For the Schoolmaster.
Primary Education.

NATURE is undoubtedly her own best interpreter, and if we would accept her teachings, closely following her steps and making our art a co-worker with her, half our lost time, half our exhausted patience, might be spared.

Much has been done for our higher schools and colleges, but how few ever stop to think

ing it up before their little audience, explain
where it was found, how it is found, and then
if they wish to draw a moral lesson, tell them
that the stone is useful to man, that the rose
gives him pleasure and beauty, and that like the
stone and rose they should be useful and beau-
tiful. Every eye is attracted, every whisper
hushed- they understand him.

Now, the only difference is, one man is a phi-
One has made a

that if the mind of youth were properly trained losopher and the other is not. the colleges would take care of themselves. In-loving study of nature, and consents to speak in her simplicity, and wait till she develops the deed, more interest has been lately felt in our bud, blossom and fruit, before he speaks the primary schools, but a careful, earnest study of childish capacity, a zealous endeavor to kindle language of art to them, or theorizes on moral responsibility.

tasks is an unre-
The child is ear-

childish interest in their daily cognized necessity among us. In our rules, in our plans for school governly taught that his parents and teacher keep him ment, we make the greatest of all mistakes; in school for his good; that he must learn to sit we leave nature out of our calculations. In the very quiet; read his lesson so many times a first place, half our time is given to the disciday; learn to spell so many columns of words pline of the body. It must be kept still — the in a given time, and if he ever shows disgust at young, growing limbs kept in a contracted pothe uninteresting formula, he is held up as an sition for six hours daily, - a penance I am example for all others to avoid. But what child afraid few adults would bear better than these was ever satisfied with this? Who that has little martyrs - I call them martyrs, for I have taught does not remember many a speaking face, known cases in which I actually believed them many an enquiring eye, turned towards him, full to be such. Nervous children, whose organisms of eager interest as some little story is told, or required only pure, bracing air, dying because some object described? Who does not remem- a proud parent glories in his child's precocity. ber the original questions the little ones ask, What are we to do, it may be said, that is not and if kindly and properly answered would do our fault. Let such a child vary his hours of more for the child's education than forty pages school-room study with some pleasing bookof spelling unwillingly learned. But some one no matter if he twists on his seat a little. If objects - "These questions ruin the order of he becomes nervous, consider that nature is promy school." This objection is founded on a testing against your rigid rule, and let him play false idea of order and discipline. The world ten minutes in the school yard. is full of the noise of labor. No one objects I think this adaptation to childish powers that the spindles make such a noise in a factory. should pervade every study and every spoken Where there is activity there is always bustle. word. One little girl came to me lately, and Let the children ask all the questions they will, asked the meaning of "axiom." I smiled as I give them all the information you can describe thought of my utter incapacity to explain it, places, animals to them. Depend upon it, these and yet the word was in her spelling lesson. facts you give them will develop more original Nevertheless, to see the effect, I gave her the "It is a self-evident truth." "The thought, give a heartier impulse to their mind, definition and in turn reäct upon yourself with a genial child looked glow of satisfaction.

116

up with a sort of vague wonder and said "I don't know now any better." We mistake in that we have always expected] I would have every teacher devote more time too much of childhood. It is a notable fact to the objective than the subjective. Teach that we never realize its simplicity - its inabili- children less about duty and obedience, which ty to grasp an abstraction. We bring the child have become hackneyed and powerless — make up to our level, instead of lowering ourselves them love to hear you talk about the world to his. I have heard gentlemen discourse learn- around them, and let them ask questions, and I edly to children at examinations, on their high believe the fear of being deprived of one promprivileges as if one child in ten knew what ised explanation, or picture, or story will keep a privilege was. Again, I have seen others them in better order than the frequent applicabring in their hand a stone or a rose, and hold-tion of the rod. I have heard many teachers

M. C. P.

From the Ohio Educational Monthly.
The School-Room Artistically Considered.

BY C. H. MURRAY.

complain: "I am discouraged; I talk and talk, proves by culture. It can almost be said, that and it is like the blowing of the wind." Was our characters are but a reflection of what we it not that they did not try nature's philosophy have associated with. If you give the mind beauty to play upon, the familiarity will soon lead to the production of happier thoughts, and more exalted desires. Our school-rooms, then, ought to have more of the art-gallery finish about them. They should, at least, have the appearance of a comfortable, or respectable home. How many teachers are there in the State Their bare, blank, monotonous walls, should be that love a picture? or that can discover the furnished. They can be, wherever there are sentiment expressed in a statue? or direct the teachers of any ambition and public spirit. Let attention of their pupils to an observance of the this begin in our cities and towns. At present beautiful in nature and art? I have no doubt we have nothing to hope, (in this respect,) from there are many who will consider these ques- the country, where resources are so scattered. tions as impertinent and heterodoxical. Why The towns should lead, and by and by the counshould they meddle with the beautiful, or be try will follow; for its fashions are all towncalled upon to determine whether the object derived. In Ohio there are many towns of three represented in that frame is a horse, or an thousand inhabitants and upwards, where, withreflection of their own stupidity? In the main, in the last few years, commodious and substanour professors teach books; - stereotypically tial school buildings have been reared. In these printed, cut and dried, and substantially press- the school authorities have placed the mere need books. What is drawn from beneath their cessaries for the conduct of a school. But the covers, smothered into the brains of their at- buildings are not furnished. The rooms are tendants, constitutes in their estimation, EDUCA-not specially attractive. In them there are no Oh, egregious blunder! Oh, sad error! objects particularly suggestive of pleasant feelthat too long has been feeding souls on unseason- ings. There is nothing to awaken poetical emoed intellectual food. They present the meal tion, or historical reflection. There are your without spice or condiment to give it zest and maps in dead colors, your sombre blackboards,

TION.

relish.

They give Education a poor, naked and the blank white walls.

And that is the

body, without soul or animation; and so its room where the fresh, sensitive soul is sent every worshippers become dry-as-dusts, -lank, lean day to be impressed with nothing but heavy and mournful. Now, in truth, we must have tasks and rigid discipline; and to grow into a more poetry taught; and poetry must pervade dislike of its young life, and everything about our educational systems, or we will be in a fair it. I am no advocate of an abatement of labor, way to become a nation of cynics. It is not the but I wish labor to be enlivened and spiritualend of life to get money and wear fine clothes. ized. The anchor was too heavy for the sailors It should not be alone the purpose of our schools until the song lightened it. to fit men for money-getting, and to make them

Every school-room should be hung with picfind accountants and reckoners. This tendency tures. Small shelves should be tastefully aris forward and bold enough. It has brought ranged, out of danger, for objects of curiosity, men, and women too, to see the figure in every-busts and statuary. By the judicious expendi thing, without discerning the spirit. ture of fifty dollars, a school-room can be made

I say we must have some poetry taught. By delightfully cheerful. Very pleasant prints and this I do not mean language set in metre, and engravings can be procured in the picture furjingling with rhyme; or the philosophy of the nishing shops, ready framed, for from one dolprosodial scanning in the grammars; but it is lar and fifty cents to five dollars; and busts that science that shall cultivate an appreciation and agreeable articles of statuary for about the of the ideal; that shall lead from the material same price. But where shall the money come to the spiritual, and instruct one to look upon a from? Let your pupils carn it. They will take picture as something more than a mere arrange-a pride in the matter if it is properly and judiment of light and shades. Children that are ciously presented to them. If you have singreared with the lovely, will grow lovely. Like ing in your school, give a public concert or two, all other dispositions, this recognition of the and an exhibition. Charge an admittance, and symmetrical, and taste for ideal expression, im- by this means induce the parents to contribute

to an important and commendable object, that The fingers of his right hand had been contractthey might not otherwise have the magnanimity ed and stiffened in early life, by a burn, but were to assist. The teacher who is possessed of a fixed in just the position to hold a pen and a soul, (if you have none, pray for one without penknife - and nothing else. As they were also delay, will be surprised to find how much such considerably indurated, they served as a convedecorations will cheer him, and serve as agents nient instrument of discipline. A copy badly of relief, to remove a certain heaviness that of written, or a blotted page, was sometimes visited ten weighs upon the heart of the most hopeful. with an infliction which would have done no Nor will they prove less serviceable or interest- discredit to the beak of a bald eagle. His long, ing to your pupils. The best series of essays deep desk was a perfect curiosity-shop of conthat I ever received from my pupils, were sug-fiscated balls, tops, penknives, marbles and jewsgested by, or descriptive of, some portraits that harps - the accumulation of forty years. I dewere placed in my school-room. How much sire, however, to speak of him with gratitude, will a life-size print of Washington, Franklin, for he put me on the track of an acquisition Clay, Webster, or Napoleon speak in a school which has been extremely useful to me in after room? One of my girl pupils once remarked: life—that of a plain, legible hand. I remained "I don't like the portrait of Webster much; whenever I am idle his big, black eyes appear to look right at me, and rebuke me for it." Thus they may prove to have a moral power as well as to break the barren monotony of naked walls.

at these schools about sixteen months, and had the good fortune in 1804, to receive the Franklin medal in the English department. After an interval of about a year, during which I attended a private school kept by Mr. Ezekiel Webster, of New Hampshire, and on an occasion of his Ar the Sixty-Sixth Annual School Festival, absence, by his ever memorable brother, Daniel which took place a few years since in Faneuil Webster, at that time a student of law in BosHall, Boston, Edward Everett delivered an ad- ton, I went to the Latin school, then slowly dress, in which he gives this interesting account emerging from a state of extreme depression. of the educational advantages he enjoyed in early life:

It was kept in School street, where the Horti

cultural Hall now stands. The standard of scholastic attainment was certainly not higher than that of material comfort in those days. We read pretty much the same books or of the same class in Latin and Greek, as are read now; but in a very cursory and superficial manner. There was no attention paid to the philosophy of the languages- to the deduction of words from their radical elements to the nice

"It was fifty-two years last April since I began, at the age of nine years, to attend the reading and writing schools in North Bennett street. The reading school was under Master Little, (for Young America' had not yet repudiated that title,) and the writing school was kept by Master Tilestone. Master Little, in spite of his name, was a giant in stature sixties of construction- still less to prosody. I

feet four, at least and somewhat wedded to the past.

never made a hexameter or pentameter verse, He struggled earnestly against the till, years afterwards, I had a son at school in

London, who occasionally required a little aid in that way. The subsidiary and illustrative branches were wholly unknown in the Latin School in 1805. Such a thing as a school library, a book of reference, a critical edition of a classic, a map, a blackboard, an engraving of an ancient building, or a copy of a work of ancient

change then taking place in the pronunciation of u, and insisted on saying monooment and natur. But I acquired, under his tuition, what was thought in those days a very tolerable knowledge of Lindley Murray's abridgment of English grammar, and at the end of the year could parse almost any sentence in the American Preceptor.' Master Tileston was a writing master art, such as now adorn the walls of our schools, of the old school. He set the copies himself, was as little known as the electric telegraph. If and taught that beautiful old Boston handwritour children, who possess all these appliances ing, which, if I do not mistake, has, in the march and aids to learning, do not greatly excel their of innovation, (which is not always the same parents, they will be much to blame. At this thing as improvement,) been changed very little school, in 1806, I had the satisfaction to receive for the better. Master Tileston was advanced the Franklin medal, which, however, as well as in years, and had found a qualification for his that received at the English school in 1801, durcalling as a writing master, in what might have ing my absence from the country in early life, seemed at first to threaten to be an obstruction. I was so unfortunate as to lose."

Educational Entelligence. the Seminary. The room was comfortably filled during

a creditable representation from Providence, met at

COMMUNICATIONS for this Department should be addressed to the PUBLISHERS OF THE SCHOOLMASTER, Providence.

the session.

Mr. N. W. DeMunn, of Providence, in the chair, the President being absent, remarked in a short speech upon the importance and results of meetings of Teachers' Associations, encouraging, the teachers present to

The Meeting of the Teachers' Institute at take an active part in the discussions of the Institute.

Kingston, March 1st and 2d.

The Institute met in the Court House Friday evening. The President being absent, Mr. F. B. Snow acted in his place. Prayer was offered by Rev. Dr. Phelps of Kingston. Rev. Augustus Woodbury, of Providence, delivered an address on UNWRITTEN HISTORY. We cull some comprehensive passages:

An hour and a half was spent in an animated discussion of the subject-"Best method for securing punctual and constant attendance at school."

Mr. F. B. Snow, of Providence, called for the plain statement of the evil from teachers present. Mr. Geo. Gardiner, of Kingston, said that his aim was to make the school-room pleasant, but this plan failed in a great measure. His attendance averaged Written history concerns itself with the acts and only two-thirds of the number registered. His great events of man's existence upon the earth. Unwritten trouble was tardiness, while the attendance was very History belongs to the spirit, which makes that exist- bad. He would like an account from other teachers of ence life. The earth becomes the abode of man, as a their experience. being not only of action, but also of thought, of spiritual energy, purpose and results.

Mr. S. A. Briggs, of Greenwich, said that the first thing to be done was to make the children interested

Mr. Grosvenor, of Wickford, thought that a good, commodious and pleasant room, with windows that admit the light, was of first importance. He had tried Some pupils various means, but had not succeeded. resided so far from school, that it was difficult for them to be regular and punctual. His school registered 72, with perhaps an attendance of 60 per cent. He hoped that teachers would give the results of their experience.

The method of writing history has very percep'ibly in the school, and to make the school-room pleasant; changed within the last few centuries. It is now ne- the next, to influence and gain the influence of pacessary to know what is unwritten-the secret, invisi- rents. ble and eternal things that human life possesses. The power of a nation depends upon the truthfulness of its citizens, on their justice, generosity and integrity, not upon factitious nobleness of descent, nor dead glories ofits former life. The law of lineage is lineage of soul. The whole of history never can be written, because there are latent forces and hidden agencies, which form a nation's life. So it is impossible to write a just account of cotemporary lives. These truths were amply illustrated by the lecturer in the rise of the CommonMr. Tefft, of Carolina Mills, thought that those who wealth of England and the life of Cromwell, the exe- lived farthest from school were there earliest, and vice cution of Charles I, the American Revolution and the versa. The first of the present term his school numlife of Washington. All the great enterprises of hu-bered seventy or seventy-five. The average was 60, man life are connected with the most secret things of more or less. Recently, the average is very full. He human character. Public opinion, though it be ideal, asserted that, in his opinion, no one thing would do as nay, because it is ideal, is the most powerful thing in much to sustain constant and regular attendance as the the world; its progress is secret, though more power- system, if we could adopt it, of making a regular taxful than "lightning, whirlwind and earthquake." ation every term for every scholar.

Mr. Thurber, of Providence, generally had no difficulty in this matter. He would not make it the primary, the important thing, to insist too strongly on punctuality, that too much friction might be avoided. He was never troubled with absences. But all the circumstances of his school are such as tend to secure good attendance.

Each nation has its soul, the knowledge of which can alone explain its history. They work to-day, and find that they are working for eternity. As instances, the lecturer mentioned the Hebrews, Greece and Rome, Germany three centuries ago, and Plymouth colony. The determining influences of history were alluded to in a graceful manner, under the head of court intrigues, public opinion, political parties, religious sects, the clergy, the progress of science, schools taught by living teachers and deeds of humanity and religion. The greatest events in history may hinge upon a single ten excuses in case of absence, to secure admission into man's fidelity to his convictions of truth.

We are all acting history. We do not know how near to us may dwell the loftiest genius and the bravest and truest souls.

Mr. Snow detailed many interesting circumstances of his experience in country and city schools. In a certain school, his pupils were compelled to bring writ

the school-room. Notes were immediately sent to the parents, informing them of the tardiness or absence of their children. This plan succeeded, as an agreement was made with parents, a majority of whom were in

The unwritten life of an age may become the soul of favor of it. If parents co-operate with a teacher, the the history of all coming time.

"O, small beginnings! ye are great and strong, Based on a faithful heart and weariless brain; Ye build the future fair, ye conquer wrong;

Ye earn the crown, and wear it not in vain." This body continued its sessions during the day on Saturday.

SATURDAY MORNING. Several teachers from the vicinity of Kingston, with

judicious use of the rod may eradicate the evil. Mr. Snow related a case of this kind which occurred in his own school, the effects of which were good. He related the circumstances of an appeal to the self-respect of the pupil, in a case of slight but continued tardiness.

Mr. S. A. Potter proposed to awaken the curiosity of children by proposing questions to be answered and topics to be discussed at a time a few minutes previous to 9 o'clock the next day. There ought to be some

magnetic influence in every teacher to draw pupils to and appealed to teachers for their support of that him, as the magnet draws iron from a bowl of sand. journal. Mr. De Munn spoke of the importance of interesting After a short recess, Mr. Snow resumed the discusparents in the necessity of punctuality. He was op- sion of the subject of reading. He dwelt on the neposed to keeping children after school. He alluded to cessity of distinctness of enunciation and indicated the influences of circumstances upon the puuctuality methods of attaining it. It is perfectly useless to teach of pupils, exhorting teachers to enlist the interest of modulations of the voice before pupils are taught to parents by visiting them. speak distinctly.

Mr. Snow recommended all to speak a good word in favor of school regulations.

A colloquy ensued on questions proposed by members of the Institute concerning the conduct of reading exercises, and difficulties met by teachers in teaching reading.

The discussion of the topic-best method of teaching arithmetic-was now resumed. The hour of adjournment was fixed at half-past five.

Rev. Dr. Phelps, being invited by the President to speak, stated a new aspect of the case-the influence of punctuality outside of the school-room. The schoolroom is the nursery for life, and habits formed there are the habits which will be carried out in after life The venerable gentleman illustrated this truth in a variety of instances, referring specially to the results of the labors of Dr. Barnes, accomplished by means of this statement. habits of punctuality and early-rising. Too much cannot be said of the importance of securing habits of punctuality in early life.

Mr. DeMunn remarked to the same effect, instancing the example of a man formerly Principal of a young

ladies' school in Providence.

It was agreed that the hour for adjournment be 12.15 and for the beginning of the afternoon session 1.30. A recess occurred at 11 o'clock.

The author of the poem expected to be read at this session being absent, Mr. Potter occupied the remaining hour in an animated exercise on the principles of penmanship.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

The Institute was called to order a little later than

the hour appointed, by the election of a President pro tem. Discussion was begun by remarks of several of the members on the question, How can we secure good reading? The early part of the discussion was unusually animated.

The President in the chair, Mr. Grosvenor continued his speech recommending the practice of the sounds of letters, the spelling of different words by their sounds, and concert reading.

Mr. Thurber stated that if the teachers can awake in

pupils a comprehension and understanding of the points in their reading, they invariably read well.

Mr. Leach, of Rocky Brook, considered one of the greatest defects in teaching reading to be the want of proper text books. Pupils should have books treating of familiar subjects, suitable for teaching the young, not works on science.

Mr. Tefft would have pupils learn rules word for word, though he knew there would be objection to

The President challenged the last speaker to write a rule for a complicated example which he dictated.

The discussion of this subject was continued by several members of the Institute, eliciting some kindly expressed differences of opinion from the disputants. The burden of argument seemed to show that rules are not always applicable. Mr. DeMunn took the floor and gave a familiar illustration of the inefficiency of rules for common divisors and multiples.

Mr. Teft stated as the discussion closed that he would

never teach a rule without giving the principles. He would teach principles first. His remarks, as he expected, provoked opposition. He agreed in much that the President had said in relation to rules.

The following resolution unanimously passed:

Resolved, That the thanks of the Institute be presented to Rev. Augustus Woodbury, for his interesting lecture; also to the citizens of Kingston Hill for the use of their Court Room, and for their liberal hospitality to the members of the Institute; also to Mr. D. G.

Grosvenor and Mr. G. H. Gardiner for their active in

terest in furthering the object of its meetings.

After speeches by Messrs. Grosvenor and the President, the Institute adjourned.

The sojourn of the Institute at Kingston, was a sea. son of intellectual activity to these teachers who conducted and listened to the discussions. More solid, practical thoughts were developed than at any such The meeting meeting of the Institute recently held. was specially characterized by vigorous speeches from local teachers, who evince a commendable energy and a fund of information fitted for active and effectual

Mr. Potter made some animated remarks on the sub-service, as instructors. ject before the meeting, recommending fidelity to Nature as an important principle.

Strangers were kindly entertained in the homes of the hospitable people of Kingston. The hospitality was liberal, and the thanks of the Institute deserved.

One of the most profitable features of the exercises was the colloquial discussion concerning the subjects of reading and arithmetic, in the afternoon.

The Chair said the only way in which a child should be prepared in the least to use our language should be by being taught constantly to use it. He reviewed the usual mode of teaching young pupils to read, advocating the teaching of reading by sounds. He would call words first by their names, calling attention to the THE annual report of the President of the Philobjects, and would not detain a pupil in the mere adelphia Board of School Controllers states that enunciation of twenty-six letters in succession, nor in there are under control of the Board, three hunthe recitation of the names of letters to which no cor-dred and thirty-five schools, embracing two high responding idea of words delivered in speech can be schools, fifty-four grammar, fifty-nine secondary, attached.

A remark of Mr. Gardiner, in reply, provoked a re- one hundred and seventy primary, and fifty unjoinder from the Chair, who then spoke earnestly in classified. The total expenditure of 1860 amountfavor of sustaining the RHOD & ISLAND SCHOOLMASTER, ed to $512,014.