hell. Her feet goes down to death; her steps take hold on Lest thou shouldst ponder the path of life, her ways are movable, that thou canst not know them. Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich. Boast not theyself of to-morrow; for thou knowest not what day may bring forth. A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul. A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing. Love not sleep, lest thou come to proverty: open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. -Matahimik. BE IN TIME 0 Be in time for every call, If you can, be first of all; If your teachers on finding Never linger ere you start, In the morning up and on, Those who aim of something great Life with all is but a school; Be in time. THE CLASS RECITATION (Conclusion) BY GEORGE HOWLAND, SUPT. CHICAGO SCHOOLS. (The first and second parts of this article is found in the November and December issues of this jonrnal respectively.) A thorough knowledge of the subject to be considered-much beyond the limits of the lesson--a know ledge of what will be important in the future, and what forms a mere stepping stone to what lies farther on, its relations to other topics, will greatly aid the teacher in guiding the eager pupil to the speediest and best results; will save from many a fruitless disgression, wearisome repetition, and empty recital. For the older. as well as the younger pupils, the proper method of approaching a subject, the logic of the excercise, is often quite as important as the facts to be learned. In many cases the recitation may well be little more than a reading of the unstudied lesson, with a running commentary of the teacher, briefly showing the bearing of this or that fact, the reason of one statement and the meaning of another, suggesting certain lines of thought and ready references for their better comprehension. Here and there a question may be started, perhaps some incident. related, to quicken and arouse the interest and thought. For this work the teacher needs, like the commander of an army, to have her well-trained powers and her mental resources well in hand, with perhaps a skirmish line of fine instincts and keen perceptions, protected on either wing by a well-assured confidence and a wise discretion, secured against unforeseen emergencies by a large reserve force of general information, ready wit, and close logic. Of quite as much importance, too, she should have learned or discerned the character of those with whom she has to do their mental powers, their dispositions, their habits and modes of thought, their likes and dislikes, a knowledge of their associates, their employment out of school, their home-life-all this should be as open and plain to her as the book from which she prepared for her work. She must adapt herself to the bright, easy learner and the duller, but it may be, the deeper student; to the flippant reciter and the slower stam merer; to the pliant fawner and the sturdy independent; and device means to encourage, chasten, and direct with an ever-hopeful trust and kindly charity; an unsuspecting watchfulness and an unfailing personal interest. Sometimes, too, the firm authority and timely severity find their true place. The mere hearing of lessons, the asking of questions, however scholarly, and couched in choicest language, with no apparent personal interest in the success, the individual welfare of the pupil, will not win in this mental conflict. How many a young, earnest heart has lost its fond ardor, wearied of its high, honest purpose, and fallen back into the ranks of the careless and undeserving, from the real, or supposed, lack of the teacher's interest in his progress. The sharp censure, SO that it come from the indignant heart of a friend at some delinquency will awaken and expand the young spirit and fill it with stronger purposes snd better hopes than the cold indiffe rence of the calm, uncaring critic. A great barrier to success, too, cutting her off from any sympathetic relations with her class, does she raise, who calls upon her pupils by the card, one of those self-imposed restraints that hold the hands, the hearts, the thoughts of the teacher, depriving her of much of her power for good. No teacher, I think, can well command the attention of her class who is shut into this practice; and no pupil, unless urged on by some superhuman impulse, can fit his thought upon the recitation whose fate is fixed by the run of a handful of cards. To be interested he must feel responsible for every topic presented, for every question asked. But when his name has once been drawn, what further personal interest can he have? And if, by some change-as I have sometimes seen--is he called upon a second time he has a ready and safe refuge in the reply, "I have recited once." and may he not be questioned a second, a third time, or any number of times, when needful? Two or three years since, after I had discouraged this use of the cards, one of our active, working teachers came to me with the inwiry, what she should do with them? I told her that the best use of them that occurred to me was, to open the drawer of her desk, quietly drop them in, and close the desk. Afew weeks later she told me that she had adopted my plan and for the first time felt herself free to conduct arecitation. If the pupil's attention is to be held, he must feel that he is at any time to be called upon for an explantation, a correction, an illustration; and every day, as a rule, should he have the opportunity to recite. Sitting silent and unnoticed day after day, he soon loses all interest, becomes listless, or restless, and ere long ceases to prepare the lesson for which he has no use, Though it be nothing more than a simple yes or no, he has had his say, has shown himself a living entity, and goes home at night with a higher satis faction with himself and the school for just that one small word. What an opportunity, too, does the recitation furnish for imparting information, for giving the pupil an insight into the rich fields of literature, science, history, and real life. The recitation a as we have said, is more than a rehearsal of memorized pages; it is a discussion of subjects that have been already carefully studied. It may be that very little attention need be given to the reading of the text, which will be already clearly understood, but may suggest relations and conditions well worthy the consideration of taecher and pupil. The mere fact may be nothing to the student, but indirectly bring about results of surpassing interest. An exercise in reading may suggest subjects in history, in biography, in botany, and astronomy. As an extreme example, take Macaulay's essay on "Warren Hastings," found in so many of our readers: "The place was worthy of such a trial. It was the great hall of William Rufus the hall which had witnessed the just sentence of Bacon and the just absolution of Somers; the hall where the eloquence of Stafford had for moment awed and melted a vic torious party, inflamed with just resentment; the hall where Charles had confronted the high court of justice with the placid courage which has half redeemed his fame. There were seated the fair-haired daughters of the house of Brunswik. There the historian of the Roman Empire thought of the days when Cicero pleaded the cause of Sicily against Verrers, and where, before a senate that still preserved some show of freedom, Tacitus thundered against the oppressors of Africa." As mere words, one might as well recite the alphabet or the multiplication table. Who and what were Macaulay, Hastings, William Rufus, Bacon; Strafford, the historian of the Roman Empire, Brunswick, Cicero, Verres, and Tacitus? What did they do, and why are their names introduced here what has Cicero or William Rufus to do with Hastings's: doing with the Begum? All this is beyond the grammar grades, and yet, without some definite knowledge, some fair idea of these characters, wherein is it more valuable reading than the prognostics of last year's almanac? The recitation is a reading-lesson in which the pupils should give expression to intelligent thought and true sentiment. But the investigation of all this story and biography is beyond, them. The teacher must intervece, and, by a few grapic touches, place before them these pictures so vividly that they shall remain as a part of their mental constitution. Nor is it so difficult a task for him who is fitted for his place. With an almost inappreciable inroad upon the reading exercise, these illustrations can be placed within the pupil's grasp as no stolid study of cyclopaedia can do, and enliven the work with an interest which no profesional technics can impartas na In the reading of a class are the possibilities of a liberal education, of an art and a culture beyond what the graduates of high-school and college so carefully infold in their diplomas. If we but know our opportunities, the professor of elation and the countless examplars of what Delsarte never dreamed of would soon find their occupation gone and our boys and girls, instead of thoughtless mouthers, would sometimes become intelligent learners and thinkers. The reading-lesson is not to be turned into a study of biography or history, nor are all these allusions to be learned at once. Enough can be done to give the character of the essay and inspire the class with the spirit of the matchless essayist-one suggestion here and another there, without serious hindrance or interruption. Some of the characters can be more fully studied at home or in the school library, not indeed in any exaustive way, but surely enough for an intelligent reading, enough to awaken the desire to delve deeper into the exhaustless mines. of literature and to enlarge the pupil's mental horizon and prepare him for the more thorough work of his school life and furnish some food for thought during the leisure hours of an active or laborious life. One of the most accurate and scholarly of my college friends told me that he never sought thoroughly to prepare the whole of a lesson, in Latin, for a lesson, in Latin, for instance, but having done enough for the purpose of a fair recitation, he then studied one or two lines exhaustively. This habit, long before his college course was completed, had made him a model for nice, discriminating scholarship. It is not often in lumps, in masses, that wisdom or learning is to be acquired. The nuggests of knowledge in the school-room are as rare as those of gold in the hearts of the hills. The love of learning of knowing, fortunately, is a common inheritance from which few are shut out. To keep alive this love-to turn this curiousity, inquire nature into the right paths, where the search shall be more sure of the reward in the speedy gratification of desire and show something of the relative worth of the different objects of desire and how to distinguish these, are the tearcher's work; and to lead the pupil to see that small but continuous accretions, from worthy effort, hour by hour and day by day, make up the sum total of our work. And before those little limbs are strong to mount rugged roads, or those laughing eyes have sadly learned to discern the miry ways, shall we never reach out a friendly hand, or some times even lift them up the steep, lest they dash their feet against the stones? But are not the lessons assigned to be learned? and how can it be known that they are learned unless they are recited? If we only could known that they are learned after the recitation! The subject is indeed to be understood, comprehended, made a part of the pupil's self to be converted into something that shall avail him in his future work. But whether it is to be learned in the style of this, or that author is of little importance. Our school histories and geographies are generally but enumerations of a few bare facts, some important events, but even in these rarely show, by the relations of facts and events, why those mentioned are of more importance than a thousand others of which no mention is made. Other authors have expressed their views in different verbal signs; and the pupil, if indeed a student, should give his views in a still different form of words more consonant with his own mental condition and delicate shading of thoughts, opinions, and judgements. A lesson is learned when the student has a clear, will-founded opinion of the subject matter, but not necessarily when the page can be declaimed. The restriction of the pupil to a single book after he is old and strong enough to think, to study misfortune if the teacher is equal to the place. From the reading of one text-book the pupil is liable to receive a very limited, a narrow idea of the subject; and when, after school-days are over, he falls upon a difflreent version of some event he begins to doubt of the wisdom of the schools, and of authors, and, perchance, to question whether there be any truth in the world. He should be taught in schools, in the recitation, to compare different authorities, different mathematical definitions, to weigh carefully fhe evidences, and to form his own judgements as to their worth ang correct ness. But can he, will he do this, with the cold, unimpassioned teacher before him at the desk, with well pointed pencil in hand, to enact the part of the recording angel upon his effort, with never a symphatetic tear to blot the unhappy entry. The Aritmetic lays down certain principles, with examples enough for the pupil to ascertain whether he comprehends them. It is for the teachers to see, by the use of the same examples, or by others involving same principles, if he truly understands them aright. We adopt the topical method, and place upon the blackboard a column of a dozen or fifteen topics for each State or country-a very paltry and belittling device, as it seems to me, if carried too far. The pupil should learn, should have a method, it is true, but let him determine what are the important points to be presented. These points do not always come up before the mind in the same order or in the same numbers. Sometimes the water-ways, sometimes the railroads, now the productions, and again the scenery, stand out in distinctness, and should enlist the interest and control the thought of the pupil. To one the civil devel Suggestions for Teaching Reading. As soon as the new words in the lesson have been thoroly taught the child should study it for the sake of the thought. It is a good idea to have a systematic plan for silent reading. Young children cannot study their reading in a profitable way unless their attention has been called to son ething particular in it. The pupil.must have something definite to work for or soon tires of it. Any of the following exercises will help to keep up interest besides being of valuable mental training. The teacher writes on the board two or three questions and the children find out and are able to tell the answers. The teacher writes a list of words and the children tell how the words were used in the story. Have children write list of words that name things, colors, places, or people. Write words that name thing you seen. Write words you did not know at first, but found out for yourself. Write words you think will be difficult for the class, but which you know. Write words you cannot pronounce. Write words whose meaning you do not know. Write words which tell what some one did, and the of the person or thing that did it. Write a list of phrases beginning with "of,, How many question are asked in this story? Mak e questions that you would like to ask us when, you come to class. For a change, instead of writing have the children make picture of anything you choose that was talked about in the lesson. Draw a picture showing the part you likes best. Tell the part of the story you liked best. SADIE MACDONALD, AMONG THE SCHOOLS (Continued from page 6.) OUR EXCUSE. We regret very much indeed the fact of the lateness of the issue of this number (and some other isues too). We have tried all our best, but because of the heavy weight of our school work together with that of the Association and other minor but all-important necessities, nevertheless, it made impossible for us to issue this number in true. Even though errors in spelling are perhaps seen here and there: this is dueto printers mostly for though the originals of the articles are correctly written, they not knowing English, are prent to make mistakes. So with all these we hope that our readers will generously bestow their pardon on the ones councerned. CITY SCHOOL ENROLLMENT There were 8509 pupils enrolled rold in the shool for Manila last December. The average attendance for the month was 94 present. This number of pupils was under chaged 329 teachers. TEACHER ASSEMBLY AT BARIO, The coming annual assembly for teacher will be held at Baguio on April 17. The Director of Education proposed the erection of tens for the duwilling of the Teacher. It is a great opportunitty for the teacher to go and see the beautiful and attracfive sceneries of Bagiuo, the summer resorts in the Philippines. Teachers make up your mind, go and enjoy the deliciousand health climate of that place. TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS. We beg to request our subscribers in the provinces who have not yet sent in the amount of P2.00 for their annual subscription for THE FILIPINO TEACHER must do it now, without delay, otherwise we will stop sending them the journal. Very respectfully, THE MANAGER. REVISTA MENSUAL Organo de "THE PHILIPPINE TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION” Alix–102, Sampaloc, Manila, I. F. Los Señores, suscritores que dejasen de recibir algún número de esta REVISTA, sírvanse notificarnos á fin de remediar pronta mente la irregularidad. Sírvanse también notificar á la Redacción cualquier cambio de domicilio, para evitar irregularidades en el servicio de la REVISTA. Los suscritores que desearen pedir de baja, sírvanse tambien hacerlo con anticipación, en otro caso serán responsables del importe de los números remitidos. Todas las comunicaciones pueden dirigirlo á THE FILIPINO TEACHER, P. O. Box No. 1090, Manila, I. F. EDITORIAL LA PRIMERA LEY EN PRÓ DE LA INSTRUCCIÓN La Legislatura filipina acaba de realizar un acto altamente democrático. Por la aprobación unánime de la Ley Gabaldón se manifiesta clara y terminantemente que los que están en el poder tienden a dedicar sus primeras energías en pró de la instrucción del pueblo. La práctica de esta medida se observa sólo en un gobierno del pueblo, por el pueblo y para el pueblo; porque comprende positivamente que el cumplimiento de su fin social, el ejercicio de sus funciones y su estabilidad misma, dependen necesariamente de la generalidad y mayor grado de instrucción de las diferentes masas de indivíduos que viven dentro de su esfera jurisdicción. Se deduce, desde luego, que un pueblo con la instrucción restringida es incompatible un gobierno verdaderamente democrático; y cualquier otro sistema de gobierno difícilmente podría cumplir su importantísima misión. "Con la primera Ley"-decía muy bien un colega de esta Ciudad-"y mediante el establecimiento de escuelas, se devuelve al pueblo una parte de sus con tribuciones, pero se la devuelve con beneficios incalculables porque los que reporta la enseñanza tienden á segurar para los pueblos un brillante porvenir." * ** El valor moral de la Ley Gabaldón se puede. apreciar más en el siguiente fragmento del informe, referente á la misma, del Comité de Presupuesto: "Claramente se comprende que por el proyecto se trata de realizar uno de los fines esenciales á los beneficios que proporcionan la cultura y la civilización bajo cualquier régimen, pero especialmente, bajo un régimen liberal democrático. Difundir la enseñanza hasta los últimos lámbitos de los pueblos, construyendo escuelas en los barrios que cuentan con suficiente número de niños es, en verdad, una labor meritoria al par que una demostración práctica y evidente de que el pueblo filipino tiene conciencia, de la misión. que debe cumplir, y espera cumplir. como nación cicivilizada é independiente, pues cuanto más se afirma la vehemencia con que el pueblo filipino desea regir sus propios destinos, soberano de si mismo, mayor sentida aparecerá la necesided de sostener á elevada |