Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1912-10-12
THINGS EDUCATIONAL
Devoted to School Topics Primarily
But Also to the Larger Mean
ing Of Real Education.
Edited by Principal q. J. Morgan.

OF all the mistakes made by teacher
of history, none is more prevalent or in
excusabls than that of teaching histor,
for history's sake alone. To be brief
history and civics are taught in order Il
inculcate into the pupils mind an ap
probation of the efforts made by hii
predecessors in order to establish tht
country and the blessings which he en-
joys, and to give him such an intelligent
understanding of the nature of the gov
ernment under which he lives that when
the duties of citizenship devolve upon
him, he shall be prepared with those
qualities of mind and heart which char.
acterize all patriotic men. The mechan-
ical memorizing of dates; the smphasiz-
ing of the details of campaigns, battles,
massacres; the monotonous verbal re-
cital. by the pupils, of the subject mat
ter of the text, topic by topic, without
reference to supplementary texts-all
these are the surest evidences of old
fashioned, ineffective methods, which
will have for their chief results the cre-
alton in the pupils mind of contempt,
or at the best, an indifference, for his
tory, whereas in 95 cases out of 100, he
should have love for history, not mere
ly as a record, but as lesson, an inspir-
alton, a broadening instrument Of all
the facts regarding this subject, let this
be kept in mind: history is not merely
a record of past events. don't blame a
boy for dislikinR history, grammar, or
any other study when his teacher is try
ing to force down his mental esophagus
an array of facts, dates, rules, formulas,
and kindred material, without explain
ing in the clearest and most enthusiastic
manner why lie should know these
things. There are few pupils who dis
like subject if they understand why it
is necessary to study that subject.
sometimes hear teachers talk complain
ingly of certain pupils being too lazy to
study history, or too lazy to study arith-
metic, ct cetera ad infinitum. I don't
believe word of it. In fact, to dsgress
a moment, the longer l work with the
boys and girls of this country, the more
l like them. They are just as good as
the parents and teachers make them. 1t
must be lifeless teacher who expects q
live, red-blooded boy to take an interest
in the fact that the Constitution was
adopted in 1888, unless she emphasizes
the yastness of the Constitutions infiu-
ence on the lives and veal of the teem-
ing millions who have lived since that
immortal document was conceived amid
the roar of guns and perfected amid the
prayers, the deliberations, and the anxi-
cites of the master minds of the Revo-
lutionary period. 1t is certainly not a
really modern teacher who expects the
average boy to take any especial delight
in analyzing sentences, or parsing nouns,
or in punctuating non-restrictive clauses,
unless the teacher has taken occasion,
not once, but at numerous times, to
make the class see that man is not an
educated man as long as he has faulty
English, either written or spoken. The
majority of American boys and girls are
intelligent and docile enough to per-
ceive, after the matter is told them few
times, that incorrect, careless, and in
coherent language is Just as disastrous in
life, just as much handicap, at least, as
are slovenly clothing or uncouth habits.
The real teacher always keeps in the
pupils mind the reason for studying
whatever is being studied.