Which is the best way to our arithmetical Rome? Mr. Frank Karbaum says, in the JOURNAL OF EDUCATION of August 18, "The last ten years, especially, have brought out most valuable hand-books for teaching arithmetic; but one finds many ways lead to Rome,' and that it is yet to be decided which is best." 66 But let us not make a wrong use of the old saying, Many ways lead to Rome." In a certain sense, it may be true; but it is not true, that, from any given point, there are many best ways to Rome, for there is but one right and most direct way from one point to another. Arithmetic is an exact science, and is really based on immutable laws; and, though almost all the common ways are by-ways and round about ways to the arithmetical Rome, there is but one right way of acquiring the principles of this exact science. Mr. Karbaum says "that it is yet to be decided which is the best." Surely the right way is the best way; but who will show us the right way? In view of the fact that there is a large army of ex plorers in our country who are trying to find the best way and are continually showing us new ways in our educational journals and conventions, we have a right to hope for an answer, though it is very evident that the right has not yet been discovered by them. way Upon what pedagogical principles can concert teaching be justified? order to make permaSecond: It appeals to First: Repetition is valuable in nent the impressions on the mind. the sense of hearing, and mental impressions and their more durable and are associations are thus made Third: Concert exercises with more easily recalled. young pupils help to keep them all employed and aid in securing a strong collective sympathy in a class, which is not possible by the exclusive employment of individual exercises. In memorizing arithmetical tables, declensions, conjugations, etc., which should be taught so thoroughly that they can be recalled without any effort of reasoning or other mental process, the method of concert repetition has a place that is useful and important. W. E. S. Should definitions be taught to young children? Instruction in the meaning of words should be given at quite an early age. Words are representatives of ideas, and as soon as the children acquire a vocabulary of terms they should be taught to apply them properly, not by in using them in connection with actual objects or conformal statement or definitions but by constant practice ceptions which they represent. Words make but little impression upon the minds of young children, unless they are intimately associated with objects, actions, and qualiThe numerous but different methods promulgated nowities of which they are the signs. Unless the force and a-days prove conclusively that the exact science of arith- meaning of words are taught in actual speech the recimetic is not clearly understood. When Newton demon-tation of formal definitions is of little use. strated the law that "bodies attract each other in in synonyms is injurious until the meaning of words has portion to the quantity of matter they contain, the methods been explained and illustrated and the pupil has acquired of teaching astronomy were changed and unified. So it the ability to tell in his own language the meaning of the should be with arithmetic. We all know that the grand words used. It is a valuable exercise to require that law of all arithmetical computation is based upon the simple sentences be written illustrating the correct meannature and use of the unit, from which we conclude that ing and use of words. Instruction should be given at an the three following principles must govern in all arith-early stage, also, in the derivation of words and the meanmetical calculations and operations : ing and use of the common prefixes and suffixes. pro First: We must understand and continually bear in mind the name and meaning of every number to be used. Second: We must also bear in mind the number of units of any name required to make a unit of the next higher name. Third: When numbers of different names are to be added, subtracted, or compared, they must be brought to the same name and then used as simple common whole numbers. BUZZ. 4. Is the game of Buzz allowable in school! An exercise W. E. S. These laws are founded in nature, and are as incontrovertible as Newton's laws of graitation, and should, there- 13 buzz fore, form the basis of all arithmetical instruction. 1 2 3 4 5 6 buzz 8 9 10 11 12 Until this is done, our arithmetical teachers, students, and authors, will continue to flounder in the sea of mys-ber when he should say buzz, is to take his place in the floor. tical, confused, and arbitrary methods, and fritter away After passing 84 it gets interesting, and only the smart pupils will the time and patience of our youth without securing go above 200, but after a little a few pupils will go on almost proper thoroughness and efficiency. Z. RICHARDS. indefinitely. THE AMERICAN TEACHER. A. E. WINSHIP, W. E. SHELDON, Editors. All communications should be addressed to the Editors. Subscribers whose orders are not promptly attended to are requested to repeat the order. Postals and letters should always state the P. O. address, town, county, and state of the subscriber to which THE AMERICAN TEACHER is addressed. Subscribers should remit by P. O. orders or by registered letters. All business letters and telegraphic despatches should be addressed to A. E. WINSHIP, Publisher, 3 Somerset Street, Boston, Mass. THE AMERICAN TEACHER is sent to subscribers until it is ordered stopped, and all arrearages are paid. 123 CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER. Page. 124 126 127-132 Some Simple Exercises in Form, with Supplementary Drawing Numbers Above Ten - The Child as a Listener - Reyolutionary War (IV.) - Outline of Work in Language for Winter Months- The Study of Woods-Uses of Water - Anecdote of Edward Everett - Addition of Fractions of Fractions -Sentences to be Completed - Try This - Hidden Geographical Names Popular Names of Cities. EXERCISES: may be in, but they tend, also, to inspire to higher aspirations in life than usually come to the unschooled, and it is to their credit that this is so. ONE of the most serious charges yet made by a warm friend of public education is that it cultivates a "murderous tenacity about trifles." There is a tendency in this direction wherever and whenever we find a thoroughly poor teacher, there is liability of it with an ordinarily good teacher, and no teacher can afford to feel secure against such tendency. It is high art to know how to be thorough and still emphasize essentials. EVERY teacher should realize that very much depends 123 upon the state of mind of the pupils, in regard to the 125 results of teaching. If they have an intense love of, and desire for, knowledge, the task is easy to interest and instruct them. To secure attention the teacher must have something new to present. In the anxiety of many to be thorough they overshoot the mark and go over the work again and again, and the pupils, finding that they know it already, cease to attend. They form habits of listening without working; there may even be the semblance of attention and not the reality. 133-34 Advantages of Puzzles - English Penmanship — Geographical It was the boast of Athens that they were lovers of the beautiful yet simple in their tastes; that they cultivated the mind without loss of manliness. It is true the condition of society was radically different then from what it is now, but that does not change the fact that now as then the love of the beautiful ought to tend to simplicity, and the culture of the mind should tend to manliness, and these two ends should be aimed at by the school, and the aim should be steady and persistent. The public schools must simplify tastes by increasing a love for the beautiful; THERE is no earthly excuse for slipshod work in the they must develop manliness through mental activity. schoolroom. DON'T be conservative enough to criticise a new thing because it is new. THE LABORER'S CHILDREN. WHATEVER else the school does, or fails to do, it must HE public school must give to the child of the laboring inspire a desire for knowledge. BLACKBOARDS, colored crayons, charts, pointers, pictures, books, and objects should be in constant use in every schoolroom. WE heard these definitions given for "placid," recently, in one of the upper classes of a grammar school. "Not frisky," "Not gay," "Not wavy." THERE is a demand for colored wall pictures of good size and design, for language work, which would seem to justify Prang, or some other publisher, in issuing a set which should be at once attractive and varied, with high The program must have sufficient flexibility, must cull out for use the essentials, and present them with such elective varieties as to give the boy with twenty weeks' schooling approximately the same advantage in essentials as the boy with forty weeks. It is impossible for him to have the same discipline in acquiring knowledge, the same freedom in its use, the same advantages OUR critics will never cease to say, whatever the facts, in details; but he may have, and must have, the essenthat the schools give a distaste for manual employment. tials in processes and facts. The teacher must see that The truth is that the schools very decidedly tend to help he has them. They can come from no other source. one to make the most of whatever condition of life he | The sentimental press may write of the necessity, but i educational value. cannot teach one child the essentials he needs. The labor organizations may resolve upon what ought to be done, but they will never devise any plan for the doing of it. The school committees may make regulations, but they must base their legislative action upon the experience of the teachers. No one now knows just how the graded system is to be modified so as to do this important work for the children who do not take kindly to the school, but it must be done, and the teacher must do it; every step forward is of great moment. Let every teacher study the problem and solve it for himself if he can, and whoever has wisdom should impart thereof to others, until the common stock of wisdom shall enable us to modify the system by uniformity and universality of action. PATIENCE. UR contributors must be patient. Not long since we received an article from a noted literary gentleman, acknowledged its receipt and acceptance, after which some months passed before we had occasion to use it. He became impatient, supposed we had forgotten it and should never use it, and sent it to another literary paper with which we exchange; but before they received his MS. they received the article printed in our columns, which circumstance would have placed a writer of less note under suspicion. We frequently keep matter more than a year before the right time comes to use it, and the reputation which THE TEACHER has attained is largely due to the fact that it has such a quantity of manuscripts on hand that it can make selections from an almost exhaustless store. A BOSTON PRIMARY SCHOOL IN 1820. N the Annals of the Primary Schools of Boston, compiled by Joseph M. Wightman from reports dating from the establishment of such schools in 1818 to the time the primary school committee ceased to exist as an organized body of the city government in 1855, there is much that is of interest and importance, not only as matters of history pertaining to the rise and development of the primary free schools, but also as a comparison of the methods of instruction in vogue in the early days of the lower grade schools with these of the present time. In the year 1820 Elisha Ticknor made a report on several primary schools and embodied in his report details of the work done in the various schools not obtainable in any of the other reports. These observations and statements made by Mr. Ticknor are interesting as a contrast to the work now done in the primary schools. After commending the general appearance of the room, the neatness and self-possession of the teacher, Miss Turner, Mr. Ticknor goes on to say, "She [the teacher] began by calling upon the fourth or youngest class, which showed me instantly that she knew how to examine her pupils to advantage, and that she had already divided her school systematically into four classes. The class then stood up in their places and read in words of one syllable, audibly and distinctly, which is not common for those of their standing. They were then ordered to close their books; each did it instantly, and put his book under his arm, and renewed his position, and order of standing. They then spelt in a distinct, and with a proper tone of voice, and sat down. The third class then rose, and passing through similar ceremonies, were seated. The first class then read in the Testament excellently, and spelt, and sat down. At this moment I supposed the mistress had completed the exhibition of her pupils, and was preparing myself to address a few words to them; but observing a child about six years of age at my right hand, "Sir," said the mistress, will you please to hear the child repeat the rules she has learned?" The child handed me Kelley's Spelling Book, and repeated to me between fifty and sixty rules, being all it contained in relation to letters and pronunciation. At her remarkable memory and attention I was surprised, because she appeared at the same time to understand the nature of the rules. "Sir," said the mistress, 66 no child is allowed to pass from the second to the first class who is unable to repeat these rules." A second repeated to me all the reading part or lessons in Kelley's Spelling Book, principally made up of maxims and important sentences, A third, all the stops and marks used in reading; a fourth, the use of all the capitals; a fifth repeated a long catalogue of words of similar sound but differently spelt; a sixth, a long catalogue of vulgarisms, such as vinegar, not winegar; vessel, not wessel; wharf, not vaff, etc.; a seventh, the use of the common abbreviations, such as A.M., D.D., LL.D., etc. No one in the second class can be advanced to the first who has not committed to memory and actually repeated all the above rules. But the examination did not end here; the mistress sent us up a number of misses to show us wristbands they had stitched, and button-holes they had wrought in their leisure moments, after they had learned their lessons. But this was not all; a boy was sent up with a slate, on which he had written with his pencil the common figures, and printed the alphabet very handsomely; a second came with each of the stops and marks on his slate, and repeated to me their names and uses; a third came also and repeated to me the letters standing for numbers, such as V for 5, VI. for 6, etc. This ended the examination. Knitting and sewing were taught; and profanity, I understand, was a stranger among these children." This report offers some food for reflection and data for comparison. It will be well to bear in mind that in Miss Turner's school there were fifty-eight children, and only eight of these were over seven years of age. The salary of this opulent teacher was the munificent sum of two hundred dollars. Concert. FOR FRIDAY AFTERNOON. A NEW YEAR'S EXERCISE. Brief Selections from the Poets. COMPILED BY W. E. SHELDON, A.M. NEW YEAR'S EVE. Ring out wild bells, to the wild sky, Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring happy bells across the snow; (A song to be sung or recited by ONE of the class.) Stay yet, my friends, a moment stay,— Stay till the good old year, So long companion of our way, One little hour and then away! NEW YEAR'S MORNING. O glad New Year! O glad New Year! Dawn brightly on us all, And bring us hope our hearts to cheer, On thee, old year, O past old year! Ere thou dost all our actions bear For all the joy and happiness For all good gifts from Heaven, Then welcome, welcome, glad New Year! Dawn brightly on us all, And bring us hope our hearts to cheer, Bring patience, comfort, gladness, rest, Bring happiness,—the highest, best,— RECITATIONS. (1) O New Year! New Year! so glad and free, (3) Change them for all into harvests of peace, (5) To the old, long life and treasure, In Concert.-A happy New Year! a happy New Year! And when ye have drained the crystal life-spring, A New Year so happy it never shall end! RECITATIONS. (7) The years have linings, just as goblets do; (8) I hear you, blithe New Year, ring out your laughter And promises so sweet; I see the circling months that follow after, (9) Yes, we will love thee, month of death, Yes, we will call thee glad New Year. |