VOL. VII.
irac PEOPLE'S JOU - RNA-Li
trllLigliED I'S'?AY THURSDAY MORNING.
BY ADDISON AVERY.
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ADDRESS
BEFORE TEE POTTEE CO. TBACHEIS'
STITIITS,
neuvrattn THURSDAY EYBMING, !Prat 26 5 1.85,
By tho County Superintendent.
REV. J. B. Pn.4.DiDear Sir: The under
signed were appOinted a Committee to so
licit a copy of your address hetet% the Teach
ers' AssoCtatidn on the evening of the 26th
ult., for publication; and irk discharging the
duty assigned them, the Committee take the
Zpportunity to express their high appreciation
bf the Address, and their belief that its gene
-1.41 circulatlea through the: medium - of the
newspapers of the County, must have a most
salutary effect iu advancing the cause of Edo,.
tatioh. They therefore trust it will suit your
Convenience to furnish the desired copy et an
early day.
We are, Rev. and dear sir,
Your frieds, etc:,
LEIVIi MANN,
, S. C. SMITH, CC
C. w. ELL„, )
Coudersport, May 3, 1855
COCDEIISPORT, May 3, 1235
Gems:sits: I hare the pleasure to ac
knowledge the receipt of your note of th•
ad inst., asking a copy of ray late Address
before the Teachers' Association of this
County.
In complying With your kind request, I
cannot but take the opportunity to remark,
that the earnest desire now evident in our
;aunty and Commonwealth, for the advance
ment of the cdu.E. , o of Public Education, is a
a ino:t happy omen of future welfare and
prosperity.
Very truly your,
J. B. PRADT.
ne , .r3. Lew•iq Mann, S. C, Smith, C. AV
Committee,
FELLOW' TEACHERS :—Since receiv
ing, a few days since, your hind in
vitation to address you before the
close of our exorcises, I have found
no leisure to gather from books, a
literary repast for your entertain
ment. I have endeavored, however,
to revolve a few thoughts in my own
mind which may be of use to you,
in the future discharge of your duties.
And begging your indulgence for the
abruptness with which I enter upon
my subject, I will ask your attention to
some observations upon the nature of
the work whch you have to do, and
the conditions of your success.
You have had opportunity, during
the last two weeks, of listening to
various and valuable instructions from
ethers, upon these topics---instructions
of a more directly practical nature.
It has seemed proper for me, there
fore, at this time, to go back a step
further, and present some general and
comprehensive ideas of your vocation,
which you may be able profitably to
expand, perhaps, at your leisure.
The nature of the work in which
you are expected to engage, the char
acter of the result which you are to
aid in bringing to pass, is usually ex
pressed by the terms Education and
Instruction. My present remarks will
be confined to the first of these beads.
You are to take charge, for a sea
son, of young immortals, and to act as
the handmaids of Providence in un
folding their plastic. natures, in draw
ing forth and directing the affections
of their hearts, the faculties of their
minds, and the powers of their bodies.
And what is this work of education,
this process of unfolding the nature of
the child, in which yen are to aid, but
a part of the great design of Provi
dence in regard to all things? _Every
created object has its appropriate,
appointed' destiny. In order to the
fulfillment of this destiny, the unfold
ing process of which. I have spoken,
must take place. And those agencies,
whether of man or of nature,. which
aid in this development, are educating
agencies. They stand , tho same
relation to that which is to he unfolded
and drawn forth, as that in which the
teacher stands to the mind of the
child.
All things, then, .are educated; all
things, I mean, which, fulfill their
destiny, which carry, out the end of
their being. The plant - is developed.
from its seed, through all its several
stages of germination and growth, to
its final perfection of flower .and : fruit.
Its educator's are the hoist and light
P F
•
•
t 11
P. •
, .
of the genial sun, the dews and rains *
of Heaven, the bidden fortes of Na
ture, and last of all, the fostering care
of man. The animal is , developed
from its embryo state to its fulness of
life and strength: The Mighty" nation
is developed from its first dawning's
of civiliiation, its 'first beginnings of
posher; to its culmination of greatness
and glbry. And how varied the agen
cies which educate the nation ! How
many vicissitudes, how many strug
gles, how much expenditare of blood .
and treasure, how muck dear-bought
experience, how many alternate re
verses and triumphs, before the nation
can take rank among the powers of
earth:" And how tree is all this of the
man, before he can take rank among
Nature's noblemen !
,411 development—all education..—is
not successful. Thousands of failures
meet us on every hand. Innumera
ble existences aro blighted, perverted,
or destroyed. But the cause of every
failure, of every blight and perver
sion, will bo found to reselve itself
into one and the same thing at last.
If the plant, the animal, the man; the
nation, does not fulfill its destiny, if it
fails to reach a worthy result, it is
because there has -been a failure in
compliance With the prescribed con-.
ditions of success and_ perfection.-
And these conditions, let • us remem
ber, are prescribed by an unvarying,
inexorable, and universal law. Po
this law there must be conformity.
In a word, obedience to the great law
which regulates all things, and to those
reqpirements of this law which extend
to each particular existence, is the
condition. of all successful develop
, ment. To secure this obedience, must
, be the first aim and .work of the
teacher, in order to success in 'his
vocation. You will of course under
stand me to use tho terms Law and
Obedience in a larger sense than their
ordinary import. By Law, I mean
not merely that which prescribes mat's
moral and civil duties; -I mean by it,
even as the great commentator on
English Law defines the term—a rule
of action; and by Obedience, I mean
conformity to that rule of action.
Let us illustrate this principle. If
the plant be rudely or widely re
moved from its native soil or clime,
if it receive not its needful light and
moisture, if, in short, in any essential
particular, the laws of growth be vio
lated, its proper development cannot
take place. If there be not entire
failure, only some partial, abortive
result is attained. Why is it that
scree nations have gone onward in the
career of improvement, while. others
have reached but an imperfect degree
of civilization, unless it he that the
latter have failed to observe the con
ditions of national development
Would Spain have sunk to her pres
ent degraded position in the family of
nations, had she not allowed her vigor
to bo enervated and her enterprise to
be checked, by her . sudden accumula
tion of wealth ? Why have the teem
ing millions of China and Japan re
mained stagnant and unprogressive,
but that their policy of building up a
wall of exclusion against other nations,
has deprived them Of those external
incitements, without which national
expansion does not take placci?
- In -like manner, the individual na
ture' of man must have freedom of
development; must have secured to it
the conditions of development, or that
development will not take place. This
is especially true of that period of life,
when the impress of character is chief
ly received. How important, then,
that the Teacher give heed to this
great principle, while seeking to aid
in the education of the child. Let us
extend-this thought to each of the sev
eral parts of the child's nature, - while
in the process of education.
And first of all let us notice its
application to the physical system.
I begin with : this, because it is that
which needs our first, and for several
years, our chief care. It is a striking
feature in the beautiful order of Di
vine Providence that the several parts
of man's nature must be developed in
the order of their relative importance;
first the physical, then the intellectual,
and last of all the spiritual nature is
educated. By this I do not mean,
that while either of them receives-at
tention, the others are to be neglected;
but that in the design of Providence,
the fullness of the development of
each part is in the order I have named.
For several years, the chief amount of
care required by the child from , the
parent, is bestowed upon the . well
being and growth of the body. The
mind awakens spontaneously, arid usu
ally needs but a judicious presentation
of-natural objects, and 'such familiar
oral instruction as the intelligent pa
rent can readily impart, with,little aid
from' hooka. : The unfolding 'of the
moral affections ' must 'also be care- .
fully watched; • but the grand:.disei
pline,of the .heart required in. man, is
found in the experience of. later life.
. .
DEVOTED' TO THE PRINCIPLES OF . DEMOCRACY,- AND THE DISSEMINATION OF MORALITY, LITERATURE, AND NEWS
COUDERSPORT, POTTER, - COUNTY, PA., MAY 3, 1855.
With the child, the prelervation of •
its innocence froontamination, the
m
repression of its waywardness, and the
securing of its docility and obedience,
constitute the chief part of its early
moral education. But how long, and
painful, and unremitting, the care
that must be bestowed upon the child's
physical wants and - weakness. And
nought but the deep yearnings of the
parental heart, and especially of the
maternal instinct, could- prompt to
such tenderness and assiduity as aro
necessary to the proper rearing of
the child through its physical infancy.
But I do not purpose •to dwell
upon that portion of the physical edu
cation of the child, which comes under
the exclusive supervision of the pa
rent. And yet I cannot forbear to
remark that a great want of discretion
is exhibited, asit seems to me, in send
ing children to school at so premature
an age as is often done; and still.more
So, in the object chiefly proposed to
be accomplished at school, and in the
general system of physical treatment s
to ,which - they are subjected by cus
tom in their tender years. The opin
ion is constantly gaining ground, among
enlightened and reflecting parents,
that children, if it can be avoided;
should not be sent away from the pa
rental roof, deprived of a mother's
care and consigned to the discipline:of
the school-room, before they have
arrived at the age of at least seven or
eight years. Nothing is gained, but
'rather ground is lost, even in the mat
ter of iutellectual development and
acquisitions' by urging the child for
ward at an earlier period. No doubt
some parents reluctantly part with
their children, and regret the sup
posed necessity for their absence. If
sonie.place their children in the school
room at an early age; on the plea of
relief from their care at home, his
but proves a want of sensibility as
well as of discretion. For who so fit
a guardian of a, child as its mother?
What office more honorable and noble
than that of the mother, if she faith
fully and intelligently discharge her
duty to her offspring?
The law admits all children who
have reached the tender age of five
- years, - to the Public Schools; but be
it remembered, that the law also pro
vides for a graduation of schools, and
evidently does not contemplate, if it
can be avoided, that children of all
ages shall be gathered promiscuously
in the - school-room. Thus viewed,
the system is less objectionable. More
over, parents are under no legal obli
gation to . send their children to the
school at so early an age; and would
that the time may come, when this
shall be the exception, and not the
rule. First, however, it is desirable
that our schools send forth a .genera
tion of children, who, as future pa
rents, shall be able to discharge more
intelligently the duties of parents,
than is often done at the present time.
Until then, it may frequently happen
that children- will he benefitted by the
training of an intelligent teacher, tho'
it be at the expense of that motherly
care, and home influence, which Prov
idence designed should play so im
portant a part in early education.
But however we may adjust the ques
tion of advantage or disadvantage in
any given case, growing out of the
early attendance of the child at school,
the teacher has no direct control over
the question of the n,umber or age of
the pupils who shall be confided to
her care: And receiving, as you will,
no doubt, into your respective schoels,
many children yet in their tender
years, it will of course be a question of
deep interest to you, how you shall
best discharge your duty towards them.
Now it is a maxim which may be
safely adopted by teachers as well as
by parents, that their yonnger charges
require that more care shall be be
stowed upon their physical than upon
their mental wants. It is of far leas
importance, at this early period, that
the memory be taxed 'to - retain, and
the tongue, parrot-like, to repeat, all
the powers and combinations of the
Alphabet, than that•ihe limbs have
freedom to grow, and that the .yield
ing, plastic frame be not subjected to
such undue confinemeut, as. will induce
deformity' and disease. But until the
good time •arrives, wherr our school
houses shall be more capacious, 'and
shall be provided with more than one
room, and until the adjacent yard is
something else than the highway
front, and the swamp and pile of burnt
logs in the rear, and until tome Other
roof is erected. to shelter, the - chil
dren's sports in :inclement weather,
than the canopy of heaven, the inge=
nuity of the teacher will be tnxed to
the' utm furnish ott, to furnish such o ccupation
to the smeller • pupils in. the school-
room, as shall relieve them frem
some physical constraint, and .yet not
disturb the elder portion .of the school.
. .
:And here I cannot but' advert` to
the value in this respect, of-those.phys;
leak exercises .which helm been sup-
cessfully introduced into .the school
room, in many quarters, where an
improved system of school manage
ment prevails. Eiercisea which at
once awaken the attention, and a ff ord
a ch ange - of Pesture, and relief from
the well-known monotony and con
finement of school hours, and yet in
volve no real sacrifice of the time of
the teacher, or of the quiet of the
school. I allude now, to those simple
gymnastic amusements, which exer
cise and strengthen the muscular and
bony, systems of the child. In the
same connection, may be mentioned
elementary lessons in drawing and
writing, taught by the aid of the slate
and blackboard, and the • softening,
enlivening recreation of vocal music.
The teacher who can so far overcome
the prejudices that such new things
will of course encounter,as to be able
to introduce them successfully into
her school, will have done her young
pupils far more good, than she who
has drilled them to a stupid and pain
ful confinement to the hard bench, for
almost six hours in a day.
And here let us note the application
of a certain point of tho theory with
which I set out: namely, that the con
dition of all successful education, is'
"obedience; that is to say, the prompt
action of the several powers of body,
mind and will, iu submission to a pre—
scribed rule of action.. In the first
place, the teacher who bestows die
attention upon the physical welfare of
her pupils, is of course acting in har
mony with the great law which re-'
quires freedom of physical develop=
ment, in order to anything like sym : -
metrY and proportion in that develop
ment. But more than this : those ex;
ercises of which I have - spoken, and
which of course the intelligent teacher
will increase and vary as circumstances
require, can be made subservient, not
only to the education and invigoration
of the various muscular 'powers; and
the several senses of the child, but to
training them to that precision and
facility of action so important in after
life. This precision and this facility
of action imply, not only proper obe
dience in the abstract to the laws of
health, but a proper obedience of the
muscles and senses themselves, to the
will that calls them into action. And
none but those who have ascertained
the fact by observation and experi
ment, are aware how much may be
accomplished in the school-room by
the aid of gymnastic exercises, the
pencil, the song, and other similar
appliances. Children delight to imi
tate motions, objects, and sounds;—
especially when concert, order; sym
metry, and harmony are connected
with them. The • application of this
idea may be extended beyond the
walls of the school-room, and the
very sports of children, made subser
vient to their education.
Indeed, is it not one of the grand
defects of our present system of school
training, that we make by far too
broad a distinction bet Ween the nature
of exercises within and without the
schoolhousel The overwise deem it
absurd to look for wisdom to the past.
But may we not draw a useful hint
from the idea entertained by the an
cient Romans of the nature of a school'?
The term which they used to express
this idea, finds its equivalent, in our
language, in the. word play, or. sport.
Thus much, at least, they meant by
this, namely, that at school the bodily,
mental, and moral faculties of the
child are to have free play—are to be
exercised, not by a physical of intel
lectual 'treadmill, but by means which
shall at once be attractive and useful;
free from irksome constraint, and yet
requiring • and securing a cheerful
obedience..
And let it not be supposed that no
intellectual action or physical training
is involved in thole exercises, whether
in the schoolhouse or 'on the play
ground, which have primary reference
to the training of the senses, the
muscles, or the vocal organs of the
child. On the contrary, they cannot
but awaken the rnindiu a natural and
healthful manner; through the Medium
of the objects presented to the eye,
and the sounds and words that reach
the ear. Music, especially, is a most
powerful softener of the heart, and is
of itself 'almost sufficient to preserve
order in the-school-room. ' The intel
ligent teacher will of course be ready
to impart. additional knowledge to the
inquiiirig . mind,: and to instill good
thoughts and gentle emotions into the
softened heart, as the picture copied,
or the story - told, or, the long ended,
may furnish fitting opportunity..
Distinct articulation, as every teacher
- knows, lies — at the foundation of al
vied elocution, and all ordinary prac-
tical use of. the vocal' organs. • -This
art- of articulation is indeed, a me
chanical operation, resulting, from the
use of certain muscles; arid to teach
it - effectually; requires long and perse:.
Tering: effort •from the teacher, es-.
pecially when bail- habits, in this re
spect have been suffered at home.
But the tediousness of this process
may be constantly beguiled, and at
the same time, the end itself carried
forward,. by the concert recitation,
and the enlivening song.
It is true that the introduction of
any of the foregoing exercises wilt , ' be
opposed to the absurd, but prevalent
and, fixed notion, that children go to
school simply to'study books—to learn
and recite the lessons therein con
tained. But it may be presumed that
every teacher, whose ideas of educa
tion extend beyond the mere dull task
of conning: a book and overloading
the memory, will find some parents
who entertain similar thoughts. Such
teachers, and a few such parents, will
Soon diffuse more correct impresionss
upon this subject.
I have dwelt at considerable length.
upon the several points involved in
the matter of physical education; but
I do not. feel that any. apology is dun,
when I reflect how much this, is over
looked, and that a large portion of the
pupils who fill• our common schools
are such as demand much attention in
this respect. •• .
Let us now advert, however, to the
matter of intellectual training. And
here I shall start with the proposition,
(which may possibly. sound paradoxi-•
cal to• some who hear me,) that the
attainments which children make in
their earlier school days, are of far
lessimportance than : the mental dis
cipline which they receive. • Whoever '
has reflected much upon the subject,
must be aware; that beyond the partly
mechanical exercises of reading and
writing, very little of what children
learn at eleentary schools is of much
practical utlity v in after life. How
little, for instance, even of Arithmetic,
except the simplest operations,de•most
persons ever have occasion to use ;
and. what they do use has generally - to'
he unlearned . and•learned . over again,
before it can be applied: - But who
can- limit the value to the child,
.of
a thorough training in mental . arith
meticl - The truth is, thatthis mental
discipline is or should be a . chief ob
ject in view - from the first day of school
to the last day of college; The pro
fessional man usually makes but little.
use of the Latin, or Greek, or Mathe
matics learned at school; nay, "may
even forget the most of it; and yet
be would be very poorly prepared, in
most cases, either to acquire a knowl
edge, or to discharge the duties, of his
profession, without that previous in
tellectual training. Why 'is it that
many fail, but that they lack thi::
previous preparation l
_Hence arises,the use of the term edu
cation, as descriptive of one of !Ate
great objects to be sought by school
discipline. Education in reference to
the mind as well as the body, is de
velopment, training. It is the drawing
forth, and giving a right direction and
proper symmetry to the mental pow
ers.. And here 1 cannot but remark,
that the maxim of inspired wisdom,
"Train up a child in the way he
should go, and when he is old he will
not depart from it," is quite as appli
cable to physical -and intellectual, as
to moral education. That disease,
ignorance, and 'vice so much preVail,
is mainly attributable to an imperfect
or vicious education. What, then, is
the Secret—what is . the condition—of
a proper_ and successful education of
the mental faculties, so far as the
school ii ccincernecll The secret is
unveiled, the condition is expressed,
wifen we speak the word obedience—
obedience-to the law of mental
devcl
opment—obedience to that law of
symmetry and proportion, without
which the development will beimper
- feet and abortive; - Or distorted and
uniliapely: How- arduous and diffi
cult then, the task upon the
teacherl What a rare. combination
of qualities, of tact and skill are requi;
site, in order to the highest eXhibition
of the teacher's art! How invaluable
to the-community the services of- one
who possesses these rare qualifica
tions I •
The first element of this great prin
ciple; of obedience, as relating to the
point now in hand, I shall call atten
tion. By this I meen the submission
of the,intellect to that_ which claims
notice. And. when we reflect how
eager is the curiosity of the child r'4.)
see . and examine what is new, it would
seem that there heed be no great diffi
calty,in accusing that attention. at least
to the point which divides the sensible .
from the abstract, or that which re
quires observation only, from that
which demands comparison and re:
flectio-n. But how oftendo school ex
ercises, even-of the simplest and least
bstract , 'nature, fail in securing the
requisite . attention from the pupil, and
therefore fail also 'bath ',in' impressing
and invigorating the mind. • A .certain
degree of attention is'.,gaiiied fur. ,a
time,- but it soon becomes listless:
This is because,
.the agency of . the
teacher is of a mechanical rather than
of a vital nature—the mere turning
of a machine, of alternate questions
and answers. What is thus monoto
nous,
and lifeless, wen becomes tires \
some. Children, however, under the
stimulus of curiosity, are almost as
ready to exercise the mind, as- they
are-under-the stimulus of amusement
and love of motion, to exercise their
limbs. The great end to be accom—
plished by the teacher, is to awaken
and keep alive this curiosity. This
done, and the first- condition of suc
cess is -secured. And I know of no
general or. infallible rule that will
servo to meet every'case, except it be
this : the teacher must hare resources
to draw from, independent of books,
and must exhibit life and - warmth in
drawing forth those resources. In- a
word, oral, varied; and animated teach- -
iug is -the .great desideratum of the
schoolroom. The exactness, even of
military drill, may be . kept up, in
those exercises which require - instant
and unifbrm attention and compliance
in -order to their succecsful perform
ance; but this strictness should some
times be relaxed, and the familiarity
of the family circle indulged. Tho
soldier is not less attentive and obe
dient on drill, because his commander;
at another.time, exchanges with him
a word of Cheerful greeting. ,"A time .
for everything,, and everything in its
time" is a rule indi4pensable in a ;well
regulated school. But it does not fol
low from this, that the same things
must be done day after day, in pre
cisely -the same manner. Musical
sounds may he listened to with some
pleasure, though marked by no.proper,
division, of time, or intervals of ca
dence t hut this would, soon-- become ,
insufferable or inaudible, if but a wea
risome monotone, or a. constantly re
peated strain. In like manner, the
hebt exercises of a school will be
marred by irregularity of recurrence ;
but however regular their recurrence,
they will be benumbed in themselves,
and benumbing in their influence, if
of a dull uniform- 'sameness. Tho
more so, because this-single fact in
dicates that the incumbent of the
place "keeps school" indeed, after
some stereotyped pattern, but has- as
yet, gained no conception- of the art
of teaching his pupils, by my vital
contact of mind with mind. During
the session of our Institute, You have
listened to many hints, from others
than myself, in regard to the manner
in 'whiCh this life and variety may be
51 . cured in the schoolroom. I will
oily add, in this 'connection; that this
is essential to your success. Ido not
counsel you by any means, to abandon
at once and entirely, all dependance
upon custumary forms and practices;
but study to devise such variations and
improvements _as you find to he neces
sary. Do not attempt to discard the
book, unless you aro master of the
subject upon which it treats. But on
the other hand, do not allow the con
venience of resting eutirely upon the
book, to excuse you friim any effort at
teaching from the resources- of your
own mind.
Next to attention, comes the neces
sity fur order and method in the de
velopment of the mental powers, and
in the investigation of-the studies pur
sued. This topic would of itself re
quire a volume -in order to its proper
consideration. For at order of stud
ies, I can at this time only commend
to your attention a resolution adopted
at a session of this Association in Feb
ruaty last. A full - explanation of the
reasons of the order then proposed,.
would itself involve a discussion of the
proper development .of the mental
powers. I may remark, however, that
elementary Physiology was proposed
as one of the, first subjects- td be
presented- to the child at 'wheel, af
ler it has acquired the ability 'to
read. In giving the pupil a distinct
study, it is highly desirable to. begin
with something both iustructive and
useful. The - early studY, of mental
ithmetic is also important, as laying
the foundation - for close any
cal habits of reasoning. The reasons
for the subsequent gradatione, in the
course recommended, will prebably
suggest themselves to piim vim Minds;
upon exnminatio.n. One• general re-;
mark, may here be -Made: : narnely,_
that , each of the three greit'dirisions
of mental power, the memory, - the
judgment, nd'the,imigiiiation, should_
tecuive its duo' share of attention,
neitber being exercied or stimulated,
to its own injury, or to the neglect of
the. rest. - The most common nustake;
ia, to' regard the' exercise of the MOM;
arias the chief end of.scholarship;
and remarkable, feats
.of memory, as
the- evidence of superior powers - Of
mind:. No error of this kted 'Can
,be
more Pernicious. Those vrhO
Prodigies of •memory in childhoe'd, ire
often ij ecileinjudgment in rrianll44:
One of the znost,diflic,tilt and deliciitd
of the tasks imposed upon the teacher,
is it) regulate, tf - print*, the stuclii..l
of the, - pneir, -- aud . thireby control, iu
II
NO. 50.