Year: 1874

anv and all circumstances. The teacher
should not be satisfied with mere repe-
tition of definitions and rules, but earn
estly labor to bring out everything in
connection with them, and not be salts
fed until he is assured that they under
stand the lesson. He may find 1t dltfl-
cult matter to excite interest enough on
the part of some to accomplish his aim,
yet he should not become discouraged,
bet use every effort within his power for
their Improvement He will then have
the satisfaction of knowing that his duty
has been faithfully performed.


Graded examinations will IN great
measure remove the difficulty OF lnatten-
ton. When pupils are engaged in regu-
lar examinations they are always anxious
to obtain everything within their reach,
and when once obtained they are equally
anxious to retain it in order that they
may pass good examination; for each
one is striving to receive the highest
grade. l find this to be the most sue
cessful method of creating real interest
in their studies that have ever pursued.
There is no pupil with any ambition
whatever who will not try to obtain a
good grade, and while they are doing
this they will thoroughly investigate
everything, thinking perhaps some OF
their next questions may be found in the
very lesson they are preparing, and when
recitation comes they are eager to under
stand everything that appears to be the
least difficult, for the purpose OF being
ready for examination. The result Is
their lessons are better prepared, more
general knowledge acquired, and the
teacher feels that his efforts are being
crowned with success. which of itself is
sufficient compensation for his extra
trouble in preparing list of questions.
This method not only creates new in
terest, but the teacher can ascertain
whether his pupils, in passing from one
lesson to another are retaining their in
formation or whether they let it pass
without even respecting his efforts for
their Improvement The teacher in pre-
pairing a list of questions should always
avoid puzzling ones. They are inexcusa-
BILE, and no teacher possessing ordinary
judgement and common sense Will ever
use them. The object of examinations
is to test the pupils qualifications; there
fore the teacher should exercise great
care in preparing his examinations, using
only such questions as are important and
useful, and which, if not correctly an
swered, will, when explained by the
teacher, be beneficial to his pupils.


The examinations for the purpose OF
grading should be written. The teacher
in the ordinary lessons of the day is con-
tinually examining orally, and 1t Is
almost an impossibility to correctly grade
an oral examination, and it frequently
gives rise to unpleasant feelings between
those engaged, each one considering his
part more difficult, and often accusing the
teacher of partiality. Written examlna-
tions prevent this, for each one has the
same work to perform, and their manu-
scripts will show what they have done,
which will settle the matter beyond dis
pute.


There are other advantages connected
with written examinations to which the
pupils should pay strict attentlon-that
is the observance of the rules for orthog-
raphy, capitalizing and punctuation. A
question may be we'll answered, and yet
punctuated, it destroys its elegance, and
the pupils work is left inelegant and in
complete. The method l have adopted
10 remedy this is to grade also on the
general appearance of their papers. This
includes orthography, capitalizing, punct-
uation, the form of answers, and the
cleanliness of their papers. l found this
to have the desired effect, for they are
almost as anxious to receive good grade
on general appearance as on their regular
examination. There may be objections
to written EXAMINATIONS III COuiHoH
schools, claiming that they cannot be
made applicable to them. True, they
have not the advantages of graded
schools, yet they can be made successful
to some extent in an ungraded school.
1t is only the advanced pupils, those who
are capable of hard study, that can sue
cessfully engage in them, so they can be
applied to that class in all common
schools. Pupils may hesitate and feel a
delicacy about engaging in them at first,
but when a start is made, and they be-
come interested, they then see the i'm
portance of them, and are not willing to
abandon the plan on any condition. 1t
is extra labor for the teacher, but the
future intellect Of our country is intrust-
ed with us; therefore we should be
ready and willing to use every exertlon
in our power to qualify them for the
positions which they must occupy.


Then fellow teachers, let US be up and
doing; let us faithfully discharge our
duty, retain the confidence placed IN us,
and ever be an honor to our high and
noble calling