LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. (i^Hp> ©uptjrig^ !f u. Shelf. .LEijDar UNITED STxiTES OF AMEEliOA. DAVID P. PAGE. THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TEACHING; OR, THE MOTiyES ^MD METHODS OF GOOD SCHOOL-KEEPING. DAVID P. PAGE, A.M., Latb Principal of the State Normal School, Albany, New York. WITH A SUMMARY OF THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF THE AUTHOR BY WILLIAM F. PHELPS, A.M. 'DEC 26^393 ,^ CHICAGO: ^Y o, ^,^'' A. FLANAGAH ;fi:^rJ^j LBm5 Copyright, 1893. By A. FLANAGAN, Chicago. PREFACE. Many a meritorious book has failed to find readers by reason of a toilsome preface. If the -following volume meets a similar fate, whatever its merits, it shall lack_a like excuse. This work has had its origin in a desire to contribute something toward elevating an important and rising profession. Its matter comprises the substance of a part of the course of lectures addressed to the classes of the Institution under my charge, during the past two years. Those lectures, unwritten at first, were delivered in a familiar, colloquial style — their main object being the inculcation of such practical views as would best pro- mote the improvement of the teacher. In writing the matter out for the press, the same style, to considerable extent, has been retained, as I have written with an aim at usefulness rather than rhetorical effect. If the term theory in the title suggests to any mind the bad sense sometimes conveyed by that word, I would simply say that I have not been dealing in the specula- tive dreams of the closet, but in convictions derived from the realities of the school-room during some twenty years of actual service as a teacher. Theory may justly 8 4 PREFACE. mean the science distinguished from the art of Teach- ing; but as in practice these should never be divorced, so in the following chapters I have endeavored con- stantly to illustrate the one by the other. If life should be spared and other circumstances should warrant the undertaking, perhaps a further course comprising the " Details of Teaching " may, at some future time, assume a similar form to comiplete my original design. David P. Page. State Nokmal School. ) Albany, N. Y., Jan. 1, 1847. J CONTENTS. PAGE Summahy of the Life and Teachings of the Authob. 7 CHAPTER I. The Spirit of the Teacher — 24 CHAPTER 11. Responsibility of th3 Teacher 29 Section I —The Neglected Tree 29 Skction II. — Extent of Responsibility 33 Section III.— The Auburn Prison 48 CHAPTER III. Personal Habits op the Teacher 54 CHAPTER IV. Literary Qualifications op the Teacher 63 CHAPTER V. Right Views of Education 78 CHAPTER VI. Right Modes op Teaching 87 Section I. — Pouring in Process 89 Section II.— Drawing-out P. ocess 91 Section HI— The More Exoelleu Wny 95 Section IV. —Waking up Mind 97 Section V.— Remarks 108 CHAPTER VII. Conducting Recitations 114 5 6 CONTENTS. CHAPTER VIII. Exciting Interest in Study 128 Section I. — luceutives — Emululion 129 Section II.— Prizes and Rewards 135 Section III.— Proper luceutives 146 CHAPTER IX. School Government 155 Section I.— Requisites in the Teacher for Good Govei-n- meut 155 Section II. — Means of Securing Good Order 165 Section III. — Punishments— Improper— Proper . .... 180 Section IV. — Corporal Punishment. .' — 197 Section V. — Limitations and Suggestions 209 CHAPTER X. School Arrangeivients 219 Section I.— Plan of Day's Work 226 Section II. — Interruptions .... 232 Section III. — Recesses 236 Section IV. — Assignment of Lessons 238 Section V.— Reviews 240 Section VI. — Examiuations — Exhibitions — Celebra- tions 243 CHAPTER XL The Teacher's Relation to the Parents of His Pupils. 247 CHAPTER XII. The Teacher's Relation to His Profession 254 CHAPTER XIIL Miscellaneous Suggestions 274 Section I.— Things to be avoided 274 Section II.— Things to be performed 288 CHAPTER XIV. The Rewards of the Teacher 311 DAVID PERKINS PAGE SUMMARY OF HIS LIFE AND TEACHINGS.* By "William F. Phelps, A.M. Early History. — David Perkins Page was born at Epping, New Hampshire, July 4, 1810, and died at Albany, New York, January 1, 1848, at the early age of thirty-seven years and six months. His father was a farmer in moderate circumstances, and the earlier years of the son were passed in the health- giving employment of rural life in the old Granite State, which, however unlavish in bringing forth the kindly fruits of the earth, has produced many noble men, who have adorned the history of their country by valiant service in behalf of its civil and educational interests. Even while a boy David Page exhibited a strong love for learning and intellectual pursuits, often importuning his father for a chance to gratify his desire through the advan- tages of a school. But for some time this precious privilege was denied him, because the parent had other objects in view, being determined to prepare the son for the humble life of a New England farmer, that he might succeed him in the pos- session of the maternal homestead. There was therefore a struggle between them which was earnest and long continued. A Crisis. — At length, at the age of sixteen years, the son was attacked by a dangerous illness. For a time he was apparently trembling between life and death, and the hope of recovery was almost abandoned. At this critical juncture, * From Tencheis' Manual, No. 20, copyrighted by E. L. Kellogg & Co., New York and Ciiicago, by permission. 8 DAVID PERKINS PAGE. when, if ever, the parental heart would be opened to the appeals of affection, the pale and prostrate son extorted a promise from his father that if he recovered he should go to a neighboring academy and prepare himself for the duties of a teacher. A Heroic Purpose. — One scarcely knows whether most to admire the sublime heroism that in an hour like this could rise above the pangs of preseur pain or the fear of death, and grasp at the hope of future usefulness and the solid pleasures that learning confers, or smile at the ingenious stratagem which overthrew the citadel of parental prejudice, and overcame every obstacle to the realization of a long-cherished and noble purpose. Probably no incident of his life so palpably exhibits the great secret of the success that crowned his efforts — an ardent longing to be a moving force upon and among others of his race, which even the menace of death could not destroy. Begins His Education— An Episode.— Recovering at length, he was, according to promise, allov.ed to begin his education, and accordingly entered Hampton Academy. "Here," says Horace Mann, "he encountered, for the first time in l)is life, that feeling so common and yet so contemptible, which assigns social rank and estimation not according to moral and intel- lectual worth, but to the cloth one can afford to buy, or to the tailor one employs. He was dressed in the plain garb of a farmer's boy. He met at the Academy specimens of that class of young men upon the texture and style of whose garments their parents had expended their money and skill, but had reserved none for the refinement and elevation of their minds. Polished on the outside, they were the rudest of boors within ; gentlemen only so far as an ape or a swine might be called a gentlemen if arrayed in fine linen, broadcloth, or silk ; whose bodies nuiy live in a palace, but whose souls grovel in a sty. To their gibes and jeers he was subjected, and doubtless his mind here got what Paley calls ' a holding turn '—an unspeak- able contempt for the pretensions that are founded on wealth or habiliments, and a profound religious respect for moral worth." His First School. — Having spent a few months at Hampton, David Page ventured upon the experiment of his first school. We have no account of hi.s success in this the earliest attempt at the chosen work of his life, save from the few casual remarks occasionally made by himself to his intimate friends. During these early efforts, in the light of his later and riper experi- ence, he would naturally be inclined to underrate their value. DAVID PERKINS PAGE. 9 Deeply imbued as he was, however, even at this period, with an unquenchable love for his calling, it may be safely assumed that he did naught knowingly " to mar the handiwork of God." Returns to the Academy. — Having completed the term of his first school, he re-eutered the Academy, still bent upon perfecting his qualifications for his chosen work. The entire period spent at the Academy was less than one year. Having embraced the profession of teaching as a permanent calling, however, he taught district-schools for two successive winters at Epping, New Hampshire, and Newbury, Mass., respectively. The common schools of New England at this time were in session but three months during the season. Having closed his engagement at Newbury, therefore, he opened a private school at the same place, having on the first day but five pupils, but closing the term with a full complement, thus demonstrating his fitness in the eyes of the people for the work he had undertaken. A Close and Laborious Student. — Although now debarred from the privileges of the Academy, and borne down with thc- exacting duties of the schoolroom, yet he did not relax his efforts to improve his scholarship, nor allow his powers to "rust out unused," but applied himself most assiduously to study, keeping in advance of his classes in those branches which were new to himself, and enriching his mind with tliose stores of "collateral" knowledge, concerning which the friends of his later years have heard him so frequently and earnestly speak. Thus by his persevering attention to study and enthu- siastic devotion to duty he greatly increased his reputation by actual merit, and at the age of twenty-one (five years from his entry into Hami)ton Academy as a student) he became asso- ciate principal of the Newburyport High School, having in charge the English Department. Of the memories and associations clustering around his con- nection with this school he ever spoke in terms of the warm- est enthusiasm. The experience here acquired seems to have been of the most varied and valuable character, and his sub- sequent addresses to teachers were often enriched with inci- dents and illustrations of school-life drawn from this source. To his associate principal he was attached with a devotion which none but noble, generous, and unselfish hearts can feel. The testimony of his associate after his lamented death was expressed in these words: "Our connection was intimate, long continued, and uniformly pleasant. I think we never had a difference of opinion in regard to school arrangements 10 DAVID PERKINS PAGE. or regulations, and every plan we adopted was the result of consultation between us." His Frank and Manly Character.— The character of Mr. Page for frankness, honesty, and straightforwardness, as well as his hatred of fraud, and the secret trickery by which sor- did, ignoble, and unworthy souls seek to live and prosper, was most strikingly illustrated in the following incident, re- lated by Horace Mann : "While principal of the Newburyport High School, the author of a series of school-books laid a plan to ensnare Mr. Page, and secure his influence in favor of their introduction into the Newburyport schools. Supposing that Mr. Page would.be actuated by mercenary motives like himself, he approached him on the side of acquisitiveness. Being a member of a school committee which gave much higher salaries to masters than Mr. Page was receiving, he used the lure of promotion to a better rewarded field of labor. He represented to Mr. Page that a vacancy was about to occur which he, the bookmaker, could probably fill with his own nominee, and in flattering terras proffered his influence to Mr. Page in favor of the suc- cessorship. But at the close of this disinterested interview was a pregnant sug-gestion that before the transfer from the old to the new position Mr. Page should secure the adoption of the aforesaid author's books in the schools of the town he was to leave. This opened his eyes. On inquiry he found that no such vacancy was about to occur, and that the whole train of inducements which had been set before him was a fabrication, having no other object than to suborn his influ- ence in favor of the books in question. "More than once," says Mr. Mann, " have 1 heard Mr. Page express his scorn and detestation of this piece of knavery, with the hope that the time might sometime come when, at some meeting of the friends of education, in the presence of the culprit himself, he might have an opportunity to recount these facts and publicly fasten their infamy upon their ruthor." From Newburyport to Albany. — Mr. Page's connection with the Newburyport High School continued for a period of twelve years. He was thus acquiring that rich store of ex- perience needed to prepare him for a higher and still more responsible position. While in the High Schools he was asso- ciated with that grand movement led by Horace Mann for the regeneration of the public schools through the establishment of normal schools, teachers' institutes and associations. He took an active part in the discussion of educational problems, DAVID PERKINS PAGE. II and in the reforms needed to raise the schools from the ex- treme depression of those times. The Movement in New York. — The Empire State had been making unsatisfactory experiments in the direction of training teachers. The need of training had been universally admitted, it is apparent. To meet this need teachers' classes in acad- emies had been established through a long series of years, but they had not yielded an appreciable benefit to her common schools:, so the State at length resolved through her Legisla- ture upon a trial of a teachers' seminary. Her leading minds had come fully to acquiesce in the sentiment that "as is the teacher so is the school ; " and believing that teachers, like lawyers, doctors, and divines, need special preparation, they sought earnestly for an efficient method of solving the problem. The' experiments already tried had involved immense expendi- tures and had progressed through a period of ten years, and yet had proved of little or no benefit. Establishment of a Norma,! School. — An able committee was appointed by the Legislature of 1844 to investigate and report upon the expediency of establishing a " Normal School, for the instruction and practice of teachers in the science of e'ducation and the art of instructing the young." This com- mittee, after a careful personal inspection of the Normal Schools of Massachusetts, made an able report in favor of such an institution as an experiment for five years. The re- port having been favorably received, a bill* was promptly passed by a large majority of both branches of the Legislature, and authorizing an appropriation of $10,000 a year for five years for its support. An executive committee was also authorized to be chosen by the Regents of the University for the care and supervision of the school. Selects Mr. Page as Principal. — This committee, consist- ing of such men as Colonel Samuel Young, Bishop Alonzo Potter, Francis Dwight, and others, then held most earnest consultation and made most earnest inquiry for the right man to place at. the head of such an institution. As Horace Mann had declared tliat Normal Schools were indispensable to ele- vate teaching from the degraded state into which it had fallen, consequent upon the practice of admitting as teachers all who possessed the merest rudiments of scholarship, they sought his advice in their efforts to find a man who had just conceptions of teaching, and who could impart them to others. Mr. Mann unhesitatingly pierced the name of Mr. Page before the com- mittee as the ablest and fittest man for this important place. 12 DAVID PERKINS PAGE. Correspondence was accordingly opened with him. In reply to the first communication he addressed numerous inquiries to the committee touching the plan of organization, manage- ment, and other details, that were so pointed, well chosen, and appropriate that Colonel Young at once exclaimed, before the reading of the reply was finished, "That is the man we need," and expressed himself as entirely satisfied without further evidence as to his pre-eminent qualifications for tlie important position. Tlie selection of the right man as the guiding genius of the new institution was, however, deemed to be so essential to its welfare and success that Rev. Dr. Pot- ter was commissioned to visit Mr. Page at his home in New- buryport, and satisfy himself by a personal interview of his fitness for the high duties to be devolved upon him. Calling at the residence of Mr. Page Rev. Dr. Potter found him in his working-day suit, engaged in some mechanical work con- nected with the improvement of his dwelling. The doctor was so prepossessed with the personal appearance, dignified bearing, and conversation of the stranger that a single half-iiour's con- versation suflSced to satisfy him ; and as authorized by his associates on the committee, he closed the negotiation that secured the services of one who gave to the Normal School such a character and standing for usefulness, eflSciency, and influence as converted a doubtful experiment into an estab- lished fact long before the period of probation had expired. Enters on His New Field of Labor. — Mr. Page look leave of his charge at Newbury port near the middle of December, 1844, amid the most flattering demonstrations of gratitude and affectionate regard from those to whom he liad been in- structor, counsellor, and friend. Arriving at Albany but a ftw days before the date designated for the commencement of the Normal School, he found everything in a state of utmost confusion. The rooms for its accommodation yet resounded with the noise of the carpenters' tools. There was no plan of organization; no books, apparatus, or other appliances of instruction necessary to the successful operation of a school looked upon with hope and yet with fear and trembling by a few, with distrust and opposition by many. At a glance his quick and penetrating eye })ereeived the magnitude of the task before him, and he applied himself to the work with all the earnestness and industry that so eminently distinguished his brief and glorious career. Order soon sprang out of con- fusion, form and comeliness out of chaos, life and animation out of passivity and dulness. The first term of twelve weeks DAVID PERKINS PAGE. 1} began with less than twenty-five pupils, and closed with nearly a hundred. So marked and favorable, however, was the im- pression made during this short space of time, that at the be- ginning of the second term, in the spring of 1845, the number of students increased to nearly two hundred. Devotion to Duty. — Mr. Page seemed to realize his respon- sibility with all the keenness of a truly conscientious and sen- sitive nature. No duty was left unperformed. Every interest connected with the welfare of his charge was watched and guarded. He labored in season and out of season to secure a liberal and enlightened appreciation of the special objects aiid true aims of the Normal School by his pupils and the public. Not content with the faithful fulfilment of his obligations as a teacher in the schoolroom, when evening came he visited his flock, encouraged the weak and disheartened, mildly re- proved the wayward, and ministered to the sick and afiQicted. He seetned to regard his school as his family, and felt it in- cumbent upon himself to watch over their physical and moral well-being as well as their intellectual progress. His pupils in return looked up to him as a father, a wise counsellor, and unselfish friend, upon whom they might safely rely. It rarely falls to the lot of many teachers to win so fully and unre- servedly the confidence, esteem, and affection of their students as did this noble man. Looked Broadly at Education. — Standing thus at the head of the new experiment in New York State, Mr. Page became identified with the advancement of education at large in the entire State. He realized that if the wisdom of the establish- ment of the normal school was to be vindicated, the public mind must be informed and educated ; the people must be brought up to understand it and support it. To this end his vacations were largely spent in attendance upon teachers' institutes. His eloquent voice was raised at the associations and conventions of the friends of education whenever an opportunity was presented for striking a blow in behalf of the cause of an enlightened training of the teacher for his high office. During the autumn vacation of 1847, he felt he had gained the ear of the public ; he convinced all who heard him that the public school was worthy the expenditure of fostering care and the employment of teachers possessing special fitness. To present these then novel thoughts he worked incessantly, travelling from county to county, from institute to institute, delivering frequently from four to five lectures each day, to crowded audiences, upon those themes that had assumed i^ I4 DAVID PERKINS PAGE. his mind an exalted importance. It was the cause of the Child he was pleading. The Harvest Was Plenteous, but Right Laborers Few.— While at a gathering of teachers, on one of these occasions, he addressed a long letter to one of his associates, in which he alluded feelingly to " the extreme youth and inexperience of most of those in attendance ; " and he continued : " It makes my heart sick when I reflect that so many of the schools of the Empire State are to be confided to the care of these Misses, but just in their teens, and boys who might yet profit by the wholesome advice and restraints of parental authority." It was Mr. Pagers one idea that teaching was so sacred and important an oflace that only the best hearts and minds should engage in it. His own heart was wholly in his work. His interest was not a sordid, selfish, pecuniary interest. The aspirations of his noble soul overleaped the lust for wealth or power, and he sought those rewards that come from devotion to the welfare of humanity. The only recompense he looked for was that which awaits the pure in heart and the diligent in well-doing, and that recompense was not long delayed. Overestimated His Strength — The excessive and unremit- ting toils of the autumn vacation of 1847, so closely followed by the exacting duties of the succeeding term, were more than a constitution like his could endure. The term opened auspiciously. Stimulated by the fervent appeals of Mr. Page at the institutes in behalf of a higher grade of qualification, large numbers of pupils presented themselves for admission. The accommodations of the school were scarcely equal to the demand upon them. The severe tax thus imposed upon his impaired strength at last overcame his powers of endurance, and he was prostrated upon a bed of sickness. His Last Days. — At a meeting of the Faculty of the Nor- mal School held at his residence, a few weeks after the open- ing of the fall term of 1847, he appeared more than ordinarily weary and careworn. He had just completed his first series of calls upon the students at their boarding-places, as was his wont, and he remarked to his associates: "I have visited them all ; it is a severe task. It is too much for me alone, and I must hereafter have your aid." At this conference the con- dition of the school and the standing of the students in their classes was discussed, and the records made up preparatory to a short holiday vacation and to a visit anticipated by him- self to his old home and friends in Massachusetts. It was to be a reunion of friends and relatives, such as the merry holi- DAVID PERKINS PAGE. 1 5 days of New England so often witness, and such as the true sons of New England know well how to appreciate and enjoy. Mr. Page was quite cheerful during the evening in view of the promised rest and recreation, but complained of slight indis- position. The meeting broke up early, and he immediately retired for the night, but little rest came. His indisposition, which proved to be pneumonia, increased with the approach of morning. Little apprehension was, however, felt for his safety until the night of the fourth day, when, just before a marked change in his condition occurred, he communicated to a friend in attend- ance upon him his presentiment that he would not recover. His disease soon assumed a more violent type, baffling the skill of his medical attendants, and on the morning of Jan. 1, 1848, death closed the scene, and he passed to that higher life of peace, purity, and blessedness, which to realize somewhat on earth through the right education of the children was ever the goal of his highest aspirations and hope. Some Striking Coincidences. — In reviewing the life of this noble man some striking coincidences will be noticed which are worthy of special mention. Born on the anniversary of our country's natal-day, he died on the birthday of a New Year. Again, precisely six months before his death he made an excursion to his former home in Massachusetts. As it was a trip for recreation, he seemed bent upon seeing and showing everything of special interest that presented itself for observa- tion. He manifested a strong disposition, whenever the delays of travel occurred, to while away the time by visiting ceme- teries. He had long had a presentiment that his life was to be a short one. He was accompanied on this excursion by one of his associates, and while wending their way through the beautiful country at Newburyport he stopped suddenly under the shade of a thrifty oak, and exclaimed, "Here, Mr. Phelps, is where I desire to be buried." Six months from that time his remains were deposited in the precise spot, almost invol- untarily chosen for himself. At the moment of his departure from Boston to assume the arduous, not to say hazardous, tasis of organizing and con- ducting a teachers' seminary, in a new and untried field, Horace Mann gave him as a parting injunction, "Succeed or die." How nobly and truly he realized both alternatives the sequel proved. Death followed success as mid-noon follows in the wake of morning. The good man's mission was ful- filled. The earnest, honest, devoted, faithful teacher, the 10 DAVID PERKINS PAGE. sincere Christian, passed to his reward. He rested from his labors, aud his works do follow him. Thn words of Horace Manu inspired the pen of the poetess Mrs. Sigourney : "Succeed or die." Teacher, was that thy creed ? The motto on thy banner, when thou earnest A soldita- to the field ? "Succeed or die." 'Twas graven on thy shield. Unresting toil Won the drst trophy, as the grateful heart. Of many a youth to patient knowledge trained, Doth testify with tears ; while many a man Crowned by his i^lma Mater, from the post Of honor or of care, reraembereth well "Whose strong, persuasive nurture led him there. So thy first goal was gained. But for the next The Excelsior of thy creed ;— methinks the first Involved the second ; for to die like thee Was but the climax of a full success, Taking its last reward. Yea, such reward As waiteth those who the young soul shall turn To righteousness,— a name above the stars That in the cloudless firmament of God Forever shine. Mr. Page as an Educator. — It might seem that Mr. Page had succeeded in arousing the State of New York into educa- tional activity solely by eloquence and unresting activity, but he was the representative in the Empire State of the spirit of educational reform, of which Horace Mann was the wonderful exponent in New England. Recognizing and deploring the wretched condition of ihe great mass of the schools, particu- larly in the rui-al districts, he felt that the prevailing methods of in>triicti(m were little else than mere drivel, profitless alike to the children and the community ; he sought earnestly their elevMtion by all the means available for the purpose. He realized that the teachers were mostly ignorant, inefficient, and incompetent, and the schools were many of them desti- tute of even the semblance of organization and intelligent plans of management, while the schoolhouses were frequently badly located, ill-arranged, ill-furnished, and unfit for their intended uses. He believed that the reform of the schools must begin with the reform.-^tion of the teachers, and that the latter must be secured by quickening in them the sense of DAVID PERKINS PAGE. 1 7 responsibility, through appeals to the higher motives ; by ele- vating the standard of scholarship, and by accurate professional training. Ttie subjects of his discourses upon which he spoke so eloquently were, often, the Spirit of the Teacher ; the Responsibility of the Teacher ; Need of Ample Qualifications ; Need of Right Views of Education ; Right Methods and Wrong Methods. "Thaory and Practice of Teaching. "—It was most fortu- nate that Mi\ Page was spared to write that remarkable vol- ume entitled '-Theory and Practice of Teaching," which has become widely known. That work was the result of original observation, of a careful study of the ablest teachers and writers of his time. The student who wants to thoroughly realize its value should remember that Mr. Page lived in a transition period from the era of blind lesson-hearing to one in which by rational and intelligent method edncation was aimed at. He was quite abreast of the age and in the front rank of his profession, according to the best standards of that period. Compared ■with the present epoch of rigid analysis and scientific research into the laws of mind, when pedagogy has won a distinct place among the learned professions, it must be confessed that some of his views seem crude and unscientific. But it must not be forgotten that they answered the demands of the times, and became the stepping-stones, as it were, to the higher order of things to which we have now attained through the earnest and exhaustive studies of some of the profoundest scholars of the age. "Theory and Practice of Teaching," though written a half- century ago, has such an admirable spirit that it cannot but continue to be read by young teachers with profit. Ediicition as It Was.— A proper appreciation of the work of Mr. Page requires that a brief statement of the condition of education in New York and other States, prior to the year 1344, should be made. To begin with, the common schools were merely rudimentary in their character. Only the elements were attempted to be taught, and even this work was of an almost purely mechanical type. There was little or no appeal to the understanding and the intelligence, as a general rule. Blind groping best expresses the average tendency of the learn- ing and the teaching. The teachers themselves, as a class, were persons of limited attainments, with no rational ideas of method and no skill in adapting their instruction to the wants and capacities of their pupils. The schools had scarcely any- 1 8 DAVID PERKINS PAGE. thing that approached a system of organization. Moral in- struction was unknown. The rod was the supreme appeal in cases of discipline. There was little public interest in the schools. Supervision by counties and to some extent by towns had been alternately adopted and discarded and finally re- adopted in the State of New York. The schoolhouses were small, badly built, ill - constructed, ill - furnished, and ill- adapted to their intended purposes. The schoolbooks then in use were of the crudest kind in composition, arrangement, and adaptation to the needs of the pupils. Blackboards, maps, charts, and apparatus for illustration were rarely found in the schools, or, if there, w^ere allowed to "rust unused ;" mechan- ical routine was the order of the day. The ability to preserve order was regarded as the leading qualification of the teacher. Cramming the memory with words, the meaning of which was a matter of chance, was the chief aim. Teacher and taught were often in antagonism. The power of love as a means of discipline w^as almost unknown. There was no recognition of educational principles. To teach was simply to impart. To memorize was the chief end of learning. A Reaction Began. — In Massachusetts the work of reform had fairly set in. The clarion voice of Horace Mann was heard throughout the old " Bay State," and his scathing expo- sure of the defects of the schools, the incompetency of the teachers, the deplorable condition of the schoolhouses, the lack of supervision and of all suitable appliances of instruc- tion, had begun to produce their legitimate effect in enlighten- ing public opinion and stimulating remedial measures. In this noble work Mr. Mann was ably seconded by the Alcotts, Samuel J. May, Woodbridge, Colburn, Russell, Page, Carter, Father Pierce, and others. Mr. Mann was elected secretary of the State Board of Education in 1837. He subsequently went to Europe, and in his tour of the Prussian schools caught the spirit and witnessed the rational methods inspired by the great Swiss educator Pestalozzi. Returning to this country he prepared what is known as his famous Seventh Annual Report, which excited universal attention and challenged the most vigorous criticisms. This report gave a vivid and stirring description of the Prussian schools, and presented the most striking contrasts to the bungling, mechanical, and ineJBQcient plans so generally in vogue at home. So marked were these contrasts, and so unfavorable to our current methods of teach- ing, that a pamphlet was issued by thirty-one Boston school- masters, antagonizing the views of the brilliant secretary, and DAVID PERKINS PAGE. 1 9 attempting to show that the ideas of Pestalozzi, however suited to the schools of the Old World, were not adapted to the con- ditions in our own country. The contest was long continued and bitter, but, as the sequel has proved, it was the inaugura- tion of a revolution in American education, whicii never has gone and never can go backwards. Normal Schools were established as early as 1837-8 in Massachusetts, and thus was tlie proposition that the teacher should be specially trained for his work accorded full recognition, and the Normal School took its place as a distinctive and potent factor in the Ameri- can common-school system. Page and his Aims. —It was during this transition period between the old and the new, the repressive and the pro- gressive, the mechanical and the rational, the artificial and tiie natural, in educational methods, that Mr. Page was called to the direction of affairs in the State of New York. The Normal School had been established by an act of the Legisla- ture of 1844. The Empire State was next to Massachusetts in the recognition of this new agency for the improvement of its common schools through the special training and the elevation of its teachers. Mr. Page came to his responsible charge thor- oughly imbued with the spirit of the reform movement. He was familiar with the best that was then known in the theory and practice of the teacher's calling, and his aim was to inspire his pupils with a higher ideal of their work, and thoroughly to equip them, intellectually, morally, and professionally, for the duties and demands of that work. No one could long associate with him without feeling the inspiration of his lofty ideals. He laid great stress upon the "spirit of the teacher," and his own generous and self-sacrificing spirit was the key to all that he said and did. This feeling was contagious among his pupils. They respected him, revered him, honored him, and loved him. His methodical plans of organization and management, his class work, and, above all, his familiar talks upon professional topics, were models of excellence, and impressed themselves upon the heart and conscience of those who Vv'ere brought under his influence. Wherever he appeared at the institutes and conventions of teachers these sentiments were at once aroused and opposition thoroughly disarmed. Effect of these Influences. — The legitinmte effect of these lofty ideals, as taught and exemplified by this model teacher, was immediate. His pupils at once became his enthusiastic supporters, and wherever they went the name and fame of Page were upon every tongue. Wherever his graduates were 20 DAVID PERKINS PAGE. employed in the schools, order sprang out of chaos, interest and enthusiasm supplanted indifference, intelligence and skill superseded ignorance and blind routine. The opening of the second term witnessed the presence of more than two hundred students, eager to sit under the inspiration and teachings of the man who in less than one year had profoundly impressed himself upon the public opinion of the largest and most popu- lous State in the Union. As a matter of course these ideas, plans, and methods, inspired and inculcated at the Normal School, were not only an innovation upon the past, but they w^ere revolutionary in their tendency, and well calculated to arouse a feeling of hostility among teachers of the old style. It is no wonder, therefore, that the opposition to the Normal School, became aggressive, and sought to express itself in organized action. Accordingly, at a meeting of the New York State Teachers' Association, held at Rochester in 1846, this opposition, com- prising some men of ability and prominence in the State, and representing especially the academic and collegiate interests, sought public expression. These men, with a considerable degree of assurance and audacity, were determined to put the declaration upon record that the teachers of the State needed no institutes or Normal Schools to teach them how to teach. A prominent member of the fraternity from the city of New York accordingly drew up and proposed the adoption of a resolution condemning the establishment of the State Normal School as needless for the teachers, and an unwarranted ex- pense to the State. It came to the knowledge of Mr. Page that such a resolution was to be introduced, and he placed himself on the platform awaiting its presentation. But the author of it and his abettors knew full well that there was no man to whom language, facts, and arguments were such will- ing and capable weapons in such a conflict as to David P. Page, when he stood on his feet. The time for introducing it was accordingly postponed to a more favorable season during the afternoon session. But on reassembling Mr. Page was found upon the platform, seeming to court nothing so much as an opportunity to speak to such a resolution. The prime movers, however, concluding that discretion was the better part of valor, and justly fearing that the agitation of the sub- ject would result in strengthening the cause they sought to injure, the movement collapsed, and was never afterward heard from. The Growth of these Ideas.— The marked success of the DAVID PERKINS PAGE. 21 Normal School at Albany under the guiding hand of Mr. Page soon stimulated similar movements in other States. Michigan, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Wis- consin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri followed the lead of Massachusetts and New York in rapid succession. The development of the system in New York has been upon a colossal scale, worthy of her name and fame as the " Empire State." Eight of these great training-schools are now in active operation under tlie auspices of the State, the cost of maintenance amounting to over one hundred thousand dol- lars annually. It is only the truth of history to affirm that the establishment of the school at Albany and its great suc- cess under the fostering care of Page and his able coadjutors. Bishop Potter, Colonel Samuel Young, Francis Dwight, and others, paved the way for the wonderful revolution in educa- tional thought, and made these great results possible. The high standard attained in every department of learning and the appliances brought into the service are the result of evolution from the modest, early beginning and of the brilliant, judi- cious, and self-sacrificing labors of the devoted men who were the pioneers of those earlier days. Many of the graduates of that and subsequent periods have occupied and are still honor- ing some of the most important and responsible positions in other and distant States, and have helped to shape the school systems whicii will mould the character and destinies of gen- erations yet unborn. Summary of the Foregoing Presentation. — An epitome of the life, educational views, and labors of Mr. Page, with the lessons deducible therefrom, may be given as follows : 1. Born and reared in humble life, he manifested at an early age an irrepressible desire for knowledge and the usefulness which its possession implies. The gratification of his wishes, at first denied by his parents, was at last conceded under the pressure of a renewed petition while prostrated with a danger- ous illness, conditioned upon his recovery. 2. A favorable issue of his malady resulted in his entrance at a neighboring academy, where the foundation was laid for his education and his successful career as a teacher, although the time spent there was very limited, subsequent to which he commenced teaching a district school. His term completed, he returns to the academy, and during the ensuing winter again teaches in his native town, his further studies being pursued without assistance. He became literaJly a self-made man. 22 DAVID PERKINS PAGE. 3. Again he teaches a district school, and definitely resolves to nmke this calling his profession. At its close, at the age of nineteen years, he boldly opens a private school, studying by himself, thoroughly mastering the lessons he was to teach, and adapting his teachings to the several capacities of his pupils, encouraging the diffident and sluggish, restraining the forward, and kindling in their youthful hearts aspirations for the good and pure, and ever striving to enlarge his own sphere of thought, intelligence, and usefulness. 4. He becomes associate principal of the Newburyport High School with one of the most eminent teachers of Massachusetts, wliere he rendered the most acceptable service for twelve years. Here he began his career as a public lecturer, appearing on several occasions before the Essex County Teachers' Associ- ation. These lectures were characterized by Horace Mann as the best ever delivered before that or any other body. Of one of these, on " The Mutual Duties of Parents and Teachers," six thousand copies were printed and distributed, three thou- sand of them at Mr. Mann's expense, throughout the State. His powers as an orator were of a high order. He could " think standing on his feet and before folks" — a rare gift. 5. As a result of his industry and professional skill and devotion, his reputation outran his immediate locality and State, and in the latter part of the year 1844 he was, on the recommendation of Horace Mann, selected as the first princi- pal of the first Normal School in the State of New York, at Albany, entering upon his duties on the 15th of December of that year. Here, with the sphere of his usefulness vastly ex- panded, he proved himself equal to all emergencies, and re- solved order out of chaos, inspired hope and confidence where doubt and fear prevailed, and silenced all opposition among the enemies of the normal system for the preparation of teachers. This was laying tiie foundation for the " new edu- cation," the beginning of a new era from which the marvellous progress of the later years has been rendered possible. The advent of rational, intelligent, philosophic methods of organiz- ing, conducting, and teaching schools was a radical innovation upon the old system of blind groping and mechanical memo- rizing, so generally prevalent. It was the beginning of a revolution which has eventuated in establishing education upon a solid basis of enduring, because scientific, principals. It has rendered possible the universal acceptance in theory and practice of the views of Froebel and Pestalozzi, which are DAVID PERKINS PAGE. 2} doing so much to elevate and ennoble the cause of general ed ucation. 6, The cardinal doctrines of Mr. Page's creed were em- braced in the conviction, first, that the spirit of the teacher must be elevated and inspired above all sordid and mercenary aims to a profound reverence for the human soul, and an un- dying love for his noble calling ; second, that only in the most thoj^ough, careful, and comprehensive special preparation for his profession can he find any warrant or hope of real success ; third, that to this end teachers' seminaries, properly organized, equipped, and conducted, must afford the best guaranty of the ultimate success of our common schools, and of a suitable preparation of the people of a free republic for the great duties of citizenship. 7. The impressive lessons of such a life seem too evident to require distinct specification. They are so clear that they may be known and read of all men : A noble resolve, followed by heroic and persistent endeavor; loftiness of aim ; self-reli- ance ; a high ideal of professional responsibility ; a deep reverence for the human soul, and an unwavering confidence in its possibilities for intellectual and moral elevation ; clear and positive views of the means and ends of education ; a conviction of the absolute necessity of self-culture ; he who would teach elficiently must himself be a profound and earnest student ; he must be a close observer of the phenomena of child-life, and adapt himself to its varying needs; he must master the principles that underlie his work, and seek to exemplify them in every act of his professional life. To "succeed or die " is the highest of human resolves. To do both is to earn a martyr's crown. THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING, CHAPTEK L SPIRIT OF THE TEACHER. The True Spirit— Perhaps the very first question that the honest individual will ask himself, as he pro- poses to assume the teacher's office, or to enter upon a preparation for it, will be " What manner of spirit am loff No question can be more important. I would by no means undervalue that degree of natural talent — of mental power, which all justly consider so desirable in the candidate for the teacher's office. But the true spirit of the teacher — a spirit that seeks not alone pecuniary emolument, but desires to be in the highest degree useful to those who are to be taught; a spirit that elevates above everything else the nature and ca- pabilities of the human soul, and that trembles under the responsibility of attempting to be its educator; a spirit that looks upon gold as the contemptible dross of earth, when compared with that imperishable gem which is to be polished and brought out into heaven's light to shine forever; a spirit that scorns all the re- 25 2(> THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. wards of earth, and seeks that highest of all rewards, an approving consuience and an approving God; a spirit that earnestly inquires what is right, and that dreads to do what is wrong; a spirit that can recognize and reverence the handiwork of God in every child, and that burns with the desire to be instrumental in train- ing it to the highest attainment of which it is capable, —such a spirit is the first thing to be sought by the teacher, and without it the highest talent cannot make him truly excellent in his profession. Preparation Needed. — The candidate for the office of the teacher should look well to his motives. It is easy to enter upon the duties of the teacher without preparation; it is easy to do it without that lofty pur- pose which an enlightened conscience would ever demand; but it is not so easy to undo the mischief which a single mistake may produce in the mind of the child at that tender period when mistakes are most likely to be made. Motives Often Wrong. — Too many teachers are found in our schools without the spirit for their work which is here insisted on. They not only have not given attention to any preparation for their work, but resort to it from motives of personal convenience, and in many instances from a consciousness of being unfit for every thing else. In other professions this is not so. The lawyer is not admitted to the bar till he has pur- sued a course of thorough preparation, and even then but warily employed. The physician goes through his course of reading and his course of lectures, and often almost through a course of starvation in the country village where he first puts up his sign, before he is called in to heal the maladies of the body. It is long SPIRIT OF THE TEACHER. 27 before he can inspire confidence enough in the people to be intrusted with their most difficult cases of ailing, and very likely the noon of life is passed before he can consider himself established. But it is not so with the teacher. He gains access to the sanctuary of mind without any difficulty, and the most tender interests for both worlds are intrusted to his guidance, even when he makes pretension to no higher motive than that of fill- ing up a few months of time not otherv/ise appropriated, and to no qualifications but those attained by accident. A late writer in the "Journal of Education" hardly overstates this matter : " Every stripling who has passed four years within the walls of a college; every dissatis- fied clerk who has not ability enough to manage the trifling concerns of a common retail-shop ; every young farmer who obtains in the winter a short vacation from the toils of summer — in short, every young person who is conscious of his imbecility in other business, esteems himself fully competent to train the ignorance and weakness of infancy into all the virtue and power and wisdom of maturer years — to form a creature, the frailest and feeblest that Heaven has made, into the in- telligent and fearless sovereign of the whole animated creation, the interpreter and adorer and almost the representative of Divinity ! " Teaching a Secondary Object with Many.— Many there are who enter upon the high employment of teaching a common school as a secondary object. Per- haps they are students themselves in some higher insti- tution, and resort to this as a temporary expedient for paying their board, while their chief object is to pursue their own studies, and thus keep pace with their classes. Some make it a stepping-stone to something beyond. 28 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. and, in their estimation, higher in the scale of respect- ability — treating the employment, while in it, as irksome in the extreme, and never manifesting so much delight as when the hour arrives for the dismissal of their schools. Such have not the true spirit of the teacher; and if their labors are not entirely unprofitable, it only proves that children are sometimes submitted to im- minent danger, but are still unaccountably preserved by the hand of Providence. Ignorance Does not Excuse Mistakes. — The teacher should go to his duty full of his work. He should be impressed with its overwhelming importance. He should feel that his mistakes, though they may not speedily ruin him, may permanently injure his pupils. Nor is it enough that he shall say, " I did it ignorantly." He has assumed to fill a place where ignorance itself is sin; and where indifference to the well-being of others is equivalent to wilful homicide. He might as inno- cently assume to be the physician, and, without know- ing its effects, prescribe arsenic for the colic. Ignorance is not in such cases a valid excuse, because the assump- tion of the place implies a pretension to the requisite skill. Let the teacher, then, well consider what manner of spirit he is of. Let him. come to this work only when he has carefully pondered its nature and its responsi- bilities, and after he has devoted his best powers to a thorough preparation of himself for its high duties. Above all, let him be sure that his motives on entering the schoolroom are such as will be acceptable in the sight of God, when viewed by the light beaming out from His throne. "Oh! let not then unsldlful hnnds attempt To play the harp whose tones, whose liviDg tones, SPIRIT OF THE TEACHER. 29 Are left forever in the strings. Better far Tbat beaveu's lightnings bhist bis very soul, And sink it buck to Chaos' lowest depths. Thau knowingly, by word or i]ee(\t he send A blight upon the trusting mind of j'oulh." QUESTIONS. 1. What is the first question an aspirant for the oifiee of the teacher should ask himself? Give reasons for your answer. 2. Are teachers born or made? (Before answering ask yourself whether physicians, lawyers, ministers, or artists are born. ) 3. How do lawyers, physicians, divines, and artists prepare themselves for their profession ? Draw conclusions as to the preparation of teachers. 4. Why is it that many look upon teaching as a mere stepping-stone to something which they consider far more honorable ? 5. Why is Ignorance no excuse for mistakes in teaching? 6. How does a good teacher regard his business? 7. Why is it necessary that the teacher should have a high conception of his duties? 8. Why should indifferent teachers be kept out of the school -room ? 9. What does the good teacher consider his highest reward ? 10. What is your idea of the highest function of the school ? 30 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. CHAPTER II. RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TEACHER. SECTIOIT I. — A l^EGLECTED PEAR-TREE. A Garden.— Some years ago, while residing in the northeastern part of Massachusetts, I was the owner of a small garden. I had taken much pains to improve the condition and appearance of the place. A woodbine had been carefully trained npon the front of the little homestead; a fragrant honeysuckle, supported by a trellis, adorned the doorway; a moss-rose, a flowering almond, and the lilly of the valley, mingled their fra- grance in the breath of morn — and never, in my estima- tion at least, did the sun shine upon a lovelier, happier spot. The morning hour was spent in "dressing and keeping" the garden. Its vines were daily watched and carefully trained ; its borders were free from weeds, and the plants expanded their leaves and opened their buds as if smiling at the approach of the morning sun. There were fruit-trees, too, which had been brought from far, and so carefully nurtured that they were covered with blossoms, filling the air with their fra- grance and awakening the fondest hopes of an abun- dant harvest. Neglected Pear-tree.— In one corner of this miniature paradise there was a hop-trellis, and in the midst of a bed of tansy hard by stood a small, knotty, crooked pear-tree. It had stood there I know not how long. It was very diminutive in size; but, like those cedars which one notices high up the mountain, just on the RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TEACHER. J I boundary between vegetation and eternal frost, it had every mark of the decrepitude of age. Why should this tree stand here so unsightly and un- fruitful? Why had it escaped notice so long? Its bark had become hound and cracked; it leaves were smalled and curled; and those, small as they were, were ready to be devoured by a host of caterpillars, whose pampered bodies were already grown to the length of an inch. The tendrils of the hop-vine had crept about its thorny limbs and were weighing down its growth, while the tansy at its roots drank up the refreshing dew and shut out the genial ray. It was a neglected tree! The Task of Pruning Commenced. — " Why may not this tree be pruned ?" No sooner said than the small saw was taken from its place and the work was com- menced. Commenced 9 It was hard to determine where to commence. Its knotty branches had grown thick and crooked, and there was scarcely space to get the saw between them. They all seemed to deserve amputation, but then the tree would have no top. This and that limb were lopped off ^s the case seemed to demand. The task was neither easy nor pleasant. Sometimes a violent stroke would bring down upon my own head a shower of the filthy caterpillars; again, the long-cher- " ished garden-coat — threadbare and faded as it was — got caught, and before it could be disengaged, what an un- sightly rent had been made ! With pain I toiled on, for one of the unlucky thorns had pierced my thumb; and I might have been said to be working on the spur of the occasion ! Promises. — The hop-vine, however, was removed from its boughs, the tansy and -v^eeds from its roots, the scales and moss from its bark. The thorns were carefully ^2 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. pared from its limbs, and tlie caterpillars were all shaken from its leaves. The mould was loosened and enriched, — and the snn shined that day upon a long neglected but now a promising tree. Grafting of a Bartlet Pear.— The time for grafting was not yet passed. One reputedly skilled in that art was called to put the new scion upon the old stock. The work was readily undertaken and speedily accom- plished, and the assurance was given that the Bartlet Pear -that prince among the fruits of New England — would one day be gathered from my neglected tree. First Fruit Blossoms.— AVith what interest I watched the buds of the scion, morning after morning, as the month grew warmer, and vegetation all aronnd was " bursting into birth \" AYith what delight did I greet the first opening of those buds, and how did I rejoice as the young shoots put forth and grew into a fresh, green top ! "With tender solicitude I cherished this tree for two long summers; and, on the opening of the third, my heart was gladened with the sight of its first fruit blos- soms. "With care were the weeds excluded, the cater- pillars exterminated, the hop -vine clipped, the bark rubbed and washed, the earth manured and watered. Chagrin and Mortification.— The time of fruit ar- rived. The Bartlet pear was offered in our market — but my pears were not yet ripe ! With anxious care they were watched till the frost bade the green leaves wither, and then they were carefully gathered and placed in the sunbeams within doors. They at length turned yellow, and looked fair to the sight and tempting to the taste; and a few friends, who had known their history, were invited to partake of them. They were brought forward, carefully arranged in the best dish the RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TEACHER. }} humble domicile afforded, and formally introduced as the first fruits of the ^^ neglected tree!' What was my cha- grin and mortification, after all my pains and solicitude, after all my hopes and fond anticipations, to find they were miserable, tasteless — cliohe-pears ! Neglected Trees in the Moral Garden.— This pear- tree has put me upon thinking. It has suggested that there is such a thing as a moral garden, in which there may be fair flowers indeed, but also some neglected trees. The plants in this garden may suffer very much from neglect — from neglect of the gardener. It is deplorable to see how many crooked, unseemly branches shoot forth from some of these young trees, which early might have been trained to grow straight and smooth by the hand of cultivation. Many a youth, running on in his own way, indulging in deception and profanity, yielding to temptation and overborne by evil influences, polluting by his example and wounding the hearts of his best friends as they yearn over him for good, has reminded me of my neglected tree, its caterpillars, its roughened bark, its hop-vine, its tansy-bed, its cruel piercing thorns. And when I have seen such a youth brought under the influence Of the educator, and have witnessed the prog- ress he has made and the intellectual promise he has given, I have also thought of my neglected iree. When, too, I have followed him to the years of maturity, and have found, as I have too often found, that he brings not forth "the peaceable fruits of righteousness,'' but that he disappoints all the fondly-cherished hopes of his friends — perhaps of his own teachers, because the best principles were not engrafted upon him, I again think of my neglected tree, and of the unskilful, perhaps dis- honest gardener, who acted as its responsihle educator. 34 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. Inferences. — From the above as a text, several infer- ences might be drawn. 1. Education is necessary to develop the human soul. 2. Education should begin early. We have too many neglected trees. 3. It should be right education. And 4. The educator should be a safe and an honest man; else the education may be all wrong— may be worse even than the neglect. But especially we may infer that — SECTION II. — ^THE TEACHER IS RESPONSIBLE. The Teacher not alone Responsible — It is the object of the following remarks feebly to illustrate the extent of the teacher's responsibility. It must all along be borne in mind that he is not alorie responsible for the results of education. The parent has an overwhelming responsibility, which he can never part with or transfer to another while he holds the relation of parent. Extent of Teacher*s Responsibility. — But the teacher is responsible in a very high degree. An important in- terest is committed to his charge whenever a human being is placed under his guidance. By taking the posi- tion of the teacher, all the responsibility of the relation is voluntarily assumed; and he is fearfully responsible not only for what he does^ but also for what he neglects to dp. And it is a responsibility from which he cannot escape. Even though he may have thoughtlessly en- tered upon the relation of teacher, without a single glance at its obligations; or though, when reminded of fchem, he may laugh at the thought, and disclaim all idea of being thus seriously held to a fearful account, — yet still the responsibility is on him. Just as true as it is a great thing to guide the mind aright, — just as true RESI^ONSiBILITY Of THE TEAChLR. 35 as it is a deplorable, nay, fatal thing to lead it astray, so true is it that he who attempts the work, whether igno- rant or skilful, whether thoughtless or serious, incurs all the responsibility of success or failure, — a responsi- bility he can never shake off as long as the human soul is immortal, and men are accountable for such conse- quences of their acts as are capable of being foreseen. I. Bodily Health. Tlie teacher is in a degree responsible for the bodily HEALTH of the child. Laws of Physical Health.— It is well established that the foundation of many serious diseases is laid in the school-room. These diseases come sometimes from a neglect of exercise; sometimes from too long confine- ment in one position, or upon one study; sometimes from over-excitement and over-study; sometimes from breathing bad air; sometimes from being kept too warm or too cold. Now, the teacher should be an intelligent physiologist; and from a knowledge of what the human system can bear and what it cannot, he is bound to be ever watchful to guard against all those abuses from which our children so often suffer. Especially should he be tremblingly alive to avert that excitability of the nervous system, the over-action of which is so fatal to the future happiness of the individual. And should he, by appealing to the most exciting motives, encourage the delicate child to press on to grasp those subjects which are too great for its comprehension, and allow it to neglect exercise in the open air in order to task its feverish brain in the crowded and badly-ventilated school-room; and then, in a few days, be called to look upon the languishing sufferer upon a bed of exhaustion 56 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. and pain — perhaps a bed of premature death, could he say, "I am not responsible"? Parents and teachers often err in this. They are so eager to develop a preco- cious intellect that they crush the casket in order to gratify a prurient desire to astonish the world with the brilliancy of the gem. Each is responsible for his share of this sin; and the teacher especially, because, by his education, he should know better. II. Intellectual Growth. The teacher is mainly responsible for the intellect- ual GROWTH of the child. This may be referred chiefly to the following heads: 1. The Order of Study. — There is a natural order in the education of the child. The teacher should know this. If he presents the subjects out of this order, he is responsible for the injury. In general, the elements should be taught first. Those simple branches which the child first comprehends should first be presented. Heading, of course, must be one of the first; though I think the day is not distant when an enlightened com- munity will not condemn the teacher, if, while teaching reading, he should call the child^'s attention by oral in- structions to such objects about him as he can compre- hend, even though in doing this he should somewhat prolong the time of learning to read. It is indeed of little consequence that the child should read words simply; and that teacher may be viewed as pursuing the order of nature who so endeavors to develop the powers of observation and comparison that words when learned shall be the vehicles of ideas. Some further suggestions on this point will be made in the chapter entitled " Waking up Mind.'' RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TEACHER. 37 Next to reading and its inseparable companions, Spelling and Defining, I am inclined to recommend the study of Mental Arithmetic. The idea of Number is one of the earliest in the mind of the child. He can be early taught to count, and quite early to perform those operations which we call adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. This study at first needs 710 look. The teacher should be thoroughly versed in " Colburn's Intellectual Arithmetic,'^ or its equivalent, and he can find enough to interest the child. When the scholar has learned to read, and has attained the age of six or seven, he may be allowed a book in preparing his lesson, but never during the recitation. Those who have not tried this kind of mental discipline will be astonished at the facility which the child acquires for performing operations that often puzzle the adult. Nor is it an unimportant acquisition. None can tell its value but those who have experienced the advantage it gives- them, in future school exercises and in business, over those who have never had such training. Geography may come next to Mental Arithmetic. The child should have an idea of the relations of size, form, and space, as well as number, before commencing Geography. These, however, he acquires naturally at an early age; and very thoroughly, if the teacher has taken a little pains to aid him on these points in the earliest stages of his progress. A map is a picture, and hence a child welcomes it. If it can be a map of some familiar object, as of his school-room, of the school dis- trict, of his father's orchard or farm, it becomes an ob- ject of great interest. A map of his town is very desir- able, also of his county and his own state. Further de- tail will be deferred here, as it is only intended in this 38 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. place to hint at the order of taking np the sub- jects. History should go hand in hand with Geography. Perhaps no greater mistake is made than that of defer- ring History till one of the last things in the child's course. Writing may be early commenced with the pencil upon the slate, because it is a very useful exercise to the child in prosecuting many of his other studies. But writing with a pen may well be deferred till the child is ten years of age, when the muscles shall have acquired sufficient strength to grasp and guide it. Written Arithmetic may succeed the mental ; indeed, it may be practised along with it. Composition — perhaps by another name, as Descrip, tion — should be early commenced and very frequently practised. The child can be early interested in this, and he probably in this way acquires a better knowledge of practical grammar than in any other. Grammar, in my opinion, as a study, should be one of the last of the common-school branches to be taken up. It requires more maturity of mind to understand its relations and dependencies than any other; and that which is taught of grammar without such an under- standing is a mere smattering of technical terms, by which the pupil is injured rather than improved. It may be said that, unless scholars commence this branch early, they never will have the opportunity to learn it. Then let it go unlearned ; for as far as I have seen the world, I am satisfied that this early and superficial teaching of a difficult subject is not only useless, but positively injurious. How many there are who study grammar for years, and then are obliged to confess in RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TEACHER. 39 after-life, because "their speech bewrayeth^^ them, that they never understood it ! How many, by the too early study of an intricate branch, make themselves think they understand it, and thus prevent the hope of any further advancement at the proper age I Grammar, then, should not ie studied too early. Of the manner of teaching all these branches, I shall have more to say in due time. At present I have only noticed the order in which they should be taken up. This is a question of much consequence to the child, and the teacher is generally responsible for it. He should therefore carefully consider this matter, that he may be able to decide aright. 2. The Manner of Study. — It is of quite as much importance hoio we study as what we study. Indeed, I have thought that much of the difference among men could be traced to their different habits of study, formed in youth. A large portion of our scholars study for the sake of preparing to recite the lesson. They seem to have no idea of any object beyond recitation. The con- sequence is they study mechanically. They endeavor to remember phraseology rather than principles ; they study the book, not the subject. Let any one enter our schools and see the scholars engaged in preparing their lessons. Scarcely one will be seen who is not repeating over and over again the words of the text, as if there was a saving charm in repetition. Observe the same scholars at recitation, and it is a struggle of the memory to recall the forms of words. The vacant countenance too often indicates that they are words without mean- ing. This difficulty is very much increased, if the teacher is confined to the text-book during recitation ; 40 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. and particularly, if he relies mainly upon the printed questio7is so often found at the bottom of the page. The scholar should be encouraged to study the sub- ject; and his book should be held merely as the instru- ment." " Books are but helps," is a good motto for every student. The teacher should often tell how the lesson should be learned. His precept in this matter will often be of use. Some scholars will learn a lesson in one tenth of the time required by others. Human life is too short to have any of it employed to disadvan- tage. The teacher, then, should inculcate such habits of study as are valuable ;• and he should be particularly careful to break up, in the recitations, those habits which are so grossly mechanical. A child may almost be said to be educated, who has learned to study aright; while one may have acquired in the mechanical way a great amount of knowledge, and yet have no profitable mental discipline. For this difference in children, as well as in men, the teacher is more responsible than any other person. Let him carefully consider this matter. 3. Collateral Study.— Books, to be sure, are to be studied, and studied chiefly, in most of our schools. But there is much for the teacher to do toward the growth of the mind, which is not to be found in the school- books; and it is the practical recognition of this fact which constitutes the great difference in teachers. Truth, in whatever department, is open to the faithful teacher. And there is such a thing, even in the present generation, as " opening the eyes of the blind," to dis- cover things new and old, in nature, in the arts, in history, in the relation of things. Without diminishing, in the least, the progress of the young in study, their RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TEACHER. 4 1 powers of observation may be cultivated, their percep- tion quickened, their relish for the acquisition of knowl- edge indefinitely increased, by the instrumentality of the teacher. This must of course be done adroitly. There is such a thing as excessively cramming the mind of a child, till he loathes everything in the way of acquisition. There is such a thing, too, as exciting an all-pervading interest in a group of children, so that the scholar shall welcome the return of school-hours, and, by his cheerful step and animated eye, as he seeks the school-house, disclaim, as false when applied to him, the language of the poet, who described the schoolboy of his darker day, — "with his satchel, And shiniug morning face, creeping, like snail, Unwillingly to school." The teacher who is responsible for such a result should take care to store his own mind with the material, and exercise the ingenuity, to do that which is of so much consequence to the scholar. The chapter on " "Waking up Mind '* will give some further hints to the young teacher. III. Moral Training, The teacher is in a degree responsiUe for the moeal TEAIKING of the child, I say in a degree, because it is confessed that in this matter very much likewise depends upon parental in- fluence. Moral Training Neglected — This .education of the heart is confessedly too much neglected in all our schools. It has often been remarked that " knowledge 42 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. is power/' and as truly that "knowledge without prin- ciple to regulate it may make a man a powerful villain/' It is all-important that our youth should early receivp such moral training as shall make it safe to give thei;; knowledge. Very much of this work must devolve upon the teacher; or rather, when he undertakes to teach, he assumes the responsibility of doing or of neg- lecting this work. Precept. — The precept of the teacher may do much toward teaching the child his duty to God, to himself, and to his fellow-beings. But it is not mainly by pre- cept that this is to be done. Sermons and homilies are but little heeded in the school-room; and unless the teacher has some other mode of reaching the feelings and the conscience, he may despair of being successful in moral training. Example. — The teacher should be well versed in human nature. He should know the power of con- science and the means of reaching it. He should him- self have deep principle. His example in everything before his school should be pure, flowing out from the purity of his soul. He should ever manifest the ten- derest regard to the law of right and of love. He should never violate his own sense of justice, nor outrage thai of his pupils. Such a man teaches by his example. He is a " living epistle, known and read of all." He teaches, as he goes in and out before the school, as words can never teach. How Conscience Can be Cultivated. — The moral feelings of children are capable of systematic and suc- cessful cultivation. Our muscles acquire strength by use; it is so with our intellectnaland moral faculties. We educate the power of calculation by continued RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TEACHER. 43 practice, so that the proficient adds the long column of figures almost with the rapidity of sight, and with in- fallible accuracy. So with the moral feelings. "The more frequently we use our conscience," says Dr. Way- land, " in judging between actions, as right and wrong, the more easily shall we learn to judge correctly con- cerning them. He who, before every action, will de- liberately ask himself, 'Is this right or wrong?' will seldom mistake what is his duty. And children may do this as well as grown persons." Let the teacher ap- peal as often as may be to the pupil's conscience. In a thousand ways can this be done, and it is a duty the faithful teacher owes to his scholars. Influence of Example. — By such methods of culti- vating the conscience as the judicious teacher may devise, and by his own pure example, what may he not accomplish ? If he loves the truth, and ever speaks the truth; if he is ever frank and sincere; if, in a word, he shows that he has a tender conscience in all things, and that he always refers to it for its approval in all his acts — what an influence does he exert upon the impressible minds under his guidance! How those children will observe his consistent course; and, though they may not speak of it, how great will be its sileui power upon the formation of their characters ! And in future years, when they ripen into m&tnYitj, how will they remember and bless the example they shall have found so safe and salutary ! Consequences of Evil Examples to be Dreaded. — Responsibility in this matter cannot be avoided. The teacher by his example does tench, for good or for evil, whether he v/ill or not. Indilference will not excuse him; for when most indifferent he is not less account- 44 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. able. And if his example be pernicious, as too often even yet the example of the teacher is; if he indulges in outbreaks of passion, or wanders in the mazes of deceitfulness; if the blasphemous oath pollutes his tongue, or the obscene jest poisons his breath; if he trifles with the feelings or the rights of others, and habitually violates his own conscience, — what a blight- ing influence is his for all coming time ! The School no Place for a Man without Principle. — With all the attachment which young pupils will cherish even toward a bad teacher, and with all the confidence they will repose in him, who can describe the mischief which he can accomplish in one short term ? The school is no place for a man tuithout prin- ciple ; I repeat, the school is no place for a mak vviTHOUT PRINCIPLE ! Let such a man seek a liveli- hood anywhere else; or, failing to gain it by other means, let starvation seize the body, and send the soul back to its Maker as it is, rather than he should incur the fearful guilt of poisoning youthful minds and dragging them down to his own pitiable level. If there can be one sin greater than another, on which Heaven frowns with more awful displeasure it is that of leading the young into principles of error and the debasing practices of vice. " Oh, woe to those who trample on the mind, That deathless thing ! They know not what they do, Nor what they deal with. Man, perchance, may bind The flower his step liath bruised; or light anew The torch he quenches; or to music wiud Again the lyre-string from his touch that flew; — But for the soul, oh, tremble and beware To lay rude hands upon God's mysteries there !" RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TEACHER. 45 Let then the teacher study well his motives when he enters this profession, and so let him meet his responsi- bility in this matter as to secure the approval of his own conscience and his God. IV. Religious Training. The teacher is to some extent responsible for the RELIGIOUS TRAiiTiNG of the young. Religion Our Glory, Our Hope — We live in a Chris- tian land. It is our glory, if not our boast, that we have descended from an ancestry that feared God and reverenced his word. Very justly we attribute our superiority as a people over those who dwell in the darker portions of the world, to our purer faith derived from that precious fountain of truth — the Bible. Very justly, too, does the true patriot and philanthropist rely upon our faith and practice as a Christian people for the permanence of our free institutions and our un- equalled social privileges. Inference.— If we are so much indebted, then, to the Christian religion for what we are, and so much de- pendent upon its life-giving truths for what we may hope to be, how important is it that all our youth should be nurtured under its influences! Av.oid Sectarianism. — When I say religious training, I do not mean sectarianism. In our public schools, supported at the public expense, and in which the chil- dren of all denominations meet for instruction, I do not think that any man has a right to crowd his own pe- culiar notions of theology upon all, whether they are acceptable or not. Common Ground. — Yet there is common ground which the teacher can occupy, and to which no reason- 46 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. able man can object. He can teach a reverence for the Supreme Being, a reverence for His Holy Word, for the influences of His Spirit, for the character and teachings of the Saviour, and for the momentous concerns of eter- nity. He can teach the evil of sin in the sight of God, and the awful consequences of it upon the individual. He can teach the duty of repentance, and the privilege of forgiveness. He can teach our duty to worship God, to obey His laws, to seek the guidance of His Spirit, and the salvation by His Son. He can illustrate the blessedness of the divine life, the beauty of holiness, and the joyful hope of heaven; and to all this no reasonable man will be found to object, so long as it is done in a truly Christian spirit. Example of the Teacher. — If not in express words, most certainly his life and example should teach this. Man is a religious being. The religious principle should be early cultivated. It should be snfely and carefully cultivated ; and, as this cultivation is too often entirely neglected by parents, unless it is attempted by the teacher, in many cases it will never be effected at all. Of course all those points which separate the commu- nity into sects must be left to the family, the sabbath- school, and the pulpit. The teacher is responsible for his honesty in this matter. "While he has no right to lord it over the private conscience of any one, he is in- excusable, if, believing the great truths of the Bible, he puts them away as if they concerned him not. They should command his faith, and govern his conduct; and their claims upon the young should not be disowned. Danger of Scepticism. — At any rate, the teacher should be careful that his teaching and his example do RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TEACHER. 47 not prejudice the youthful mind against these truths. It is a hazardous thing for a man to be sceptical by himself, even when he locks his opinions up in the secrecy of his own bosom. How great, then, is the respon- sibility of teaching the young to look lightly upon the only Book that holds out to us the faith of immortality, and opens to us the hope of heaven ! Let the teacher well consider this matter, and take heed that his teach- ing shall never lead one child of earth away from his heavenly Father, or from the rest of the righteous in the home of the blest. Wio is Sufficient. Inexcusable Indifference. — In view of what has been said, the young candidate for the teacher's office, almost in despair of success, may exclaim, " Who is sufficient for these things ? " " Who can meet and sustain such responsibility ? " My answer is, the true inquirer after duty will not go astray. He is insufficient for these things who is self-confident, who has not yet learned his own weakness, who has never found out his own faults, and who rusheth to this great work, as the un- heeding "horse rushes into the battle," not knowing whither he goeth. Alas! how many there are who enter this profession without the exercise of a single thought of the responsibleness of the position, or of any of the great questions which must in their schools for the first time be presented for their decision! How many there are who never reflect upon the influence of their exam- ple before the young, and are scarcely conscious that their example is of any consequence ! Such, in the highest sense, will fail of success. How can they be expected to go right, where there is only one right way, 48 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. but a thousand wrong ? Let such persons pause and consider, before they assume responsibilities which they can neither discharge nor evade. Let such ask with deep solicitude, " Who is sufficient for these things ? " The Honest Inquirer may Hope. — But to the young person really desirous of improvement; to him who has taken the first and important step toward knowledge, by making the discovery that everything is not already known ; to him who sees beforehand that there are real difficulties in this profession, and who is not too proud or self-conceited to feel the need of special preparation to meet them; to him who has some idea of the power of example in the educator, and who desires most of all things that his character shall be so pure as to render his example safe; to him who has discovered that there are some deep mysteries in human nature, and that they are only to be fathomed by careful study; to him who really feels that a great thing is to be done, and who has the sincere desire to prepare himself to do it aright; to him, in short, who has the trtie spirit of the teacher, — I may say, there is nothing to fear. An honest mind, with the requisite industry, is sufficient for these things. SECTIOIT III. THE AUBUKK STATE PEISON. Neatness and Order. — During my visit at Auburn in the autumn of 1845, I was invited by a friend to visit the prison, in which at that time were confined between six and seven hundred convicts. I was first taken through the various workshops, where the utmost neat- ness and order prevailed. As I passed along my eye rested upon one after another of the convicts, I confess, with a feeling of surprise. There were many good- looking men. If, instead of their parti-colored dress, they would have been clothed in the citizen's garb, I RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TEACHER. 49 should have thought them as good in appearance as laboring men in general. And when, to their good ap- pearance, was added their attention to their work, their ingenuity, and the neatness of their work-rooms, my own mind began to press the inquiry. Why are these men here? The Library.— It was the afternoon of Saturday. Many of them had completed their allotted work for the week, and with happy faces were performing the cus- tomary ablutions preparatory to the sabbath. Passing on, we came to the library, a collection of suitable books for the convicts, which are given out as a reward for diligence to those who have seasonably and faithfully performed their labor. Here were many who had come to take their books. Their faces beamed with delight as they each bore away the desired volume, just as I had seen the faces of the happy and the free do before. Why are these men here ? was again pressed upon me; — why are these men here f Wyatt, the Murderer. — At this time the famous Wyatt, since executed upon the gallows for his crime, was in solitary confinement, awaiting his trial for the murder of Gordon, a fellow-prisoner. I was permitted to enter his room. Chained to the floor, he was reclin- ing upon his mattress in the middle of his apartment. As I approached him his large, black eye met mine. He was a handsome man. His head was well developed, his long, black hair hung upon his neck, and his eye was one of the most intelligent I ever beheld. Had I seen him in the senate among great men — had I seen him in a school of philosophers, or a brotherhood of poets, I should probably have selected him as the most remarkable man among them all, without suspecting his distinction to be a distinction of villainy. Why is 50 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. that man here? thought I, as I turned away to leave him to his dreadful solitude. General Review on Sabbath Morn.— The morrow was the Sabbath. I could not repress my desire to see the convicts brought together for worship. At the hour of nine I entered their chapel, and found them all seated in silence. I was able to see most of the faces of this interesting congregation. It was by no means the worst looking congregation I had ever seen. There were evidently bad men there; but what congregation of free men does not present some such ? The Hour of Worship. — They awaited in silence the commencement of the service. When the morning hymn was read, they joined in the song, the chorister being a colored man of their own number. They sang as other congregations sing, and my voice joined with theirs. The Scripture was read. They gave a respect- ful attention. The prayer was begun. Some bowed in apparent reverence at the commencement. Others sat erect, and two or three of these appeared to be the hardened sons of crime. The chaplain's voice was of a deep, perhaps I should say, a fatherly tone, and he seemed to have the father's spirit. He prayed for these " wayward ones," who were deprived of their liberty for their offences, but whom God would welcome to His throne of mercy. He prayed for their homes, and for their friends, who this day would send their thoughts hither in remembrance of those in bonds. He alluded to the scenes of their childhood, the solicitude of their early friends, and the affection of their parents. When the words home, friend, childhood were heard, several of those sturdy sons of crime and wretchedness in- stinctively bowed their heads and concealed their faces in their hands; and as a father^ s Messing and a mother's RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TEACHER. 5I love were alluded to, more than one of these outcasts from society were observed to dash the scalding tear from the eye. These men feel like other men — whi/ are they here f was again the thought which forced itself upon my mind. The Teachers of the Convicts.— While the chaplain proceeded to his sermon, in the midst of the silence that pervaded the room, my mind ran back to their educators. Once these men were children like others. They had feelings like other children, affection, rever- ence, teachableness, conscience — why are they here? Some, very likely, on account of their extraordinary perversity; but most because they had a wrong educa- tion. More than half, undoubtedly, have violated the laws of their country not from extraordinary vicious- ness, but from the weahness of their moral principle. Tempted just like other and better men, they fell, be- cause in early childhood no one had cultivated and strengthened the conscience God had given them. I am not disposed to excuse the vices of men, nor to screen them from merited punishment; neither do I worship a " painted morality,'^ based solely upon educa- tion, thus leaving nothing for the religion of the Bible to accomplish by purifying the heart, that fountain of wickedness; yet how many of these men might have been saved to society; how many of them have powers which under different training might have adorned and blessed their race; how many of them may date their fall to the evil influence and poisonous example of some guide of their childhood, some recreant teacher of their early days, — God only knows ! But what a responsi- bility still rests upon the head of any such teacher, if ho did not know, or did not try to know, the avenue to their hearts; if he did not feel or try to feel the worth 5a THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. of moral principle to these very fallen ones ! And what would be his feelings if he could look back through the distant days of the past, and count up exactly the measure of his own faithfulness and of his own neglect ? This the All-seeing Eye alone can do — this He who looketh upon the heart ever does! View to the Final Judgment — Teachers, go forth, then, conscious of your responsibility to your pupils, conscious of your accountability to God, — go forth, and teach this people; and endeavor so to teach, that when you meet your pupils, not in the walks of life merely, not perhaps in the Auburn Prison, not indeed upon the shores of time, but at the final Judgment, where you must meet them all, you may be able to give a good ac- count of the influence which you have exerted over mind. As it may then be forever too late to correct your errors and efface any injury done, study now to act the part of wisdom and the part of love. Study to Know, and to Do. — Study the human heart by studying the workings of your own; seek carefully the avenues to the affections; study those higher motives which elevate and ennoble the soul; cultivate that purity which shall allure the" wayward, by bright example, from the paths of error; imbue your own souls with the love of teaching and the greatness of your work; rely not alone upon yourselves, as if by your own wisdom and might you could do this great thing; but seek that direction which our heavenly Father never withholds from the honest inquirer after His guidance — and though the teacher's work is, and ever must be, at- tended with overwhelming responsibility, you will be SUFFICIENT FOB THESE THIKGS. RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TEACHER. 53 QUESTIONS. 1. Why should education begin early ? 2. What is your conception of education? 3. What is the primary qualification you should look for in the person to whom you would intrust the education of a child? Why? 4. What momentous relation does the teacher hold to the immortal souls committed to his care ? 5. Why are parents primarily responsible for the results of their children's education ? 6. How can the teacher ascertain the influence of the home upon the child ? 7. Are we justified in judging mistakes of teachers more severely than those of parents ? Give a reason. 8. Why and to what extent is the teacher responsible (a) for the bodily health of his pupils, (&) their intellectual growth, (c) their moral culture, and (d) their religious training ? 9. (a) On what does the educative influence of the teacher principally depend ? (6) How can he cultivate this to become a power for good ? 10. Why should a man without principle be forever ex- cluded from the teacher's profession ? 11. What are the dangers of excessively cramming the mind of the child with knowledge ? 12. What can the teacher do to make the children love the school ? 13. What means should the teacher employ to cultivate the conscience of the child ? 14. Under what conditions and to what extent may the teacher carry on religious instruction ? 15. If the supporters of the school forbid religious instruc- tion altogether, must the teacher submit ? Qive reasons, and tell what course he is to take. 16. Why should the Bible never be irreverently referred to ? 17. Whom do you consider qualified to teach ? 18. Of what value are accounts of crimes and criminals to the teacher ? 19. (a) How may the teacher gain knowledge of the human heart ? (b) What practical value has this study for him ? 20. Why is the teacher constantly in need of professional self-examination and advancement ? 54 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING, CHAPTER III. PERSONAL HABITS OF THE TEACHER. Importance of Good Habits. — The importance of correct habits to any individual cannot be overrated. The influence of the teacher is so great upon the children under his care, either for good or evil, that it is of the utmost importance to them as well as to him- self that his habits should be unexceptionable. It is the teacher^s sphere to improve the community in which he moves, not only in learning, but in morals and manners; in everything that is "lovely and of good report.^' This he may do partly by precept — but very much by example. He teaches, luherever he is. His manners, his appearance, his character, are all the subject of observation, and to a great extent of imita- tion, by the young in his district. He is observed not only in the school, but in the family, in the social gathering, and in the religious meeting. How desir- able, then, that he should be a model in all things! The Teacher a Model — Man has been said to be a " bundle of habits;" and it has been as pithily remarked, "Happy is the man whose habits are his friends." It were well if all persons, before they become teachers, would attend carefully to the formation of their per- sonal habits. This, unhappily, is not always done — and therefore I shall make no apology for introducing in this place some very plain remarks on what I deem the essentials among the habits of the teacher. PERSONAL iiABITS OF THE TEACHER. 55 I. Neatness, Cleanliness. — This implies, cleanliness of the person. If some who assume to teach were not proverbial for their slovenliness, I would not dwell on this point. On this point, however, I must be allowed great plainness of speech, even at the expense of incurring the charge of excessive nicety; for it is by attending to iifeio little things that one becomes a strictly neat person. The morning ablution, then, should never be omitted, and the comb for the hair and brush for the clothes should always be called into requisition before the teacher presents himself to the family, or to his school. Every teacher would very much promote his own health by washing the whole surface of the body every morning in cold water. This is now done by very many of the most enlightened teachers, as well as others. .When physi- ology is better understood, this practice will be far more general. To no class of persons is it more essential than to the teacher; for on account of his confinement, often in an un ventilated room, with half a hundred children during the day, very much more is demanded of the exhalents in him than in others. His only safety is in a healthy action of the skin. Care of the Teeth and Nails — The teeth should be attended to. A brush and clean water have saved many a set of teeth. It is bad enough to witness the deplor- able neglect of these important organs so prevalent in the community; but it is extremely mortifying to see a filthy set of teeth in the mouth of the teacher of our youth. The nails, too, I am sorry to say, are often neglected by some of our teachers, till their elony tips 56 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. are aDything but ornamental. This matter is made worse, when, in the presence of the family or of the school, the penknife is brought into requisition to re- move that which should have received attention at the time of washing in the morning. The teacher should remember that it is a vulgar habit to pare or clean the nails while in the presence of others, and especially during conversation with them. Neat Dress. — The teacher should be neat in his dress. I do not urge that his dress should be expensive. His income ordinarily will not admit of this. He may wear a very plain dress; nor should it bo any way singular in its fashion. All I ask is, that his clothing should be in good taste, and ahuays clean. A slovenly dress, covered with dust, or spotted with grease, is never so much out of its proper place as when it clothes the teacher. Use of Tobacco. — While upon this subject I may be indulged in a word or two upon the use of tobacco by the teacher. It is quite a puzzle to me to tell why any man but a Turk, who may lawfully dream away half his existence over the fumes of this filthy narcotic, should ever use it. Even if there were nothing wrong in the use of unnatural stimulants themselves, the filthiness of tobacco is enough to condemn it among teachers, especially in the form of chewing. It is certainly worth while to ask whether there is not some moral delinquency in teaching this practice to the young, while it is admitted, by nearly all who have fallen into the habit, to be an evil, and one from which they would desire to be delivered. At any rate, I hope the time is coming when the good taste of teachers, and a regard for personal neatness and the comfort of others, shall present motives sufficiently strong to induce them to PERSONAL HABITS OF THE TEACHER. 57 break away from a practice at once so unreasonable and so disgusting. II. Order. Order, System. — In this place I refer to that system and regularity so desirable in every teacher. He should practise it in his room at his boarding-house. Everything should have its place. His books, his clothing, should all be arranged with regard to this principle. The same habit should go with him to the school-room. His desk there should be a pattern of orderly arrangement. Practising this himself, he may with propriety insist upon it in his pupils. It is of great moment to the teacher, that, when he demands order and arrangement among his pupils, they cannot appeal to any breach of it in his own practice. III. Courtesy, Free from all Coarseness.— The teacher should ever be courteous, both in his language and in his manners. Courtesy of language may imply a freedom from all coarseness. There is a kind of communication, used among boatmen and hangers-on at bar-rooms, which should find no place in the teacher's vocabulary. All vulgar jesting, all double-entendres, all low allusions, should be forever excluded from his mouth. And pro- fanity! — can it be necessary that I should speak of this as among the habits of the teacher ? Yes, it is even so. Such is the want of moral sense in the community, that men are still employed in some districts whose ordinary conversation is poisoned with the breath of blasphemy; ay, and even the walls of the school-room resound to 58 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. undisguised oaths! I cannot lind words to express my astonishment at the indifference of parents, or at the recklessness of teachers, wherever I know such cases to exist. Purity and Accuracy of Language. — Speaking of the language of the teacher, I might urge also that it should be both pure and accurate. Pure as distinguished from all those cant phrases and provincialisms which amuse the vulgar in certain localities ; and accurate as to the terms used to express his meaning. As the teacher teaches in this, as in everything, by example as well as by precept, he should be very careful to acquire an un- exceptionable use of our language, and never deviate from it in the hearing of his pupils or elsewhere. True Politeness.— There is ?i courtesy of manner also, which should characterize the teacher. This is not that ridiculous obsequiousness which some persons assume, when they would gain the good opinion of others. It is true politeness. By politeness I do not mean any par- ticular form of words, nor any prescribed or prescrib- able mode of action. It does not consist in bowing according to any approved plan, nor in a compliance simply with the formulas of etiquette in the fashionable world. True politeness is founded in benevolence. Its law is embodied in the golden rule of the Saviour: " Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so unto them." It is the exercise of real kind- ness. It entertains a just regard for the feelings of others, and seeks to do for them what would make them really happy. Politeness in the Teacher. — The teacher should pos- sess this quality. Whenever he meets a child, it should be with the looks and words of k'.ndness. Whenever he PERSONAL HABITS OF THE TEACHER. 59 receives any token of regard from a pupil, he should acknowledge it in the true spirit of politeness. When- ever he meets a pupil in the street, or in a public place, he should cordially recognize him. In this way and a thousand others, which, if he have the right spirit, will cost him nothing, he will cultivate true courtesy in his pupils. He can do it in this way more effectually than he can by formally lecturing upon the subject. The Secret of Teaching Politeness. — True politeness will always win its true reciprocation. Two teachers were once walking together in the streets of a large town in New England. Several lads whom they met on the sidewalk raised their caps as they exchanged the common salutations with one of the teachers. " What boys are these that pay you such attention as they pass ?" inquired the other. " They are my scholars," answered his friend. "Your scholars ! Why, how do you teach them to be so very polite ! Mine are pretty sure never to look at me, and generally they take care to be on the other side of the street." " I am unable to tell," said his friend ; " I never say anything about it. I usually bow to them, and they are as ready to bow to me." The whole secret consisted in this teacher's meeting his pupils in the spirit of kindness. Manners Neglected. — I would not, however, discour- age a teacher from actually inculcating good manners by precept. It should indeed be done. The manners of pupils are too much neglected in most of our schools, and, I am sorry to say, in most of our families. Our youth are growing up with all the independence of sturdy young republicans; and, in their pride of free- dom from governmental restraint, they sometimes show a want of respect for their seniors and superiors, which 6o THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. is quite mortifying to all lovers of propriety. It is the teacher's province to counteract this ; and in order to do it well, he should possess the virtue of true courtesy, both in theory and practice. IV. Punctuality, Example of the Teacher.— This, as a halit, is essen- tial to the teacher. He should be punctual in every- thing. He should always be present at or before the time for opening the school. A teacher who goes late to school once a week, or even once a month, cannot very well enforce the punctual attendance of his pupils. I once knew a man who for seven long years was never late at school a single minute, and seldom did he fail to reach his place more than five minutes before the time. I never knew but one such. I have known scores who were frequently tardy, and sometimes by the space of a tvhole hour ! Dismiss Punctually, — A teacher should be as punct- ual in dismissing as in opening his school. I know that some make a virtue of keeping their schools beyond the regular hours. I have always considered this a very questionable virtue. If a teacher wishes to stay beyond his time, it should be either with delinquents, who have some lessons to make up, or with those who voluntarily remain. But, after all, if he has been strictly punctual to the hours assigned for his various duties in school, there will scarcely be the necessity for him, or any of his pupils to remain beyond the time for dismission; and, as a general rule, a regard both for his own health and theirs should forbid this. It is better to work diligently while one does work, and not to protract the time of labor, so as to destroy one's energy for to-morrow. Punctuality a Cardinal Virtue.— This habit of punct- PERSONAL HABITS OF THE TEACHER. 6 1 uality should run through everything. He should be punctual at all engagements; he should be studiously so in all the detail of school exercises; he should be so at his meals, at his private studies, at his hour of retir- ing at night, and of rising in the morning, and also at his exercise and recreation. This is necessary to a truly exemplary character, and it is equally as necessary to good health. V. HaUts of Study. Time for Regular Study.— Unless the teacher takes care to furnish his own mind, he will soon find his pres- ent stock of knowledge, however liberal that may be, fading from his memory and becoming unavailable. To prevent this, and to keep along with every improve- ment, he should regularly pursue a course of study. 1 say regularly; for, in order to accomplish anything really desirable, he must do something every day. By strict system in all his arrangements, he may find time to do it ; and whenever I am told by a teacher that he cannot find time to study, I always infer that there is a want of order in his arrangements, or a want of punctu- ality in the observance of that order. Human life, in- deed, is short; but most men still further abridge the period allotted to them by a disregard of system. A High Standard. — What has now been said, upon the teacher^s spirit, the teachefs responsibility, and the teacher's personal habits, will embody perhaps my views upon the character of the individual, who may be en- couraged to engage in the work of teaching. Nor do I think the requirements in this department have been overstated.. I know, indeed, that too many exercise the teacher's functions without the teacher's spirit as here 62 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. described, and without the sense of responsibility here insisted on, and with habits entirely inconsistent with those here required. But this does not prove that such teachers have chosen the right calling, or that the chil- dren under their care are under safe and proper guid- ance. It proves rather that parents and school officers have too often neglected to be vigilant, or that suitable teachers could not be had. Excelsior ! — Let none think of lowering the standard to what has been, or what may even now be, that of a majority of those who are engaged in this profession. Every young teacher's eye should be directed to the very best model in this w^ork; and he should never be satis- fied with bare mediocrity. Excelsioe, the motto of the Empire State, may well be the motto of the young teacher. QUESTIONS. 1. Whom do you consider a well-informed teacber? 2. Mention the different branchts of the commou-schGol curriciikim, and state briefly the value of each of them. 3. Of what practical use to the teacher is knowledge of the general laws of the human mind ? 4. If you should be called upon to inquire into the general scholarship of a candidate for teacher, (a) in what studies would you examine him, and (6) what would you consider the minimum of attainment in each ? 5. What knowledge is of greatest worth to the teacher ? 6. Some one has said, " A teacher should be a specialist only in the science and art of teaching." {a) Explain this fully. \b) Do you agree with it ? Give reasons. 7. Why is it necessary that the teacher should constantly strive for broader scholarship ? 8. Explain w^hy every teacher ought to subscribe for at least oue professional periodical. 9. Why shv>uld the teacher keep well informed concerning important current events ? 10. What should be the highest ambition of the teacher? LITERARY QUALIFICATIONS OF THE TEACHER. 63 CHAPTER IV. LITERARY QUALIFICATIONS OF THE TEACHER. Profession Advancing, so is the Pay.— I am now about to enter an extensive field. Since the teacher is to be the life of the school, it is of great consequence that he have within him the means of sustaining life. As the statutes in many of the states prescribe the mimmu7n of attainment for the teacher, I might per- haps spare myself the labor of writing on this point. Yet in a thorough work on the Theory and Practice of Teaching, this very properly comes under consideration. The profession of teaching is advancing. The pres- ent standard of acquirement demanded of the teacher excludes many who were considered quite respectable in their vocation ten years ago. This may well be so; for, within that time, quite an advance has been made in the compensation offered to teachers. It is but reason- able that acquirement should keep pace with the reward of it. Indeed, the talent and attainment brought into the field must always be in advance of the rate of com- pGusation. The people must be first convinced that teachers are better than they were years ago, and then they will be ready to reward them. In Massachusetts, af^cording to statistics in the possession of the Hon. Horace Mann, Secretary of the Board of Education, the compensation of teachers within ten years has advanced thirty-three per cent; nor is it reasonable to suppose 64 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. that this advance has been made, independent of any improvement among the teachers. Their system of supervision has increased in strictness, during this time, in an equal ratio ; and many teachers, who were entirely incompetent for their places, have thus been driven to other employments. The cause is still onward; and the time is not far distant when the people will demand still more thorough teachers for the common schools, and they will find it for their interest to pay for them. What a Teacher Ought to Know. — Under these cir- cumstances it will not be my design to give the very lowest qualifications for a teacher at present. I shall aim to describe those which a teacher ought to possess, in order to command, for some time to come, the respect of the enlightened part of the community. I will not say that a man, with less attainment than I shall de- scribe, may not keep a good school; I have no doubt that many do. Yet if our profession is to be really re- spectable, and truly deserving of the regard of an en- lightened people, we must have a still higher standard of qualification than I shall now insist on. The follow- ing is a list of the studies of which every teacher should have a competent knowledge. I add also, to each, such word of comment as appears to be necessary: 1. Orthography. — This implies something more than mere spelling. Spelling is certainly indispensable. No person should ever think of teaching who is not an ac- curate speller. But the nature and powers of letters should also be mastered. We have in our language about forty elementary sounds; yet we have but twenty- six characters to represent them. Our alphabet is there- fore impeTfect. This imperfection is augmented by the fact that several of the letters are employed each to rep- LITERARY aUALIFICATIONS OF THE TEACHER. 65 resent several different sounds. In other cases, two letters combined represent the element. There are also letters, as c, q, and x, which have no sound that is not fully represented by other letters. Then a very large number of our letters are silent in certain positions, while they are fully sounded in others. It were much to be desired that we might have b, perfect alphabet; that is, as many characters as we have elementary sounds, and that each letter should have but one sound. For the present this can not be; and the present generation of teachers, at least, will have to teach our present orthography. Those systems of orthography are much to be preferred which begin wilh the ele^nentary sounds, and then present the letters as their representatives, to- gether with the practice of analyzing words into their elements, thus showing at once the silent letters and the equivalents. These systems may be taught in half the time that the old systems can be, and when ac- quired they are of much greater practical utility to the learner. 2. Reading. — Every teacher 'Should be a good reader. Not more than one in every hundred among teachers can now be called a good reader. To be able to read well implies a quick perception of the meaning as well as a proper enuifciation of the words. It is a branch but poorly taught in most of our schools. Many of the older pupils get above reading before they have learned to read well; and, unfortunately, many of our teachers cannot awaken an interest in the subject, because very likely they cannot read any better than their scholars. It would be interesting to ascertain how large a pro- portion of our youth leave the schools without acquiring the power readily to take the sense of any common 66 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. paragraph whicli they may attempt to read. I am in- clined to think the number is not small.' In this way I account for the fact that so many cease to read as soon as they leave school. It costs them so mucli effoi^t to decipher the meaning of a book, that it counteracts the desire for the gratification and improvement it might otherwise afford. It should not be so. The teacher should be a model of good reading; he should be en- thusiastic in this branch, and never rest till he has ex- cited the proper interest in it among the pupils, from the oldest to the youngest, in the school. It would be well if our teachers could be somewhat acquainted with the Latin and Greek languages, as this 1 Siuce writing the above, my eye has fallen upon the follow- ing, from the second Annual Report of the Secretary of the Mass. Board of Education : " I have devoted," says Mr. Mann, "espe- cial pains to learn, with some degree of numerical accuracy, how far the reading in oiu' schools is an exercise of the mind in thinking and feeling, and how far it is a barren action of the or- gans of speech upon the atmosphere. My information is derived principally from the written statements of the school committees of the different towns— gentlemen, who are certainly exempt from all temptation to disparage the schools they superintend. The result is that more than eleven twelfths of all the children in the reading-classes in our schools do not understand the meaning of the words they read; that they do not mas^r the sense of their reading-lessons; and that the ideas and feelings intended by the author to be conveyed to and excited in the reader's mind, still rest in the author's intention, never having yet reached the place of their distination. It would hardly seem that the combined efforts of all persons engaged could have accomplished more in defeating the true objects of reading. How the cause of this deficiency is to be apportioned among the legal supervisors of the schools, parents, teachers, and authors of text-books, it is impos- sible to say; but surely it is an evil gratuitous, widely prevalent, and threatening the most alarming consequences." LITERARY QUALlFICATiONS OF THE TEACHER. 67 would afford them great facilities in comprehending and defining many of our own words. As this cannot be expected for the present, a substitute may be sought in some analysis of our derivative words. Several works have somewhat recently been prepared to supply, as far as may be, the wants of those who have not studied the classics. I should advise every teacher, for his own benefit, to master some one of these. 3. Writing. — It is not respectable for the teacher of the young to be a bad writer; nor can it ever become so, even should the majority of bad writers continue to increase. The teacher should take great pains to write a plain, legible hand. This is an essential qualification. 4. Geography. — A knowledge of the principles of Geography is essential. This implies an acquaintance with the use of globes, and the art of map-drawing. The teacher should be so well versed in geography that, with an outline map of any country before him, he could give an intelligent account of its surface, people, resources, history, etc. ; and if the outline map were not at hand, he ought to be able to draw one from memory — at least, of each of the grand divisions of the earth, and of the United States. 5. History. — The teacher should be acquainted with history — at least, rthe history of the United States. He can hardly teach geography successfully without a com- petent knowledge of both ancient and modern history. It should, in the main, be taught in our common schools in connection with geopraphy. 6. Mental Arithmetic. — Let every teacher be thor- oughly versed in some good work on this subject. Ool- burn's was the first, and it is probably the best, that has been prepared. That little book has done more than 68 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. any other for the improvement of teaching in this coun- try. It is not enough that the teacher is able in some way to oltain the answers to the questions proposed. He should be able to give the reason for every step in the process he takes to obtain them, and to do it in a clear and concise manner. It is this which constitutes the value of this branch as a discipline for the mind. I may never forget my first introduction to this work. On entering an academy as a student in 1827, after I had "ciphered through ^^ some four or five arithmetics on the old plan, my teacher asked me if I had ever studied Mental Arithmetic, extending to me the little book above named. " No, sir." " Perhaps you would like to do so." I opened to the first page, and saw this question: " How many thumbs have you on your right hand?" This was enough; the color came into my face, and I pettishly replied : " I think I can find out the number of my thumbs without studying a looh for it.^' "But," said the teacher, "many of our young men have studied it, and they think they have been profited. If you will take it and turn over till you find a little ex- ercise for your mind, I think you will like it." His manner was open and sincere, and I took the little book. In three weeks I had mastered it; and I had gained in that time more knowledge of the principles of arithmetic th-an I had ever acquired in all my life be- fore. I no longer "saw through a glass darkly." 7. Written Arithmetic. — This everybody demands of the teacher; and he is scarcely in danger of being without fair pretensions in this branch. He should, however, know it by its principles , rather than by its rules and facts. He should so understand it that, if every ai'ithmetic in the world should be burned, he LITERARY QUALIFICATIONS OF THE TEACHER. 69 could still make another, constructing its rules and ex- plaining their principles. He should understand arith- metic so well that he could teach it thoroughly though all text-books should be excluded from his school-room. This is not demanding too much. Arithmetic is a cer- tain science f and used every day of one's life— the teacher should be an entire master of it. 8. English Grammar.— It is rare that a teacher is found without some pretensions to English Grammar; yet it is deplorable to observe how very few have any liberal or philosophical acquaintance with it. In many cases it is little else than a system of barren technicali- ties. The teacher studies one book, and too often takes that as his creed. In no science is it more necessary to be acquainted with several authors. The person who has studied but one text book on grammar, even if that be the best one extant, is but poorly qualified to teach this branch. There is a philosophy of language which the teacher should carefully study; and if within his power, he should have some acquaintance with the pecu- liar structure of other languages besides his own. It can hardly be expected that the common teacher should acquire an accurate knowledge of other languages by actually studying them. As a substitute for this, I would recommend that the teacher should very carefully read some small standard work on general grammar. In this science the mind naturally runs to ligotry; and there is no science where the learner is apt to be so con- ceited upon small acquirements as in grammar. Let the teacher spare no pains to master this subject. ■9. Algebra. — This branch is not yet required to be taught in all our schools; yet the teacher should have a thorough acquaintance with it. Even if he is never 70 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. called upon to teach it (and it never should be intro- duced into our common schools till very thorough at- tainm_ents are more common in the other branches), still it so much improves the mind of the teacher that he should not be without a knowledge of it. He will teach simple arithmetic much better for knowing alge- bra. I consider an acquaintance with it indispensable to the thorough teacher, even of the common school. 10. Geometry. — The same may be said of this branch that has been said of algebra. Probably nothing disci- plines the mind more effectually than the study of geometry. The teacher should pursue it for this reason. He will teach other things the better for having had this discipline, to say nothing of the advantage which a knowledge of the principles of geometry will give him, in understanding and explaining the branches of math- ematics. 11. Plane Trigonometry and Surveying.— In many of our schools these branches are required to be taught. They are important branches in themselves, and they also afford good exercise for the mind in their acquisi- tion. The young teacher, especially the male teacher, should make the acquirement. 12. Natural Philosophy.— This branch is not taught in most of our district schools. The teacher, however, should understand it better than it is presented in many of the simple text -books on this subject. He should have studied the vliilo8opliy of its principles, and be fully acquainted with their demonstration. If pos- sible, he should have had an opportunity also of seeing the principles illustrated by experiment. This is a great field: let not the teacher be satisfied with crop- ping a little of the herbage about its borders. LITERARY QUALIFICATIONS OF THE TEACHER. 7 1 13. Chemistry.— As a matter of intelligence, the teacher should have acquaintance with this branch. It is comparatively a new science, but it is almost a science of miracles. It is beginning to be taught in our com- mon schools; and that department of it which relates to agriculture is destined to be of vast importance to the agricultural interests of our country. " Instead of con- jecture, and hazard, and doubt, and experiment, as here- tofore, a knowledge of the composition of soils, the food of plants, and the processes of nature in the culture and growth of crops would elevate agriculture to a con- spicuous rank among the exact sciences." ^ The teacher should not be behind the age in this department. 14. Human Physiology. — The teacher should well understand this subject. There is an unpardonable ignorance in the community as to the structure of the human body, and the laws of health, the observance of which is, in general, a condition of longevitj'', not to say of exemption from disease. By reference to statistics, it has been ascertained that almost a fourth part of all the children that are born die before they are one year old. More than one third die before they are five years of age; and, before the age of eight, more than one half of all that are born return again to the earth ! Of those who survive, how many suffer the miseries of lin- gering disease, almost sighing for death to deliver them from the pangs of life ! There is something deplorably wrong in our philosophy of living, else the condition of man would not so commonly appear an exception to the truth that God does all things well.* Dr. Woodward, 1 Colonel Young. ^ " II is the vast field of ignorance pertaining to these subjects in which quackery thrives and fatieus. No one who knows any- 72 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. late of the Massachn setts State Lunatic Hospital, says: " From the cradle to the grave, we suffer punishment for the violation of the laws of health and life. I have no doubt that half the evils of life, and half the deaths that occur among mankind, arise from ignorance of these natural laws; and that a thorough knowledge of them would diminish the sufferings incident to our present state of being in very nearly the same propor- tion." I know not how an acquaintance with these laws can be in any way so readily extended as through the agency of our teachers of the young. At any rate, the teacher himself should understand them, both for his own profit and the means thus afforded him of being directly useful in the discharge of his duties to others. I have already shown that he is responsible to a great extent for the bodily health of his pupils. A thorough knowledge of physiology will enable him to meet this responsibility. 15. Intellectual Philosophy. — This is necessary for the teacher. His business is with the mind. He, of all men, should know something of its laws and its nature. He can know something, indeed, by observation and in- trospection; but he should also learn by careful study. thing of the orgaus and functions of the human system, and of the properties of those objects in nature to which that system is related, can hear a quack descant upon the miraculous virtues of his nostrums, or can read his advertisements in the newspapers, — wherein, fraSpell- ing. Tables, and sundry slate exercises, A Scheme of Classification. — Now it is very desirable that as much time should be devoted to recitation as can be afforded to each class. It may be seen at once that in certain studies, as geography, mental arithmetic, and spelling, the teacher can as well attend to fifteen at once as to seven. In these studies, unless the disparity in age and attainment is very great, two divisions can very properly be united. All can be taught writing at once, thus receiving the teacher^s undivided attention for the time. Besides, it is necessary to reserve some little time for change of exercises, and also for the in- terruptions which must necessarily occur. The recesses are to be provided for, and some time may be needed for investigation of violations of duty, and for the pun- ishment of offenders. All this variety of work will occur in every school, even the smallest. Now, if the teacher does not arrange this in accordance with some plan, he will be very much perplexed, even in a small school ; and how much more in a large one ! He will do well very carefully to consider the relative importance of each exercise to be attended to, and then to write out his scheme somewhat after the following model. It must not be forgotten that studying is also to be pro- vided for, and that it is just as important that the pupils should be regular in this as in recitation. Indeed, without such regularity he cannot expect acceptable recitations. 22S THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. PROGRAM FOR THE ABOVE SUPPOSED CIRCUMSTANCES. Tune. 1 M. Recitations, dtc. Studies. 9 to 9.15 15 Reading Script., & Praykr. 9.15 to 9.40 25 J D. Reading, Spelling, or j 1 Tables. I A. Reading; B. Arith.; C. Geogiaphy. 9.40 to 9.42 2 Rest, Change of Classes, &c. 9.42 to 10 18 A. Reading. JB. Arith.; C. Geog.; 1 D. Slates. 10 to 10.5 5 j Rest, Singing, or An- ( swebing Questions. 10.5 to 10.25 20 B. Aritlimetic. J A. Gram.; C. Geog.; 1 D. Books or Cards. 10.25 to 10.28 3 Rest, &c. 10.23 to 10.48 20 B. & C. Geograph3'. A. Gram.; D. Recess. 10.48 to 11 12 Recess. 11 to 11.15 11.15 to 11.35 11.35 to 11.50 15 20 15 D. Reading, &c. A. Grammar. B. & C, Spelling. J A.Gram.;B.M.Arith.; 1 C. Spelling. { B. Spelling; C. Spell- ing; D. Slates. A.M. Arith. ;D. Books or Cards. ll.cO to 12 10 General Exercise. Intermissio7i. 2 to 2.15 2 15 to 2.45 2.45 to 3.10 3.10 to 3.30 15 30 25 20 D. Reading, Spelling, Tables. A. B. & C. Writing. A. & B. Mental Arithmetic. 0. Reading. A. Arith.; B. Read- ing; C. Reading. D. Slates. C. M. Arith. ; D. Recess. 1 A. Arith. ; B. Arith. ; 1 D. Books, &c. 3.30 to 3.40 10 Recess. 3.40 to 4 20 B. Reading. j A.Arith.;C.M.Arith.: 1 D. Drawing. 4 to 4.5 5 Rest, or Singing. 4.5 to 4.25 4.25 to 4.55 20 80 C. Mental Arithmetic. A. Arithmetic. j A. Read. ;B. Arith. o; ■) Draw.; D. Slates. J B. Arith. or Draw. ; C. 1 Draw,; D. Dismissed. 4.55 to 5 5 Gen. Exer. and Dismission. SCHOOL ARRANGEMEMTS. 259 RemarJcs. Division of Time and Work, — In the foregoing pro- gram, the first column shows the division of ti7ne, and the portion allowed to each exercise. I need not say the teacher should be strictly punctual. To this end a clock is a very desirable article in the school. Both teacher and pupils would be benefited by it. The sec- ond column shows the recitations, admitting perhaps some variety, especially in case of the younger children ; while the third shows the occupation of those classes which are not engaged in recitation. Study Provided for.— It v/ill be seen that the classes are studying those lessons which they are soon to recite ; and, as in this case it is supposed that all the lessons will be learned in school, each one has been provided for. It would be well, however, in practice to require one of the studies to be learned out of school, in which case no time should be allowed to the sticdy of that branch in the program. Drawing. — It will be perceived that draioing is placed as the occupation of the younger classes near the close of the afternoon. This is based upon the supposition that the teacher during recess has placed an example on the blackboard, to be copied by the children upon their slates. This is perhaps the most effectual way to teach drawing to children. Those more advanced, however, may use paper and pencil, and draw from an engraved copy, or from a more finished specimen furnished from the teacher's portfolio. It is essential that the teacher should, if possible, give some specimens of his own in this branch. I have seldom known a teacher to excite 230 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. an interest in drawing who relied altogether upon en- gravings as models for imitation. An Assistant. — It should be remarked further, con- cerning such a program, that in case of an assistant in the school, two columns under the head of Recitations should be formed — one for the principalis classes, and one for the assistant's. If there are a few talented scholars, who are able to do more than their class, they can be allowed to join some of the classes out of their division, or they may be provided with an extra study which will not need daily recitation. Alternation. — In case the school is much larger than the one one supposed above, and the classes necessarily so numerous as to make the time allowed to each study very short, then the principle of alternation may be in- troduced; that is, some studies may be recited Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, — and some other studies, with other classes, take their places on the alternate days. It is decidedly better for the teacher to meet a class, in arithmetic for instance, especially of older pupils, but twice or three times a week, having time enough at each meeting to make thorough work, than to meet ih^m. daily, but for a time so short as to accomplish but little. The same remark may be applied to reading, and indeed almost any other branch. Thorough Work; no Nibbling — The idea is a mis- chievous one, that every class in reading, or in any other branch, must be called out four times a day, or ev©n twice a day — except in the case of very young children. It may be compared to nibbling at a cracker as many times in a day, without once taking a hearty meal — a process which would emaciate any child in the course of three months. These scanty nibblings at the table of SCHOOL ARRANGEMENTS. 2}l knowledge, so often and so tenaciously practised, may perhaps account for the mental emaciation so often dis- coverable in many of our schools. Difficulty of Classifying.— The difficulty of classify- ing and arranging the exercises of a school becomes greater as the number of teachers to be employed in- creases; and there is much greater inconvenience in allowing any pupils to study out of their own division when the number of teachers is more than one or two. Few are aware of the difficulty of arranging the exercises of a large school but those who have experienced it. It can be done, however; and it should always be done as soon as possible after commencing the school. Way to Correct a Scheme.— If at any time the ar- rangement when made is not found to be perfect, it is not wise to change it at once. Let it go on a few days, and watch its defects with great care; and in the mean time study, out of school, to devise a better. When this has been accomplished and committed to paper, and perfectly comprehended by the teacher, it may be posted up in the schoolroom, and the day announced when it will go into operation. It will soon be understood by the pupils, and the change can thus be made without the loss of time. Reviews. — Time for reviews of the various lessons could be found by setting aside the regular lessons for some particular day, once a week, or once in two weeks ; and for composition, declamation, etc., a half day should be occasionally or periodically assigned. Models not to be Copied ; Teacher must Think. — If I have devoted considerable space to this subject, it is because I deem it of very great importance to the teacher's success. With one other remark I dismiss it. 2^2 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. These models are not given to be servilely copied. They are given to illustrate the great principle. The circum- stances of schools will be found to vary so widely that no model, however, perfect in itself, would answer for all. The teacher must exercise his own ingenuity and judgment to meet his own wants; and in general it may be remarked that, where a teacher has not the skill to adapt his own plans to his own circumstances, he can hardly be expected to succeed in carrying out the plans of another. SECTIOK II. INTERRUPTION'S. Interruptions Unavoidable. — In every school consist- ing of pupils of different ages and circumstances, there will be more or less of interruption to the general order and employment of the school. Some of the pupils have never been trained to system at home; perhaps most of them may have been positively taught to dis- regard it at school. At any *rate, " it must needs be," in this particular, " that offences come." Nor should the teacher lose his patience, though he should be often disturbed by the thoughtlessness of his pupils. He should expect it as a matter of course, and exercise his ingenuity as far as possible to prevent it. It may well be one of his sources of enjoyment to witness an im- provement in the habits of his pupils in regard to sys- tem. Causes. — These interruptions proceed from various causes — such as soliciting leave to speak, or to go out; asking for some assistance in learning lessons, or for leave to drink, or to stand by the fire; requesting the teacher to mend pens, or to set copies; disorderly conduct in pupils, making it necessary, in his judg- SCHOOL ARRANGEMENTS. 2}} ment, to administer reproof or punishment in the midst of other duties, — and sometimes the vociferous and impatient making of complaints by one scholar against another. A Scene- from Nature.— How many times I have seen a teacher involved in indescribable perplexity while trying to perform the duty of instruction, and to " get through " in time. While hearing a grammar lesson, a scholar brings up his atlas to have some place pointed out which he had upon one trial failed to find. The teacher, turning to look for the place, is addressed with, " Please mend my pen," from another quarter. Having the knife in hand, as if such things were to be expected, the obliging teacher takes the pen, and hold- ing it between his eyes and the atlas, endeavors to shape its nib and to discover the city at the same glance. "Jane keeps a-pinching me!" vociferates a little girl who is seated behind the class. " Jane, Jane!" says the teacher, turning away from both the nib and the city, "Jane, come to me instantly!" Jane with the guilty fingers thrust far into her mouth makes her way side- ling towards the teacher. "May I go out?" says John, who is thinking only of his own convenience. "No, no!" answers the teacher, a little pettishly, as if conscious that, in a crisis like this, a request simply to breathe more freely is scarcely justifiable. "Please, sir, let me and Charles go out and get a pail of water." This is said by a little shrewd - looking, round - faced, light -haired boy, who has learned how to select his time, and to place the emphasis upon the " please, sir." The teacher by this time, being considerably fretted by such an accumulation of business on his hands, very naturally thinks of the refreshment contained in a pail 234 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. of cool water, and very good-naturedly answers the little nrcliin in the affirmatiye, who most likely is by this time more than half-way out of the door, so confi- dent is he of success. Just at this juncture a consid- erate-looking miss in the class earnestly appeals to the teacher to know if the word next but three to the last was not a common noun, though called a conjunction ! This reminds the teacher that several words have been parsed without his notice, and he asks the class to " stop there/' Glancing at his watch, he discovers that he has gone three minutes beyond the time for recess, and he relieves himself by saying, " Boys may go out." This grants a truce to all parties. The pen goes back unmended; the atlas with its sought city undiscovered; John '^ goes out " now by common law, taking to him- self the credit of this happy release, as he asked only to remind the master that it was time for recess; Jane takes both thumb and finger from her precious little mouth, and smiling seats herself by the side of her late challenger, who is by this time more than half repentant of her own impatience; the shrewd-looking urchin and his companion return with the refreshing pail of wa- ter; the boys and girls gather round to obtain the first draught, while the little chubby-faced lad comes for- ward, clothed in smiles, with a cup filled with the cool- ing liquid on purpose for the master; the boon is ac- cepted, the perplexed brow becomes placid, and all is sunshine again. This is not a very extravagant picture of the interruptions in a district school. Those who have been brought up in such a school will recognize the fidelity of the liheness, as it has been drawn from Nature. Lancaster's Motto. — Now whoever has any knowledge SCHOOL ARRANGEMENTS. 235 of human nature and of school-teaching will at once see that this is all wrong. It is a law of our being that we can do well but one thing at a time. He who attempts more must do what he attempts but very im- perfectly. There was a great deal of wisdom embodied in that motto which used to be placed in the old Lan- casterian schools: "A time for everythin'g, and EVERYTHii^^G I2f ITS TIME." It should be One of the mottoes of every teacher. In the construction of the plan or program for the day's duties, great care should be taken to provide for all these little things. If whis- pering is to be allowed at all in school, let it come into one of the intervals between recitations. If assistance in getting lessons is to be asked and rendered, let it be d one at a time assigned for the special purpose. As f al- as possible, except in extreme cases, let the discipline be attended to at the time of general exercise, or some other period assigned to it, so that there shall not be a ludicrous mixture of punishments and instruction dur- ing the progress of a class exercise. System Makes Teaching Delightful.— It is pleasant to visit a school, where everything is done, and well done, at its proper time. Teaching, under such circumstances, becomes a delightful employment. But where all is confusion, and the teacher allows himself by the ac- cumulation of irregularities to be oppressed and per- plexed, it is one of the most wearing and undesirable vocations on earth. The teacher goes to his lodgings harassed with care, oppressed with a consciousness of the imperfection of his labors, and exhausted by the unnat- ural and unwarrantable tax imposed upon his mental faculties. He groans under the burden incident to his calling, and longs to escape from, it; never once dreaming, 2^6 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. perhaps, that he has the power of relieving himself by the introduction of system, and thus changing his former Baiel into a scene of quietness and order. SECTION III. EECESSES. How Often ?— In speaking of the arrangements of a school, the subject of recesses demands attention. It is the belief of many enlightened instructors that the con- finement in most of our schools is still too protracted, and that more time devoted to relaxation would be prof- itable both to the physical and mental constitution of our youth. Some have urged a recess of a few minutes every hour, in order to afford opportunity for a change of position and a change of air. This could better be done in schools composed only of one sex, or where the accommodation of separate yards and play grounds per- mits both sexes to take a recess at the same time. Where these accommodations are wanting, and one sex must wait while the other is out, the time required for two recesses in half a day, for the whole school, could scarcely be afforded. I am of the opinion, as our schools are at present composed, that one recess in the half day for each sex is all that can be allowed. The question then is, How can that one recess be made most conducive to the purposes for which it is designed ? As to the Duration of Recess. — Ten minutes is the least time that should be thought of, if the children are to be kept closely confined to study during the remainder of the three hours' session; that is, ten minutes for each sex. It would be a very desirable thing if our school- houses could be so furnished with separate play grounds and separate out-door accommodations that both sexes could take recess at the same time. This would save SCHOOL ARRANGEMENTS. 2J7 much time to the district in the course of a term, and it would also give opportunity for thoroughly ventilating the room during recess, while it would afford the teacher opportunity to take the air, and overlook the sports of the children to some extent— a matter of no small im- portance. Teacher's Work at Recess. — Where these facilities are wanting, and the teacher must remain within to preside over the one half of the school while the others are out^ he may still give ten minutes at least to each sex, con- triving to employ profitably the time within doors. He may reserve this time for settling such difficulties as may have arisen in the school; he may administer reproofs, inflict his punishments if any are necessary, or he may spend the time in giving assistance to the pupils, or in drawing upon the blackboard for the advantage of the younger pupils as they come in. In a large school, where a longer recess is the more necessary on account of the bad air of the schoolroom, he will find the more duty to be done at this time; so that in any event the time need not be lost, even if fifteen minutes be allowed to each sex. As to the Proper Hour for Recess It was an old rule to have recess when " school tvas half done." Indeed, this expression was often used as synonymous with recess in many districts twenty-five years ago. It is now gen- erally thought better to have the recess occur later, perhaps when the school session is two thirds past. It is found that children, accustomed to exercise all the morning can better bear the confinement of the first two hours than they can that of the third, even though the recess immediately precedes the third. In a school the half-daily sessions of which are three hours, I should 2}S THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. recommend that the recess be introduced so as to termi- nate at the close of the second hour. As far as possible, it would be well to have all the pupils leave the room at the time recess is given them ; and, as a general thing, they should not ask leave to go out at any other time. A little system in this matter is as desirable as in any other, and it is quite as feasible. Young Children — In a school composed partly of very young children, there is no difficulty in giving such children two recesses each half day. Nor is there any objection to such a course. It is more irksome to young children to bear confinement, than to the adult, especially as they cannot be expected to be constantly occupied. It will relieve the teacher very much to have the children go out of the room as soon as they become fatigued, and, as it will promote their own health and happiness to go, it is very justifiable to grant them the privilege. This may properly and easily be provided for upon the program. SECTIOF IV. ASSIGNIITG LESSORS. Why Lessons Should not be Too Long. — Many teachers fail in this department. Judging of the diffi- culty of the lesson by the ease with which thep can ac- quire it, even in a text-book new to themselves, they not unfrequently assign more than can possibly be learned by the children. They forget that by long dis- cipline of mind, and by the aid of much previously ac- quired knowledge, the lesson becomes comparatively easy to them ; they forget, too, the toil a similar lesson cost them when they were children. Now the effect of poorly learning a lesson is most ruinous to the mind of a child. He, by the habit of missing, comes to think it SCHOOL ARRANGEMENTS. 239 a small thing to fail at recitation. He loses his self -re- spect. He loses h\\ regard for his reputation as a scholar. It is truly deplorable to see a child fail in a lesson with indifference. Besides, the attempt to acquire an unrea- sonable lesson induces a superficial habit of study— a skimming over the surface of things. The child studies, that he may live through the recitation; not that he may learn and remember. He passes thus through a book, and thinks himself wise while he is yet a fool — a mistake that is no less common than fatal. Not How Much, but How Well.— The motto of the wise teacher should be, " Not how much, but how WELL." He should always ask, is it possiUe that the child can master this lesson, and prohaUe that he loill ? It is better that a class should make but very slow prog- ress for several weeks, if they but acquire the habit of careful study and a pride of good scholarship, — a dread of failure, — than that they should ramble over a whole field, firing at random, missing oftener than they hit the mark, and acquiring a stupid indifference to their reputation as marksmen, and a prodigal disregard to their waste of ammunition and their loss of the game. Good Habits of Study. — In assigning lessons, the importance of good habits of study should be con- sidered, and the lessons given accordingly. At the commencement of a term, the lessons should always be short till the ability of the pupils is well understood and their habits as good students established. As the term progresses they can be gradually lengthened as the capacity of the class will warrant, or their own de- sire will demand. It is frequently judicious to consult the class about the length of the lessons, though to be sure their judgment cannot always be relied on, for they 240 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. are almost always ready to undertake more than tliey can well perform. Assigning, however, somewhat less than they propose will take from them all excuse for failure. When the lesson is given, a failure should be looked upon as culpable dereliction of duty, as incom- patiable with a good conscience as it is with good scholarship. This high ground cannot be taken, how- ever, unless the teacher has been very judicious in the assignment of the lesson. SECTIOIS' V. KEVIEWS. Reviews Necessary.— In the prosecution of study by any class of students, frequent reviews are necessary. This is so, because the memory is very much aided by repetition and by association. But further, the under- standing is often very much improved by a review. Many of the sciences cannot be presented in independ- ent parts, nor can all the terms employed be fully ap- preciated till these parts are again viewed as a whole. Many things which were but dimly seen the first time they were passed over become perfectly clear to the mind when viewed afterwards in connection with what follows them. Why Frequent; Application of Principles to Prac- tical Life. — In conducting reviews, regard must be had to the age and character of the pupils and to the branch pursued. In arithmetic, and indeed in mathematics generally, where so much depends upon every link in the great chain, very frequent reviews are necessary. Indeed, almost daily it is profitable to call up some principle before gone over. In several branches, where the parts have a less intimate connection, as in geog- raphy, natural philosophy, and some others, the reviews SCHOOL ARRANGEMENTS. 24 1 may be at greater intervals. It would be well, I think, in every common school, to have a review-day once a week. This, besides the advantages already indicated, will lead the children to study for something beyond recitation. Kor is it enough, at the review that the questions of the text-book be again proposed to the children. If this be all, they will only exercise their memories. As far as possible the subject should be called up, and the application of principles to practical life should be dwelt upon. If this course is expected by the learners, they will tJiinIc during the week, in order to anticipate the examination of the teacher; and this think itig is more profitable to them than the knowl- edge itself. A General Review.— It is always well, besides the periodical reviews, to have a general review at the close of any particular study. This enables the teacher to detect any false conceptions which the pupil has enter- tained during the first course. He can now present the subject as a whole, and view one part by the light of another. In natural philosophy, how much better the law of reflected motion can be appreciated after the sub- ject of optics has been studied, in which the doctrine of reflection in general has been fully discussed and illustrated! In physiology, what light is thrown upon the process of growth in the system by the subsequent chapters on absorption and secretion! How much clearer is the economy of respiration understood when viewed in connection with the circulation of the blood ! A general review, then, is an enlightening process; and it is always profitable, with, perhaps, one exception. When it is instituted with reference to a public ex- amination, it is very doubtful whether the evil is not 242 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. greater than the good. It then degenerates into an effort to appear well at a particular time; it is again studying in order to recite; and I look upon it as no small evil, that the mind should have any object in view which comes in between it and the grand desire to hnow — to master the subject for its own sake, and not simply for the purpose of being able to talk about it on one great occasion. SECTIOI^ VI. PUBLIC EXAMIITATIOKS. Examinations not without Objections. — It is now the usage in all our schools to have public examinations, — generally at the close of a term, or a portion of a term, — in order to test, in some measure, the industry and skill of the teacher and the proficiency of the pupils. I am hardly prepared to oppose this usage, because I am in- clined to believe examinations are of some utility as a means of awakening an interest in the parents of the children; perhaps they do something to stimulate school- officers, and also to excite to greater effort during the term both the teacher and the pupils. Still, public ex- aminations, as frequently conducted, are not without serious objectiofis. 1. They certainly cannot be looked upon as criterions of the faithfulness or success of teachers. A man witJi tact, and without honesty, may make his school appear to far greater advantage than a better man can make a better school appear. This has often happened. It is not the most faithful and thorough teaching that makes the show and attracts the applause at a public exhibition. It is the superficial, mechanical memoriter exercise that is most imposing. Who has not seen a class, that recited by rote and in concert at a cele- bration, win the largest approbation, when many of the SCHOOL ARRANGEMENTS. 243 individuals knew not the import of the words they uttered. Names in geography have been thus " said or sung," when the things signified were to the children as really terrce incognitce as the fairy lands of Sinbad the Sailor. Not to be Taken as Indices of Proficiency Nor can such exhibitions be claimed justly to indicate the pro- ficiency of the pupils. Every experienced teacher knows that the best scholars often fail at a public examination^ and the most indolent and superficial often distinguish themselves. The spectators, not unfrequently, in point- ing out the talent of the school, make the teacher smile at their blunders. Encourage Deception.— They present a strong tempta- tion to dishonesty on the part of the teacher. Since so much stress is laid upon the examination, and particu- larly, in some regions, upon the Celebration, where sev- eral schools are brought together to make a show for a few hours, it must be rather an uncommon man who will have sufficient principle to exhibit his school as it isy and refuse to make those efforts so very common to have it appear lohat it is not. The wish, expressed or implied, of the parents, and the ambition of the children, all conspire to make the teacher yield to a usage so com- mon. Consequently, several weeks will be spent to pre- pare the children to appear in public. During this time they study not for improvement, not for future useful- ness, but simply to make a show at the public celebration. An unworthy and unwarrantable motive actuates them during all this process; and, at last, unless strangely benighted, they are conscious of holding up a false appearance to the world. Now, under such circum- stances, whatever of good is effected, by way of enkin- 244 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. dling a zeal in the parents, is dearly purchased. The sacrifice of principle in a teacher — much more in the children — is a large price to pay for the applause of a few visitors, or even for an increase of interest among them in the cause of popular education. Sometimes Useful. When ? — Examinations, however, which are less showy, and which are of such a character as thoroughly to sift the teachings that have been given, and to thwart any ingenious efforts specially to prepare for them — examinations that look back to the general teaching of the term, or the year, and test the accuracy and thoroughness of the instructions — are unquestion- ably very desirable and useful. To make them so in the highest sense, and to exempt them from an evil tendency upon the minds of the young themselves, the teacher sJiouId be strictly holiest, Not a lesson should be given with sole reference to the exhibition at the close; not an exercise should be omitted because the examination approaches. The good teacher should keep those great motives before the mind, which look to future usefulness, and to the discharge of duty. The child should be taught that he is accountable for what he acquires, and what he may acquire, and not for what he may appear to have acquired; and that this accountability is not confined to a single day, soon to pass and be forgotten; but it runs through all time and all eternity. Further Caution. — I know not but the expectation of an examination may stimulate some to greater exertion and make them better scholars. If this be so, it may be well enough; and yet I should be slow to present such a motive to the mind of a child, because a special or sec- ondary accountability always detracts from the general and chief. SCHOOL ARRANGEMENTS. 2^5 A strong reason, in addition to those already assigned, why special preparation should not be made for the ex- amination, is that where such preparation is expected the pupils become careless in their ordinary exercises. Teacher should be Honest. — While, then, I think too much stress is at present placed upon showy exhibitions and celebrations, and the objections and dangers attend examinations^ as frequently conducted, I would not recommend altogether their discontinuance. I would rather urge that the teacher, by his inflexible honesty, should make them fair representations of the actual con- dition of his school, without relying very much upon them as a means of stimulating the pupils to exertion; that the pupils should be made to feel that the results of their exertion through the term, rather than a few special efforts near its close, would be brought into re- view; that no hypocrisy or management should ever be tolerated, in order to win the applause of the multitude; that no particular lessons should ever be assigned for the occasion; that it should be remembered that the moral effect of an occasional failure at examination will be more salutary upon the school than unbroken success; and that the children are irreparably injured when they are made in any way the willing instruments of false pretension. Profitable Examinations. — Under such circum- stances, examinations may be profitable to all con- cerned. If teacher and pupils have done well, they have the opportunity of showing it without violence to their own consciences. The employers, and patrons, too, have some means of forming a correct estimate of the value of their school; and all parties may be en- 246 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. courged and stimulated. But above all things, let the TEACHER BE HOKEST. QUESTIONS. 1. (a) "Why is it necessary to have a fixed plan for the work of every school-day ? (b) Why for even the first day ? 2. What would you do to make sure of a successful com- mencement in a new school ? 3. What is to be said regarding prevalent practice of mak- ing derogatory remarks about a predecessor? Explain the dangers. 4. How would you proceed to become acquainted with the pupils in a new school ? 5. Why should the teacher always be early at the school and the last to leave it ? 6. Mark out a plan for a first day's work in school. 7. Write out a program for an ungraded elementary school. 8. What studies should be placed on the program for the first hours of the day ? Why ? 9. What occupations would you take up near the close of the afternoon session ? Why ? 10. What should be the motto of the teacher as regards the division of work ? Why of particular importance in school ? 11. What is your opinion regarding the number of recesses to be allowed in a day ? 12. Why should every elementary school be allowed a recess of at least ten minutes in each half day ? 13. Do you believe the abolition of recess to be a mistake? Why? 14. What is the proper time for recess ? 15. How would you conduct the recess to make sure of its proving a benefit for the children ? 16. (a) Explain the need of frequent reviews in the studies. (b) How should they be conducted ? 17. What is your opinion as to the value of public exami- nation ? 18. Should pupils be promoted on the results of examina- tions ? Give reasons. 19. Describe a profitable kind of examination. 20. What is the object of learning ? THE TEACHER'S RELATION TO PARENTS. 247 CHAPTEE XI. THE TEACHER^S RELATION TO THE PAR- ENTS OF HIS PUPILS. Talents and Private Character in a Clergyman.— In the choice of a clergyman, after estimating his moral and religious character, and ascertaining the order of his pulpit talents, a third question remains to be answered, viz. : What are his qualifications as a pastor 9 How is he adapted to fulfil the various relations of private friend and counsellor; and in the family circle, in his intercourse with the aged and the young, how is he fitted to *• Allure to brighter worlds and lead the way " ? In that sacred profession every one knows that nearly as much good is to be done by private intercourse as in the public ministration. Many a heart can be reached by a friendly and informal conversation, that would re- main unmoved by the most powerful eloquence from the pulpit. Besides, many are prepared to be profited in the public exercises by that intercourse in private which has opened their hearts, removed prejudice, and engendered a feeling of friendly interest in the preacher. The admonitions of the Gospel thus have the double power of being truth, and truth uttered by the lips of a valued friend. Social Qualities in a Teacher. — It is to some extent thus with the school teacher. He may be very learned 248 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. and very apt to teach, and yet fail of success in his district. Hence it is highly important that he should possess and carefully cultivate those social qualities, which will greatly increase his usefulness. The teacher should consider it a part of his duty, whenever he enters a district, to excite a deeper interest there among the patrons of the school than they have ever before felt. He should not be satisfied till he has reached every mind connected with his charge in such a way that they will cheerfully co-operate with him and sustain his judicious efforts for good. Being imbued with a deep feeling of the importance of his work, he should let them see that he is alive to the interests of their chil- dren. To this end, — 1. The Teacher should Seek Frequent Opportunities of Intercourse with the Parents.— Though the advances toward this point, by the strict rules of etiquette, should be made by the parents themselves — (as by some it is actually and seasonably done) — ^yet, as a general thing, taking the world as we find it, the teacher must lead the way. He must often introduce himself uninvited to the people among whom he dwells, calling at their homes in the spirit of his vocation, and conversing with them freely about his duty to their children and to themselves. Every parent of course will feel bound to be courteous and civil in his own house; and, by such an interview, perhaps a difference of opinion, a pre- judice, or a suspicion may be removed, and the founda- tion of a mutual good understanding be laid, which many little troubles can never shake. It may be very useful to have an interview with such parents as have been disturbed by some administration of discipline upon members of their families. Let me not be under- THE TEACHBR'S RELATION TO PARENTS. 249 s4;ood, however, to recommend that the teacher should ever go to the parent in a cringing, unmanly spirit. It would probably be far better that the parties should ever remain entire strangers, than that their meeting should necessarily be an occasion of humiliating retrac- tion on the part of teacher. Neither should the parents ever be allowed to expect that the teacher always will as a matter of duty come to their confessional. But it is believed, if there could be a meeting of the parties as men, as gentlemen, as Christians, as coadjutors for the child's welfare, it would always be attended with good results. 2. The Teacher should be Willing to Explain all His Plans to the Parents of His Pupils. — If they had im- plicit confidence in him, and would readily and fully give him every facility for carrying forward all his designs without explanation, then, perhaps, this direc- tion might not be necessary. But as the world is, he cannot expect spontaneous confidence. They wish to know his designs, and it is best they should be informed of them by himself. The best way for the teacher to interest them in the business of education will be freely to converse with them concerning the measures he in- tends to adopt. If his plans are judicious, he of course can show good reasons why they should be carried into effect; and parents are generally willing to listen to reason, especially when it is directed to the benefit of their own children. Many a parent, upon the first announcement of a measure in school, has stoutly opposed it, who, upon a little explanatory conversation with the teacher, would entertain a very different opinion, and ever after would be most ready to counte- nance and support it. 250 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. Encourage Inquiry. — It seems to me a teacher may safely encourage inquiry into all his movements in school. There is an old saying — in my opinion a mis- chievous one — which enjoins it as a duty upon all, to " tell no tales out of school." I see no objection to the largest liberty in this matter. Why may not every- thing be told, if told correctly ? Parents frequently entertain a suspicious spirit as to the movements of the teacher. Would not very much of this be done away, if it was understood there was no mystery about the school! The teacher who would thus invite in- quiry would be very careful never to do anything which he would not be willing to have related to the parents, or even to be witnessed by them. I would have no ob- jection, if it were possible, that the walls of our school- rooms, as you look inward, should be transparent, so that any individual unperceived might view with his own eyes the movements within. The consciousness of such an oversight would work a healthy influence upon those who have too long delighted in mystery. 3. The Teacher should Encourage Parents Frequently to Visit His School. — There is almost everywhere too great backwardness on the part of parents to do this duty. The teacher should early invite them to come in. It is not enough that he do this in general terms. He may fix the time, and arrange the party, so that those who would assimilate should be brought together. It will frequently be wise to begin with the mothers, where visitation has been unusual. They will soon bring in the fathers. As often as they come they will be bene- fited. When such visits are made, the teacher should not depart from his usual course of instruction on their account. Let all the recitations and explanations be at- THE TEACHER'S RELATION TO PARENTS. 25 1 tended to, all praises and reproofs, all rewards and pun- ishments be as faithfully and punctually dispensed as if no person were present. In other words, let the teacher faithfully exhibit the school just as it is, its lights and its shadows, so that they may see all its workings, and understand all its trials as well as its encouragements. Such visitations under such circumstances, it is be- lieved, would ever be highly beneficial. The teacher's difficulties and cares would be better understood, and his efforts to be useful appreciated. The hindrances thus seen to impede his progress would be promptly re- moved, and the teacher would receive more cordial sympathy and support. Be Honest ; No False Pretences.— But if the teacher makes such visits the occasion for putting a false ap- pearance upon the school; if he takes to himself un- usual airs, such as make him ridiculous in the eyes of his pupils, and even in his own estimation; if he at- tempts to bring before the visitors his best classes, and to impress them with his own skill by showing off his best scholars, they will, sooner or later, discover his hypocrisy, and very likely despise him for an attempt to deceive them. 4. The Teacher should be Frank in all His Represen- tations to Parents Concerning Their Children.— This is a point upon which many teachers most lamentably err. In this, as in every other case, " honesty is the best policy.'^ If an instructor informs a parent during the term that his son is making rapid progress, or as the phrase is — "doing very welV he excites in him high expectations; and if at the end of the term it turns out otherwise, the parent with much justice may feel that he has been injured, and may be expected to load him 2^2 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. with censure instead of praise. Let a particular answer, and a true one, always be given to the inquiry — " How does my child get along ? " The parent has a right to know, and the fceacher has no right to conceal the truth. Sometimes teachers, fearing the loss of a pupil, have used some indefinite expression, which, however, the doting parent is usually ready to interpret to his child^s advantage. But sooner or later the truth will appear; and when the teacher is once convicted of any misrepre- sentation in this particular, there is rarely any forgive- ness for him. For this reason and for his own love of truth, for his own reputation and for the child's welfare, he should keep nothing back. He should tell the whole story plainly and frankly, — and the parent, if he is a gentleman, will thank him for his faithfulness to him; and if he has any sense of justice, he will be ready to co-operate with him for his child's improvement. At any rate such a course will ensure the reward of a good conscience. Be Modest The teacher, as I have before urged, should have the habits and manners of a gentleman. He should strive also to acquire the ability to converse in an easy and agreeable way, so that his society shall never be irksome. He, in other words, should be a man who does not require much entertaining. Modesty, withal, is a great virtue in the teacher; especially in his intercourse with the people of his district. Teachers, from their almost constant intercourse with their pupils are apt to think their own opinions infallible; and they sometimes commit the ridiculous error, of treating others wiser than themselves as children in knowledge. This infirmity, incident to the profession, should be care- fully avoided; and while the teacher should ever en- THE TEACHER'S RELATION TO PARENTS. 253 deavor to make his conversation instructive, he should assume no airs of superior learning or infallible author- ity. He should remember the truth in human nature, that men are best pleased to learn without bein»g re- minded that they are learners. " Out-door Work.** — I have known some teachers, who have sneered at what they have termed, the " out- door work" here recommended. They have thrown themselves upon their dignity, and have declared that when they had done their duty within the schoolroom, they had done all that could be expected, and that parents were lound to co-operate with them, and sustain them. But, after all, we must take the world as we find it; and since parents do not always feel interested as they should, 1 hold it to be a part of the teacher's duty to excite their interest, and to win them to his aid by all the proper means in his power. In doing this, he will, in the most effectual way, secure the progress of his school, and at the same time advance his own personal improvement, QUESTIONS. 1. Why should parents be encouraged to frequently visit the school ? 2. What can the teacher do to secure the co-operation of parents ? 3. What should be the object of the teacher's visits to parents ? 4. Describe and show the effect of some mistakes that must be avoided in the intercourse with parents. 5. {a) Why should the teacher strictly adhere to his usual course of instruction when the school has visitors ? (6) Men- tion and show the results of mistakes that are likely to be made on such occasions. 254 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. CHAPTER XII. TEAOHEE^S RELATION TO HIS PROFESSION. Teaching a Profession.— It has long been the opinion of the best minds in our country, as well as in the most enlightened countries of Europe, that teaching should be a profession. It has been alleged, and with much justice, that this calling, which demands for its success- ful exercise the best of talents, the most persevering energy, and the largest share of self-denial, has never attained an appreciation in the public mind at all com- mensurate with its importance. It has by no means received the emolument, either of money or honor, which strict justice would award in any other depart- ment to the talents and exertions required for this. This having been so long the condition of things, much of the best talent has been attracted at once to the other professions; or if exercised awhile in this, the tempta- tion of more lucrative reward, or of more speedy if not more lasting honor, has soon diverted it from teaching, v/here so little of either can be realized, to engage in some other department of higher promise. So true is this that scarcely a man can be found, having attained to any considerable eminence as a teacher, who has not been several times solicited — and perhaps strongly tempted — to engage in some more lucrative employ- ment; and while there have always been some strong men, who have preferred teaching to any other calling —men who would do honor to any profession^ and who, TEACHER'S RELATION TO HIS PROFESSION. 255 while exercising this, have found that highest of all re- wards, the consciousness of being useful to others, — still it must be confessed that teachers have too often been of just that class which a knowledge of the cir- cumstances might lead us to predict would engage in teaching ; men of capacity too limited for the other professions, of a temperament too sluggish to engage in the labors of active employment, of manners too rude to be tolerated except in the society of children(!), and sometimes of a morality so pernicious as to make them the unfailing contaminators of the young whenever per- mitted — not to teach— but to "keep school." Thus two great evils have been mutually strengthening each other. The indifference of the employers to the importance of good teachers, and their parsimony in meting out the rewards of teaching, have called into the field large numbers, in the strictest sense, unworthy of all reward; while this very unworthiness of the teachers has been made the excuse for further indifference, and if possible for greater meanness on the part of employers. Such has been the state of the case for many years past; and such is, to a great extent, the fact at present. Educational Millennium. — It has been the ardent wish of many philanthropists that this deplorable state of affairs should be exchanged for a better. Hence they have urged that teaching should be constituted a profession; that none should enter this profession but those who are thoroughly qualified to discharge the high trust ; and, as a consequence, that the people should more liberally reward and honor those who are thus qualified and employed. This would indeed be a very desirable change; it would be the educational mil- 256 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. lennium of the world. For such a period we all may well devoutly pray. Different Views as to How it shall be Ushered in — But how shall this glorious age — not yet arrived — be ushered in ? By whose agency, and by what happy in- strumentality, must its approach be hastened ? Here, as in all great enterprises, there is some difference of opinion. Some have urged that the establishment of normal schools and other seminaries for the better edu- cation of teachers, and the institution of a more vigi- lant system of supervision, by which our schools should be effectually guarded against the intrusion of the igno- rant and inefficient teacher, is all that is necessary to bring in this brighter day. Others have zealously urged that such preparation and such supervision are entirely superfluous and premature in the present state of the public mind. They say that the public must first be- corue more liberal in its appropriations for schools ; it must at once double the amount it has been accustomed to pay to teachers, and thus secure, without further trouble, the best talent to this vocation. To this the former class reply, that the public has seldom been known to raise its price, so long as its wants could be supplied at the present rates. They say that the last century has afforded ample opportunity for the exhibi- tion of this voluntary generosity of the public, and yet we still wait to see this anomaly in human prudence, of offering in advance to pay double the price for the same thing; for until better teachers are raised up, it must be an advance upon the present stock. So there is a division among them, "for some cry one thing and some another.^^ A Mutual Evilj and a Mutual Remedy.— IsTow, I be- TEACHER'S RELATION TO HIS PROFESSION. 257 lieve, in this case as in most others, the truth lies be- tween the extremes. As the evil complained of is a mutual one, as has already been shown,— that is, an illiberal public has tolerated incompetent teachers, and the incompetence of teachers has enhanced in turn the parsimony of the public,— so the remedy must be a mutual one; the public must be enlightened and teachers must be improved; the pay of teachers must be raised, but there must be also something to warrant the higher rate. Nor is it easy to determine which shall begin first. We can hardly expect the people to pay more till they find an article worth more; nor, on the other hand, can we expect the teachers to incur any considerable outlay to improve themselves, until better encouragement shall be held out to them by their em- ployers. The two must generally proceed together. Just as, in the descending scale, there was a mutual downward tendency, so here better service will com- mand better pay, and in turn the liberality of em- ployers will stimulate the employed to still higher at- tainments in knowledge and greater exertions in their labors. Duty of the Teacher.— In this condition of things, the question recurs. What is the duty of teachers in re- lation to their calling ? I answer, they are bound to do what they can to elevate it. Lord Bacon said, " Every man owes a debt to his profession." Teachers being supposed to be more intelligent than the mass of the community, may justly take the lead in the work of progress. They should, as a matter of dvtyf take hold of this work, — a work of sacrifice and self-denial as it will be, at least for some time,— and heartily do what they can to magnify their office and make it honorable. 258 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. In the mean time they may do what they can to arouse the people to a sense of their duty. The more en- lightened are to some extent with them already. The press, the pulpit, the legislative assemblies, all proclaim that something must be done. All admit the faithful teacher has not been duly rewarded, and some are found who are willing to do something for the improvement both of the mind and condition of the teacher. This is encouraging; and while we rejoice at the few gleams of light that betoken our dawning, let us inquire, for a little space, how we can hasten* the " coming in of the perfect day." SECTION I. SELF-CULTUEE. Self -improvement. — The teacher should labor dili- gently to improve himself. This is a duty incumbent on all persons, but particularly upon die teacher. The very nature of his employment demands that his mind should be frequently replenished from the storehouses of knowledge. To interest children in their studies, how necessary is it that the teacher^s mind should be thoroughly furnished with the richest thoughts of the wise; to inspire them with a desire to learn, how im- portant that he should be a living example of the ad- vantage and enjoyment which learning alone can be- stow; to strew the path of knowledge with flowers, and thus make it the path of pleasantness, how desirable that he should abound with the aptest illustrations drawn from all that is wonderful and curious in nature and art; to awaken the young mind to a consciousness of its capacities, its wants, its responsibilities, how thoroughly should he know all the workings of the human soul, — how wisely and carefully should he touch TEACHER'S RELATION TO HIS PROFESSION. 259 the springs of action, — how judiciously should he call to his aid the conscience and the religious feelings ! Example. — Besides, let it be remembered that in this as in other things, the teacher's example is of great im- portance. The young will be very likely to judge of the importance of their own improvement by the esti- m_ate the teacher practically places upon his; nor can he with any good grace press his puj)ils to exertion, while mthey see that he makes none whatever himself. Temptations to Self-neglect. — There is great danger, in the midst of the confinement and fatigue of the schoolroom, and the pressure of anxiety and care out of school, that the teacher will yield to the temptations of his position, and fall into habits of indolence as to his own improvement. Compelled, as he often is, to labor at great disadvantage, by reason of a small and poorly furnished schoolroom; confined through the day from the sunshine and the fresh breeze; subjected to a constant pressure of duty amid untold trials of his pa- tience, arising from the law that impels children to be active as well as inconsiderate; required to concentrate his powers upon the double duty of governing and teaching at the same instant, and all through the ses- sion, — it is not strange, when the hour of release comes, that he should seek rest or recreation at the nearest point, even to the neglect of his own mental or moral culture. I am of the opinion that this accounts for the fact that so many persons enter the work of instruction, and continue in it for a longer or shorter period, with- out making the slightest progress either in the art of teaching or in their own intellectual growth. Their first school indeed is often their best. This tendency or temptation, incident to the calling, it i& the teacher^s 26o THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. duty constantly and man fully to resist. He can do it, 1. The Teacher Has Time — He lias the time to do it. He is usually required to spend but six hours in the day in the schoolroom. Suppose he add two hours more for the purpose of looking over his l6ssons and devising plans for improving his school, — he will .still have six- teen hours for sleep, exercise, recreation, and improve- ment. Eight hours are sufficient for sleep, especially for a sedentary man (some say less), and four will pro- vide for meals, exercise, and recreation. Four still re- main for improvement. Any teacher who is systematic and economical in the use of his time can reserve for the purpose of his own improvement four hours in every tioentyfour, and this v/ithout the slightest detri- ment to his school duties or to his health. To be sure he must lead a regular life. He must have a plan, and systematically follow it. He must be punctual^ at his school, at his meals, at his exercise or recreation, at his hour of retiring and rising, and at his studies. Nor should he ordinarily devote more time than I have men- tioned directly to his school. He should labor with his whole soul while he does work, and he will the more heartily do this, if he has had time to think of some- thing else during the season of respite from labor. It is a great mistake that teachers make when they think they shall be more successful by devoting all theit thoughts to their schools. Very soon the school comes to occupy their sleeping as well as waking hours, and troublesome dreams disturb the repose of night. Such men must soon luear out. But according to the laws of our nature, by a change of occupation, the jaded faculties find rest. By taking TEACHER'S RELATION TO HIS PROFESSION. 26 1 up some new subject of inquiry, the intellect is relieved from the sense of fatigue which before oppressed it; the thoughts play freely again, the animation returns, the eye kindles, and the mind expands. 'Z. Immediate Reward. — Such labor finds immediate reward. The consciousness of growth is no small thing towards encouraging the teacher. He feels that he is no longer violating his nature by allowing himself to stag- nate. Then he will find every day that he can apply the newly-acquired truth to the illustration of some principle he is attempting to teach. He has encouraging and immediate proof that he is a better teacher, and that he has made himself so by timely exertion. He is thus again stimulated to rise above those temptations before described— this immediate availability of his acquire- ments being vouchsafed to the teacher, as it is not to most men, in order to prompt him to stem the current which resists his progress. How to Improve.— And now, if I have shown that a teacher is bound to improve himself, both from a regard to his own well-being and the influence of his example upon others, — and if I have also shown that he can im- prove himself, I may be indulged in making a few sug- gestions as to the manner of his doing it. 1. He should have a Course of Professional Read- ing. — It will do much for his improvement to read the works of those who have written on the subject of edu- cation and the art of teaching. If possible he should collect and possess a small educational library. It will be of great service to him to be able to read more than once such suggestions as are abundantly contained in the " Teacher's Manual," by Palmer; the *'' School and Schoolmaster," by Potter and Emerson; the "Teacher," 262 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. by Abbott; tlie " Teacher Tan glit," by Davis; "Lectures on Schoolkeeping/' by Hall; "The Common School Journal," " Secretary's Eeports," and " Lectures," by Horace Mann; the " Connecticut Common School Jour- nal," and " Journal of the Rhode Island Institute," by H. Barnard; the "District School Journal" of New York, by Francis Dwight and others; the " Lectures of the American Institute of Instruction; " the " School- master's Friend," by T. Dwight; the "District School," by J. Orville Taylor; the "Teacher's Advocate," by Cooper; the writings, if they can be obtained, of Wyse, of Cousin, of Lalor, of Lord Brougham on Education, together wibh such other works as are known to contain sound and practical views. It is not to be expected that every teacher will possess all these, or that he will read them all in a single term. But it is well to hold con- verse with other minds, and to have it in our power to review their best thoughts whenever our own need re- freshing. I have given a somewhat extended list of books, because the inquiry is now so often made by teachers what they shall read. 2. By Pursuing Systematically a Course of General Study. — Many teachers who have a desire to improve themselves, still fritter away their time upon little mis- cellaneous matters, without making real progress. It is well in this to have a plan. Let some one study, — it may be geology, or astronomy, or chemistry, or botany, or the pure mathematics, — let some one study receive constant attention till no mean attainments have been made in it. By taking one thing at a time and diligently pursuing it, at the end of a term the teacher feels that he has something to show for his labor, — and he is, by the advance already made, prepared to take the next TEACHER'S RELATION TO HIS PROFESSION. 26^ and more difficult step. In a course of years, while a neighbor who began teaching at the same time, has been stagnating or even retrograding for the want of a plan and a purpose, a diligent man, by system and persever- ance, may make himself at least equal to many who have enjoyed better advantages in early life, and at the same time have the superadded enjoyment of feeling that he has been his own teacher. 3. Keep a Journal or Common-place Book — The habit of composing daily is very valuable to the teacher. In this book he may record whatever plans he has devised with their results in j)ractice. He may enter remarkable cases of discipline — in short, anything which in the course of his practice he finds interesting. Those valu- able suggestions which he receives from others, or hints that he may derive from books, may be epitomized here, and thus be treasured up for future reference. Some- times one's best thoughts fade from his own mind, and he has no power to recall them. Such a book would preserve them, and would moreover show the character of one's thoughts at any particular period, and the prog- ress of thought, from one period to another, better than any other means. * Chosen Subjects. — To these means of self-culture I would add the practice of carefully reading and writing on chosen subjects, more fully described in the chapter on " Habits of the Teacher." Encouragement to Others. — By all these means and such others as may come within his reach, if a teacher succeeds in his attempts at progress, he does much for * For further remarks on the Common-place Book, see chap. yii. p. 108. note. 264 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. Ms profession. The very fact that he has given practi- cal demonstration that a man may teach and still im- prove; that the temptations of his profession may be resisted and overcome; that the life of the pedagogue which has required him to keep the company of small minds, and to be occupied with minute objects, has never prevented his holding communion with the great- est men our earth has known, nor circumscribed in the least the sphere of his grasping research, — I say the very fact that he has thus shown what a man may do under such circumstances, may do much to encourage others to like effort. But there are other and direct duties which he owes to his profession, which I proceed to consider under the head of SECTION II. MUTUAL AID. Selfishness. — Every teacher should be willing to im- part as well as to receive good. No one, whatever may be his personal exertions, can monopolize all the wisdom of the world. The French have a proverb that " Every- body is wiser than anybody." Actiug on this principle, the teacher should be willing to bring his attainments into the common stock, and to diffuse around him, as far as he is able, the light he possesses. I have no lan- guage with which to express my abhorrence of that selfishness which prompts a man, after attaining to some eminence as a teacher by the free use of all the means within his reach, self -complacently to stand aloof from his fellow-teachers, as if he would say: " Brethren, help yourselves — I have no need of you, and you have no claim upon me. I have toiled hard for my emi- nence, and the secret is with me. I will enjoy it alone. TEACHER'S RELATION TO HIS PROFESSION. 265 When you have toiled as long, you may be as wise. Brethren, help yourselves." Such a spirit would per- haps be tolerated by the world in an avaricious man, who had labored to treasure up the shining dust of earth. But no man may innocently monopolize knowl- edge. The light of the sun is shed in golden refulgence upon every man, and no one if he would, may separate a portion for his own exclusive use by closing his shut- ters about him — for that moment his light becomes darkness. It is thus with the light of knowledge. Like the air we breathe, or like the rain from heaven, it should be free to all. The man who would lock up the treasures of learning from the gaze of the whole world, whether in the tomes of some dusty library, as of old it was done, or in the recesses of his narrower soul, is unworthy of the name of man; he certainly has not the spirit of the teacher. An Exclusive Spirit without Excuse.— An exclusive spirit may be borne where meaner things, as houses, and lands, and gold, are at stake; but in education and religion, — light and love, — where giving doth not im- poverish nor withholding make rich, there is not even the shadow of an excuse for it. The man who is ex- clusive in these things would be so, I fear, in heaven. How can Teachers Encourage Each Other ? 1. By Mutual Visitation. —Very much may be done by social intercourse. Two teachers can scarcely con- verse together an hour without benefiting each other. The advantages of intercourse with friends, as delineated by Dr. Young, may not be denied to teachers. " Hast thou no frieud to set thy mind abroach ? Good sense will stagnate. Thoughts shut up want air, 266 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. And spoil like bales unopened to the sun. Had thought been all, sweet speech had been denied. ********* Thought, too, delivered, is the more possessed: Teaching, we learn ; and giving, we retain The births of intellect ; when dumb,forgot. Speech ventilates our intellectual fire ; Speech burnishes our mental magazine. Brightens for ornament, and whets for use." Even One^s Faults may Instruct Us. — But not only should teachers visit one another — it is profitable also for them to visit each other's schools. I have never spent an hour in the school of another without gaining some instruction. Sometimes a new way of illustrating a difficult point, sometimes an exhibition of tact in managing a difficult case in discipline, sometimes an improved method of keeping up the interest in a class^ would suggest the means of making my own labors the more successful. And even should one's neighbor be a bad teacher, one may sometimes learn as much from witnessing glaring defects as great excellences. Some of the most profitable lessons I have ever received have been drawn from the deficiencies of a fellow-teacher. We seldom "see ourselves as others see us;" and we are often insensible of our own faults till we have seen them strikingly exhibited by another, and then by a comparision we correct our own. Imparting Good. — Besides, by a visitation of a friend's school we may not only receive good, but we may im- part it. If there is mutual confidence, a few words may aid him to correct his faults, if he has any — faults which but for such suggestion might grow into confirmed habits, to his permanent injury. TEACHER'S RELATION TO HIS PROFESSION. 267 Teachers' Meetings.— So important is this mutual visitation among teachers as a means of improvement, that I doubt not employers would find it for their inter- est to encourage it by allowing the teachers to set apart an occasional half day for this purpose. Their Use. — It would, moreover, be very useful for the teachers of a town to hold stated meetings, as often as once a month, for the purpose of mutual improve- ment. It would cultivate a fellow-feeling among them, and it would afford them an opportunity to exchange thoughts on most of the difficulties which they meet in their schools, and the best methods of surmounting them. At these meetings a mutual exchange of books on the subject of teaching would extend the facilities of each for improving his own mind and his own methods of instruction and government. 2. By the Use of the Pen. — Every teacher should be a ready writer. Nearly every teacher could gain ac- cess to the columns of some paper, through which he could impart the results of his experience, or of his re- flection. Such a course would benefit him specially, and at the same time it would awaken other minds to thought and action. In this way the attention, no-t only of teachers but parents, would be called to the great work of education. One mind in this way might move a thousand. If a teacher does not feel qualified to instruct, let him inquire, and thus call out the wisdom of others. This could be done in nearly every village. The press is almost always ready to promote the cause of education. By the use of it, teachers may profitably discuss all the great questions pertaining to their duty, and at the same time enlighten the community in which 268 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. they live. This is an instrumentality as yet too little employed. By Teachers' Associations, or Institutes.— These are peculiarly adapted to the dift'iision of the best plans of instruction. Kightly conducted, they can never fail of being useful. Every man who lectures or teaches is profited by the preparation. If he is a man of wisdom and experience, he will benefit his hearers. If other- wise, the discussion, which should ever follow a lecture, will expose its fallacies. It has often happened in such associations that an honest and experienced man has, in a half hour, given to the younger portion of the mem- bers lessons of wisdom which it would take them years to learn by their own observation. Errors in principle and practice have been exposed, into which many a young teacher was unconsciously falling, and hints have been given to the quicker minds by which their own modes of teaching and governing have been speedily improved. Should be Practical. — As far as possible, such meetings should be made strictly practical. The older teachers, who usually have the most to do with the management of them, should bear in mind that they are mainly de- signed to diffuse practical ideas of teaching, particularly among the younger members. Too often these meet- ings are made the arena of debate upon questions of very little practical importance to the teacher. I have seen a body of men spend an entire session of a half day in discussing a series of overwrought resolutions, upon some topic scarcely at all connected with any duty of the teacher, frequently leaving the main question to wrangle about some point of order, or of "parliamentary usage;" and after the resolutions were passed or rejected, as the TEACHER'S RELATION TO HIS PROFESSION. 269 case might — (and it was of very little consequence whether " carried " or " lost ") — the ladies and younger teachers who had borne no part in the talk would find it difficult to tell " wherefore they had come together." Nothing had been said or done by which they could be aided in their schools. Lecturers, too, have frequently mistaken their aim. Ambitious to shine out as literary men, they have given orations instead of practical les- sons. In these meetings, it seems to me, nothing osten- tatious, nothing far-fetched, is what we need; but rather the modes and experience of practical men. We need to come down to the schoolroom, to the every-day busi- ness of the teacher, and thus prepare him to do his work more successfully on his return to his duties. Encouragement by Meeting Friends. — Another, and no inconsiderable advantage of such associations, is that the teacher gains encouragement and strength by being thus brought in contact v/ith others engaged in the same pursuit. Toiling on alone in his isolated district, surrounded by obstacles and discouragements, weighed down by care, and finding none to sympathize with him, he is almost ready to faint in his course, and perhaps to abandon his calling. At this crisis he reads the notice for the teachers' meeting, and he resolves to go up once more to the gathering of his friends. From the various parts of the county, from the populous and crowded city, and from the byways of the (country - towns, a goodly number collect together and greet each other. Smile answers to smile, the blood courses more freely through the veins, the spirits long depressed perhaps, partake of the general glow, and each feels that he is not toiliiig alone. He feels that a noble brotherhood of kindred spirits are laboring in the same field, under 270 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. trials and discouragements similar to those whicli have oppressed him. He derives new strength from the sympathy of friends. Light Breaks in. — A 'j^rofessional feeling is engen- dered, which will accompany him to his schoolroom; and when he goes home, it is with renewed vigor and fresh aspirings to be a better man and a better teacher. He labors with more confidence in himself; and, en- lightened by what he has seen and heard, he is far more successful than before. His pupils, too, respond to the new life they see enkindling in him, and go to their work more cheerfully. One difficulty after an- other vanishes, and he begins to think teaching, after all, is not the imrd employment in the world, but that it has some flowers as well as thorns, and he concludes to remain in the profession. This has been the history of at least one man. Long may many others have occa- sion to exercise gratitude like his for the enjoyment of similar privileges.' Cautions. — I ought not to leave this subject without a word or two of caution. * The Essex County Teacheks' Association, in Massachu- setts, was first orgauized in 1839, and for seventeen years its meet- ings of two days each have been held semi-annually, and usually very fully attended. This association has wrought an untold amount of usefulness by its improvement and encouragement of the teachers of that county, and at this time it continues to dif- fuse its wonted blessings. A more intelligent and devoted body of teachers cannot be found in the United States than those who now compose that association. Long may it continue to irradi- ate its glorious light, and long may its devoted members enjoy the well - merited confidence of the community in which they labor I TEACHER'S RELATION TO HIS PROFESSION. 27 1. 1. Be Honest. — In all your interconrse with your fel- low-teachers, be careful to use the words of "truth and soberness." In stating your experience, never allow your fancy to embellish your facts. Of this there is great danger. The young are sometimes tempted to tell a good story; but a deviation from the truth — always perilous, and always wrong — may be peculiarly disas- trous here. Experience overstated may egregiously mislead the unwary inquirer after truth. Never over- color the picture; it is better to err on the other side. Every-day Practice — So, likewise, in exhibiting your school to fellow-teachers, be strictly honest. They come to learn from your every-day practice, and not from a counterfeit; and whenever you dress your school in a showy garb to win the applause of a fellow-teacher, you do him a great injustice. You may not please your friend so much by your ordinary mode as by something assumed for the occasion; but you may profit him far more, and in the end you lose nothing by pursuing the line of duty. " Nothing Extraordinary.'*— I well remember that a somewhat distinguished teacher once visited my own school, who on going away expressed himself somewhat disappointed, because he did not see anything "extraor- dinary" as he said, in my mode of procedure. The truth was, nothing extraordinary was attempted. He saw' what I wished to show him — an ordinary day's work; for I had before that time imbibed the opinion that a man's j^eputation will be more firmly established by sus- taining every day a fair mediocrity than it ever can be by an attempt to outdo himself on a few special oc- casions. As the value of biographical writing is often very much diminished because the writer has en- 272 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. deavored to paint his character too perfect to he Tiuman^ so these visitations will lose their utility whenever, by substituting hollow pretension for sober reality, the teacher endeavors to exhilit such a school as he does not daily heep. 2. Avoid Servile Imitation of Any Model. — It is often remarked that every man's plan is the best for him, and that many besides David can never fight in Saul's armor. This is generally true. All experience, then, should be considered in connection with the cir- cumstances under which it was tried, never forgetting the character and genius of the person who relates it. What might succeed in his hand may fail in yours — particularly as you will lack the interest of an original inventor. Adapt Rather than Adopt Another's Plans. — The true secret lies in listening to the views of all, and then in making a judicious combination to meet your own character and your own circumstances. It is often better to adjust and adapt the plan of another than to adopt it. Servile imitation precludes thought in the teacher, and reduces him to a mere machine. The most successful teachers I have ever known were those who would listen attentively to the plans and experience of others, and then strike out a course for themselves— at- tempting that, and that only, which they were confident they could successfully execute. 3. Avoid Undue Self-sufficiency — Men usually cease to learn when they fhink they are wise enough. The teacher is in danger of falling into this error. Moving for the most part among children, where his decisions are seldom questioned, he is very apt to attach undue importance to his own opinions. Such a man meets his TEACHER'S RELATION TO HIS PROFESSION. 273 fellows with much self-complacency, and is but poorly prepared to be profited by the views of others. But the teacher should never cease to be teachable. There are very few men too old or too wise to learn something; and they are the wisest, if not the oldest, who are willing to welcome a real improvement, even though it should come from comparative " babes and sucklings," out of whose mouths God has sometimes perfected praise, QUESTIONS. 1. Show that the teacher is constantly in need of self- improvement. 2. Of what advantage to the teacher is the study of science, art, and literature? 3. What should form the principal study of the educator? 4. How can the teacher find time for study outside of his regular work ? 5. Mark out a course of professional reading for a young teacher. 6. Of what value is the keeping strict account of successes and failures in teaching? 7. What is the object of teachers* meetings ? 8. How should teachers encourage each other? 9. Of what benefit to teachers are visits to each others' schools ? 10. How may a professiorml feeling be cultivated among teachers ? 11. What rules should be observed in visits to other schools ? 13. How can one become a professional teaclier ? 274 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. CHAPTER XIII. MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIOlSrS. Miscellaneous Hints.— On looking oyer the notes which 1 have at various times made of my own ex- perience and observation, during twenty years of practi- cal teaching, I find there are several thoughts which may be of some service to the young teacher, and which have not been introduced under any of the general topics of this volume. I have therefore thought best to in- troduce a special chapter, with the above title, where I might lawfully bring together, without much regard to method, such varied hints as may convey to some reader a useful lesson. Some of these hints will refer to faults which should be carefully avoided, while others will point out some duties to be performed, SECTION I. THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 1. Prejudice. — Guard against 2^rejudice on entering a scJwoI. It is not always safe to rely upon first impres- sions as to character. At the opening of a school, per- haps fifty individuals for the first time are brought before the teacher. Some of them are from humble life, and perhaps bear upon them the marks of parental neglect. Their persons and their clothing may present nothing to attract and gratify the eye of a stranger. Little accustomed to society, they exhibit an awkward bashfulness or an impertinent forwardness in their manner. Contrasted with these, others appear who have MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 275 been the children of indulgence, and who have seen much more of the world. A more expensive garb at- tracts the eye; a more easy and familiar address, con- forming to the artificial modes of society, is very likely to win the heart. The teacher is very prone to find his feelings committed in favor of the latter class and against the former. But this is all wrong. A judgment thus hastily formed is extremely hazardous, as a few days' acquaintance will usually show. The child of blunt or shy demeanor often has the truest heart, — a heart whose sentiments go out by the shortest course, — a heart that has never learned the artificial forms of the world, because it has never felt the need of them. And how unjust to the child is a prejudice founded on the circumstance of dress ! Must the inability or neglect of his parent be doubly visited on him ? Is it not enough that he daily feels the inward mortification of a contrast with his more favored school-fellows? Must he be painfully reminded of it by discovering that his teacher repels him on that account, and bestows his kindliest smiles upon those who are "the brightest and best clad? " Favored Pupils. — And yet such unjust prejudice is common. Wrong and unfeeling as it is, it is too com- mon. A fine dress, and a clean face, and a graceful manner, I know are attractive; but the teacher has to do with the mind and the heart; and he should never be deterred by anything exterior from making a dili- gent and patient search for good qualities which have their home behind the surface; and he should ever possess a smile as cordial and a tone as parental for the neglected child of poverty and ignorance as for the more favored son of wealth and ease, 276 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. 2. Weakness. — Do not alloiu your pupils to direct their own stiulies. Whatever their age may be, they are seldom capable of doing this. It is the aim of the young to get over a long course of study. They are usually pleased to belong to higher classes before they have mastered the branches taught in the lower. If children are suffered to direct their own studies, they usually make themselves very poor scholars. This is the bane of many of our select schools and academies, where the teacher yields this right in order to secure pupils and a salary. But no one, not even the parent, is as competent as the teacher ought to be to direct in this matter. He has the best opportunity daily to fa- thom the pupiFs attainments and to understand his deficiencies. He may claim the right to direct. In case the pupil withstands his decision, the teacher should appeal to the parent, and endeavor there to sustain his point — a thing generally within his power, if indeed he is right. ' If the parent too is obstinate, and firmly insists upon the wrong course, the teacher may perhaps submit, though he cannot submit without the. consciousness that his province has been invaded. A Mistake. — It is too frequently the case that the teacher at the first yields all this ground voluntarily, by asking the children what they wish to study. When he has once made them a party in this question, he need not wonder if they claim to be heard. This he should not do. He should first be sure that he is qualified to direct aright, and then, as a matter of course, proceed to do it, jast as the physician would prescribe for the physical malady of such a child. The latter is not more the rightful duty of the physician than the former is of the school-teacher. Neither has the power to enforce MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 277 his prescription against the parents' consent; but that consent may be taken for granted by both till informed that it is withheld. An Egregious Evil in All Schools.— I may here re- mark that in all my intercourse with the young, whether in the common or the higher school, I have found no greater evil than that of proceeding to the more difficult branches before the elementary studies have been mas- tered. It is no uncommon thing to find those who have ''attended" to the higher mathematics— algebra, ge- ometry, and the like — whose reading and writing are wretched in the extreme, and whose spelling is abso- lutely intolerable ! They have been pursuing quadratics, but are unable to explain why they " carry one for every ten;" they have wandered among the stars in search of other worlds, by the science of astronomy, without knowing the most simple points" in the geography of our 'own; they have studied logarithms and infinite series, but cannot be safely trusted to add a column of figures, or to compute the simple interest upon a com- mon note! In short, they have studied everything y except what is most useful to be known in practical life, and have really learned — ^lotJiing ! The Remedy. — Now if this evil — grievous and ex- tensive as it is at present — is destined ever to be abated, it is to be accomplished by the instrumentality of the teacher, acting, in his appropriate sphere, in the capac- ity of a director as to the course of study for the young. He must not be a man who can merely teacli, but one who understands the high import of a true education, and knows how to prescribe the order of its progress; one, in short, who will never attempt to erect a showy superstructure upon an insufficient foundation. 278 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. 3. ** Too Many Irons.**— Z>o not attempt to teach too many things. There is a tendency at present to intro- duce too many things into all our schools. Nothing is more common than to hear our public lecturers declare, as they become a little enthusiastic in any given depart- ment, that " this branch should at once be made a study in our common schools." This is heard of almost the whole round of the natural sciences. But it seems to me to be dictated hy overwrought enthusiasm. Every- thing cannot be -well taught in our schools', nor should too much be attempted. It is the province of our schools — particularly our common schools — to afford thorough instruction in a few things, and to awaken' a dedre for more extended attainment. The instruction given should, as far as possible, be complete in itself, while it should afford the means of making further advancement; but that instruction which, being merely, superficial, neither itself informs the mind nor imparts the desire and the means of future self-improvement, is worse than useless; it is positively injurious. A few branches thoroughly possessed are worth more than a thousand merely glanced at; and the idea of changing our common schools to universities where our children, before they pass from the years of their babyhood, are to grasp the whole range of the sciences, is one of the most preposterous that has grown up even in this age of follies. The teacher, then, should not undertake too much; he should be sure that he can accomplish what he undertakes. The warh he makes iqoon the young should he no uncertain sign, <* Mind Your Business.** — Never attend to extraneous business in school-hours. This is a common fault. Many teachers neglect their duties in school to write MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 279 letters, or transact such other business as should be 4one at home. This is always wrong. There is no time for it in any school ; for a diligent teacher can always find full employment even with a small number. Besides, he has engaged to devote himself to the school; and any departure from this is a violation of his con- tract. The children will so view it, and thus lose much of their respect for the teacher. Moreover, if they see him neglect his business for some other, they will be very likely to neglect theirs, and thus disorder will be introduced. I hold that the teacher is bound to devote every moment of school-hours to active labor for the school. 5. Excuses. — Avoid making excuses to visitors for the defects of your school. Franklin, I think, said that " a man who is good for making excuses is good for nothing else." I have often thought of this as I have visited the schools of persons given to this failing. It is sometimes quite amusing to hear such a teacher keep up a sort of running apology for the various pupils. A class is called to read. The teacher remarks, " This class have but just commenced reading in this book." Stephen finishes the first paragraph, and the teacher adds, " Stephen has not attended school very regularly lately." William reads the second. " This boy," says the teacher, " was very backward when I came here — he has but just joined this class." Charles executes the third. " That boy has an impediment in his speech." Reuben follows. "It is almost impossible to make a good reader of Reuben; he never seems to pay the least attention. I have bestowed unwearied pains upon him." Mary takes her turn. " This girl has lost her book, and her father refuses to buy her another." Mary here 28o THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. blushes to the eyes, — for though she could bear his reproof, she still has some sense of family pride; she bursts into tears, while Martha reads the next paragraph. "I have tried all along," says the teacher, "to make this girl raise her voice, but still she will almost stifie her words." Martha looks dejected, and the next in order makes an attempt. Pity Excited. — Now the teacher in all this has no malicious design to wound the feelings of every child in the class, — and yet he as effectually accomplishes that result as if he had premeditated it. • Every scholar is interested to read as well as possible in the presence of strangers; every one makes the effort to do so; yet every one is practically pronouiiced to have failed. The visitors pity the poor pupils for the pain they are made thus needlessly to suffer, and they pit i/ also the ^ueakness of the poor' teacher, whose love of approbation has so blinded his own perception that he is regardless of the feelings of others, and thinks of nothing but his own. <*When I Came Here." — This over-anxiety for the good opinion of others shows itself in a still less amiable light, when the teacher frequently makes unfavorable allusions to his predecessor, " When I came here" says the teacher significantly, '^ I found them all poor read- ers." Or, if a little disorder occurs in school, he takes cuire to add, "1 found the school in perfect confusion," - i)v, "the former teacher, as near as I can learn, used i ) dilow the children to talk and play as much as they pljased." Now, whatever view we take of such a course, it is impossible to pronounce it anything better than de:ipicalU meanness. For if the charge is true, it is by ■no means magnanimous to publish the faults of another; and if it is untrue in whole or in part, as most likely it MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 28 1 is, none but a contemptible person would magnify an- other's failings to mitigate his own. <* How Old are You ? '' — There is still another way in which this love of personal applause exhibits itself. I have seen teachers call upon their brightest scholars to recite, and then ask them to tell their age, in order to remind the visitor that they were very young to do so well; and then insinuate that their older pupils could of course do much better. Such Arts Recoil. — All these arts, however, recoil upon the teacher who uses them. A visitor of any discernment sees through them at once, and immediately suspects the teacher of conscious incompetency or wilful deception. The pupils lose their respect for a man whom they all perceive to be acting a dishonorable part. I repeat, then, iiever attempt to cover the defects of your schools ly making ridiculous excuses, 6. Comparisons are Odious. — Never compare o?ie child with ayiother. It is ^ poor way of stiniulati-ng a dull pupil to compare him with a better scholar. It is the direct way to engender hatred in the mind of the one, and the most consummate self-complacency in the other. Not one child in a thousand can be publicly held up to the school as a pattern of excellence, without becoming excessively vain; at the same time, all the other scholars will be more, or less excited to envy. Such a course is' always unsafe; almost always injurious. 7. Tenderness to a Dull Child. — Avoid tvounding the sensibilities of a dull child. There will always be those in every school who are slow to comprehend. After their classmates have grasped an idea during the teacher's explanation, they still have the vacant stare, the unin- telligent expression. This may be so after a second or 282 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. a third explanation. Tiie teaclj^er is now strongly tempted to indulge in expressions of impatience, if not of opprobrium. This temptation he should resist. Such children are to be pitied for their dulness, but never to be censured for it. It is an unfeeling thing to sting the soul that is already benighted. He should cheer and encourage such a slow mind to greater effort, by the sunshine of kind looks, and the warm breath of sym- pathy, rather than freeze up the feeble current of vivacity which yet remains there by a forbidding frown or a blast of reproach. A dull child is almost always affectionate; and it is through the medium of kindness and patience that such a one is most effectually stimulated. 8. Never Get Out of Temper with Parents. — Never lose your patience lohen parents unreasonably interfere loitli your plans. It must be expected that some of the parents will wish to dictate to the teacher what course he shall pursue, at least in relation to their own children. This wiir sometimes bring them to the schoolroom, per- haps in a tone of complaint, to set the teacher right. Whenever a parent thus steps beyond the bounds of propriety, the teacher should never lose his self-posses- sion. He should always speak the language of courtesy, in frankness, but in firmness. He should reason with the parent, and if possible convince him, — but he should never insult or abuse him. It may be well to propose to see him at his own house, in order to talk over the matter more at his leisure. I recollect once a parent sent a hasty refusal to purchase a necessary book for his son, — a refusal clothed in no very respectful language. I gave the lad a courteous note directed to his father, in which I intimated my desire to have an interview with him at his house at such time as he might appoint. In MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 283 half an hour the boy came bounding back with the de- sired book, informing me that his father said, "he guessed he might as well get the book, and done with it." My intercourse with that parent was ever after- wards of the most pleasant kind. A supercilious parent can never gain an advantage over a teacher, unless he can first provoke him to impatience or anger. As long as the teacher is perfectly self-possessed he is impreg- nable. 9. The Study of the Bible. — Never make the study of the Bible a punishment. I have known a teacher to assign sundry passages of the Bible, condemnatory of a particular sin, to be committed to memory as a punish- ment. I have also known the idle scholar to be detained after school to study passages of Scripture, because he had failed to learn his other lessons in due time. I believe this to be bad policy, as well as doubtful religion. The lessons that a child thus learns are always connected in his mind with unpleasant associations. His heart is not made better by truths thus learned. The Bible indeed should be studied by the young, but they should be attracted to it by the spirit of love rather than driven to it by the spirit of vindictiveness. They who suppose that children can be made to love the Bible by being thus driven to the study of it, have sadly mistaken the human heart. 10. Riding Hobbies. — Bide no " hoibies " in teaching. Almost every man, in whatever vocation, has some hobby, some " one idea" which he pushes forward on all occasions, no matter what may be the consequences. It is not strange that it is often thus with the teacher. If the teacher has any independence of mind, any originality, he will at some period in his life naturally 284 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. incline to try some experiments in teaching. Partly on account of the novelty of the plan, and partly on account of the teacher's interest in the success of his own measure, he finds it works well in the class where it was first tried; and he rejoices that he has made a dis- covery. Teaching now possesses a new interest for him, and he very likely becomes enthusiastic. He applies his new measure to other classes, and loudly recom- mends it to other teachers. For a time it succeeds, and it becomes his liohhy, A¥henever a stranger visits his school, he shows off his new measure. Whenever he attends a teachers' meeting, he describes it, and perhaps presents a class of his pupils to verify its excellency. He abandons his old and long-tried plans, and persists in the new one. By and by the novelty has worn away and his pupils become dull under its operation, and reason suggests that a return to the former methods would be advisable. Still, because it is his inventiorif he persists. Others try the experiment. Some succeed ; some fail. Some of them by a public speech commit themselves to it, and then persist in it to preserve their consistency. In this way a great many objectionable modes of teaching have gained currency, and still hold their sway in many of our schools. Oral Instruction — Among these I might mention concert recitation, and oral instructioji when made a substitute for study. Of the origin and tendency of the former I have spoken more at length in the chapter on " Conducting Kecitations." Of the latter, a word or two may be said in this place. Scientific Baby-talk !— It was found years ago, in the earlier attempts to teach the blind, that they made very rapid strides in acquiring knowledge through the sole MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 285 medium of oral instruction. As might have been fore- seen, they became intensely interested in hearing about things which had surrounded them all their days, but which they had never seen. Shut in as they were from the privilege of sight, there was nothing to distract their attention from whatever was communicated to them through the sense of hearing; and, as they had been blind from their birth, this discipline of attention had been going on from infancy. Under these circumstances their progress in knowledge by mere oral teaching was astonishing. This was all well. But soon some one conceived the idea of substituting oral instruction for study among seeing children. Immediately there was an 07'al mania. Infant schools grew up in every vil- lage; infant-school manuals were prepared, filled with scientific lahytalk, for the use of the worthy dames who were to drive the liohlyy and the nineteenth century bade fair to do more towards lighting up the fires of science than all time before had accomplished. It was truly wonderful for a time to listen to the learned volubility of these same infant schools. The wonders of astronomy, chemistry, botany, and zoology with the terms of Cuvier's classification, and a thousand other things, were all de- tailed with astonishing familiarity hj pupils under five years of age ! Some eminent teachers sagely took the hint, and adopted the oral system with their older classes. The sciences were taught by lectures. The pupils of this happy day had nothing to do but to sit and receive. To be sure, sometimes they would become inattentive, and it would be discovered by their teachers that they did not retain quite nil that was told to them. This, however, was no fault of the system, it was urged ; the system was well enough, but unfortunately the pupils 286 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. ♦ had eyes, and their attention was frequently diverted by the unhicky use of these worthless organs. A Royal Road 1 — A royal road, sure enough, was found to the temjDle of science, too long beyond mortal reach by reason of the rugged footpath over v/hich the student was compelled to climb. Happy, glorious day ! No more must toil and thought be the price of success ! No more must midnight oil be consumed, and the brain be puzzled, in search of the wisdom of ages ! No more must the eyes be pained — (they are hereafter to be con- sidered encumbrances) — in searching the classic page; the ear is to be the easy inlet to the soul I Eyes are Useless Orbs ! — Such was the Jiobhy of 1829 to 1831 in our own country. Those babes of the infant schools grew into " young men and maidens," in noway distinguished, after all, unless they afterwards achieved distinction by actual study. The pupils of those higher schools obtained whatever they later valued in their education, mainly by the use, of their eyes, notwithstand- ing at one time their worthy guides would have almost deemed it a blessing to have had their eyes put out ! It has been found that G-od was indeed wise in the bestow- ment of sight; and some at least have acknowledged that a method that is well suited to the instruction of those who are blind, because it is the only possible one for them, may not be the best for those who can see. At the present time the sentiment begins to prevail that oral instruction can never supply the place of study; that the lecturing or " pouring-in process " cannot long secure the attention; that the mind by merely receiving gains no vigor of its own ; and that scholars must be MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 287 made, if made at all, mainly by their own exertions in in the use of books. Patent Methods. — It would be easy to mention other examples of hobiies which have been ridden by teachers very much to the injury of their schools. Those already given may, however, suffice for the purpose of illustra- tion. Let it be remembered, then, that no one method of instruction comprises all the excellences and avoids all the defects of good teaching; and that he is the wisest teacher who introduces a judicious variety into his modes of instruction, profiting by the suggestions of others, but relying mainly upon his own careful observa- tion, eschewing all " patent methods," and never losing his COMMON SEIiTSE. Favorite Studies.— Under the head of hobbies, I may add one other remark. Many teachers have some fa- vorite branch of study, in which, because they excel, they take special delight. One man is a good mathe- matician, another an expert accountant, a third a skil- ful grammarian. !N"ow the danger is that the favorite branch of study may become the hobby, and that the other branches will be neglected . This is indeed not unfrequently the case. Higher Branches. — Again, some teachers are more in- terested in the higher branches generally, because they were the last pursued in their college course, or for some other reason. They therefore neglect the lower studies, to the great detriment of the youth under their charge. Against all such partial views the teacher should take great pains .to guard himself. He may fall uncon- sciously and almost imperceptibly into some of these errors. Let me add the caution, then, — never allow your partiality for one study, or a class of studies, to 288 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. divert your atteyitioii from all those other branches which are necessary to constitute a good, education. SECTION II. THINGS TO BE PERFORMEI). I. The Learners* Friend. — Co7ivi7ice your scholars bij your conduct that you are their friend. It is all- important that you should gain complete ascendency over the minds of your pupils. In no way is this point so successfully gained as by leading them to feel that you are their true friend. A¥hen they feel this, all their sentiments of generosity, gratitude, and love, conspire to lead them to render cheerful obedience to your wishes. Government then becomes easy; instruction is no longer irksome; and you can most cordially respond to the poet, in that beautiful sentiment too seldom fully realized : — " Delightful task ! to rear the tender thought, And teach the young idea how to shoot, To pour the fresh instruction o'er the mind, To breaihe the enlivening spirit, and to fix The generous purpose in the glowing breast." Love for Scholars and for Teaching to be Felt. — But effectually to convince them that you are thus their friend is not the work of a moment. Words alone can never do it. You may make professions of interest in them, but it is all to no purpose. Your actions, your looks, your whole spirit must show it. In order thus to exhibit it, you must/ee/ a deep, an all-pervading interest in the welfare of every child. You must love your profession, and you must love — sincerely love — those whom you are called to teach. If you do not love the work of teaching, and cannot bring yourself to love MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 289 the children of your charge, you may not expect suc- cess. It was long ago declared that " Love only is the loan for love," — and this is specially true with the love of children. Their souls spontaneously go out after those who love them. Strive, then, to gain this point with them, not by empty pretensions, always quickly read and as quickly despised by the young; but by that full, frank, cordial expression of kindness in your manner towards them, which, being based upon deep principle in your- self, is sure at once to win their affection, and their ready compliance with all your reasonable requisitions. II. Care of Schoolliouse — Take special care that the sclioolhoicse and its appendages ai^e kept in good order. This is a part of every teacher's duty. He should have an eye that is constantly on the alert to perceive the smallest beginnings of injury to any part of the prem- ises. It is often painf al to see a new schoolhouse, that has with much care and expense been put in perfect order, very soon cut and otherwise distigured by the pupils -the glass broken, the ceiling soiled, the desks and floors stained with ink, and everything bearing the marks of youthful destructiveness. The teacher should be held accountable for such results, for he can by proper vigilance prevent them. Resist the Beginnings.— Some of his first lessons to his pupils should be upon the subject of practical neat- ness in regard to everything that pertains to the school. They should be impressed with the belief that he holds neatness as a cardinal virtue. Daily should he watch to discover the first violation of propriety upon the 2go THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. premises. This first violation should be promptly met. There is great wisdom in the adage which enjoins us to " resist the ieginnings." Care of Books, Desks, etc. — So, too, he should exer- cise an oversight of the books belonging to the pupils. Many books are speedily destroyed by children for the want of a little care of the teacher — probably more than are worn out by use. He should also occasionally in- spect the desks, with a view to promote a commendable neatness there. The teacher has an undoubted right to inrpect any part of the premises; but by a little adroit- ness he can interest the children in a reform of this kind, and then they will desire that he should witness their carefulness. Rights of Property. —I may add further that the children should not only be taught to respect the schoolhouse and its appendages, but they should be taught to regard the sacredness of all property either public or private. The neighboring garden or orchard should be held to be inviolable. The teacher may not have the authority to compel compliance with his direc- tion or advice beyond school-hours, but he should en- deavor to exercise a moral influence in the school, which will be more powerful even than compulsion. So in regard to public buildings, such as churches and court- houses; and all public grounds, as parks, commons, and cemeteries — the teacher should inculcate not only the duty to abstain from injuring them, but a commendable desire to see them improved and beautified. Whittling.— In America, it is remarked by foreigners, there is a strange tendency to destructiveness. In our public buildings, the walls are usually disfigured by names and drawings, and even our cemeteries do not MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 29 1 escape the violence of the knives of visitors, the trees being cut and marked with names, and the flowers plucked oS and carried away. It is to be hoped that our teachers will so exercise a reforming influence that the next generation shall exercise a higher principle as well as a better taste in all these matters, which, small as they are, make up no mean part of the manners and morals of a people. III. Text for a Lesson. — When scholars do lorong, it is sometimes test to luithholcl immediate reproof, hut to describe a similar case in general instruction. This is one of the most effectual modes of curing the evil in the wrong-doer himself. It, moreover, gives the teacher a valuable text for a lesson on morals before the whole school. Care should generally be taken not to lead the school to suspect the individual in your mind, while at the same time the parable should so fit the case as to preclude the necessity of saying to the offender, as Nathan did to David: "Thou art the man." A Confession. — A case will illustrate this. I recollect once to have found, among a large number of composi- tions presented by a class, one that I knew to have been copied. No notice was taken of it at the time; but some days afterwards a case was described to the class, resembling the one that had actually occurred. After exciting considerable interest in the case, they were told that such a thing had happened among their own num- ber; that I did not choose to expose the individual; but, if any of them thought it would be honorable for them to confess such an offence to me in case they had committed it, they might seek a private opportunity to do so. In less than twenty-four hours no less than four made such a confessien, detailing freely the extent and 292 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. the circumstances of their offending. In this way four were reformed, where by direct reproof only one could have been reached. It was a frank, not a forced confes- sion; and I was thus easily made to know the extent of this sin in the school. By this simple expedient, I have reason to believe, plagiarism was effectually eradicated for that term at least, in the whole class, and that too without the loss of any pupiFs good-will. General Reformation.— It is generally wiser to en- deavor to reach the evil in its whole extent than to expend one^s strength upon a single instance of wrong- doing. The conscience of the whole school may some- times be profitably aroused, while the particular in- dividual is quite as effectively corrected as he would be by a direct reproof. IV. Accuracy. — Be accurate. This is necessary in order to secure the respect of your pupils. What the teacher professes to know he should be sure of. Ap- proximations to the truth are not enough to satisfy the young mind. Whenever a teacher makes a blunder by stating what is not true in regard to any fact or princi- ple in science, any event in history, or any item of statis- tics, he lowers himself very much in the estimation of all those who are capable of detecting his error. If he does not Tcnow, he may frankly say so, and incur no just censure, provided the point be one about which he has not had the opportunity to gain the requisite informa- tion. But when he attempts to speak with the author- ity of a teacher, he "should know that whereof he affirms." " The character of the teacher," says Profes- sor Olmsted, " is sullied by frequent mistakes, like that of a book-keeper or banker. It is surprising to see how soon even the youngest learner will lose his confidence MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 293 and respect for his teacher, when he has detected in him occasional mistakes. At every such discovery he rises in his own estimation, and the teacher proportionally sinks. The very character of the pupil is injured by such an incident. He rapidly loses the docility and modesty so essential to the scholar, and becomes up- lifted with pride and self-importance." The supercili- ousness thus induced becomes a sore vexation to the teacher. He finds that his pupils are watching for his halting; and he frequently fails, from this very circum- stance, to do as well as he might. I know of no more pitiable condition on earth than that of a teacher, who is attempting to teach what he does not fully under- stand, while he is conscious that his pupils doubt his ability from a frequent detection of his mistakes. V. A Pleasant Face. — Cultivate a pleasant counte- nance. Frowns and scowls always sit with ill grace upon the teacher's brow. I know that the trials and perplex- ities incident to his daily life are eminently fitted '* to chafe his mood " and to provoke his impatience. I know, too, that protracted confinement from the pure air and the bright sunlight will almost necessarily render the nervous system morbidly sensitive, and the temper of course extremely irritable. The outward exponent of all this is a dejected and perhaps an angry countenance. The eyebrows are drawn up so that the forehead is deeply and prematurely furrowed, while the angles of the mouth are suffered to drop downward as if in token of utter despair. By and by the roguishness of some unlucky urchin disturbs the current of his thoughts, and suddenly the brow is firmly knitted with transverse channels, the nostrils are distended, the jaws are firmly closed, the lips are compressed, the cheeks are flushed, 294 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. and the eyes almost emit sparks from the pent-up fire within him. For the next half -hour he frowns on all about him. The children at first are awed by such a threatening aspect; but soon they become accustomed to it, and the terrible very naturally gives place to the ridiculous. Wrong to Frown. — No man has a moral right to render those uncomfortable who surround him by habitually covering his face with the looks of discon- tent and moroseness. It is peculiarly lorong for the teacher to do it. It is for him to present an example of self-government under all circumstances, so that he can consistently enforce the duty of self-control upon the young. It is for him to show himself a man of principle, of benevolence, of cheerful devotion to his duty, however full of trials that duty may be; and in no way can he do this more effectually than by an amiable and engaging countenance. A peevish, frown- ing teacher is very likely to produce petulance and sul- lenness in his pupils; while a cordial smile, like the genial beam of the spring-day sun, not only sheds a welcome light on all-around, but imparts a blessed heat, which penetrates the frigidity of the heart, dissipates the cheerless mists that hover there, and warms the generous affections into life and beauty. Sympathy between the Heart and the Countenance We are so constituted that the inward and the outward sympathize with each other. Solomon says "a merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance ; ^' and, I may venture to add, and with almost as much truth, a cheer- ful countenance maketh a merry heart. An honest attempt to bless others with the sight of a countenance that is expressive of content and patience is an act so MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 295 praiseworthy in itself that it will never go unrewarded. The gratifying response which such a countenance is> sure to call forth from others brings with it a rich revenue of inward enjoyment. He, therefore, who habitually bears about with him a sad or an angry coun- tenance, while he constantly impairs the happiness of others, lacks at the same time an important instrumen- tality for securing his own. Means Recommended.— But the question will arise. Can a man gain such ascendency over himself as to control the expression of his countenance ? I answer, without hesitation, yes. " Whatever ought to be done, can be done." It is not perfectly easy to do it, espe- cially for the teacher. Still, self-control— full, complete self-control — is his appropriate duty as well as privilege. He must, as Oarlyle quaintly enjoins, "learn to devour the chagrins of his lot." He must calculate beforehand that every day will bring its cares and its trials; but he should daily resolve that they shall never take him by surprise, nor betray him into sudden impatience. Each morning, as he w^alks to the scene of his labors, he should fortify himself against sudden anger or habitual morose- ness in this wise : "No doubt this day some untoward occurrence will transpire, calculated to try my patience and to provoke me to fretful words and angry looks. All my past experience leads me to expect this. But this day I will try to resist the temptation to this weak- ness. I will try to be self-possessed. If any child is vicious, or fretful, or dull, or even impudent, I will en- deavor to show that I can command myself. If I feel some angry passion enkindling within me, I will stop and tliinky and I w411 endeavor to smile before I speak. If I can to-day gain the victory over impatience, and 296 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. can maintain an even and cheerful temper, and express i.t constantly in my countenance, it will be easier to do it to-morrow. At all eve7its, I'll try'' A Victory. — Taking hold thus in earnest, any man may soon be his own master. He can gain the victory. If he can do it, he ought to do it. Hence I urge it as a duty. Nor is it merely a duty. It is a high privilege. A complete victory for a single day will bring its own reward. A man who feels that he has risen above his temptation can return to his rest with a light and happy heart. Sleep to him will be sweet, and he will arise on the morrow with renewed strength for the fresh conflict ; and in the moral as well as in the literal warfare, every contest which ends in victory gives addi- tional strength to the victor, while it weakens and dis- heartens his enemy. VI. Art of Illustrating.— /S'^za??/ to acquire the art of aptly illustrating a difficult subject. Some teachers content themselves with answering in the precise lan- guage of the book whenever a question for information is propounded. This however is by no means sufficient, even when the language of the book is strictly accurate; much less, when the language is so vague as to convey no definite idea to the mind, either of the learner or the teacher. On the other hand, a man who is apt to teach will devise some ingenious method of enlightening the mind of his pupil, so that he shall lay hold of the idea as with a manly grasp, and make it his own forever. A Lesson in Physics. — This point will, perhaps, be best illustrated by an example. A young man was em- ployed to take charge of a school for a few days during a temporary illness of the regular instructor. He was a good scholar, as the world would say, and was really MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 297 desirous to answer the expectation of his employers. After the regular teacher had so far recovered his health as to be able to leave his room he walked one pleasant day to the school, to see what success attended the labors of the new incumbent. A class was reciting in natural philosophy. The subject under consideration was — the obstacles which impede the motion of machin- ery. The attraction of gravity, as one of these, was pretty easily disposed of; for the class had before been instructed on that point. Friction came next. Here, too, the pupils, having had some practical experience of their own, in dragging their sleds, in skating, or per- haps in turning a grindstone, found no great difficulty. The book spoke a language sufficiently clear to be understood. Next came the " resistance of the various media,^' to use the language of the text- book. " Yes," said the teacher, as one of the pupils gravely quoted this language " that has no inconsiderable effect." "The * resistance of tUe various media?'" repeated one of the boys inquiringly; *' I do not know as I under- stand what media means." *' A medium is that in which a body moves," was the ready reply which the teacher read from the book. Pupil. " A medium 9 " Teacher. "Yes; we say medium -^^qh we mean but one, and media when we mean more than one." Ptcpil. "When we mean but one ?" Teacher. " Yes; medium is singular — media is plural." After this discussion, which began in philosophy but ended in grammar, the teacher was about to proceed with the next question of the book. But the scholar was not yet satisfied, and he ventured to press his in- quiries a little further. 298 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. Pupil. " Is this room a medium ? " Teacher. " This room ? " Pupil. "Yes, sir; you said that a medium was 'that in which anybody moves/ and we all move in this room. Teaclier. "Yes, but medium does not mean a room; it is the sulstance in which a body moves." Here the lad looked perplexed and unsatisfied. He had no clear idea of the meaning of this new term. The teacher looked at his watch, and then glanced at the remaining pages of the lesson, and seemed impatient to proceed — so the pupil forbore to inquire further. The regular teacher, v/ho had listened to the discus- sion with no ordinary interest, both because he admired the inquisitiveness of the boy, and because he was curi- ous to discover how far the new incumbent possessed the power of illustration, here interposed. "John," — taking his watch in his hand, — "would this watch continue to go if I should drop it into a pail of water ? " " I should think it would not long," said John, after a little reflection. " Why not ? " said his teacher, as he opened his watch. " Because the water would get round the wheels and stop it, I should think,*' said John. " How would it be if I should drop it into a quart of molasses ? " The boys laughed. " Or into a barrel of tar ? " • The boys still smiled. " Suppose I should force it, while open, into a quan- tity of lard." Here the boys laughed heartily, while John said "the v/atch would not go in any of these articles." MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 299 "Articles V said his teacher; "why not say media V^ John's eye glistened as he caught the idea. " Oh, I understand it now!" His teacher then said that many machines worked in air, — then the air was the medium. A fish swims in water, — water is his medium. A fish could hardly swim in molasses or tar. " ISTow," inquired he, " why not ? " "Because of the resistance of the medium," said John, with a look of satisfaction. "Now why will the watch go in air and not in water ? " "Because the water is more dense," said John, promptly. " Then upon what does the resistance of a medium depend ? " Here the new teacher interposed, and said that was the next question in the book, and he was just going to ask it himself. The regular teacher put his watch into his pocket and became a spectator again, and the lesson proceeded with unwonted vivacity. The Difference. — The difference between these two teachers mainly consisted in the fact that one had the ingenuity to devise an expedient to meet a difficulty whenever occasion required, — the other had not. Study Expedients. — Now in order to teach well, a man should diligently seek for expedients. He should endeavor to foresee the very points where the learner will stumble, and provide himself with the means of render- ing timely aid. If an object cannot be described in words, let it be compared with what it resembles, or with what it contrasts. If it be an object of sense and words and comparisons fail to describe it,— in, the ab- sence of apparatus to represent it, let the teacher spring 300 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. to the black-board and execute a hasty drawing of it. In this way the construction or the working of a ma- chine, the form of a bone or the action of a joint, the shape of a town or the plan of a building, — in short, al- most every subject that involves the relation of form, size, proportion, quantity, or number will admit of visi- ble illustration. He is the successful teacher who is able at the moment to seize upon the best expedient and render it subservient to his purpose. VII. A Moral Impression — Take advantage of un- usual occurrences to make a moral or religious impres- siim. In a former chapter I have urged it, as a part of the teacher's work, to cultivate and strengthen both the moral sentiments and the religious feelings of the mem- bers of his school. This is not most effectually done by a formal mode of speaking to them on these subjects. If a particular hour is set apart for formal lectures on their duty to their fellow -men and their obligations to God, they are very apt to fortify their sensibilities against the most faithful appeals, and thus render them powerless. The wise teacher will watch for the fit op- portunity, and, just at the moment when the heart is prepared by some suitable occurrence, — when by some exhibition of the Creator's power it is awed into rever- ence, or softened into submission; or by some display of His goodness it is warmed into gratitude, or animated with delight, — with a few words, seasonably and " fitly spoken ,'' he fixes the impression forever. Speaking at the right time, every ear listens and every heart feels. The Fit Occasion. — Perhaps many of my readers can revert to some season in their childhood, endeared to them by a precious recollection of golden words thus opportunely uttered — words fraught with truth which in MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 30I after-life has had an unspeakable influence in the forma- tion of their character. One or two examples connected with my own experience may be presented, more fully to illustrate my meaning; while at the same time they may afford, it is hoped, some valuable hints for the en- couragement and guidance of such young teachers as desire in this way to make themselves the instruments of lasting benefit to the young. Example I. A Thunder-storm. — I can never forget — nor would I if I could — a lesson im.pressed upon my own youthful mind, conveying the truth that we are constantly de- pendent upon our Heavenly Father for protection. In a plain country schoolhouse, some twenty-five children, including myself, were assembled with our teacher on the afternoon of a summer^s day. We had been as happy and as thoughtless as the sportive lambs that cropped the clover of the neighboring hillside. En- grossed with study or play, — for at this distance of time it is impossible to tell which, — we had not noticed the low rumbling of the distant thunder, till a sudden flash of lightning arrested our attention. Immediately the sun was veiled by the cloud, and a corresponding gloom settled upon every face within. The elder girls, with the characteristic thoughtfulness of woman, hastily in- quired whether they should not make the attempt to lead their younger brothers and sisters to the paternal roof before the bursting of the storm. For a moment our little community was thrown into utter confusion. The teacher stepped hastily to the door to survey more perfectly the aspect of the western heavens. Immedi- ately returning, he signified to the children that there 302 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. would not be time for them to reach their homes before the tempest would be upon them. Oppressed with dread, — for it is no uncommon thing for children in the country to be terrified by lightning, — some of the youngest of us clung to our older brothers or sisters, while others, being the sole representatives of their family in the school, for the first time felt their utter loneliness in the midst of strangers, and gave utterance to their feelings in audible sighs or unequivocal sobs. Teacher's Self-possession — The teacher, meanwhile, with an exemplary calmness and self-possession, closed the windows and the doors, and then seated himself quite near the younger pupils, to await the result. The thick darkness gathered about us, as if to make the glare of the lightning, by contrast, more startling to our vision ; while the loud thunder almost instantly followed, as it were the voice of God. The wind howled through the branches of a venerable tree near by, bending its sturdy trunk, and threatening to break asunder the cords which bound it to its mother earth. An angry gust assailed the humble building where we were shel- tered; it roared down the capacious chimney, violently closed a shutter that lacked a fastening, breaking the glass by its concussion, and almost forced in the frail window-sashes on the westerly side of the room. Quicker and more wild the lightnings glared — flash after flash — as if the heavens were on fire ; louder and nearer the thunder broke above our heads, while the inmates of the room, save the teacher, were pale with terror. Awful Pause. — At this moment there was a sudden cessation of the war of elements. — a hush — almost a pro- plietic pause ! It was that brief interval which precedes the falling torrent. A dread stilness reigned within iMISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 303 the room. Every heart beat hurriedly, and every coun- tenance told the consternation that was reigning within. It was an av/ful moment! Teacher's Words.— With a calm voice, breathing a sub- dued and confiding spirit, the teacher improved this opportunity to impress upon our young minds a great truth. "Fear not, children," said he; "it is your Heavenly Father that sends the storm as well as the sunshine and the gentle breeze. You have been just as much in His power all day as you are at this moment. He has been as near you, supporting you, supplying you with breath, with life, all through the pleasant morning; but then you did not see Him. He is just as able to protect you now, for * not a sparrow falls to the ground without His notice,' — and He ruleth the storm and * rideth upon the wings of the wind.' We should ever feel will- ing to trust Him; for He is ever able to grant us deliver- ance from all our dangers. God is here now to protect us." After Rain, Sunshine.— Just as he had finished these words, the rain began to fall. First the drops were tev/ and scattered; but soon the windows of heaven were opened, and the thirsty ground was abundantly satisfied. The sound of the thunder became fainter and fainter as the cloud passed away ; the sun burst out again in re- newed splendor; the full drops glittered in his beams upon the grass; the birds began their songs; the rainbow spanned the eastern hills; and our hearts, taught by the timely instructions of a good man, began to expand with eager gratitude for our preservation by the hand of our Heavenly Father. The Bible Speaks — The remainder of the afternoon passed happily away, and when our books were laid 304 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. aside, and we were ready to burst out of the room to enjoy the refreshing air and participate in the general joy,— the teacher, taking the Bible from the desk, asked us to remain quiet a moment, while he would read a few words that he hoped we should never forget. The passage was the following, from the 65th Psalm:— By terrible thiugs in rigbteousness wilt thou answer ns, O God of our salvation: who art the coufiilence of all the ends of the eanh, and of them that are afar oft" upon the sea. Wbich by his strength selteth fast the mountains; being girded with power: which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people. They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens : thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. Thou visitest the earth and waterest it : thou greatly enrichest it wiih the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it. Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly : thou settlest the furrows iheieof : thou makest it soft with showers : thou bkssest the springing thereof. Thou crow nest the year with thy goodness ; and thy paths drop fatness. They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness : and the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks ; the valleys also are cov- ered over with corn ; they shout for joy, they also sing. Words Fitly Spoken. — After closing the book the teacher said: "Go out now, children, and witness how perfectly these words have been fulfilled toward us this afternoon : and from this day's mercies, learn hereafter to trust God as confidently in the storm, when He dis- plays His power by His outward * tokens/ as when He kindly smiles upon you in the beams of the glorious sun, or gently breathes upon you in the morning breeze/' The Effect.— We went forth bounding in gladness and MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 305 gratitude, and saw the " outgoings of the evening to re- joice/' — " the pastures clothed with flocks," — " the val- leys covered over with com," — " the little hills rejoicing on every side/' We heard also the general shout for joy; and we felt, as we never before had felt, a deep, thorough, abiding conviction of the truth that God is our Father and our Friend — the God of our salva- tion". Blessed Memories. — I know not how soon these im- pressions faded from the minds of the other children; but for myself I can say that, from that time to the present, whenever I have been exposed to apparent danger from the impending tempest, the warring ele- ments, or the ravages of disease, the teachings of that hour have always revived in my mind to soothe my troubled spirit, and to reassure my faith and confidence in the presence of an all-sufficient and merciful Preserver. A thousand times have I devoutly blessed the memory of that faithful teacher for having so early and so hap- pily turned my thoughts upward to Him in whom ^' we live, and move, and have our being." Example II. A Dark Day. — It was in the afternoon of a gloomy day in the latter part of November, when the pupils, consisting of some fifty boys, belonging to a school in a pleasant seaport town in New England, were told by their teacher, a few minutes before the usual hour, that they might lay aside their studies and prepare for dis- mission. During the early part of the day there had been one of those violent southeast rain-storms, so com- mon upon the seacoast at that season of the year. It is well known to the observing mariner that a storm from 306 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. the soufclieast never coiitinnes beyond twelve or fifteen hours; and when the violence of the storm abates, it is a common remark of the sailor, that " the northwester is not long in deU to the southeaster." Previous to this change of wind, however, there is what is expressively termed the " lull of the storm " — a period when the rain ceases to fall, the wind dies away to a perfect calm, the barometer is suddenly depressed, the clouds hover almost upon the face of the earth, shutting out the light of the sun, and causing a cheerless damp to settle upon every thing terrestrial, and a dreary gloom to enshroud the mind itself. "When the wind changes, these clouds are not gradually dissolved and broken up, so that the eye can catch transient glimpses of the blue sky beyond, as after a sDOw-storm in winter; but the dark drapery is suddenly lifted up, as if by an unseen hand, and the western sky, from the horizon upwards, is left more bright and more charming than ever, to refresh the eye and reanimate the soul. Early Dismission. — It was such a day, as before re- marked, when the pupils of this school — partly because of the darkness in the schoolroom, and partly because of their protracted confinement within a close apartment during a gloomy afternoon — were, a little earlier than usual, about to be dismissed. The pupils all seemed to welcome the happy release that awaited them; — and, in their eagerness to escape from confinement, they very naturally neglected to observe their accustomed regard for quiet and order in laying aside their books. It was, however, a fixed habit with the teacher never to give the signal for leaving the room till all the pupils had taken taken the proper attitude for passing out with regularity, and then had composed themselves \}0 MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 307 perfect silence. On this occasion perhaps two minutes passed away while the hoys were gradually, almost impatiently, bringing themselves to a compliance with this rule of the teacher. Light Breaks In. — During this interval of waiting, the cloud, unperceived by the teacher, had been slowly raised up from the western horizon, just in time to allow the setting sun to bestow a farewell glance upon the sorrowing world at his leave-taking. Through the Venetian blinds that guarded the windows towards the west, the celestial light gleamed athwart the apartment, and painted the opposite wall, in front of the pupils, with streaks of burnished gold! In an instant every countenance was changed. A smile now joyously played where before sadness and discontent had held their moody reign. The teacher was reminded, by all these circumstances, of the beautiful language of the prophet, which promised the gift of " the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviiiess," What could be more appro- priate on this occasion than a song of praise f Without speaking a single word, the teacher commenced one of the little songs already familiar to the whole school ; — Lo the heavens are breaking, Pure and bright above; Life and light awaking, Murmur— GocZ w lorn. God is love. Round yon pine-clad mountain, Flows a golden flood; Hear the sparkling fountain, Whisper — Qod is good. QOD IS GOOD, 308 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. Wake, ray heart, and springing, Spread thy wings above, — Soaring still and singing, Ood is ever-good. G D IS GOOD. An Impression. — Instantly every voice that had ever sung now uttered heartfelt praise. The attendant cir- cumstances, taken at the happy moment, furnished such an impressive commentary upon the import of the words, that they were felt, as they never before had been felt, to be the words of precious truth. Every heart throbbed in unison with the sentiment. At the close of the song there was profound silence in the room. After a moment's pause, during which the truth that God is good seemed to pervade each mind and hold it in silent reverence, the signal for departure was given. One after another the boys passed from their seats with a light and careful step, as if noise and haste would be a desecration both of the time and place; and when they reached the open air, refreshing and exhila- rating as it was, there was no boisterous shout, no rude mirth; each took his homeward course, apparently with a new and lively conviction that God is good. Teacher's Satisfaction. — It has always been a source of pleasure to that teacher to recall from the ** buried past" the associations connected with that delightful hour and that charming song; and it has been among the most gratifying incidents of his experience as a teacher to hear more than one of those pupils in later life recur to the memory of that day, and acknowledge with thankfulness the lasting impressions which then and there were made upon their minds. Other Occasions.— It would be easy to furnish exam- MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS. 309 pies, to almost any extent, of the manner in which this principle has been, or may be carried out in practice. The degradation of an intoxicated person who may pass the school, — the pitiable condition of the man who may wander through the streets bereft of his reason, — any instance of sudden death in the neighborhood, par- ticularly of a young person, — the passing of a funeral procession, — in short, any occurrence that arrests the attention of the young and enlists their feeling, may be seized upon as the means of making upon their minds an impression for good. The facts developed in many of their lessons, too, afford opportunities for incidental moral instruction. The adaptation of means to ends, — the evidence of design and intelligence displayed in the works of creation, — the existence of constant and uniform laws as developed in the sciences, all furnish the means of leading the young mind to God. Pleasant Retrospection. — That teacher will enjoy the richest satisfaction in the evening of life who, in looking back upon his past experience, shall be con- scious that he has improved every opportunity which God has given him to turn the youthful affections away from the things of earth, to seek a worthier object in things above. QUESTIONS. 1. What errors must be avoided in judging a child ? 2. What children are particularly entitled to a full share of the teacher's love ? AVhy ? 3. Explain the injustice of judging a child by his demeanor in school ? 4. Should the teacher allow himself to be influenced by pupils or parents as to the direction of the studies? Give reasons. 5. (a) What is usually the result of attempting to teach too 510 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. many things? (6) How can the teacher guard against this evil ? 6. Explain the rule, " Devote every moment of school-hours to active labor for the school." 7. (a) Show the folly of making excuses to visitors for de- fects of the school. (6) Give three examples and describe the • effects. 8. Why should a child never be publicly held up to the school as a model of excellence? 9. (a) How would you treat a "dull " child ? What should be avoided ? 10. How would you meet the interference of parents in your work ? 11. Mention some " hobbies " of teachers, and show how they lead to a disregard of the true object of the school. 12. How is it that men of great learning usually make the poorest common-school teachers ? 13. How can a teacher make his pupils feel that he loves them ? 14. Why is it essential that a teacher should lore his busi- ness ? 15. How can the teacher secure neatness and good order in everything that pertains to the school? 16. How can disfigurement and destruction of school prop- erty be prevented ? 17. How can children be interested in the care of books, desks, etc. ? 18. Mention one of the most effectual means of reproving a wrong-doer in school. 19. (a) Why is it important that a teachei* should be ac- curate in the statement of facts? (b) What if he does not know? 20. How can the teacher cultivate an even, amiable temper ? Why important ? 21. Why is it particularly wrong for the teacher to enter the school with a look of discontent and moroseness ? 22. What means should be employed to aid the children to grasp a diflQcult idea ? 23. Mention some occasions that furnish an effectual lesson for the impression of a moral or religious truth ? Give an example. 24. What are the advantages of a few words, seasonably and fitly spoken, over formal lessons on moral or religious subjects'? Why? THE REWARDS OF THE TEACHER. }H CHAPTEE XIV. THE REWARDS OF THE TEACHER. Low Pecuniary Reward.— It is proverbial that the pecuniary compensation of the teacher is, in most places, far below the proper standard. It is very much to be regretted that an employment so important in all its bearings should be so poorly rewarded. In New Eng- land there are many young women who, having spent some time in teaching, have left that occupation to go into the large manufacturing establishments as laborers, simply because they could receive a higher compensation. I have known several instances in which young ladies, in humble circumstances, have left teaching to become domestics, thus performing the most ordinary manual labor, because they could receive better pay; that is, the farmers and mechanics of the district could afford to pay more liberally for washing and ironing, for making butter and cheese, for sweeping floors and cleaning paint, than they could for educating the immortal minds of their children ! Driving Pegs.— Nor is this confined to the female sex. Young mechanics and farmers, as well as those employed in manufacturing, frequently receive higher wages than the common-school teacher in the same district. Many a young man who has only genius enough to drive the pegs of a shoe in a regular row, and skill enough to black the surface of the article when it is completed, having spent but a few weeks in learning his trade, re- 312 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. ceives more money for his work than he who, after hav- ing spent months, or even years, in gaining the requisite qualilications, labors to polish that nobler material, the human soul. Injustice.— The injustice of this becomes more ap- parent when we bear in mind that public opinion de- mands, and justly too, that the teacher should be not only gentlemanly in his manners, but better clad than the mere laborer — thus throwing upon him a greater burden without affording him the means of sustaining it. The female teacher of a district school, in order to be respectable, must be much more expensively dressed than the domestic in the family where she boards, and is thus compelled to consume most of her receipts upon her wardrobe, while the domestic is able to place sur- plus money at interest in the savings-bank. This in- justice has so often been laid before the people, and yet has been so long continued, that many have given up in despaii', and abandoned an employment that has yielded so little, choosing rather to engage in that lower service which is so much better paid. Living by Wits.— This sufficiently explains why so many unqualified teachers have been found in our com- mon schools. Men of talents and ability, being tempted to other employments, have left the field unoccupied; and those men who have failed to gain a comfortable living by their hands have been allowed to try the ex- periment of supporting life by their wits, — that is, by becoming teachers ! Improvement. — Such has been the case for a long time past; and, though in many quarters the people are beginning to open their eyes to their true interest, and are gradually and commendably coming up to their duty, THE REWARDS OF THE TEACHER. ^IJ yet, for some time to come, the peciniiary compensation will not constitute the chief reward of the teacher. If he will go cheerfully to his work, and find his daily en- joyment in his daily toil, he must have a higher object —some more elevating, inspiring motive than mere money-getting. The chief encouragements of the faith- ful teacher lie in another direction. Encouragements. — It is the object of the following paragraphs to point out some of these encouragements; for, having in the preceding pages required very much at his hands, I feel that it is but just that he should be invited to look at the brighter side of the picture, so that when he is ready to sink under the responsibilities of his position, or to yield to the obstacles that oppose his progress, he may have something to animate his soul, and to nerve him anew for the noble conflict. I. Means of Mental Growth. — The teacher's employ^ ment affords the means of intellectual groxuth. If a man teaches as he should teach, he must of necessity improve himself. Teaching, understandingly pursued, gives ac- curacy. I know it is possible for a man to be a mere schoolmaster — 2i pedagogue, without any self -improve- ment. But I am speaking of the faithful, devoted teacher — the man who studies reflects, invents. Such a man learns more than his pupils. Every time he takes a class through any branch of study, he does it more skilfully, more thoroughly than before. He brings some fresh illustration of it, presents some new view of it, and hence takes a lively interest in it himself, and awakens a new zeal among his pupils. Measuring himself by his new success, he feels a consciousness of growth, of progress. This consciousness is a precious reward. ;i4 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. II. Means of Moral Growth.-— ^Ae teacher's employ- ment affords the means of moral groiuth. Brought constantly in contact with those who need a careful guidance, he feels impelled to earnest effort in order to obtain the mastery over himself, as the best means of gaining complete influence over others. Studying the weak points in their character, he is constantly reminded of those in his own; and self-knowledge is the first step toward self -improvement. Beginning in the feebleness of inexperience, he bolsters up his authority at first by a frequent resort to force; but, ^s he goes on, he finds himself gradually gaining such ascendency over the vi- cious as to control them quite as effectually by milder means. At first, easily excited to anger or impatience, he frequently indulged in severe language when it was unnecessary; but by careful discipline he has learned to " set a watch before his mouth and to keep the door of his lips.'' Encouraged by one victory over himself, he is prepared for another. Having learned by self-dis- cipline to control his outward acts, he next attempts the mastery of his thoughts. He soon finds that his moral power over others is very much increased. Somehow — though perhaps he cannot yet tell the reason why — he finds he can secure obedience with half the effort formerly required : he gains the love of his pupils more readily, and with the exception now and then of an extreme case, he finds that he excites a deeper interest than ever before in the whole round of duty among the scholars. Why is this ? he asks, — and the consciousness of increased inoral power rising up within him is a source of the highest satisfaction. Pecuniary emolu- ment sinks into nothing considered as a reward, when compared with a conscious victory over himself. THE REWARDS OF THE TEACHER. .315 III. Progress in the Art of Teaching.—^ conscious- ness of improvement i7i the art of teacTdng is another reward. Such improvement will follow as a matter of course from his self -improvement in the particulars just named. As his own mind expands, he feels a new im- pulse to exert himself to interest others in the subjects he teaches. He soon comes to look upon the work of instruction, not as a mere mechanical business, to be done in a formal way, but as a noble art, based upon certain great principles that are capable of being under- stood and applied. He employs all his ingenuity to dis- cover the natural order of presenting truth to the mind. — to ascertain the precise degree of aid the learner needs, and the point where the teacher should stop. He studies carefully the proper motives to be presented as incentives to exertion. Interested in his labor as a great work, looking upon his influence as telling upon all future time, he devotes himself daily with new zeal, and is reiuarded with the consciousness of new success, IV, Pupils' Growth of Mind The teacher, is per- mitted aho to witness the consta7it growth of mind among his pupils. I say constant, because the teacher is not obliged to labor without seeing immediate results. The minister of religion may sometimes sow the seed of the Good Word, while the fruit does not appear for a long season. Sometimes a spiritual apathy prevails, so that the most faithful warnings and the most earnest appeals seem to fall powerless upon the conscience; and he is led almost to despair of ever being able to break the deathlike slumber. It is not thus with the teacher. His labor tells immediately upon the young mind. Even while he is yet speaking, he is gratified with ob- serving the soul's expansion as it grasps and assimilates 3l6 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. some new idea which he presen-ts. From day to day, as he meets his classes, he sees how they go on from strength to strength — at first, indeed, with the halting^ tottering step of the feeble babe, but soon with the firm and confident tread of the vigorous youth. << They Were My Pupils.'* — A teacher who is for several years employed in his vocation is often aston- ished at the rapidity with which the young, who come to him as mere children, grow into men and women, and take their places on the stage of life as prominent actors. Some of them distinguish themselves in the arts; some become noted for their attainments in sci- ence; some receive the honors of office and become leaders in civil affairs; some gain eminence as profes- sional men ; and very likely a large portion of them are engaged in the various departments of honorable indus- try. Wherever they are, and whatever they are, they are now exerting a powerful influence in the commu- nity. They have grown up under his eye, and have been essentially shaped by his plastic hand. He looks upon them almost with the interest and pride of a father. He counts them as his jewels; and when he hears of their success, their usefulness, and their honors, his heart leaps within him, as he thinks, "they were my pupils." Even though he may have wasted the strength of his best days in the service, what a reivard is this for the teacher ! V. Useful Calling. — The teacher has the consciousness of leing engaged in a useful and honorable calling. What though he may not become rich in this world's goods ? AVho would not prefer above houses and lands, infinitely above all the wealth of earth, the consciousness of being engaged in a work of usefulness ? Man was THE REWARDS OF THE TEACHER. 317 made for usefulness, — and who would not desire to an- swer the design of his creation ? Educates Immortal Minds. — My pen is too feeble to attempt to portray the usefulness of the faithful teacher. He educates the immortal mind, — wakes it to thought, — trains it to discipline — self -discipline, — moves it to truth and virtue, — fills it with longings for a more per- fect state, and sends it forth to exert its powers for good through all coming time! "To this end," in the glow- ing language of Professor Agnew, "he communicates a knowledge of letters, opens out gradually before the child the book of Nature and the literature of the world; he disciplines his mind and teaches him how to gather knowledge from every source; he endeavors to impart quickness and retentiveness of memory, to cultivate a refined and well-regulated imagination; to task, and thus to give vigor, to his reasoning powers. He points out the appropriate objects of the several affections, and the proper exercise of the passions; he gives lessons to con science, derived from the pure fountain of God's own Revelation, and teaches him to subject his own will to the Highest Will. He instructs him in the various sci- ences, and thus displays before him worlds of wondrous interest, and invests him with the sources and means of pure enjoyment. He trains him for the sweet sympa- thies of social life, and unfolds before him the high behests of duty — duty to himself, his fellow-creatures, his famil}?-, his God. The Infant Becomes a Man. — "Under such a tui- tion, behold the helpless infant grown to manhood's prime — a body well developed, strong, and active; a mind symmetrically unfolded, and powers of intellection closely allied to those of the spirits in celestial spheres! 3l8 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. He becomes a husband and a father; in these, and in all the relations of life, he performs well his part. Above all, he is a Christian, with well-trained affections and a tender conscience, supremely loving God, main- taining a constant warfare with the world, the flesh, and the devil — growing up into the stature of a perfect man in Christ, and anticipating the fulness of joy and pleasure for evermore which are at God^s right hand. The time of his departure at length arrives: he has fought the good fight, he has finished his course, and he goes to obtain his crown and to attune his harp, and forever to dwell on the hills of light and love, where angels gather immortality. Oh, what a transit — from the dependent helplessness of infancy to the glory of a seraph; from mind scarcely manifested to mind rang- ing over the immensity of Jehovah's empire, and rising in the loftiest exercises of reason and affection ! And hotv much has the faithful teacher had to do i7i fitting him for the blissful mansions of the shies!" No Limits to Usefulness.— If such be the teacher's work, where is the limit to his usefulness ? Yet he may do this not for one merely, but for scores, or even hun- dreds. Eternity alone can display the immeasurable, inconceivable usefulness of one devoted teacher. Why Honorable ? — And is not the teacher's calling honorable ? It is — for its usefulness makes it honor- able. To scatter the light of truth is always honorable. So some of the greatest and best men the world ever saw have believed, and have illustrated their faith by their practice. Confucius, Socrates, Seneca, Aristotle, and Plato were specimens of the teachers of ancient date. Eo^er, Aschnm. John Milton, Francke, Pesta- lozzi. Arnold, m,^ a host of others have adorned the THE REWARDS OF THE TEACHER. 319 profession in later times. 'Yet these are men who have taught the world to think. Their works live after them, and will continue to live, when the proud fame of the mighty warriors who have marked their course in blood shall have perished from the earth. Our Great Men Began as Teachers. — If it were necessary and not invidious, how many distinguished men in our own country could be mentioned who have been teachers of the young, or who are still engaged as such ! Besides those who have made teaching the busi- ness of their lives, how many have been temporarily employed in this calling ! Some of our presidents, many of our governors, most of our jurists and divines — in- deed, some of every profession, " a7id of the chief women not a feio" — have first distinguished themselves as school-teachers. Well m^ay teachers, then, regard their profession as an honorable one; always remembering, however, that " it is not the position which makes the man honorable, but the man the position,^^ VI. Gratitude of Pupils. — The teacher enjoys the graieful rememhra7ice of his pupils and of their friends. When a distinguished writer said, " God be thanked for the gift of mothers and schoolmasters ! " he expressed but the common sentiment of the human heart. The name of parent justly enkindles the warmest emotions in the heart of him who has gone out from his native home to engage in the busy scenes of the work-day world; and when sometimes he retires from the com- panionship of new-made friends to recall the picture of the past and the loved of other days, to think — "Of childish joys when bounding boyhood knew No grief, but chased the gorgeous butterfly, And gambord with the breeze, that tossed Rbot]t His silken curls-'" 320 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. how sweetly do the gentle influences of home and childhood, with all their tender and hallowed associa- tions, come stealing over the soul! The world is for- gotten; care may not intrude upon this sacred hour; objects of sense are unheeded; the call to pleasure is disregarded ; — while the rapt soul introverted — trans- ported—dwells with unspeakable delight upon its con- secrated recollection of all that is venerable, all that is sacred, in the name of parent. At this favored hour, how the heart swells at the thought of a mother^s love ! The smiles, the kind words, the sympathy, the counsels, the prayers, the tears — how fondly the memory treasures them all up, and claims them for its own ! And though Death may have long since intruded, and consigned that gentle form to the cold earth, rudely sundering the cherished bonds of affection, and leaving the hearth- stone desolate — though Change may have brought strangers to fell the favorite tree, to remove the ancient landmarks, to lay waste the pleasant places, and even to tread thoughtlessly by the humble mound that marks the revered spot where " departed worth is laid " — though Time, " with his effacing fingers," may have been busy in obliterating the impressions of childhood from the mind, or in burying them deeply beneath the rubbish of perplexing cares — still the true heart never tires with the thought of a fond parent, nor ever ceases to '^ thank God upon every remembrance" of a pious, devoted mother ! Teacher Next to Parents. — Thus it should ever be. Nothing on earth should be allowed to claim the grati- tude which is justly due to judicious parents. But the faithful, devoted teacher, the former of youthful character and the guide of youthful study, will be sure THE REWARDS OF THE TEACHER. 32 1 to have the next place in the grateful heart. Whether the young man treads the deck of the noble ship, in his lonely watch, as she proudly walks the water by night — or journeys among strangers in foreign lands, — wherever he goes, or however employed — as often as his thoughts revisit the scenes of his childhood, and dwell with interest upon the events that marked his youthful progress, he will recur to the old familiar schoolhouse, call up its well-remembered incidents — its joys and its sorrows — its trials and its triumphs — its all-pervading and ever-abiding influences, and devoutly thank God for the gift of a faithful, self-denying, imtient teacher. Gratitude of Parents.— But the teacher is rewarded, also by the gratitude of parents and friends. Some of the sweetest moments a teacher ever experiences are those when a parent takes him by the hand, and, with cordial sincerity and deep emotion, thanks him for what he has done for his child. It may have been a way- ward, thoughtless, perhaps a vicious boy, whom kind words and a warm heart on the part of the teacher have won back to the path of rectitude and virtue. Widow's Gratitude. — I have seen an old lady — and I shall never forget the sight — bending under the infirmi- ties of age, — blind, and yet dependent mainly upon her labor for support, invoking the richest of Heaven's bless- ings upon the head of a teacher, who, by kindness and perseverance, had won back her wayward grandson to obedience and daty. How her full soul labored as she described the change that had taken place! Her emo- tion — too deep for utterance in words — found expres- sion only in tears that streamed from her sightless eyes! She felt that her boy was again a child of hope and promise, and that he might yet be a virtuous and a use- ^22 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHiNG. ful man. The world may raise its empty acclamation to honor the man of power and of fame; it may applaud the statesman and weave the chaplet for the conqueror's brow, — but the teacher, humble and obscure though he may be, who is the object of the widow's gratitude for being the orphan's friend, with the consciousness of deserving it, is a happier, I had almost said a greater ^ man. Surely j he receives a greater reward ! VII. Approval of Heaven — The faithful teacher enjoys the approval of Heaven. He is employed, if he has a right spirit, in a heavenly mission. He is doing his Heavenly Father's business. That man should be made wiser and happier is the will of Heaven. To this end the Son of God — the Great Teacher — cam.e to bless our race. So far as the schoolmaster has the gpirit of Jesus, he is engaged in the same great work. Heaven regards with complacency the humble efforts of the faithful teacher to raise his fellow-beings from the darkness of ignorance and the slavery of super- stition; and if a more glorious crown is held in reserve for one rather than another, it is for him who, un- cheered by worldly applause and without the pros- pect of adequate reward from his fellow-men, cheerfully practises the self - denial of his Master, spending his strength, and doing with diligence and patience *' what- soever his hand findeth to do " towards raising his fel- low-beings to happiness and heaven. The Teacher's Epitaph.— It is such a teacher that the eloquent and gifted Lord Brougham describes in the following beautiful language: — ''He meditates and prepares, in secret, the plans which are to bless mankind ; he slowly gathers around him those who are to further their execution; h© THE REWARDS OF THE TEACHER. }2} quietly though firmly advances in his humble path, laboring steadily but calmly till he has opened to the light all the recesses of ignorance, and torn up by the roots the weeds of vice. His progress is not to be com- pared with anything like the march of the conqueror; but it leads to a far more brilliant triumph, and to lau- rels more imperishable than the destroyer of his spe- cies, -the scourge of the world, ever won. Each one of these great teachers of the world, possessing his soul in peace, performs his appointed course, awaits in pa- tience the fulfilment of the promises, and resting from his labors, bequeaths his memory to the generation whom his works have blessed, and sleeps under the humble but not inglorious epitaph commemorating ' 07ie in whom mankind lost a Jriend, and no man got rid of an enemy/ " Cease Repining — In view of what has been said, let the teacher cease to repine at his hard lot. Let him cast an occasional glance at the bright prospect before him. He deserves, to be sure, a higher pecuniary re- ward than he receives; and he should never cease to •press this truth upon the community till talent in teaching is as well compensated as talent in any other calling. But whether he gains this or not, let him dwell upon the privileges and rewards to be found in the calling itself, and take fresh encouragement. How He can Magnify His Office.— The apostle Paul exhibited great wisdom when he said, " I magnify mine offxe" If the foregoing views respecting the importance of the teacher's calling are correct, he nmy safely follow the Apostle's example. This is not, however, to be done merely by boastful words. No man can elevate himself, or magnify his office in public estimation by indulging }24 THEORY AND ART OF TEACHING. in empty declamation, or by passing inflated resolutions. He must /eeZ the dignity of his profession, and show that he feels it by unremitted exertions to attain to the highest excellence of which he is capable — animated, in the midst of his toil, chiefly by the great morfd recompense which every faithful teacher may hope to receive. Final Reward. — Let every teacher, then, study to improve himself intellectually and morally; let him strive to advance in the art of teaching; let him watch the growth of mind under his culture and take the en- couragement which that affords; let him consider the usefulness he may effect and the circumstances which make his calling honorable; let him prize the gratitude of his pupils and of their parents and friends, and, above all, let him value the approval of Heaven, and set a proper estimate upon the rewards which another world will unfold to him; and thus be encouraged to toil on in faithfulness and in hope, till, having finished his course, and being gathered to the home of the righteous, he shall meet multitudes, instructed by his wise precept, and profited by his pure example, who " shall rise up and call him blessed." THE ElifD.