 0|toAG
the Cape May County Teachers AS
sociation at Seaville on Saturday, April
II, by Miss Anna Davidson, one of the
primary teachers In the Wildwood pub
lie school.)
Some suggestions for primary work.
When requested to give a short talk
along primary lines, it was suggested
that | cover to a certain extent the
needs of the primary teacher where
the four grades are together, which L
understand Is the case In most schools.
After considering the matter from
several stand points, l have decided
that the greatest need is right in the
beginners. Let me suggest that if lit
tie ones are started right, along all lines
In school, there is much less difficulty
IN future years in the other classes.
Yes, / am sure you will say exactly
what | have said many times:-"I can
not give the time to the little ones. /
must first give my attention to the ad-
vanced pupils" This is very true, but
let the time given, no matter how
short, be given with all earnestness and
interest in the work.
This work, because we must come
down to the child and help 1t to come
up to US, is one of the most difficult to
handle correctly. We must take the
beginner with its knowledge of home
and its surroundings and added to that
a very small knowledge of the outside
world and build up its ideals and ex-
pand its observative powers SO that it
may learn to easily grasp and hold fast
that which will help it to become some
day in every ems of the word a noble
man or woman, efficient in its life
work. The little child comes to us with
the home influence and ideals impress
ed deeply on its mind. If from a good
home, it is with joy and ease that we
work, aided and encouraged by the
noble influences there. But, alas, how
often it Is from q home where there Is
sore neglect and ignorance that the
poor little piece of humanity comesto
US. There are the many habits to be
overcome and the need of new habits
to be implanted. How is 1t to be dore ?
Sometimes a kind smile, a loving touch,
or a word of encouragement when it
has overcome some difficulty or ac-
coinpiished something new to it, no
matter how crude the work; sometimes
a punishment for some grave offence
/ fear, often in some cases-but never,
never, punish without the thought of
the child's good back Of it. Punish
ment is not necessarily physical,-the
knowledge of the ~displeasure of the
teacher frequently Is sufficient. Firm
ness means much In the school, and
the knowledge that back of kindness
is one who will permit no infringe
ments better discipline and
lmay [ say it?) happier children.
Children naturally take to order
when nee il is instituted. gladly re-
aponding and anxiously watching that
the 0rderliness be not disturbed.
BY order, | mean all conditions of
the school; for instance, children will
gladly keep scraps from the floor and
keep their desks cleaned as well as sit
In their seats in an orderly manner and
study, or rise to pass to or from class
quietly. There is no necessity for dead
silence in a school, yet, there may be
the quiet that indicates earnest and
interested work.
Just as 1 was starting out in my
teaching life, a teacher of some ex-
perience, in speaking 10 me Of two
different schools made this remark,
"You know that disorder is the order
of the day in that school, while in the
other school order is the rule. One
who presumes to break the rules is
considered In disgrace among his fell
low pupils, and you know fellows
don't like to be unpopular" What is
true in that case is, In general, true In
other cases, and pupils fall in line If
the right spirit is back of the plans.
1t is in each teacher to influence for
or against unruliness and disorder of
most kinds.
AS reading has been so we'll covered
/ shall not touch on it, except to say
that l very much approve of the word
and phonetic method combined. 1t is
not at all necessary that one contine
oneself to any particular set of books
In using a phonic method. If the
method is at your finger tips you a
utilize the tools you have.
Memorizing of short poems, and
choice gems, telling of stories by the
children in their own language is ex-
cellent drill and gives to them greater
vocabularies. Let me illustrate with
tho story of tT1rha Throa Raaro - nc ,1tiI-