Dr. Sears, Secretary of the Board of Education, in answer to a call from the Chair, rose and remarked that he would amplify a little upon one topic of the lecture. In speaking of the rela tion of the teacher to the State, the office which the State assumes, was set forth in its true light by the lecturer. Yet there are those who assert that too much power is placed in the hands of the State, and that the rights of individuals are invaded. But there is another agency in this work-the corporate bodies-the towns. The State recognizes the rights of the towns in their corporate capacity, and merely empowers them to carry out the grand design. The work is devolved upon the people, but with such a system as to accomplish the greatest amount of good. It is the theory of Massachusetts, to extend the executive power only so far as is necessary. It is just as true that this Commonwealth is made up of a large number of republics as that the General Government is thus composed. The business of popular education is given over to the towns. What occasion is there, then, of complaint, on the part of the people, that their rights are taken away? The establishment of public schools is a matter of political philosophy. We must keep in mind the condition of the people. There is one school system that is best for every nation and age. He who would act upon the people as an educator must watch the natural progress of things. The character and wants of the people must be made the study of all who would promote the cause of education. While Massachusetts gives so large a liberty to the people, she calls upon the patriotism and integrity of the people to maintain the common school system. Mr. Bradford said he had been a teacher, and would make a very obvious explanation, in relation to the instructor and educator. We are told that we must be not merely teachers, but educators; but it is impossible for a teacher to present himself before his pupils without educating; he cannot discipline in the least degree without educating. Suppose I exemplify in my discipline a Christian deportment; I educate the finest and noblest feelings of the soul. I may teach only the alphabet; the very manner in which I do it the look, the tone, &c., all educate. Let the teacher remember that he is necessarily an educator, and let him ask of God help to educate aright. Mr. Brigham, of Taunton, in alluding to the lecture, said it was the chief excellence of addresses of this kind, to raise the ideal of the teacher's work. Yet some teachers may go home and say, "It is all very well, but there are practical difficulties in the way." But let every teacher ask himself," Shall I not go home and try to reduce these important principles, this noble ideal, to practice?" I have found in my experience, that persons who have finished their school-going days, have generally co sidered themselves fitted for teaching, without any farthe preparation. It is hoped that a different feeling is now quit prevalent. It is very pleasing and hopeful to see teachers b ginning to compose their own manuals of instruction. The convention here adjourned, to meet at half past on o'clock, P. M. The afternoon session was opened by some interesting remark from the President, upon the great object for which we wer assembled, and the importance of a more thorough preparatio for our work. The necessity of the teacher's rightly under standing the nature of the mind, the order of its development the analysis of every subject he professes to teach, were strongl set forth. On motion of Mr. Tillinghast, the following question wa taken up for discussion: "What is the best mode of conduct ing Recitations?" Remarks upon this question were mad by Mr. Hunt, of Plymouth, Messrs. Edwards and Colburn of Bridgewater, Tillinghast and Jenks, of Middleboro', an Stearns, of Barnstable. A short discussion also arose on the question, Should th law compel attendance on Schools? After passing a vote of thanks to the lecturer, for his valua ble address, and a vote that a report of the doings of this Con vention be published in the Massachusetts Teacher, and othe publications, the Convention adjourned. S. C. DILLINGHAM, Secretary. COURAGE, TEACHER!-One of the Roman kings, in pursuing some of his military schemes, had occasion to cross the Adria tic Sea. No other opportunity occurring, he hired a simple In the midst of the sea, a storn boatman to row him across. arose; the boatman was alarmed, and relaxed his efforts. The future Emperor of Rome thus addressed him: "Courage, my man! you carry Cæsar and his fortunes!" Art thou eve depressed, Teacher, and ready to faint at the obstacles tha surround? O remember that, in the mind of every one o those pupils committed to your trust, you carry more than Cæsar or his fortunes. THE MASSACHUSETTS TEACHER. Vol. III. No. 9.] W. W. MITCHELL, EDITOR OF THIS NUMBER. [September, 1850. PERMANENCY OF INTELLECTUAL ACQUISITIONS. WE test the value of almost all our acquisitions by their permanency. No man would account himself rich, who should receive hundreds of thousands at sunrise, to be delivered up again at sunset. No man may rightly account himself learned, who possesses only the shallow information of the passing hour. The rich man has his productive funds, his bank and railroad stocks, his real estate, ever able and ready to honor his drafts upon them. The truly learned man likewise has his stocks and productive funds, always ready to pour forth uncounted intellectual treasures at his demand. Yet it is too true that many men and many pupils retain nothing and carry nothing but the loose change of science. This is convenient, but it is not enough. It does not carry influence and power sufficient for extensive operations. It is a matter of general complaint, that so much is learned to be lost by pupils, that they carry so little from the school to the world. This is more true in regard to the facts, than the discipline and moral influence of the schoolroom; and the loss of facts is sooner perceived by the multitude. Great as this loss is, pupils may carry away that which shall be of untold value to them in life, with scarcely a remembered fact. Habits, principles, and biases are infinitely more valuable than isolated facts. How shall this evil be diminished? The pupil's success in retaining knowledge must depend upon two things, the manner of acquiring it, and care taken to preserve it when acquired. I. We may give permanency to intellectual acquisitions, by awakening a healthy interest in the subjects taught. I say, a healthy interest. Noisy recitations, attended by gesticulatio We have seen the mountain torrent, created by a summe shower, leaping from rock to rock, and rushing impetuously t the vale. We have looked again, and its channel was dry. S classes, roused by fitful and unnatural excitement, may astonis and delight us by wonderful manifestations of interest an progress, and suddenly disappoint us by falling back to stupi ity and dullness. The deep, broad river must have its unfailin fountains. Its ordinary flow will be steady and tranquil. 1 may sometimes swell within its banks. It may sometimes das over the rapids. It may sometimes leap the precipice. Thes things may excite our admiration, while its ever-widening an S deepening flow, towards the unfathomable ocean, impresses ou minds with the grander ideas of permanency and power. with that interest which springs from mental labor and menta conquest, ever welling up from the exhaustless fountains thought. The teacher will find ample scope for his best powers devising means to wake up the minds of his pupils. But a -mental effort. He may accomplis must point to one end, much by drawing forth, prominently, the natural attractions the sciences. He may do more by the clearness and complet ness of his instructions. He must lead his pupils on to a fu comprehension of the subject, and a healthy and abiding intere will be awakened. How can interest be aroused by a half-com prehended truth? How can the mind be kindled to enthus asm by what it does not perceive? A truth acquired, alway stirs up the soul like an electric charge. Acquisition, in som form, is the grand charm of existence. The eye of the chi sparkles with delight at every clear perception of truth. Can this deep and enduring interest be excited in all minds Certainly not to the same degree, or by the same amount effort. But such interest, in any degree, and such interest onl will be favorable to permanent acquisition. II. We may awaken such interest, and give permanency intellectual acquisitions, by leading the pupil to do his ov thinking, and requiring him to do his own work. This is ind pensable. It must be done, whatever else be left undon motion without this, will vanish like the "morning clo I once had occasion to visit Connecticut with a private conveyance. A friend, who was familiar with the way, drove for me, and I gave myself up to talking and comfort. A few months passed, and I found myself on the same road, my own driver. To my surprise, I experienced great difficulty in following the road. I remembered no curves, no forks, no cross-roads. I was constantly at loss, often inquiring, and often out of the right way. Several years elapsed, and I was again on that road alone as before. Somewhat to my surprise, after so long a time, I knew the road. I was at home on every part of it. Hill, valley, plain, bend, fork, and cross-road, were old acquaintances. I needed neither tongue nor guide-board. Why was this? Simply, because I had once carefully and anxiously picked my way through those towns. I had done it unaided, when a mistake would have cost me time and toil. During my first ride I had no such care, and felt no such responsibility. In like manner we may carry a pupil through the paths of science, and find, to our mortification at last, that he is entirely unacquainted with them. Too many pupils have been carried through the sciences, without the necessity of examining their way, or even of holding the reins. No interest was awakened, no mental labor demanded, and consequently no permanent acquisition made. In my early school days, when country schoolmasters were just beginning to suspect that there were some reasons for the profoundly mysterious operation of extracting the cube root, a schoolmate proposed to me to give a leisure day to this subject. We took an arithmetic and a wood-saw, a block of wood and a fragment of board, and commenced in good earnest the study of cube root. We had seen a set of blocks. We made a similar set, not of very polished workmanship, but such as boys with such tools might make. We then undertook the harder task of making the rule fit the blocks, or the blocks fit the rule. After much contriving and experimenting, sometimes unsatisfied and sometimes successful, we closed our day's work and study, believing that we had found out a clear explanation of every step in the mysterious process. We were delighted and elated. We had before seen through a glass darkly. Now we had brushed aside the obstruction, threaded the mazy labyrinth, and opened every avenue to the light. So we believed, and time has never effaced or even obscured the reasoning processes of that day. It is hardly necessary to suggest to teachers, that this explanation has been listened to by thousands of pupils, who retained no more than they would of a speech in Choctaw; and it has been forced into the minds of many others, by persevering teachers, to remain only till the closing examination of the term. |