THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE PRESTON PAPERS BY MISS PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. I &AXjjf Q . U Jxvx djus, \ ' />/ 5 / PUBLISHER : WILLIAM H. BRIGGS, TREAS. LAWYER'S CO-OPERATIVE PUBLISHING Co. ROCHESTER, N. Y. y+5 COPYRIGHTED 1890, BY WILLIAM H. BRIGGS. E. R. ANDREWS, PRINTER, ROCHESTER, N. Y. DEDICATION. To my dear old pupils, who for so many years have walked hand in hand with me, and especially to such of them as are now engaged in teaching or in preparing them- selves for this delightful work, this little volume is most affectionately dedicated, by THE AUTHOR. PREFATORY. Pausing at the threshold of perpetuating in covers these " PRESTON PAPERS," the author desires to say that Miss Preston is no ideal teacher, but one well known to both publishers and author, as a bona fide teacher who still lives, works, and enjoys her work, with a zest unknown to mere " machine " teachers. The experiences are real and possibly not unusual, and are offered to the pedagogical fraternity with the hope that they may be suggestive of a " Beyond " in the work. Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. CONTENTS. No. i. GOVERNMENT. Asking advice Miss Preston Her notions Rudeness Legitimate noise Machine Work Monitors Self Re- spect Injury to A simile Management during teacher's absence Order How secured Its object Queries. No. 2. REPORTS. - Teachers' meeting in Old town Obligation to be present Reports outlined The routine Variations Miss Preston's first attendance She gives no report Her reason My own report Tricks in trade Miss Preston's absence from October meeting Her note Its effect Asked to preside at next session Takes her school to the woods Lessons learned by the way Compositions elicited therefrom Her address to the meeting What the meeting should develop Her conduct of it Enthusiasm. No. 3. PUNISHMENT. - - - 14 The "class meeting" method Mr. W hippie's doubt as to the right to use the rod Miss Wood's fear of personal con- sequences Her lack of "presence" Mr. Smith's declara- tion Outwitted by his botany class Politics in education Miss Sigourney Tyranny Responsibility for rebellion Brutalizing effects of corporal punishment Character ex- pressed in physique Ridicule and sarcasm Miss Preston's speech Corporal punishment may be preferred to mental. vi CONTENTS. PAGE. No. 4. PUNISHMENT. (Continued). - - - 19 Troublesome children Spoiled and neglected How to manage Upon what punishment should depend Some things in pupils for which teachers are blamable Govern- ment of bad children Negative and positive Corporal How to be administered J. G. Holland's story of a bad boy. No. 5. THE MUSEUM. ... . 23 As a help Miss Preston's choice of aid Indifference of her associates The closet transformed Nicknames The Museum opened to the school Contributions Effects noted Total depravity Miss Wood's remonstrance The reply Salary Details. No. 6. RESPONSIBILITY. - - 29 Schoolrooms How to be kept Demand for curtains, thermometer, and waste paper basket Reasons Cleanli- ness Habits Apparent indifference of teachers explained A teacher's duties Where end Other people A newly furnished schoolroom Plants and pictures. No. 7. GEOGRAPHY. - - 34 Taught in all grades Too much time spent upon it Made too important To be taught incidentally Too much "book" work Visit to a summer school Parrot-like reci- tations Confusion of ideas Miss Preston's plan "Want of time " plea Queries suggested. No. 8. TEACHERS' EXAMINATIONS. - - - - 4o How they were formerly conducted in Oldtown Miss Preston investigates Her dissatisfaction Defects pointed out The best method suggested Separate examinations for teachers of different grades Fitness considered. CONTENTS. v ii PAGE. No. 9. PRIZE GIVING. - - 45 As a stimulus Objections As being "less trouble" Shirking responsibilities Comparisons Results of prize winning Examples Love not gained by this means "Right for Right's sake" Instead of prizes, what? Dis- tinctions made A Christmas plan How it worked Asso- ciation with pupils. No. 10. NUMBER. - - - 51 The first object Pestalozzi's laws Specific steps Counting Teaching relative worth of numbers The fun- damental processes taught together Caution Study in- volved in thorough teaching Results. No. n. PRIMARY ARITHMETIC. - - 56 My trouble Miss Preston's help Her dialogue with Henry Subtraction Illustration Catching the fire Compound numbers Enthusiasm Order Counting back- ward Devices. No. 12. COMPOSITIONS. - - - 61 Dread of the work Mr. Lowell's method Miss Wood's Miss Well's Plagiarism Too much formality in compo- sition writing Occasion leads up to method Suggestions Current events and topics fruitful themes Finishing up the work. No. 13. MANAGEMENT. - -66 Promotion of educational interests Causes of success Discipline Dignity Rules enforced CoSperation An experience A school reception proposed Laughed at Complaint Invitations A success Meeting the parents Trustees Calls among pupils Success compensatory and commensurate. viii CONTENTS. PAGE. No. 14. ENVIRONMENT. - - 71 A teacher's opportunities Our school yard Its former appearance Saving lunch ' ' scraps " Use Clearing up the yard The vase Filling it The rockery Geranium bank Croquet asked for Received Miss Preston's promotion. No. 15. HEALTH. - - - 75 An unusual topic The educational "world does move" Time How to be measured Soliloquy Why make the most of our physical nature To promote our own interests As a self duty Carlyle's law of culture Mr. Wheeler's motive Miss Wood considers it economical to keep well So do I Miss Smith declares her independence by her good health The prime "why" Teachers specially responsible Time lost by sickness. No. 16. HEALTH. (Continued). - - 81 Breathing Ignorance as to how Wrong breathing Eat- ing Too much Too often Wrong things Miss Miller's inquiry Eating between meals Rest What is Danger in "too much" of anything Tonics and narcotics Dress Good nature a help Hints formulated. No. 17. GRAMMAR. ...... 86 The trouble begun A peculiar man Visits Miss Pres- ton's school Favorable impressions Wishes to send his daughter His home methods Objections to the public school system Cast iron rules Katharine comes to our school Asks a question in grammar Referred to the text book A note from the Colonel What it would have elicited formerly Reasoning My reply to the note Appeal to the Board of Education Arguments The moral side of gram- mar Objections to discussion Miss Bates infatuated by the method of her childhood Miss Ingersoll's criticism Mr. CONTENTS. ix PAGE. Lowell's dread of the subject Miss Wood's experience Undoing " The course" A " Balm in Gilead." No. 18. GRAMMAR. (Continued.) - - - 93 Teaching by practice A new way Process Text books How used Time and dread saved in this way Illustra- tion of Miss Preston's method. No. 19. WHISPERING. - - 98 A great evil Contrary opinions Restrictions Fair play Provisions and reasons for whispering Obedience Con- secutive thinking Principles developing fair thought on the subject Regulations. No. 20. MANNERS. - - 103 A bow Politeness among pupils Rudeness Miss Pres- ton's explanation Lack of mutual understanding Civility Teaching it in school Necessity for Where to begin Selfishness the basis of rudeness Tact, an element of cour- tesy The Golden Rule a guide Specific lessons needed in deportment Instances Courtesy as capital Force of example. No. 21. DRESS. - - 109 Inattention to the matter A contrast Early impressions Professor Lowell's experience A pink dress Its influ- ence Commercial value of tasteful attire What to wear The silent influence. No. 22. PENMANSHIP. - 114 Agitation of the subject Mothers in council Criticisms Rapidity How, generally How and when to begin Tools used Variations. x CONTENTS. PAGE. No. 23. PENMANSHIP. (Continued.) - - 118 Copy Talks with pupils Steps Classification Books Work Advanced classes Scribbling All may learn to write well. No. 24. OVERWORK. - - 122 Teachers and pupils overtasked Too long hours Bad results A lazy teacher Too much attempted The cur- riculum Mistakes Our responsibility A student's life Suggestions Overwork out of school. No. 25. SPELLING. - - - 128 A spelling school How managed Teacher spells against pupils Written work Review Lesson routine Ambigu ous penmanship Accuracy Spelling taught with other les- sons Other ways. No. 26. READING. ... . 132 Neglected Poor reading prevalent Teachers to be mod- els Drawling Reading backwards Sight reading Rapid Concert Outside supplies Interest Word hunt- ing Dropping out words Trial reading Practice needed Silent reading Expression Modern reading books Where some bad habits begin. No. 27. HOBBIES. ... - - 138 System Dignity Getting down to the child's level Doing too much Discipline Good and bad Shams Appearances Laziness Order Selfishness Independ- ence Practicality Beauty Custom Change Loss of individuality Lecturing Proneness of the pedagogue to speak Menace W_akness of threats Substitutes Sug- gestions. PRESTON PAPERS. No. I. GOVERNMENT. OLDTOWN, N. Y., February 25, 188- MR. , State Supt. My Dear Sir : State Superintendents are supposed to be a sort of walking storehouse of knowledge, aren't they ? Presuming your answer will be an unqualified "Yes," I will proceed to state the cause of my bewilderment. It may be that you or some of your associates can give me light from your lamp without diminishing your own benefit from it. Do not laugh at me for not being able to solve my problems alone. To be brief, I am engaged as second assistant in Public School No. 4, where I have served for twenty-one years ; so I think I know some things about its requirements quite as well as the lady principal does who has only been here since September, and is very young, and can have had but little experience compared to mine. And here my puzzle begins. Our schools are all under the supervision of a superin- tendent who has held the position a great many years, and they have borne the reputation of being model schools, with 2 PRESTON PAPERS. perfect order and discipline, but since Miss Preston came ( There ! I have actually told you her name, although I did not mean to) we have been candidly informed by her that we were " stultifying the children, and making mere puppets of them ! " Just think of it ! And she has such peculiar ideas, too, and she carries them out in spite of Mr. Johnson our city superintendent who really opposed her methods at first, although I must acknowledge that he rather recom- mends them now. For instance: she had not been installed but a few days before he said to her : " Miss Preston, your school is too noisy " " Did I understand you to say it is too noisy ? " with a quiet but forceful emphasis on the last two words. " Yes. Oh, I don't mean in the schoolroom They seem to be quiet enough here ; but at their play before school and during recess." " Well, so long as they are quiet and orderly in the house, it seems to me perfectly proper for them to use their lungs for safety valves, through which to get rid of their super- fluous steam, while out of doors provided that they keep good natured and use no bad words." " This is a quiet little city and the people will complain if the school children are rude and noisy." "Rudeness I do not tolerate," said she, "but legitimate noise is another and a very different thing. If entirely shut up there is always danger of an explosion; so I prefer to encourage them to dispose of their excessive vitality in that way, at proper times, rather than risk its operation, to their disadvantage and my own, during study hours ; and we can hardly expect two or three hundred boys and girls to be out in the street or a 7 x 9 yard and not make a noise." MONITORS. 3 She spcke very decidedly ; and he looked, as he doubtless felt, perfectly aghast that his opinion should be even ques- tioned, much less entirely disregarded. And no wonder, for during all these years not a dissenting voice has been heard in objection to anything he has done or proposed doing for which fealty Miss Preston is pleased to say : " His teachers have grown to be mere machines, and the work done by them machine work, and very poor at that." Well, he actually passed that over without a word, although I fully expected that she would be summarily dismissed "for insubordination" as two ladies were at one time in Oswego. He did not come near our school again for a whole week, although his coming to settle difficulties used to be of frequent occurrence under the former dispensations; but when he made his next appearance they had another " little unpleasantness." She had gone down stairs to assist one of the second grade teachers out of a momentary trouble, and on her return Miss Preston found Mr. Johnson doing sentinel duty at her desk. " Do you consider it conducive to good order, Miss Pres- ton, to leave your school without a monitor?" " Much more so than it would be to encourage tattling personal spite, revenge, etc., by having one." " What do you mean by that ? " "Simply this: their self-respect is injured by being watched as if they were criminals, by spies or detectives appointed for that purpose. Self-respect is the basis of all self-government, which is the only true government for children and youth , and just in proportion as we injure or destroy that fundamental element of real order, we create 4 PRESTON PAPERS. the very faults we are seeking to eradicate. To rob a child of its self-respect is like removing the mainspring from a watch; and the constant looking for faults will soon give occasion that we shall not look in vain, for by that very means we are planting and cultivating the seeds we most earnestly wish rooted out, and we come to be looked upon as the natural enemy of the children whom we really love and honestly wish to benefit." " How, then, would you manage such a roomful when- ever you find it necessary to leave them for a time by themselves ? " " I don't intend to leave such young children alone much, of course, as mischief would inevitably ensue among so large a number ; but when I must, I sometimes say : ' Now, children, be careful not to waste any time while I am gone, and watch yourselves ; then when I come back perhaps you may tell me if you do anything you ought not to.' ' " And do you mean to say that they will tell of themselves ? " he asked, a trifle incredulously. " Certainly ; after a little education in that direction they much prefer, as a rule, to confess their own faults, rather than have some one else do so for them." " I see that they do not all sit in a straight line. That will never do. Order must be preserved." "Certainly it must. But what is order? If they were candles, now, and had all been run in one mold, we might set them up regularly at just such an angle, and require them to stay 'fixed' the entire twenty-four hours without any compunctions of conscience; but as they are human beings, we may reasonably suppose that a slight variation of position now and then will be found acceptable to the tired ORDER, 5 muscles ; and I think that in the long run the very best order is secured by giving them a little less military drill and a trifle more latitude as to position, besides rendering, ourselves less liable to be held amenable to the law that provides 'for the prevention of cruelty to children.' " " Why, there is a little boy actually swinging his feet in school time ! " " And why not, pray ? He is very intent upon getting his lesson and at the same time he is quite careful not to- make a noise. So long as it does not disturb any one else and interferes with nobody's equal rights, I would not rebuke it." " But it looks badly > and gives your school the appearance of being disorderly." " Conceded ; and we are told to avoid even the appear- ance of evil," said she, cheerfully. " But in this case, I 'd prefer taking my chances on the appearance of it, rather than on the evil itself. There are forces constantly at work within us that tend toward the discovery of the principle of perpetual motion, and they can hardly be repressed in a healthy child without serious physical injury. The greatest good to the greatest number is the object I desire to secure,. even if done at the expense of my reputation as a disciplin- arian. Besides, I am not quite convinced that geometric regularity of position is the highest type of order," etc.,, etc., etc. Now, Mr. Superintendent, what will be the result of these and like heresies ? for this is only a tithe, she warmly declaring that we are " in the rut " and that she will resign her position before she will allow herself to be driven into it. At first I was horrified, and I still fail to understand 6 PRESTON PAPERS. some of her startling theories. Will you bring the com- bined wisdom of yourself and your intelligent associates to my assistance ? Is she living in advance of the age, or are we away down here a little bit backward and ante-diluvian ? I am candid in wishing to know the best ways, and maybe we have become a little " set " in our methods. If you please, I wish to tell you sometime about her ideas of corporal punishment as preferred to some others, that is if you wish to hear again from Yours, in the common cause, Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. KEPOKTS. No. 11. REPORTS. OLDTOWN, N. Y., March 13, 188-. MR. , Supt. Public Instruction. My Dear Sir : Your very kind reply to my recent recital was duly received, and contents fully noted and having really determined to unburden myself of my difficulties I scarcely know where to begin. Should I fail to find a stop- ping place, you will please insert a period wherever you deem it proper, and I will take the hint. I think I will begin with a sketch of our teachers' meeting for November, although the vexed question of corporal punishment was not discussed until the December meeting. But of that anon. We have always held our teachers' meetings on the third Saturday of each month. No one is obliged to be present, although all are expected to. After the opening exercises the roll is called and each teacher responds by reading his or her " Monthly Report," which is about as follows : Number of boys enrolled. Girls, ditto. Total. Average age of boys. Ditto, girls. Total. Average attendance of boys. Ditto, girls. Total. Cases of tardiness among boys. Ditto, girls. Total. Time (given in hours and minutes) lost by tardiness among boys. Ditto, girls. Total. S PRESTON PAPERS. Number of absences among boys. Ditto, girls. Total. Absences excused among boys. Ditto, girls. Total. Lessons lost by absence and tardiness among boys. Ditto, girls. Total. Names and number of classes taught, with the average per cent of scholarship for each class. Now was not that systematic ? After a few remarks from the Chair our superintendent -always held that office in which he generally thinks "we are getting along comfortably," and " hopes we realize our responsibilities and will do our duty " in a very calm and dignified manner, we are dismissed. This has been the routine for many years, and it stands to reason that the " Reports " are beneficial, else why should we have them ? Occasionally the meetings have been varied by the pres- ence of one or more members of the board of education, who would pat us on the back, as it were, in some set phrase when called upon to address the meeting. Well, Miss Preston was present at the September session, but she did not take any part simply saying when her name was called that she " had not prepared any report, and she did not as yet see the advantage of taking such a census every month." You ought to have seen the significant looks among the teachers as Mr. Johnson replied, with a rather red face : ""It has the advantage of showing at a glance just where we stand." " Very likely," she responded rather dryly, " but I fail to see, myself, how the number of boys or girls, or both, in School No. 9, can affect my own ; or how the knowledge of their average age or scholarship can benefit my pupils." TRICKS IN REPORTS. g "Well, well, we won't discuss it now," he said, more testily than real politeness would countenance. "The secretary will please call the next name." As that happened to be my own, I arose and read the report over which I had spent all the previous evening and a good share of Saturday morning. I had done so every month for years, but somehow its importance now faded from my mind ; and I wondered, while reading it, if Mr. Johnson really thought these " reports " are accurate. Of course " There are tricks in all trades but ours," but I will tell you confidentially that this system has been made the excuse for some false entries. Bad book-keeping is not entirely confined to county treasurers and bank cashiers. Miss Young, for instance, may not want to have it appear that the standard of her school is lower than that of some one else, so she does not always record the absence or tardi- ness; or if she does, the temptation is to diminish the time so lost. Perhaps Mr. Brown would give us the impression that his methods of instruction are rather superior ; hence, his pupils are sometimes reported higher in scholarship than they really deserve. It is lamentable, but none the less true, that such things really occur where the public expects only such examples as are worthy of imitation. However, I won't stop to moralize, for I want to tell you about our November meeting. Of course we had one as usual in October, but Miss Preston was not present, having actually gone to the woods hickory nutting with her school children ! Actually, I don't see how she dared. Mr. Johnson fidgeted some during the exercises until Miss Preston's name was called. Then he arose and said, with the unusual blandness by which we all know when he is very much excited inwardly: I PRESTON PAPERS. " As Miss Preston is not here to respond for herself, per- haps I can best explain her absence by reading a communi- cation I received from her last evening. I don't know as she intended it to be made public," half apologetically, "but I don't really understand what she does mean sometimes, nor what to think of her methods either in teaching or governing." Without further ado he read the following note : " MR. JOHNSON, Respected Sir : Having no particular taste for statistics, and no special hope or desire to undo the red tape that surrounds our faculty meeting, I trust you will excuse my absence from it to-morrow, as I intend, if the day is bright, to take my school for a walk to the woods, two or three miles up the river. Yours, Respectfully, H. M. PRESTON." A dead silence ensued, like that which precedes a clap of thunder on a June day. Then Mr. Johnson handed the note to the secretary to be filed among the other archives of the institution, with the remark that " Perhaps, since Miss Preston feels free to criticise the manner and matter of our meeting, we had better ask her to take charge of the next one." Some of us fancied that his tone was rather cynical ; but it it was he must have been disappointed at the result of his suggestion, for Mr. Brown immediately moved that '' she be requested to act as president at the next meeting." The motion was instantly seconded by two voices and carried by a unanimous vote of the house. I wanted to ask that she also be requested to furnish LESSORS LEARNED DURING THE WALK. IX a report of her Saturday in the woods, tor I had a vague idea that there was something more than a mere pleasure excursion in her mental program; but courage failed me, for I wouldn't dare incur Mr. Johnson's displeasure, as I'd be pretty sure to do if I suggested anything like a "new departure," be it ever so tiny. I afterward made private investigations among her pupils and would you believe it? I found that she actually gave them practical lessons in botany, from the leaves, shrubs, and trees, as they went along ; from the location of streets, lots, and houses, she taught geography, as well as from the hills, river banks, etc.; she called their attention to the science of geology by means of the sand, gravel, and rocks ; she cultivated their taste for natural history by living specimens of squirrels, birds, and insects in the woods; as if that were not enough, she inspired them with a wish to study literature, by producing a volume of Bryant and reading his grand old " Forest Hymn " while they were resting in the woods before eating their lunch. To finish with, she laid aside their usual lessons and text books the next Monday afternoon, and had her entire school writing compositions ! Only, she did not use the word composition. She merely said : " Now, if you will put away your books, quietly, you may each tell rne what you saw or heard or did last Saturday, that pleased, interested, or instructed you. But as there are so many of you, there will not be time for all to speak, so you may write on your slates ; and those who have time and wish to may read what they write. Then if any of you prefer to have me read it for you I will do so sometime to-morrow." And one httle boy really cried because his slate " was full I2 PRESTON PAPERS. and he hadn't half finished; he wanted to tell about that cunning lizard he saw," and was only consoled by being assured that if no one else wrote" about it, he should have a chance another day. It is just wonderful how much she crowds into a small compass ; and she mixes education into everything, so that half the time the children don't know whether they are studying or playing. But where was I ? Oh, about our November session ! Through carelessness or otherwise, the secretary neglected to tell her of her election and consequent duties, until the evening before the meeting. But she accepted the situation, ignoring the intended compliment or sarcasm, or whatever was meant by the superintendent, and after the usual pre- liminaries addressed us somewhat as follows : "My FELLOW TEACHERS: It is with great pleasure that I respond to the invitation which came to me at the eleventh hour, which tardiness would render superfluous any apology for lack of requisite preparation. Ours is a noble calling, and they who enter it should be from among the very best types of manhood and womanhood. Questions of importance in the common cause should be discussed in common council, with ample opportunity for free expression of ideas and interchange of personal experience. All can contribute something. Those who have grown gray in the honorable service can give us who are younger the benefit of their wisdom ; those who have attained brilliant successes in some particular depart- ment may be glad to get advice in some other; those who have failed anywhere will be glad to know how to retrieve their mistakes. Thus we can be of mutual help to each TEACHERS IN COUNCIL. I3 other, and the monthly association of teachers be made to do grand work for the cause. Feeling so illy prepared to say anything practical and I'm daily becoming more con- vinced that nothing is worth saying in such a place that is not practical I took the liberty to bring my November number of the ' Teachers' Companion ' which always has something of interest." She proceeded to read an article on " School Manage- ment," and then asked us to talk it over and to give our own experience; and do you know that we got so well under way and so much interested, that we never thought to dismiss at the traditional hour, but stayed on and on, until the light became so dim that we could scarcely see. It was not a bit formal, and I was not at all sure it would be popular; but the interest increased every moment. It is strange how far a little enthusiasm will go toward awakening an interest in anything. Carlyle, I think it is, says, in effect, that to convince others a man must be thoroughly in earnest, and I believe it. Mr. Johnson actually asked Miss Preston to continue in the chair! This honor she declined however, saying, with a laugh, that " Under a republican form of government, a frequent change of administration is desirable, so that the offices with their emoluments and perquisites can be more evenly distributed among botb parties; " and Mr. Whipple was promoted to the dignity of president for the next meet- ing. I meant to tell you in this about Miss Preston's "school museum" but must close this already-too-long letter from Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. PRESTON PAPERS. No. III. PUNISHMENT. OLDTOWN, N. Y., April 22, 188-. MR. , Supt., etc. My Dear Sir ; Your letter of inquiry is received, and would say in reply that we all enjoyed our November meet- ing so well that we determined to ask Mr. Johnson to give up the old way of conducting them, and let us try the "class-meeting" method in its stead, which we had found so practical and so really beneficial for in that one after- noon we had gathered a rich harvest of ideas that were utterly unattainable in the old routine of statistics heretofore pursued so unquestioningly; and we had been inspired with a zeal for the work before unknown to us. A committee, therefore, waited upon him, and after presenting some well met objections, he consented to let matters take their course for a time. So we came together for the December meeting with a feeling of enthusiasm that was quite novel to some of us. Mr. Whipple was in the chair, and in a few well chosen words he proposed the subject of Punishment as a nucleus around which we might all gather, and said that he himself had experienced some difficulty in solving the problem as to whether we had any right to use the rod, but that he found less and less occasion to use it every year he taught. WHIPPING. I5 Miss Wood was then called upon, and she confessed that she had never yet attempted to administer corporal punish- ment without fear of personal consequences to herself ! It seemed quite easy to believe her, for although large of stature and somewhat advanced in years, she has no " presence ; " and I can readily believe that under her weak administration the majesty of the law would suffer contempt. Indeed, I am told by one of her assistants she is Principal of Grammar School No. 5 that she actually has to "play tag " with any one whom she sees fit to call up for real or supposed misdemeanors; and when the culprit is finally captured he ( Of course it is always a boy. Girls go scot free for the same offense that in a boy would be deemed unpardonable ! ) not infrequently defends himself ; nay, more, sometimes even acting on the aggressive. Dignified? No, I don't think so. I hardly believe she is capable of inspiring any one with a wholesome degree of awe, nor do I wonder that she is afraid to whip a pupil and trembles for the consequences when she does it. Mr. Smith was the next speaker, and he declared without any hesitation that "Whipping does no good anyway. It does not last and doesn't mean anything while it does last." Verily, in his hands it would not. He is second assistant in Senior School No. 2, and his boys yes, and girls too run right over him; and in his hands a rod would be about as effectual as rosewater in a revolution ! Why, only last week his botany class young ladies from fourteen to eighteen, with a few boys sprinkled in demanded half a day out, in which to look up specimens; and when he ventured the feeble remonstrance that it was " too early yet, in the season," one of them cheerfully confided the fact that " You might !6 PRESTON PAPERS. as well say ' Yes ' first as last, for we are all going to the matine'e this afternoon and the botany was only an excuse! " And they went without further parley ! Fancy him trying to bring any one to time ! Some people are bold enough to suggest that he ought to be discharged for his incompetency (the very last thing in the world to discharge a teacher for), but they are in blissful ignorance of the political chain surrounding our school system here, of which he is an important link. Somebody might lose a vote if he were discharged, and so, perchance, lose an opportunity to feed at the public crib ! You surely did not suppose we were really hired from the sole standpoint of merit? Ah, no. This is a progressive age, and that plan like other obsolete customs is " more honored in the breach than in the observ- ance." Some of us would not be retained very long if it were otherwise, although very comfortable as it is, knowing that the political influence of our friends will not be ignored. Blessed be the ballot box, containing as it does the expres- sion of every American voter's unbiased opinion ! Few, indeed, among our number who are not indebted to it both for position and salary. Long may it wave ! But I digress. Let me find myself before I get too far lost. Miss Sigourney was the next speaker. Her reputation is that of a rigorous disciplinarian. It is an unquestioned axiom that " Force without justice is tyranny " and judged by this standard she is no less a tyrant of to-day, than was Nero of old, except in degree, she never losing the grasp on her whip nor an opportunity of using it. To be sure she has an unruly set of pupils who sometimes break out into open rebellion but I'm not at all sure that she is not at least in a measure responsible for it herself. Certainly, A RIGOROUS DISCIPLINARIAN. ! 7 nothing can be more brutalizing in its effect than the con- tinued sight and sound of retribution administered to those who are powerless to help themselves, even when an actual injustice is being shown as must sometimes be the case where the application is so frequent; and occasional mutiny may be looked for, where the teacher is at war with child- nature. Of course she advocated the free use of Solomon's " Spare not," and that in terms not noted for any especial tenderness. There is cruelty in her mouth ; vindictiveness in her eye ; resolution in her tramp, and subjugation in her entire manner. It is enough to stir up all the old Adam there is in any one, simply to look at her. Perhaps the hardness of her features may be traced to the rocky, sterile soil of her early home ; but it is doubtless augmented by her own daily practices which cannot but leave their marks. She looks like a person that has missed the best part of life and has become calloused and fossilized by an experience that would have made some natures only the more sweet and womanly. I was next called upon, and said with some trepidation that ridicule and sarcasm were as good instruments as any I had ever tried in the way of punishment. Miss Preston was on the opposite side of the room, but her impatience to speak was plainly visible ; even at that distance I could see her eyes flash and her brows knit while waiting for her turn to come, and then how perfectly regal she looked as she denounced theory after theory ! When she reached the climax I was fairly awed by her manner ! Would I could give you the burning words just as they came from her lips but I can scarcely do even faint justice to the ideas that must lose so much of their intensity in the printed page, i8 PRESTON PAPERS. and from whose freshness and originality so much is taken by repetition. " Some of you argue," said she, " against corporal punish- ment because of its cruelty; but you advocate in its stead raillery, ridicule, sarcasm, and contempt. You are afraid to leave the marks of corporal punishment on the bodies of your pupils; but you do not hesitate to inflict on their souls wounds that can never be healed by any poultice save that of love and tenderness, and whose scars will last thro' life. If corporal punishment is pronounced brutal and degrading, what shall you say of mental punishment, which is so painful to sensitive natures and deadening to stubborn ones ? " "Perhaps Miss Preston will favor us with some sugges- tions," came from the Chair. Miss PKESTON'S ASSISTANT. PUNISHMENT. No. IV. PUNISHMENT ( Continued). "Well, I do not believe entirely in the sugar plum system,' she said ; " although I find but few who are not more easily led than driven ; very few on whom kindness is thrown away. But I do sometimes find two classes of troublesome children : spoiled children, who have to be dealt with very firmly, although in all kindness ; and neglected children, those who have no good home influences these require gentler treatment, and in no case would I sneer at them. I would be very careful even how I rallied them, or made tools of their feelings for any purpose. A child's feelings are too delicate for rough or frequent handling. Bulwer touches upon this point when he says : ' Our feelings, espe- cially in youth, resemble that leaf which is described by some old traveler as expanding itself to warmth ; but when chilled, not only shrinking and closing but presenting to the spectator thorns which had before lain concealed upon the opposite side of it.' All punishment should depend, not only upon the offense itself but also upon the character and motive of the offender. We are too often ourselves to blame for the perverseness and disobedience of our pupils, by our lack of tact in administering censure when it becomes necessary; by the uncalled for and unwise parade of our suspicions, which frequently prove unjust; by the threats 20 PRESTON PAPERS. which we make and do not mean to put into execution, and which we would not if we could ; by the futile attempt to practice upon theories whose fundamental principles are not understood, as well as our neglect of those that are seen to be right, having been dictated with common sense for their basis ; by our lack of self-control, without which no one of us has any right to assume the control of others ; and by sacrificing ends to means in general." We were spell-bound. Not one of us but felt the truth of her impressive home thrusts, and not one other that would have dared venture to make the same remarks. " How would you govern bad children, then ? " "In two ways: Negatively by not acting as though I thought that total depravity was a foregone conclusion and that I was elected to take vengeance for it ; positively by a firm belief in the possibility of reformation ; by striving to aid its accomplishment through kindness, self respect, and trust. Like the old man in the spelling book, I would first try the effect of kind words ; these failing I would use grass, and only as a last resort, stones." " Then you would use corporal punishment occasionally ? " (This from Miss Sigourney.) "Yes but only under the greatest restriction, and in a rational way and amount ; generally in private, and but very, seldom immediately after the offense." " Why ? Please give your reasons for the last two conditions." " In private ( unless the nature of the wrong requires public reprimand ) both because it is too humiliating to the offender, and too hardening in its influence upon the rest. Not immediately, because in nine cases out of ten the real RESTRICTIONS UPON CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. 2 r reason we whip a child is because we lose our own temper, and by waiting we may find it. I do not say we should never be angry, for a righteous indignation is never out of place, if directed against anything cruel, mean, or dishonest; but if we wait a while, we shall see the extenuating circum- stances, if there are any, and be more apt to administer justice with less of personal feeling. The very best strategy we can use in meeting any evil habit is to put in a good one to counteract it. Still, there may be natures that can be reached by nothing else so effectually as by a decent amount of whipping ( only we must be too wise to be arbitrary or despotic). J. G. Holland must have met with just such a character before writing ' Nicholas Minturn/ as he describes in his inimitable way a boy of that class. The boy had been educated in the streets, and the spiritual pabulum he received in the Sunday School had been of the sickly, senti- mental sort that had left him a complete bully, and a coward as well the one characteristic usually accompanying the other. But it so happened that once upon a time he learned that there is such a thing as a limit to human patience, and the lesson was not lost. He had worried his Sunday School teacher during the entire session and then followed her home, snowballing her on the way. Reaching the front steps, she turned around and smilingly invited him to 'Come in.' He was nothing loth, having experienced just such a sugar- and-water return for his brutality to others before; so, slyly winking to a companion outside, and promising to divide the expected spoil, he entered with her. She ushered him into a luxuriously furnished parlor and bade him amuse himself while she went up stairs to lay aside her hat and cloak. He did so and became so thoroughly engrossed in. 22 PRESTON PAPERS. contemplation of the works of art and ornament before him, as well as by his own sense of smartness in having once more secured a premium for his abuse of kindness, that he did not know she had returned until he felt his head drawn back by the hair, held in a firm and unrelenting grasp by the lily white fingers of one delicate hand of his teacher, while she used the other, with some emphasis, on his face, leaving a wholesome sting after every blow. He was too much astonished to resent it, and when she dismissed him with a few incisive words, he left her presence a changed being in one respect, and her devoted champion ever after." This brought the meeting to an end, as I must my letter, which is already too long, and I have not mentioned one word about the " Museum " yet ! However, it will keep until you again hear from Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. THE MUSEUM. 2 3 No. V. THE MUSEUM. OLDTOWN, N. Y., Aug. 18, 188- MR. , State Supt. Public Instruction. My Dear Sir : Hoping that you can make use of this, in your talks with teachers, I want to tell you about our museum, for it certainly has been a wonderful " help " in our school, and mayhap some other teacher knowing of it may be persuaded to go and do likewise. At the left of the hall as we enter our schoolroom is a closet which has been used as a sort of storeroom from time immemorial. Early in the fall term, while Miss Preston was yet a stranger, practically, she requested one of the boys to stay after school one night and help her. Now it so happened ( or did she plan it for his benefit ? ) that he was one who, by his disobedient and unruly spirit, had given her numerous predecessors much trouble, both by his own conduct and by his evil influence over those who, if left to themselves would be harmless, but who are always foremost in a mob of any kind. So we were somewhat surprised at her selection, although as yet none of us had any idea of the nature or amount of help required by our principal, for Miss Preston is one of those rare worn spirits, I mean, who do not publish all their plans, even to their " dear five hundred " friends. 24 PRESTON PAPERS, However, we were rather indifferent, for up to this time we subordinates had not felt any particular "kinship of soul" for the young stranger who had been given one of the best positions in the city and that, too, right over the heads of so many of us who were older and whose years of faithful toil were thereby completely ignored; and we were not going to be surprised if she did spring a wasps' nest; nor would we offer one friendly suggestion to prevent any catastrophe which our peculiar talents for forecasting trouble had shown would be inevitable. All that we were waiting for was the opportunity to say calmly, but with none the less triumph : '" I told you so ! " (I may as well add, right here, that the .golden opportunity never came, and we are now somewhat abashed to think we ever wished for it.) But I am getting too far from that closet, which surprised us the next morning by its complete transformation. The blinds, heretofore closed, were now open ; the window had been cleaned and was shaded by a pretty, although inex- pensive, lambrequin of blue and gray cretonne; the shelves were also clean and covered with blue paper of the same shade as the lambrequin. The old brooms, kindling wood, coal scuttle, dust pan, waste paper, etc., that had always held undisputed possession of the floor, were nowhere visible. History has since revealed the fact through the lips of the janitor that they were banished to the furnace basement. Miss Preston had not arrived when I entered the school- room, but James Moore soon came in ( He always used to be "" Jimmed," but Miss Preston never calls any of the pupils by any other than their proper names. She says it is not courteous, nor respectful to the wish of those who gave them the name, and that it has a tendency to lower the tone of a NICKNAMES MUSEUM INTRODUCED. 25 child's morals by lessening its self-respect; and gradually we have left off substituting " Maggie, Matie, Sammy, Tom, Dick, and Harry," for Margaret, Mary, Samuel, Thomas, Richard, and Henry); and then the questions plied loudly and rapidly. At first he evaded them, but when Agatha Breese said in her contemptuous way : '' If you were much of a gentleman you would not treat a lady's questions in this way ; " he straightened himself up and said, with more manliness and force of character than I ever saw him exhibit before : " I am too much of a gentleman to betray anybody's con- fidence. Miss Preston did not consider it necessary to ask me not to tell her plans ; and as she trusted me, I mean to show myself worthy of it ; " and such is the power of one strong will in a crowd that not another question was asked, .although such exclamations as "I wonder," "I guess," and "I hope," were numerous. We had not long to wait, however, for just before recess that day she struck the signal for "Order," and then said: " My dear pupils, I have a plan in which I hope you will be interested, as it may become a source of much pleasure as well as profit. You doubtless see and hear of many things, every day, both in nature and art, which you do not fully understand, some, perhaps, of which you know nothing; and I propose to make use of our closet as a cabinet 01 museum, to hold such specimens as you may collect from time to time for study and classification. We will have each article properly labeled and catalogued with as full a description as we can obtain. I have provided a large blank book for that purpose and mean to divide the work of keeping the entries amjng those of you who wish. As 26 PRESTON PAPERS. a beginning I have brought, for contribution, a few things which you are at liberty to examine and talk about during recess." So saying she placed on her desk a piece of coral, a stick of sealing wax, some cotton seeds, and a pod containing a small quantity of cotton, a chromo, some steel filings, a whale's tooth, some silver ore, a slate pencil, and a piece of mahogany. The " Museum," as a matter of course, became the chief topic of conversation from that moment, and when the pupils returned after the noon intermission, they were laden with specimens for it from things common and familiar, and some that were not as well known. Intelligent thought was awakened, and the pupils thought, talked, and read, to some purpose. Spare moments have been spent by all of us in a diligent search for information in dictionaries, cyclopaedias, works of natural history, the sciences, etc., and now the collection has become a large and really valuable as well as interesting one, having had several contributions from those outside of the school, who had become interested by seeing or hearing of it. And the Museum has helped govern our school, providing occupation for the mind and body, filling up time that might .have been spent in idleness or in plotting mischief, and finally by knitting together in warm friendship the hearts of pupil and teacher, those who, alas ! too often stand in the lamentable position of antagonists. Think you the child who is called upon to assist or allowed in any way to partici- pate in things of this kind will betray the confidence of the teacher whose love and wisdom originated it ? I tell you " Nay." There is no such thing as total depravity. EFFECTS OF THE MUSEUM. 27 "But does it pay ? " I heard Miss Wood ask of Miss Preston last spring. " You are looking worn and thin, and all this extra work seems to me like giving ' too many oats for a shilling ; ' it will never be appreciated outside of your pupils doubtful if even they do so before they are forty; and the trustees will never make the humane discovery that you are working beyond your strength, as well as beyond your salary." Tears actually stood in Miss Preston's eyes as she replied softly: "Yes, it pays a thousand-fold, if by this means even one child is brought into closer communion with Nature, and led to a higher conception of the Infinite Wisdom that planned and created it for our use and enjoyment. As for myself, // is my work. I love it and have chosen it because I love it in preference to everything else; and anything that I can do to promote the welfare of my school is not too dear, even at the expense of some of my time and strength beyond the six hours per diem for which I am legally responsible." And right here I must add, in justice to the above-men- tioned gentlemen, the trustees, that at their July meeting, they, voluntarily and without a hint from any one, increased Miss Preston's salary for the coming year, making it nine hundred instead of seven hundred dollars. Verily, all trus- tees are not deaf as well as blind, nor are all their hearts ossified ! (Teachers will please make a note of this discov- ery. EDITOR.) But I must tell you "how" and then close. Our closet is eminently suitable for the purpose, having a window at one end, a door at the other, and shelves on either side with cupboards beneath them. Pasteboard of different 2 8 PRESTON PAPERS. colors has been used for cutting out letters to designate the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms, and the specimens are grouped accordingly, numbered, and the corresponding number placed in the catalogue, together with the date of entry, name of the contributor, and as complete a descrip- tion as can be obtained. Many of the children have note books, in which they write about anything that specially pleases or interests them, and thus the foundation is laid for many a composition which, by the way, Miss Preston succeeds in getting from all her pupils without any of the usual " scuffles " over it. Yours Truly, Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. THE SCHOOLROOM. 29 No. VI. RESPONSIBILITY. OLDTOWN, N. Y., Sept. 29, 188-. MR. , Supt. Public Instruction. My Very Dear Sir : Miss Preston always seems to have an idea that the schoolroom should be made and kept not only clean and comfortable but pleasant ; and her innova- tions in this direction have been simply wonderful at the same time they have been so wonderfully simple that they may be brought about by any teacher who will act upon Mrs. Chick's advice to Mrs. Dombey, and " Make an effort, Louisa ! " So far as I personally am concerned I do not believe it essential to correct parsing that every atom of dirt be rendered invisible; nor can I see any relation between apple cores and paper wads on the floor and ceiling and idleness, whispering, mischief, and unlearned lessons. But then, I'm no logician, and Miss Preston is, and when she begins to reason about cause and effect, and to bring tangible and incontrovertible prooi to substantiate her argument, I am obliged to acquiesce or seem to, at least. "A man con- vinced against his will," etc. Nearly a year ago I was much surprised to hear Miss Preston tell Mr. Johnson that she wanted some new curtains, a thermometer, and a waste paper basket for her schoolroom. 30 PRESTON PAPERS. He opened his eyes, rather at the character than at the number of her requests, then blandly informed her that he'd refer her items to the "committee on incidentals" and would you believe it ? In less than a week she had all three ! They called a special meeting to consider her wants, and cited her to appear and state her reasons for the same. " Curtains ! " said Mr. Seeley, " are there no blinds to your windows? " " Yes, sir. But when they are open the light is so strong as to be dazzling; and when closed, they not only make the room too dark, but they also hinder ventilation. I have observed that many of the older pupils are near-sighted; and I wish them to have as good light as is possible, for I believe that much of this trouble is due to the poor or insufficient light at school. Many, too, show indications of catarrh and lung trouble, and these are always aggravated by impure air. I find the sunlight a very necessary auxiliary in keep- ing the children well and cheerful while at their work ; but at times it needs to be somewhat moderated in its intensity, and this is best done by means of a light cloth shade that will not exclude the light." After a short whispered conversation they voted a unani- mous "Aye " to that request. " But what in the world do you want of a thermometer ? " Without showing the least annoyance she explained that also : " As my duties keep me on my feet and give me more or less exercise, I am not the best judge of the temperature proper for those who are sitting and whose circulation is therefore imperfect. That hinders digestion, causing head- ache, etc. We do not expect a chain to support a greater CLEANLINESS HEAL TH HABITS. 3 1 weight than will its weakest link ; and when a child's physique is dwarfed, stunted, or weakened, we need not look for activity of brain." That argument proved a clincher, and when Mr. Hoi- brook reported favorably on that matter, he suggested mischievously : " I suppose you have some sanitary reason for wishing a waste paper basket, too, or is it merely a moral one ? " " Both," she replied promptly. " Cleanliness is not only 'next to godliness,' but is also one of the first and best means of preserving health. Consistency would prevent me from insisting on personal neatness among my pupils, if my floor were allowed to become untidy. Besides, the habits of childhood and youth go with us through life, and a_ teacher has a grave responsibility in helping form those habits." She had scarcely finished when Mr. Russell, as chairman of the committee, exclaimed : " You shall have the basket, Miss Preston, and the curtains, and the thermometer, or anything else you want for your school while I have a dollar in my purse. If we have finally found a teacher who will really show some interest in the pupils beyond a salaried or text-book interest, we will stand by her to a unit." He sat down and Miss Preston spoke again : "Teachers are not always so indifferent as they seem; but they are sometimes in error as to where the duties of parents leave off and their own begin. They do not want to seem officious, and if Edward comes to school with unwashed face and uncombed hair, they are diffident about speaking of it, for fear of hurting some sensitive mother's feelings 3 2 PRESTON PAPERS. forgetful, mayhap, that Edward's mother has a family of several to look after and that, in the multiplicity of duties incumbent upon her, she almost necessarily neglected to look out for Edward's finger nails, teeth, etc., but who at the same time would be glad to know that her little boy was receiving a proper education upon this subject, as well as upon the boundaries, capital, and government of his country." "True, Miss Preston. And yet our experience has led us to believe that as a rule teachers think their duties ended with the lessons in the text books, forgetting that the great lessons of life are not found therein. They are ' hired ' at so much per annum, so many hours per diem, and for such and such purposes. These conditions fulfilled to the letter, they have no further interest in the young immortals com- mitted to their care, and to whom they stand in loco par entis." " Now I do not think you do us justice as a class, although I am aware that some enter the profession without any appreciation of the responsibilities or opportunities for good that are theirs. But is this not true in every walk of life ? Does every physician realize that he may be a home mission- ary ? Will every lawyer plead only on the side of justice ? Does every editor use his voice and pen only for right ? There are laborers and shirks in every vineyard ; and of course, our calling is not an exception." Well since then our schoolroom has been literally trans- formed by pictures, brackets, plants, and a careful janitor. And yet there was no friction about it. It came about in the most natural way imaginable. Miss Preston one morning brought a jar containing a pink primrose in blossom, and put it on the window stool. After school one of the girls RESUL TS A CCOM PUSHED. 33 asked if she might water it, and on receiving permission, said : "If you'd like a Madeira vine to train around. this south window, I'll bring you one in the morning." And she did. Then some one brought a fuchsia, another a geranium ; and so the leaven worked until every window was made beautiful with the " Green things growing " of which dear Dinah Muloch sings. Later she brought a dozen illuminated mottoes, and hung them on the walls; then came a picture from one of the boys, tendered half shyly " to help " as he said. Others followed, lending what they had not permission to give. And the contents of the waste paper basket were stored in the base- ment in barrels, and at the end of the term sold to buy more pictures ! Economy and aesthetics, all by means of a fifty cent basket ! What is the effect of all this ? No truancy for one thing. One lady tells about her boy of twelve years crying because his father kept him out of school during the busy week preceding the holidays, to help in his store. Good lessons and learned without urging is another result. The children hunger and thirst to know. And a strong, warm bond of friendship between teacher and pupil is another result. "Governing" is easy, and the whole machinery moves without a jog. I meant to tell you about her daily " Five Minute Lec- tures " on etiquette, current news, science, books, etc., but can not now. Yours Truly, Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. 34 PRESTON PAPERS. No. VII. GEOGRAPHY. OLDTOWN, N. Y., Oct. 13, 188- MR. , State Supt. Public Instruction. My Dear Sir: Of a truth "great minds run in the same channel," for the subject under discussion at our Teachers' Meeting in September was that of Geography, and behold, when I received your last favor it contained the call for our experience on that topic. I had been wishing for an excuse to give you, in epitome, Miss Preston's ideas on that very subject, and now believe that the excuse is no longer lacking. The teachers in the primary grade were first called upon, then the junior, intermediate, senior and grammar school teachers for geography is taught on each separate round of the ladder, not excepting the High School. Miss Preston had charge of the meeting that day, and consequently said nothing, as one after another arose to give his or her experi- ence for that is how our conferences are being conducted now nor did she take any part in the "free parliament " which follows each one's speech, essay or paper. By request of Mr. Johnson, however, she came in beautifully on the " Amen " end of the question, somewhat as follows : Fellow Teachers : It has always seemed to me that too much time is spent in teaching geography. We begin it in the Primary Depart- HOW TO TEACH IT. 35 ment and continue it throughout the entire graduating course, increasing the dose each year, "according to the age of the patient," as the medical prescriptions read, until by the time the boy or girl is ready for the High School, he or she has consumed many hours in swallowing geography that should have been given to something else. Again ; it is made of too much importance. Geography might be easily taught as an incidental, which is all it is. In teaching history the places referred to should be looked up and as much as possible learned from maps, cyclopaedias, etc., by the pupils. This knowledge should be supple- mented by the teacher every teacher being a complete storehouse of geographical as well as other knowledge and questions asked that will elicit what they have learned. So in reading. If the reading lesson refers to any country or product or people, or to any natural or political division of land or water, the lesson should not be considered " fin- ished " merely because well read, and the definitions usually " blind leaders of the blind " promptly given ; but a careful description should be given by the teacher who should call for a written or oral report of the same next day by the class. Geography, as a secondary matter, may be combined with many other studies, and successfully taught and learned with comparatively little waste of time. Again ; there is too much " book geography " and too little real. There are too many verbatim recitations required about things but half understood. I visited a summer school during my last vacation, where the first class that recited after my entrance was one in geography eleven little boys and girls who answered, glibly and perfectly, about the products and exports of Brazil, and who correctly 36 PRESTON PAPERS. gave the boundaries and capital cities of nearly every South American division. Evidently the teacher was very proud of the parrot-like recitations, for she turned to me with glowing cheeks and flashing eyes, inquiring if I did not " think they do pretty well for so young children ? " "I do not remember that they have varied by a hair's breadth from the text," I replied. " Nor would they if you were to begin at the first page and question them up to where they are now studying," she replied proudly. I was horrified! Cramming a child's memory with words which he does not understand, facts which are beyond his comprehension, and dates and figures that have no meaning in them except as so much mental torture for nothing ! "Try it," she urged, "ask anything you like." I shrank instinctively for I knew that the result would be confusing to the pupils and embarrassing to her, if I stepped ever so slightly from the path of rote work. She persisted, and I turned in despair to a thin faced, white haired little boy whose bright eyes and quick, nervous movement had first attracted my attention, and later, whose prompt, decisive replies had called out an encomium from his shall I say it? injudicious teacher. " You are the little boy who recited about the products of Brazil," said I, "now can you tell me what you mean by ' products ? ' " He began an enumeration of the products again, but I said : " No ; you do not understand me, I think. When you speak of ' products ' what do you mean ? " "Those are the products I just told you," he reaffirmed. M/SS PRESTON'S PLAN. 37 " Yes, that is true ; but if I ask you to tell me what the word means, will you explain it to me ? Play that I am a little girl and do not know anything about that big word. Can you help me understand it ? " He was silent, but smiled faintly at the idea of playing anything in school. Presently a little hand went up on the seat next to his, and I said to the little girl who raised it : " Perhaps Julia will tell me ? " " Please, ma'am, the products is the answer we get by multiplying in our arithmetics," was the timid response, and a look of uncertain triumph at Henry. I did not despair but is it not pitiful that teachers do not make things more real to their pupils ? Page after page is memorized mechanically and is of no use. I have my doubts about giving children a text book at all for this study ; certainly not until they are old enough to appreciate the reason why the Mississippi River flows into the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the fact that it is so. "What, then, is your plan ? " inquired Miss Sigourney. "Well, I would have maps and charts on the wall for ready reference in each department. I would have books of history, travel and description -from which 1 would give them ' bits ' of geographical instruction. I would have scrap books filled with pictures of places and people, and newspaper items of important information about different lands. I would have boxes of photographs and stereo- scopic views of as many cities, noted places, etc., as I could gather. I would teach by map drawing ; by comparing one country with another, the past with the present, etc., never omitting to find and give the reason for the barrenness, fer- tility, heat, cold, productions and general expression of any 38 PRESTON PAPERS. place mentioned or referred to in each lesson of each class. I would once in a while substitute a ' talk ' about the civ- ilized countries of this century for some other lesson. Another time it might be the discoveries; and again if the pupils were old enough to take it in the governments. In this way they may not learn the name of every unimpor- tant city, town and village of every European or Asiatic state, and they may not be able to pronounce every difficult Russian name ; but they will be able to give a reason for the difference in character, civilization and progress when there is a difference in the natural conditions. They may not learn to ' bound ' every State in our own country to a nicety, but they will be able without any trouble to tell why the Eastern States were settled first ; why the climate varies in different sections and how it affects the inhabitants ; and they will have had time to learn how to care for their own bodies, as well as brains, which is more than they do now ; at least I suppose the universal plea ' want of time ' is the only reason we, as teachers, do not more frequently give practical lessons in diet, dress, bathing, exercise, etc., to our pupils. While they are young there is too much geography to leave time for such specific instruction, and as they become older it is a smattering of a dozen different sciences that prevents the same thing ; and as a consequence we send out ' the halt, the maimed and the blind ' with a mem- ory crammed with dates and facts concerning things of no practical value in their after every-day life, and a blissful ( wicked ) ignorance of the laws that govern their own being." What enthusiasm followed ! Honestly, I don't believe that one of us had ever once thought we were wasting time TIME WASTED. 39 that did not belong to us by compelling the memorizing of whole pages of book after book for as Miss Preston says " There are from three to six books in each series, and the young child is given the first book learns it; then gets another containing the same thing elaborated learns it; then gets another and so continues term after term." Well, I ask you, in all sincerity, and earnestly hope for a satisfactory answer : what is the use of all this minutiae ? Would fewer details and more general information be bet- ter? Would parents appreciate the difference in expense, and "take stock" in the utility of substituting home train- ing for half the usual amount of time devoted to geography or would they feel that Johnnie was being neglected by his teacher if he came home some night, eager to impart his newly acquired information that " I must not take my coat off after running or getting real warm, for my pores are all open then, and I would take cold " even if he had not learned how many square miles there are in England or some other place ( without any definite idea of what a square mile ts) or the height of some distant mountain, or the length of some unnavigable river ? Yours Truly, Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. PRESTON PAPERS. No. VIII. TEACHERS' EXAMINATIONS. OLDTOWN, N. Y., Nov. 15, 188-. MR. , State Supt. etc. My Dear Sir : In these days we are looking forward to our teachers' meetings with feelings entirely different from those we used to experience. We are now sure of learning something that will be a help in our daily work, and no more time is wasted on dull statistics, nor on flights of rhetoric as useless as they are brilliant. I will tell you how another wonder has been accomplished by Miss Preston. I refer to the change effected in our annual examinations teachers' examinations, I mean. It is not within the memory of the deponent when it hath not been the custom to " toot the horn " that is, to give notice per daily paper for the assembling of the teachers in the Town Hall for examination. Mr. Johnson is the conductor, and the members of the "Board" sit apart on the stage, grand and silent witnesses of the erudition of our learned Superintendent. To them he is the very embod- iment of knowledge, and I verily believe that at times he himself wonders not that he knows so little, but how " one "head can contain it all ! " Miss Preston came once last year, but "fired up" when Mr. Johnson handed her papers back to her marked " 99^," -and asked very calmly : DEFECTS OF THE OLD WAY. 4I " How often is this required of us? " "Only once a year," he replied. " And what is its object ? " she pursued. "Why why it is a provision of the Board, for the purpose of seeing that all who have been appointed are qualified for their positions." " But how does this show whether they are or are not qualified ? " "Why, all who fall below the average standard of 75 per cent are dismissed, and those who reach it are retained." " Who prepares the questions ? " "/do," said he testily, yet pompously; "are they not all right ? " " O, yes, certainly. They seem admirably adapted for the puzzle column of a variety newspaper, or as a basis for the game of Twenty Questions." " " What do you mean, Miss Preston ? Please explain your criticism." " Simply this, then. The questions are not practical, are irrelevant and, as a rule, have no bearing on our daily work, either in theory or practice ; and hence they cannot be a criterion by which to judge of personal qualification ; and by adopting it you not only lose some good teachers, but must also retain some that are good for nothing but to repeat dates, facts and figures in a machine-like way, as a phonograph or a well drilled parrot may do." " For instance ? " " Well, for instance : you ask us to name the sovereigns of England chronologically. Good. This we should be able to do , but suppose that in the rush of earnest strife to learn the best methods of meeting the wants of our classes, that 42 PRESTON PAPERS. item of history has been buried under the accumulation of things more important. Will its loss prevent us from explaining the use of capital letters and the decimal point, or will its possession be of any use in seeing that our school room is properly heated and ventilated ? Again ; you call our attention to historical characters whose ashes long since helped fertilize the earth and vitiate the air, but you ignore the great topics of our own time and our own Government. You call for Latin declensions, and do not ask by what methods we are seeking to teach the Queen's English to those who must use it hundreds of times where they will use Latin once. You do not ask how, as individuals, we teach one topic, nor by what means we pro- mote the personal interests of our pupils. What difference will it make to our Board of Education though I can solve every problem in Euclid, and yet have no solution of the greater one : ' How can I best govern that headstrong boy of twelve, or that impertinent miss of fourteen ? ' Would not a more complete demonstration of my fitness for my special position be shown if I am called upon to specify the needs of my own school, and asked to prove that I could adapt myself to their supply, rather than by a mechanical repetition of Kepler's Three Laws, or by a familiar acquaintance with the most abstruse topic in men- tal philosophy? We are dealing with boys and girls, the every day material whose product is men and women. The minds we seek to educate, to guide, are immature, unformed not to be treated like that of a profound scientist or well drilled philosopher." "Possibly you can suggest a better plan. Let me hear you." THE BEST METHOD. 43 " In the first place, then, a conscientious teacher needs no such stimulus to keep pace with the times. Her school, with its great and varied needs, will be uppermost in her thoughts, and her powers will be concentrated in the con- stant effort to do her entire duty by it. All other occupa- tions, aims and ambitions will be of secondary importance and made subservient to it. Second, a visit to the school is the best examination patron, trustee, or superintendent can give a teacher. There the work will speak for itself, and by that alone should a teacher be commended or condemned. And again; if there must be examinations, let them be confined almost exclusively to the work before us." "Why, that would involve an examination of teachers from each grade separately." " Certainly ; why not ? Professor Lowell is teaching mathematics only, and that to young men and women of mature minds. His examination should be far different from that of my assistant here, who is dealing with child- hood and elementary studies. Radicals, Cube Root and the Metric System have positively no business in her depart- ment ; so why not let her devote all her time and energy to bringing her own work to perfection ? If we want the latest publications we do not look for them in a hardware store, nor do we visit a lawyer's office to see the newest fashion plates. We are more consistent in nearly everything per- taining to our every day life than in that which concerns our schools and teachers." She is too much for him every time, and I guess she's right generally, although at first I had my doubts. But our " civil service reform " has begun in earnest, and now we 44 PRESTON PAPERS. are having better evidence of the eternal fitness of each teacher for his or her special department. No senseless cramming, in view of the much dreaded examination on topics entirely foreign to our work, but study healthy study to adapt the means at hand to the end in view, and more thoughtful, earnest work among us all. Perfection is not yet attained. There is still too much machine work, putting the pupils at the upper end of an inclined plane, giving a push and setting them going ; but, Mr. Superintendent, we are trying, we do care and are hop- ing for good results from our united efforts. More anon from Yours Very Truly, Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. REASONS FOX. 45 No. IX. PRIZE GIVING. OLDTOWN, N. Y., Dec. 20, 188-. MR. , Supt., etc. My Dear Sir : We had long ago decided to give up our November meeting to the discussion of prize giving, and we did so to our mutual profit. Mr Johnson occupied the chair, and we each spoke as the spirit moved us. Miss Wells threw down the gauntlet by rising and saying with a flash : " I believe in giving prizes, because it stimulates the chil- dren to do their very best, and renders urging unnecessary. Then, too, it gives the school something to work for." " I am not so sure," said Miss Preston, " that the reasons you urge in its favor are not the very ones why it is injuri- ous. It does stimulate the children, surely; that is, a certain portion of them; others it discourages, perhaps the very ones, too, who need the most encouragement but who are disheartened from the outset by the idea that a prize is to be given ; only one or two can get it, and there are dozens in school who are more likely than themselves to merit it, and therefore there is no use in their trying. And by calling it 'giving the school something to work for,' we dress in very pretty words a painful fact ; for, in nine cases out of ten, the prize itself becomes the object for which they strive, forgetful of better purposes." 46 PRESTON PAPERS. Mr. Lowell arose as Miss Preston resumed her seat, and said : " I am surprised. I supposed Miss Preston was a firm believer in the doctrine of rewards and punishments. I have heard her argue something fully as orthodox in princi- ple as prize giving. I adhere to it, because it is less trouble than to manage any other way. I offer the prize, on such and such conditions, and have no further responsibility as to who wins or loses. It is their own lookout." "Yes," said Miss Preston indignantly; "we are always ready to shirk our responsibilities, even in so comparatively small matters as this. But can we? Will we not be held responsible, in a measure at least, for the feelings of envy, discontent, and discord that are fostered and cultivated by our action in this ? I do believe in judicious rewards and punishments, but not in indiscriminate ones.' I would not hold out to a school as an inducement to do well any thing that could not be shared by all." Mr. Johnson began to look interested. " How then would you manage ? You could not very well give prizes to all. Your salary would be insufficient." Miss Preston laughed. " I am not afraid of going to the poor-house, because of the little I might spend in giving my school a simple pleasure; and ways enough will suggest themselves to every teacher whose heart is in the work." "Please be specific, Miss Preston," said Miss Wood, "for I have been in the habit of giving prizes every year, and have become somewhat dissatisfied with the general results. If there is any better way I want it." "Any way seems 'better' to me than one which draws comparisons, however indirectly, as this method does. It has HOW PRIZES ARE WON. 47 the effect of making the successful (if I may use that adjec- tive in this connection) child vain of its own attainments, by being the recipient not only of the prize but of the remarks and notice which follow and as a rule a prize winner becomes self-satisfied and self-sufficient to such a degree as almost to preclude better influences, even sometimes causing a cessation from further effort ; and the others are needlessly made jealous of the successful child or painfully morbid concerning their own stupidity, when in fact they may not be nearly as dull as the one who received the prize; or when, as happens in many instances, those who do not get the reward only lose it because they are more conscientious. For instance : I offer a prize to my arithmetic class, to be given to the one who has the most perfect lessons. Fanny is glib, and has a memory which assists in perfect recita- tions, together with an easy conscience which permits her to answer ' Perfect ' at roll call if she has not missed any question, although she knew that she would miss if certain other questions had been asked. George, in the same class is somewhat slow of speech, perhaps slow to understand, but industrious and faithful. Then too, ' perfect ' has a fullness of meaning for him that has never entered into the heart of Fanny ; and, although he has spent more real work on the lesson than she, he is too conscientious to say ' Perfect ' even if he has answered every question that was given him. He is not content, with his superficial knowl- edge of the lesson, to call it perfect, even for the sake of the prize which he must see pass into the hands of one whom he knows is no more deserving than himself." " You do not think, then, that a teacher will gain the love of his pupils in this way ? " queried Mr. Johnson. 48 PRESTON PAPERS. " Certainly not. Do you necessarily love the one who pays what is justly your due ? By no means. If you make a coat or boots, a chair or machine for a person, you earn your pay ; but it does not follow that you have any affection for the one who offers so much for so much. So children who get prizes receive them as their honest due, if hon- estly gained; and the giver has little or no place in their consideration. Besides, I do not think it wise to inculcate a belief that a child should be paid for doing his best. It lowers the standard of 'Right for right's sake,' and gives the impression that right is the exception, wrong the rule." " And what would you offer in place of prize giving ? " " Free communion and association between teachers and pupils. I would gain their love and sympathy by entering into their duties and pastimes outside of school. I would show myself their friend, by my interest in their individual selves, not only at school during stndy hours and in their classes; but on the play-ground, at recess, at home, on the street, everywhere." Much more was said, pro and con, but I shall leave it to report some other time, for I want to tell you how Miss Preston manages, as she is too modest to even speak of her own peculiar methods, even in our Association. She doesn't give prizes, but she does give pleasure ; pleasures that fall "alike upon the just and unjust " and forever prevent any criticism for showing partiality. The only distinction she ever makes is to give special attention to the poor, the repulsive, the most disagreeable ones those who are the' most friendless, by reason of their condition or conduct. But how ? Well, for instance, last year there was an unusual CHRISTMAS PLANS. 49 number of poor children in our ward, which is largely settled by a foreign population many of them day laborers, and some of them even worse than that, having no steady em- ployment, and some miserable drunkards. As the holidays approached and we were all busy talking over our plans for Christmas, Miss Preston said to me one day : " I would like to do something for my school for Christmas. Many of them will not have a thing to make the day memorable; and some of them I'm afraid will suffer from cold and hunger." "What is your plan? I'd like to help" for by that time I had begun to appreciate her and to care more for my classes. "Come home with me to-night," said she, "and we will .talk it over." I did. On the way she stopped at a confec- tioner's and ordered twenty-five pounds of candy, assorted, pure, and of the best quality. Next she bought a large basket of corn to pop and she engaged a big boy whom she saw on one of the street corners to do the work for her. After tea, I helped her put the candy into white paper cor- nucopias, which we rolled up; seventy-five of them, one for each child. The day that school was to close for our week's vacation, she asked the children if they knew what anniversary would be celebrated the following Sunday, and after a little talk she read a Christmas poem to them, and I read a Christmas story. A knock at the door was answered by her, and old Santa Claus himself came in, bearing a huge basket on each arm. He was invited to a place on the stage, from whence he informed the wondering children that he visited them by request of their teachers, etc., etc. I can not picture the enthusiasm that prevailed ; nor can 4 50 PRESTON PAPERS. any one say where the influence of her happy thought will end, for, as each boy and girl received a package of candy and a dish of pop corn, there was no jealousy, no bitter feelings of strife or envy nothing but pure love, such as is felt by the Christ whose birth is celebrated each returning year. I do not know which was the happier, teacher or pupils. I only know that she makes the most of her oppor- tunities to do them good. She goes on little fishing, nutting, and flower-hunting excursions with them, and each of these she makes an occasion for instruction of some sort ; and I know that many a boy is indebted to her for his real polite- ness of manner, and many a girl owes to her her pleasant recognition of the small courtesies of life. Two or three weeks since, when we had our first fall of snow, she hired horses, drivers, and long sleighs enough to take her entire school, including myself and classes, for an afternoon's ride. Do these things pay ? Yes, she is paid every day, by the progress of her school by their devotion to her, and by their higher moral standard ; for her character has not been without its effect on their moral perceptions. There is much more of which I would like to tell you, but have not time. One thought, however, comes to me more and more frequently, Why are not more teachers like her? Why am / not ? ( Rather why was I not, for by association with her so long I am taking on some of her methods, although I can never hope to attain to her hight. ) Why did I never think of these things before ? Why were not my own teach- ers of this sort? Is she a rara avis? If so, why? Yours Truly, Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. PESTALOZZr^ LAWS. 51 No. X. NUMBER. OLDTOWN, N. Y., January 16, 188-. MR. , State Supt. Public Instruction. My Dear Sir : I am glad that some one wants to know how Primary Arithmetic should be taught, as that is just what interested us at our Teachers' Meeting in December. We are actually learning how to teach. I will not give all the old stereotyped " methods " ad- vanced by some of our number, as all gave way before Miss Preston's better ones. Mr. Johnson had seen one of the trustees where she taught several years ago, and had been told by him that she was the most successful teacher of pri- mary studies they had ever known ; and this gave Mr. John- son an excuse for calling her out. He is really waking up to her great value, and seems to depend upon her sugges- tions. His questions elicited something like the following : "Our first object should be to get down to the child. It is a long step from their plane of vision to ours, and we should so express ourselves as to be at once understood by the lit- tle ones. Then we will follow Pestalozzi's laws ' From the concrete to the abstract ; from the known to the unknown ; from the simple to the compound,' and we shall have no trouble in teaching Primary Arithmetic, nor anything else.' S 2 PRESTON PAPERS. A chorus of voices clamored for illustrations, and after some hesitation she continued : " Of course the first thing to be done is to teach them to count. This should be done concretely never abstractly at first. We may begin asking how many hands each one has; how many feet, eyes, ears, noses, tongues, fingers, thumbs, etc. Then lines may be drawn upon the board, and they may count them as the teacher points to them, never allowing them to count more than the lines shown, nor faster than pointed out. This will give them instinc- tively, an idea of the relative worth of numbers a very important item. Afterwards they may be allowed to count abstractly, and then drilled on the relative value of numbers by the teacher writing 8, 4, 3, etc. on the board ; each time that two numbers are put thereon, asking them to tell which is of the greater value, and which the lesser. After a short time, they may call out when the teacher pronounces two numbers as, 12, 7. These exercises should always go back- ward also. For instance, when they have learned by the use of apples, pencils, fingers, beans, or stones to count four, they should be taught in the same way, by use of the same means, to count from four to one. Be very sure not to count from one to ten with apples, and then from ten backwards with something else. Use the same thing for each process, to prevent any confusion in the children's mind. After they have learned to count any number, and can dis- tinguish the figure or figures that represent it, they may be taught to write the number themselves. For instance, I hold up three crayons ; ' How many crayons have I ? ' 'Three crayons.' (Always insist on a complete answer. If they say ' Three,' in response to your question, you may ask TEACHING ADDITION, ETC. 53, ' Three what ? Three cents ? ' and after a few illustrations of this kind they will get into the way of complete replies.) ' Very well, I will make the number on the blackboard and you may make it on your slates, You may each make three 33, and John may go to the board and make his. Next time some one else may go.' How eager they will be, and how deeply interested ! Dry and dull ? Tired? Don't like to go to school ? Hate numbers ? No ; these things you need never hear. Having learned to count, to read and write small numbers readily, I would teach addition, sub- traction, multiplication and division of those numbers to- gether." " Why, Miss Preston ! What a dreadful dose that would be," said Mr. Johnson. " Not at all ! " she replied with a smile. " I would not give a child a book with the ' table ' of 8s, for instance, and compel him to learn ' i and 8 is 9 ; 2 and 8 is 10 ; 3 from & leaves 5 ; 6 times 8 is 48; 2 is contained in 8 4 times.' That would 'be a dose. So is any ' table ' of abstract figures. All a child's early instruction should come through some bodily sense ; hence, I would take the seeds, apples, stones or what not that we had been using, and select eight as they counted them. ' Now let us see what we can do with these eight apples.' Let them count, say two more from the gen- eral pile, and put them with the eight already counted. ' Now you may count them all.' This done, they have found for themselves the truth that '8 and 2 is 10.' It is a grand thing for them. Their eyes sparkle, and they are hungry for more. You may put the fact into form for them on the board, while they copy the same on their slates. Now, removing the surplus, two apples from the eight> 54 PRESTON PAPERS. we will see what counting backwards from eight will do for us. ' Here we have the same eight apples. As you count I will take away two. We call this subtraction, because it means taking away. How many apples have we left ? ' Write on the board in the same manner as before and let the little ones follow on their slates, inspecting their work, giving hints as to size and shape of figures, use of signs, general appearance, neatness, etc. They have now learned that ' 2 from 8 leaves six,' therefore ' 2 and 6 must be 8 ; and only half the time has been used that would have been in the old way. Go right on with the same general form for multiplication and division, using two and eight as the num- bers with which to work. One caution may be necessary right here : you may become so interested and enthusiastic yourself as to forget the wonderful smallness of the minds with which you are dealing, and give them too much at a time. Be very careful about this. Do not sacrifice quality to quantity. Let the lessons be short and frequent, and the progress will be rapid and satisfactory." Verily, she was that moment a living exposition of her own words, for she sat down tired out, and each of her lis- teners had that tense, strained look of overwrought minds ! It was like a new revelation to us ! Teach in that way, with our whole soul and strength and mind and might? Teach without books, without the old ease of announcing a lesson, hearing it "recited," and then dismissing it without a fur- ther thought ? Why, the perfect mastery of that one sub- ject and the method of presenting it to the juvenile mind must have involved hours of patient study, such as we had never dreamed of giving to anything so commonplace ! We did not wonder that she grew thin over her work, for PROMOTION. 55 she put her very life into it. Nor did we wonder again that she was always spoken of as a "grand success! " nor that she commands a salary and is constantly promoted, while others are left to drone, dream and drudge over their work. We have so many topics on hand for discussion that we contemplate semi-monthly meetings. But, I must close, for I want to read my new "Educational Report," so kindly sent by you, and see what I can there find for my school. Yours Truly, Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. PRESTON PAPERS. No. XI. PRIMARY ARITHMETIC. OLDTOWN, N. Y., Feb. 22, 188-. MR. SUPERINTENDENT : Since the subject of Arithmetic has been proposed for elucidation, and I have already given you a general idea of how Miss Preston starts the little ones up this "Hill Diffi- culty, " it may be well for me to go on and tell you how the light from her lamp shone on my path and helped me over an otherwise trying place. It was when I first knew her, and before I had gained any confidence in her methods of teaching. I had taught so long, and in the old, stereotyped vvay, that I did my work mechanically and frowned upon innovations as upon a personal infringement. She came to the door of the recitation room one afternoon to invite me to take a walk. She's a rare pedestrian and makes it a daily exercise, generally walking several miles. I am getting in the way of it myself now, although at that time I had not realized its wonderful benefits as I have since. That day I was tired and cross, and had kept a little boy from one of the beginning classes after school, because he had failed to .get his examples; and to his assurances that he did not understand them, I only vouchsafed the calm suggestion that he " must be very dull." I would not " offend one of these little ones " by such ar ILL USTRA TIONS. 57 answer to their appeal for help to-day, but I was completely oblivious then to everything except the sense of drudgery which my work imposed upon me. I did not offer him any assistance, but cut the leaves of " A Reverend Idol " and coldly read while he pored over his book. After waiting a few moments Miss Preston asked if she might speak with Henry, and I gave her an ungracious " Certainly." She ignored my manner, and sitting down at Henry's desk, talked with him something like the following Miss Preston. Are your examples very hard to-day ? Henry. They are not very hard, I guess, for the other boys all had them. Miss P. Do you understand them ? H. No, ma'am ; not when I have to take 8 from 3. I can do the other kind well enough, taking 3 from 8, and such, but I don't see how I can take 8 from 3. Miss P. Ah, yes. I see your trouble. Now please hand me that tin cup by the water pail. I thank you. I want a drink from it, but I see that it is empty. What shall I do ? I am very thirsty; but I cannot drink from an empty cup nor from one that has only three dropsy^, it, for I need much more to quench my thirst. H. (With animation.) Why, I can get some for you from the pail. Miss P. But suppose the pail is empty ? H. Why then I would go to the faucet down in the base ment, and get a pailful. Miss P. That wouldn't do any good. I only want a cupful. H. Well, I can bring you a cupful from the pail, when it is full ! 5 8 PRESTON PAPERS, Miss P. Just so. Now let us see if we can not do the same in your example. You can't take 8 from 3 ; but per- haps we can go to the pail and fill our cup. Ah, no. Our next figure is a cipher. Our pail is empty. What shall we do ? Go to the faucet of course, fill our pail and come back. Beyond our cipher stands a 4 on purpose for us to use. Now, if I take one of these hundreds, how many tens is it worth ? H. Why, ten tens. Miss P. Good. Now instead of the cipher we have 10. We can fill the cup from the pail. So now we will take one of these tens ( equal to ten units ) and add it to the three units we already have, giving us 13 units. Now can you take 8 from 13? H. Oh r yes, and it leaves 5. -Why isn't that funny! It's just like a poor man without money, begging from some one with a pocketful. Miss P. Just so. Now you have 3 to take from 9 where your cipher stood. H. And it leaves 6 ! Miss P. Now here is our 4, with a 2 below it. What will you do ? H. Why (after some meditation), 4 gave away part of his. Miss P. Yes. How much has he left ? H. Why, 3. So we can say " 2 from 3." Miss P. Do you think you "see through " it now ? H. (With great enthusiasm.) Why, yes, ma'am. I can't help getting my examples now. Which was true. And / couldn't help catching the fire, nor have I been able to keep out of it since. When we came to fractions she showed me how to illustrate the value ENTHUSIASM AND ORDER. 59 of numerator and denominator by things visible, apples, oranges, etc., until the facts were so plain I began to think I had never before half comprehended them myself. So with compound numbers. Under her advice I bor- rowed a set of gill, pint, quart, and gallon cups at the hard- ware store and let the children learn for themselves the relative value of each measure, and then construct their own tables, backward as well as forward. For instance: we first filled the gallon measure and found it would fill the quart cup four times, so " i gallon makes 4 quarts; 4 quarts make i gallon." Actually, I borrowed small scales after that, and taught them to weigh, using sand, which Miss Preston calls " clean dirt." So with everything long, square, and cubic measure set them all to buying the penny tape measures, and finding the length, hight, and width, of everything in and around the school house and yard. And I was nearly as enthusiastic as they, and by practicing became expert enough to esti- mate the size of anything with a degree of accuracy hitherto unknown. Order ? No, I do not think my recitations were con- ducted with as good order ( in the common acceptation of the word) as before but the pupils learned, and have been learning ever since, until I have come to believe that the fairy "Order" has been grossly misrepresented, as a tyrant to whom it was necessary to sacrifice everything else. The order that prevails in my school now is of a far different (and I hope better) type than that which formerly compelled my pupils to sit in a stated position, and if called upon to recite to do it in one special way and in no other. 60 PRESTON PAPERS. One more illustration of Miss Preston's genius in teaching arithmetic, and I will close. One of the teachers came to her the other day after our Association meeting, and said : " Miss Preston, you spoke of having the children count backward as well as forward. Will you kindly illustrate ? " "With pleasure; " and turning right around to the black- board she drew a flight of stairs in outline, placing a cipher on the lowest, a figure i on the next, 2 on the next, and so up to 10. All in less time than it takes to write it, she had continued : "From o to 10 I call 'going up stairs;' from 10 to o 'going down stairs.' It is a favorite illustration because simple, quick, and a pleasing conceit for the children ; and they certainly learn to add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers more quickly and with more intelligence by means of some such thing, than abstractly." As they progress, she takes other numbers; for instance the stairs will be filled with 2 and its multiples or 3, 4, 5, 10, 12, according to the previous development. The orders of units she illustrates by bundles of sticks, similar to matches in shape and size ; ten in a bundle to represent units ; ten bundles to represent tens, etc. She has " faculty ; " and no matter what she teaches, she does so from the child's standpoint. Oh, I want to tell you about her methods in teaching grammar, but cannot now. Yours Truly, Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. DREAD OF THE WORD. 6 1 No. XII. COMPOSITIONS. OLDTOWN, N. Y., March 16, 188-. STATE SUPERINTENDENT : My Dear Sir : Yes, sir ; our February meeting discussed "Compositions," as you suggested, Mr. Johnson presiding. Mr. Lowell spoke first, and with more energy than I had ever before seen him exhibit : " I hate the word, and dread composition day even more than my pupils do, if that is possible." Miss Preston laughed softly, and then inquired if under those circumstances he was successful in obtaining good compositions ? " O, fair," he replied, " I think they are about as composi- tions average. I do not see the sense, myself, in insisting upon boys and girls writing compositions, when they have not half a dozen ideas among the whole class ; and I have more than once petitioned that the subject be dropped from the course of study in my department." " May I inquire about the method you use ? " *' Certainly. In the first place I require one from each pupil every month. That gives me all the trouble I want with them, for it is like pulling eye-teeth to get a decent composition from some of them." " Do they select their own subjects? " 02 PRESTON PAPERS. " No, I tried that, but found it did not work satisfactorily. Nearly all were troubled to think of a subject, or what to say about it when they did." " Who reads them ? " " Each one reads his own. I give them half an hour in which to write, and they spend the rest of the time in read- ing what they have written." " And who corrects them ? " *' Oh, we are none of us critical enough for that. It is hard enough to get the writing done in the first place, with- out worrying about it afterward." "Just my mind," chimed in Miss Wood. "And I do not fancy trying to turn my school room into a shop for making poets and essayists. It involves more friction than anything else in my school, except my constant warfare on whispering." Oh, how I longed to hear Miss Preston speak ! Why our composition days are a real treat to us ; and as for making drudgery of it well, it is a pleasure. But Miss Wells was the next speaker. " I think it is a good thing, myself, although I am not very successful in that line. " "How do you manage?" queried Mr. Johnson. " Oh, Wednesday of each week is our ' Composition Day,' and I have a certain space on the blackboard where the subject is found written out for each week. I call for not less than about five hundred words, and impose a pen- alty for remissness. " Then Miss Preston inquired : " What is the usual style of your topics ? " " Last week we had ' The Pleasures of Memory,' and the WRONG METHODS. 63 week before ' The Advantages of Education.' Next week we are to have ' Ambition." " " Do they do their own work ? " "What do you mean by that?" "I mean," said Miss Preston, slowly, "do they write out their own ideas of these abstractions, or do they merely copy the sentiments of some one else ? " " Oh, as to that, they undoubtedly get all the help they can from their friends. Indeed, I have known them to copy an article verbatim from print; but I am not bound to con- vict them without proof positive of their guilt, and in nine cases out of ten I cannot furnish this even if morally cer- tain that the articles are not their own." " Then what is the object of the exercise ? We only gain power by putting forth power, and if that is not done the object of writing compositions is lost." " I have never entered into the question of effect in my plans for pupils," said Miss Wells, "but if any one can sug- gest an improvement on my way I am open to conviction." Mr. Johnson looked doubtfully toward Miss Preston, and with some hesitation said : " Perhaps Miss Preston will help us out." " I am not sure that I can," she replied with a smile ; "but my impression is that we invest the exercise with too much formality. In the first place we select subjects en- tirely beyond the range of an ordinary child's thought, and then insist upon a set number of lines or words and say, 'Write.' By this we induce them to hate the work, and to cheat themselves by avoiding it; or, almost as bad, we permit them to write in a style entirely foreign to themselves, and one which is injurious in its effect on their habits of writing." 6 4 PRESTON PAPERS. " How can we avoid these serious results ? " queried our superintendent. " You may well call them serious, and we must study how to avoid them. I do not think I have any set method ; rather let the occasion make the method. For instance, if my his- tory class has had a lesson of unusual interest or value, and I wish to impress it upon the minds of my pupils, I ask them to put their thoughts of the person, place or circumstance into words of their own. Sometimes they use their slates, sometimes the blackboard, and frequently it is an oral exer- cise. Then if I find it desirable to be more elaborate I ask them to copy them on paper, and after looking over and correcting them, I select one or more to be read in public at our next reception, and perhaps some will be requested for our weekly paper. So with my other classes. If my arith- metic class has surmounted a difficulty, it is easy for them to write of their struggle and of the victory gained. Some- times the current events furnish better topics than anything else could ; for instance, Garfield's assassination and death filled every pupil in my school at that time with unlimited food for thought. The recent floods in Pennsylvania have also been prolific of topics ; the distress they have caused, the damage done, etc., etc. The great fire at Seattle and the Quebec disaster were equally useful in supplying themes for the juvenile pens. The unexpected results of the No- vember election brought out political and temperance com- positions by the score. I seldom give them an abstract subject never without first preparing them for it by a familiar talk with them concerning the thing to be dis- cussed, and I sometimes find it necessary to give them sev- eral days in which to look it up. Sometimes I read them a NOT A BUGBEAR. 65 short story or poem, and call for a paraphrase ; but under all circumstances I would first seek to inspire them with interest and enthusiasm, and this done there is no trouble in securing ideas or the expression of them. My work is then to give them hints as to style, rules for capitalizing, etc." Trouble in securing ideas, or their expression ! I should think not, indeed ! Why the one or two whose productions are selected for public reading are so highly honored by the distinction thus conferred upon them that each one strives to do his best. Then Miss Preston keeps a big drawer, on purpose for all the compositions that are given her by her pupils after she has corrected, and they copied, signed and dated them. For convenience, they are spread out in the covers of an old geography and are supposed to be free to exhibit to visitors who want to know how the school pros- pers ; or they can be used for public or private rhetorical exercises, or for whatever purpose she deems best. Miss Preston does not make a bugbear of the work, as most of it is voluntary ; and if she assigns a topic to anyone, or to a class, it is because of their peculiar fitness for the theme, and their interest in it. She has been requested to bring some samples to our next meeting, and I know of sev- eral fine historical essays produced by her pupils last term, which I hope she will take. But I must leave this interesting subject ; and perhaps I can tell you more after our next meeting. Yours Truly, Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. 5 66 PRESTON PAPERS. No. XIII. MANAGEMENT. OLDTOWN, N. Y., April 4, 188-. MY DEAR SUPERINTENDENT : I think I must go away back to our January meeting, and take up a back stitch that proved valuable in our work, and which may help some half-discouraged teacher among your forces. Mr. Johnson had previously announced that we would make a special study on that day of " How shall I best promote the interests of my school ? " and requested us to give the subject our careful attention, and then bring to our Association a written answer to the query, supplemented by a brief statement of the reason why we thought that the true method. ( You will observe that the tone of our meetings is somewhat more elevated than when they were merely places for reading statistics. Some thanks are due to you, for your talks and suggestions, as well as much, very much, to Miss Preston.) Well, we were interested in studying out why we had succeeded, if we had, and the cause of failure if the best interests of our school had not been promoted by us; and at the appointed hour not one was "among the missing." A hat was passed for the literary contributions, which were THE KEY NOTE. 67 then read by the collector, and I herewith append a hasty synopsis of a few of the more characteristic ones. " By strict discipline. We are all rebels by nature, and once the law is not enforced, disorder prevails : the greatest obstacle to the best interest of any school." We were somewhat surprised afterward to learn that this came from Mr. Lowell, noted as he is for his want of discipline. " By maintaining our dignity. This is preeminently the age and nation for hero worship. In the mind of the average child no one holds a higher place than his teacher, and if we succeed we must not allow 'familiarity' to ' breed contempt.' " Another instance where theory and practice do not go hand in hand, for this came from one of our young lady teachers, who never understood the first principles of true dignity. Is it always so ? Do we base our ideal theories upon what we feel that we lack in ourselves ? " By enforcing our rules. Laws that are not maintained by penalties for their non-observance are mere nullities. Every school is a miniature kingdom, of which the teacher is ruler, and the pupils subjects, nolens volens." A lively discussion followed this proposition, during which it was decided that in too many of the miniature kingdoms there are tyrants for rulers ; that tyrants incite to rebellion ; and that sugar plums may be as effective in some cases as cannon balls. " By securing the codperation of parents, pupils, and trustees with the teacher. In union we find strength ; in division weakness. If the elements are harmonized the whole will be symmetrical ; but if the parts cannot be made to join, the superstructure is unsafe." We recognized the personality of this key note, and all our 68 PRESTON PAPERS. hearts responded to the sound of its music. Miss Preston was called upon to illustrate her meaning, which she did somewhat as follows : " Perhaps I can best explain my idea by relating an expe- rience of ten or twelve years since. I was young and a stranger to everyone in the little Village of M , when I accepted a position there as teacher in the primary depart- ment of their Union School. The principal of the school was a middle aged man of dead ideas, always wearing an apologetic expression and seldom speaking of his school or patrons, except to whine at their indifference or to prophesy something dismal of the future. He pitied me for my enthusiasm when I proposed during the first month to invite the parents to visit my school. Said he : ' Why I have taught here nine years, and in all that time only six of the parents have opened the door; and they did it only to find fault with me for something I had done or left undone.' ' And do the trustees never come in ? ' I asked. ' Yes, when I send for them to substantiate my claim in some way. On any other occasion they send Mr. Hubbard, their secretary, to see if anything is needed; and as he is timid (?) he walks around outside of the building, and I'm not aware of his presence until his little dog comes bounding and barking into the hall, making the children titter. Then I know that his master is not far off and I hunt him up after school closes and have a talk with him.' I confess it looked rather dubious, but I wrote letters of invitation to each of the trustees, and two for each pupil one to be given to his parents, the other to his best friend, one hundred twenty in all. Then I called for volunteers COOPER A TION. 69 among the pupils to help entertain their friends with music, recitations, readings, etc., and every child took a part." " Did you succeed in getting any one out to your recep- tion ? " queried Mr. Johnson, with interest. "Why, yes. The room was crowded." "What was the form of your invitation?" asked Miss Wells, greatly interested. " Oh, about the same as any 'At Home ' on a society card." " Had you met most of the parents before ? " " Oh, no. But I think a teacher ought not always to wait for the parents to take the initial step toward an acquaint- ance that must be a mutual benefit. To be sure it is pleas- anter for us when they do so, but so many things hinder busy people from starting; yet they would be more than glad to meet us half way. The surest way to any parent's heart is through their children ; and they will always be inclined to assist those who take an interest in the juveniles." "But how did you manage the trustees ?" again asked our superintendent. " Easily. I simply changed the form of the card, and hinted that the prosperity of our school was due largely to their financiering, and that it depended somewhat upon their interest in its everyday matters." Let me tell you how else she manages to secure the coope- ration of parents. She calls on every one of her pupils every year, sometimes oftener. None are so poor or so wretched as to merit her neglect none so far away that she will not go to them. And no child is ever absent from school two days in succession without an extra call from her. If she finds them sick, she ministers to them ; badly clothed she institutes work by which they can help themselves to better; 7 o PRESTON PAPERS. indifferent about attendance, this call is sure to rouse them; and the gratitude of the parents is visible in their love for her, and in their interest in her success. She gains them all, without an effort. No, not without an effort; not without a sacrifice of personal comfort, leisure, society, strength. But her success is compensatory for all these. Her pupils, their parents, the trustees, are her firm allies now, and will remain her life-long friends. O, I could tell you of so many of her ways for securing this cooperation that results in such mutual benefit little in themselves, mayhap, but aggrega- ting grandly. Space and time forbid further particulars at present, however. Yours Truly, Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. A TEACHER'S OPPORTUNITIES. No. XIV. ENVIRONMENT. OLDTOWN, N. Y., June i, 188-. MR. , State Supt. of Public Instruction. My Dear Sir : I believe I have never told you how Miss Preston got the school yard cleared up and beautified last Spring. As it required so little effort on her part and yet resulted in so much good (not only to our school but to individuals outside whom I feel sure she reached uninten- tionally), I will give you a brief outline. If any one has better or more numerous opportunities than another to exercise a missionary spirit, that one is the public school teacher. He has access to at least as many homes as there are representatives in the school ; and in each of these homes the teacher may be a power for the good, the true* the beautiful. I have only recently learned to think of these things, and now my attention to it is entirely due to Miss'Preston's influence and to your talks and letters. If she has not entirely revolutionized our dull old city, she has at least worked wonders in it in some directions. But I will not stop to moralize, as a plain statement of the facts and her manner of dealing with them will suggest the simple " How " to other teachers. The yard is large and well shaded, but has never been kept clean until within the last two years the leaves of 72 PRESTON PAPERS. Autumn serving as decoration for Spring. The ashes and cinders from the basement beautified one side of the yard, while a pile of kindling ornamented the other. These received some valuable auxiliaries in the shape of waste papers, thrown from every window, remains of lunches (bread crusts, apple cores, orange peel, etc.), with now and then a stray rubber by way of variety. Of course the papers gradually disappeared after the advent of the waste paper basket, mentioned in a former letter ; but this did not diminish the ash heap nor render the other things invisible. After a time Miss Preston per- suaded those who brought their dinners to save the pieces usually thrown away, in a newspaper she provided ; and she sent them by one of the big boys to a poor family living in the same square, for their hens. The children were de- lighted to have the scraps of food utilized ; and it was a godsend to the poor fowls, who were not overfed, at least. But as the snows of winter gave place to grass, the yard began to be talked about. Miss Preston agitated the sub- ject in the most judicious way, never fretting, scolding nor finding fault. This she never does. She simply said one day while standing in the yard : " Henry, if you will bring a rake to school this afternoon, we will see if five or six of us cannot improve the looks of the yard a little bit." Henry did not need a second invitation, such he consid- ered it, and volunteers to help were both numerous and eager. The yard was cleared of all the rubbish except the kindling wood and ashes. The janitor was asked to have them removed the former to the basement, and the latter to fill in the hollows in .he back yard. THE VASE AND THE ROCKERY. 73 One morning Miss Preston appeared bearing in one hand a white vase or urn, such as adorn the yards of some of our 3 No. XX. MANNERS. OLDTOWN, N. Y., June 26, 188-. MR. , Supt. Public Instruction. Respected Sir : Our little knot of interested teachers took up "Manners" during one of our spring meetings; and we really gained something for ourselves as well as for our schools, by its ventilation. The parliament was opened by Miss Sigourney, who in an undertone, designed only for Mr. Brown's ears, said : "I was amused -this morning on my way here, to meet Julian Bristol. He doffed his soft felt hat to me, with a bow that would have done credit to a Chesterfield or a Raleigh." Now Julian is one of my big boys, of African descent, graceful, good natured, and one of Miss Preston's ardent admirers as all her school children are ; and at her sug- gestion I have been giving my department little lessons, hints, and talks, on social culture; and I have been care- fully noting its effect in the manners of my pupils, in school and on the street; and Miss Sigourney's tone, more than her words, nettled me a little, and although not addressed personally, I spurred up with : " Is it unusual for gentlemen to raise their hats to you, Miss Sigourney ?" 104 PRESTON PAPERS. Now it was ill-bred, and I ought to have possessed my soul in patience. Miss Sigourney, however, good-naturedly ignored my implied sarcasm, and laughed a little, saying, gently for her : " Julian is only sixteen ; and our incipient gentlemen, of such tender years, are not usually masters of such captivat- ing manners as to make it seem like an every-day occur- rence to me." " I am sure there should be nothing unusual in such a dis- play of courtesy as to make it a target for remarks of any sort," said Mr. Johnson, a little warmly. " I have n't noticed that our boys and girls are below the average in politeness." " And yet," said Mr. Hopkins, "it was only yesterday that my landlady complained of the ' rabble ' as she termed the boys (boys who call themselves young gentlemen, too, and many of them come from families of good social position ) who came 'tumbling' pell-mell out of the High School build- ing, just as she was passing. Some really ran against her, and nearly all were so intent upon running that they were as oblivious of her presence on the pavement as they were of her right to it. She was quite disgusted, and spoke with some vehemence of a 'system' that makes scholars at the expense of gentlemen." " Now I think she's hasty in condemning the system, faulty though it may be," said Miss Preston, on the defen- sive at once. " To be sure the conduct was rude, inexcus- able, may be; but Mrs. Storrs never had any children of her own, and her childhood is so far in the background that she has perhaps forgotten her own impulsive youth if it was impulsive ; and if was n't she could n't well understand such a phase of boy-nature." AWKWARDNESS OF YOUTH. 105 " That's the key note to much of our trouble of every description," sighed Mr. Johnson. " We don't understand ourselves nor others, and we look at a thing from only one side. Now suppose we lay aside our plans for to-day's work, and talk about ' Civility : How it may be taught and inculcated in our schoolrooms.' " Personally I was very glad of this suggestion, for when I began to look with my new eyes upon the work before me I could see so much uncultivated " good timber " before me that the magnitude of the work nearly overwhelmed me. "" Watch," Miss Preston had said to me. " You will see that nine out of ten do not know how to get out of a room prop- erly when there are others in it ; how to terminate a call or visit gracefully and pleasantly ; how to acknowledge a favor ? nor how to make amends for a blunder." And I had watched, and had found these things and more things that I wonder I had passed without observing for so many years. It is just the difference between machine work and soul work everywhere. "Well," said Miss Sigourney, " I did not know I was lead- ing up to such a profound discussion ; but on the whole I can not regret it if it opens my eyes as to any good way to treat a matter that has only troubled me a short time." Mr. Whipple was in the chair that day, and he said : <4 Perhaps we shall get at the merits of the subject more quickly if we concede the great need of work in this field, and confine our first inquiries as to the best ways of doing the work. Miss Ingersoll, where would you begin ? " "On the 'woman' side of the question, naturally," she replied with a laugh. " I would teach deference to the sex, from the youngest boy up." tog PRESTON PAPERS. " Good," said Mr. Whipple. " But that would only touch a part of creation." " A very large part, though," said Miss Ingersoll ; " and the boy who is polite to his mother and sisters will hardly be rude to the rest of the family." "True," said Mr. Whipple, "and yet I think we should begin on a broader basis. Let us hear from the gentlemen of the Association. Mr. Lowell, where would you place the fundamental principles of good breeding ? " " I think," said Professor Lowell, slowly, " that if we place selfishness at the base of rudeness, we shall find that court- esy rests upon its opposite trait." "That is good, too, as far as it goes," said Mr. Johnson, "but some people who are really unselfish at heart are not models of manners." " That would suggest ' tact ' as an essential element of courtesy," said Mr. Wheeler, a little doubtfully. "Yes; and it is a good plank," said Mr. Whipple ; "yet I hardly think we have gotten at the heart of the matter yet. Let us hear from the fair sex," and he looked appealingly at Miss Preston. " I would give every child the Golden Rule as an infallible general guide," she responded, unhesitatingly ; " the thought ' Would I like to have such and such things said and done to me, or in my presence,' will often prompt to an act of civility, or restrain the performance of an impolite one. But all children and most young people as well as some older ones need specific, definite instruction as to how and what to do under certain every day circumstances." " You are surely right," volunteered Miss Smith. " Only last night Luella Hubbard offended my sense of propriety COURTESY AS CAPITAL. 107 by returning a borrowed book without so much as a ' Thank you,' when I knew that she had really derived a great deal of pleasure from it, for I had heard her speaking of it in a very animated way, to a group of girls and boys, about ten minutes before, when I first came into the room." "Precisely so," said Miss Preston ; "and while we hardly want to use the argumentum ad hominem, we can make such a circumstance as that the text for a general lesson to the school, and with good effect." "Yes," observed Mr. Whipple, "it is without difficulty that I recall my own spasmodic efforts to do the agreeable to a little blonde of sixteen, while I was yet in the transition period and frock coats," and he laughed at the recollection. That laugh did us all good, and it gave us a sort of fraternal feeling that was eminently good for the topic under consideration. " And if those efforts had been well directed, instead of ' spasmodic,' I dare say you would have been successful," laughed Miss Sigourney, a little mischievously. " Now I think Julian Bristol has made a good start in the world." " And so he has," said Mr. Whipple, with energy. " When he goes out to hunt up a place to work, if he knows what to do with his hands, when to take off his hat, how to speak when necessary and when not to, and dozens of other things that have a commercial value, he has a much better chance to get the place he wants than if he has the uncultivated manners of the average boy." " I had n't thought of these things before. It is strange," said Mr. Johnson, seriously; "but I believe that we ought not to neglect this part of any child's education." "Nor ought we," said Miss Preston. "Manners and I0 8 PRESTON PAPERS. morals are really as essential as geography and grammar. But we can not teach, in these things, farther than we go by example. We can not consistently exact politeness if we do not use it. If we teach our girls and boys to salute us with ' Good Morning ' when they come in, and ' Good after- noon ' when they go out, it must be as much by example as by precept." These are but a few of the suggestions thrown out ; but I have always noted in Miss Preston's association with her pupils that she observes even the least of these " small, sweet courtesies," prefacing every request, however insig- nificant, with " Please," receiving every favor with " Thank you," " I'm obliged to you," or something equally courteous never saying " Thanks," as is a prevalent custom, denom- inating it as " decidedly curt " and " next to nothing." And they are influenced by her manners; we can all see that, and many have spoken of it to Yours Truly, Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. A CONTRAST. 109 No. XXI. DRESS. OLDTOWN, N. Y., Sept. 13, 188- MR. , State Supt. My Dear Sir: The subject of "Dress" seemed to follow so naturally that of " Manners," that we entered upon its consideration informally and without a previous announcement. Miss Sigourney presided ; and when I tell you that she is as remarkable for her lack of concern in her personal appearance as she is for her good nature which is almost traditional you will say: "The two too often accompany each other." To-day she had on a dress which was considerably soiled, a none-too-clean collar, and her hair was in a state ! This, too, when she was to preside at a teachers' meeting ! ! I was sorry for her as soon as I saw the " tone " the meeting was likely to assume, for I felt sure she would have her sensitive nature wounded ; but, would you believe it ? she remained or seemed perfectly oblivious of her toilet and its imperfections. Miss Whitney sat near, and a more perfect contrast can not be imagined. Older, by some years, than Miss Sigourney, every last little speck of dust brushed from her garments, with spotless linen, a dress that fitted as though she were " run " into it, hair so smooth and glossy no PRESTON PAPERS. that you could almost see yourself in it, you would have felt almost instinctively that she would almost parse her sentences before giving them utterance, and that she would never move in unseemly haste. She is a fairly good teacher, cold, but moderately successful notwithstanding. But I must stop descriptions if I recapitulate with any degree of fullness. Mr. Brown began by some light remark about the aesthetic tendencies of the education of the day. " Now I think that is to be encouraged," observed Mr. Johnson. " I have only been thinking of it at all of late ; but I believe, with Miss Preston, that the impressions of early childhood are more potent for good or evil than we are generally aware; and that their influence is almost incal- culable. By our own appearance, even, we may foster a taste that will become vitiated ; or we may sow seeds that will develop into a really artistic sense." " I believe you," echoed Miss Sigourney, oblivious that she was condemning herself by assenting to the popular idea. " Why, Mr. Johnson, do you really suppose that the dress we wear, or the condition of our hair, teeth, or nails, have any bearing, direct or indirect, upon our pupils? " and Miss Wells looked incredulous as she asked it. "Allow me to answer, please, Mr. Johnson," interrupted Professor Lowell, his face aglow. "Among my earliest recol- lections are those of an old man whose memory I revere, but of whose personal appearance I can not, even now, think without a feeling of disgust. Good, he undoubtedly was; that he was actually repulsive in his toilet is no less true ; hair unkempt, teeth that were equally guilty of a brush and of any dental skill, nails that were in a constant condition A PINK DRESS. Hi of crape, boots which never seemed to come into any close relations with brush or polish, and other garments on which the dust of ages would seem to have settled as if they'd found a sure abiding place." We did laugh at the pen picture, a little, but Professor Lowell went on : " He had many fine instincts, many delicate, refined ideas, incongruous as they seem. But I did not discover this so early in my acquaintance as I should if the evidence had not been so strongly against him." " Precisely so," said Mr. Johnson; "and this just corrobo- rates what I said at first. But I would like to hear some of the lady teachers speak on this subject." " I remember one thing, in the early days of my teaching," said Miss Preston, " that made quite an impression on me. One of my little girls came up to me, one afternoon, and said as she laid her hand caressingly upon my arm, ' Miss Preston, if we'll be real good this week will you wear that lovely pink dress Friday afternoon that you had on at home the other day ? ' Without giving the matter a second thought I said 'Why yes; of course I will,' and dismissed the subject from my mind. Friday morning came, and with it came a reminder from Lily: ' Don't forget your promise, Miss Preston.' And I didn't, but wore the dress that had been designed specially for home wear, simply to please the child who asked me to." " Did it have any visible effect ? " interrupted Miss Wells, interested. " I was just coming to that, as it's the best part of the experience," Miss Preston answered. "As I came up the walk I heard a group of small children discussing their II2 PRESTON PAPERS. teachers, and being behind them, I soon heard my name; and they were using it as a sort of symbol for beauty, purity, truth, goodness and all the cardinal virtues combined. I lagged behind, and pondered. All the afternoon I observed that things moved most easily. A word was more than sufficient, a look amply so; and it was due to the influence of the pink dress." " Are you sure it was that ? " queried Mr. Bishop. " I am. Circumstances developed this afterwards, in a way that would have dissolved any lingering doubts if they had existed in my mind." " I can readily believe that," said Mr. Johnson. " I have recently made observations which convince me that the more tastefully a person dresses, the more attractive one is, the greater his influence everywhere, and correspondingly greater his commercial value." " What would you suggest for good, every day material, Miss Preston ? " queried Miss Miller. " Of all things I would say avoid goods with soft, wooly surfaces. They catch dust, chalk, and fuzz, in the school- room; and thistles, burrs, and 'corners' outside. Serges, alpacas, and similar goods for winter ; cambrics, percales, etc., for summer." " And what colors ? " asked Miss Wood. " Greys, browns, olives, dark greens, blues, maroons; any- thing, in fact, but black. A dull or neutral tint, for the main dress is always ' good form ; ' and this may be garnished by a bright ribbon, a bunch of flowers, or set trimming. Then I would have one or more bright dresses for special occa- sions, as we have condiments with our staple food." " Mr. Johnson can you suggest a toilet for the male per- suasion ? " queried Mr. Wheeler. THE LITTLE FOXES. 113 u Oh, I think they can all draw inferences from this talk, without going into details. But," and he spoke earnestly, " we must all remember that the little foxes spoil the vines." We separated soon after this, but each went home think- ing of the silent influence of the seemingly unimportant factor in our make-up, Dress. Why the very idea that good taste in dressing has a moral aspect and a commercial value was new to many of us; and yet it is reasonable. That it is potent in giving first impressions concerning us is none the less true, and it is the first impressions that tell. Where is the end of its power ? I remain, Very Cordially Yours, Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. 1 4 PRESTON PAPERS. No. XXII. PENMANSHIP. OLDTOWN, N. Y., October 29, 188-. MR. , Supt., etc. Dear Sir : The question of Penmanship, in its various phases, has been agitating us for some weeks. Allan Eddy's mother broached the subject at one of the sewing societies with which our little city is blessed ; and behold ! every mother present was full of pent up feeling on the subject. "Al can hardly write his name legibly," said the little woman, snapping her teeth together as she bit off her thread. Had her eyes not twinkled a little bit you might have thought her more out of patience than she really was. " Neither can Will," chimed in Mrs. Cramer ; " and it seems to me as though a boy of twelve years ought to be able to do himself and his teacher credit by his writing." " My stars ! Wayne writes as if ink were the cheapest commodity in the world and he had an unlimited supply of it, and was under bond to use it all within a given time and on a given space," laughed Mrs. Gallup. "/ don't think it is any laughing matter," said Mrs. Hoard. " Harry actually writes more indistinctly now than he did when he entered the Junior Grade." And so they chatted, witn no word of excuse or pallia- tion, nothing but fault finding and criticism of the system RAPIDITY. II5 that develops such poor writers from what, in some instances at least, gave promise of being such good material. At last, Mrs. Ripley spoke : " Frank is doing very nicely. I believe that I have never seen any better penmanship than his gives promise of being. There is nothing showy about it ; but it is neat, legible, and rapid." " Rapid. Yes, I can easily believe that it is rapid," said Mrs. Breese. " Agatha complains to me nearly every day that she 'misses ' in half of her lessons because they are dic- tated and she cannot ' keep up.' " "Fred does not seem to have any trouble on that score," said Mrs. Tyler, quietly. " I heard him telling Ella Wil- coxen the other day that at their recent examination in spelling and penmanship Miss Preston gave them a hundred words, timed them, and from the moment of her pronounc- ing the first word until the last paper was signed, folded and labeled, it was just thirty-seven minutes." " Oh, well, he and Frank Ripley are both in the other ward and are under Miss Preston's tuition," said Mrs. Eddy; " and she seems to get at the ' how ' to do everything in her line, with the very best results. I only wish my three boys could be in her school." And so the question came to be agitated, until finally its magnitude made it seem a " thing of evil " and it came up for conference and debate at our next session. Without parley or preliminary, and as though no one else's method or opinion were worth discussing at all, " Miss Preston," said Mr. Johnson, with a dash of his old, imperative tone, " come ; tell us how you manage to get so good results, in so short a time, and with so little trouble." "Why, it is so easy," and she smiled; "it is simply to Il6 PRESTON PAPERS. begin right, and to begin early enough, before the muscles become hardened or bad habits are formed. Patience, then, and care, coupled with constant vigilance, make good pen- men of even very young girls and boys." " That is good for all except definiteness," said Mr. Brown ; " but will you not add to its value, by telling us just how and when you begin, and how you proceed ? " " With great pleasure. The day a child is old enough to be presented for admission into my school room he is none too young to use the implements of war ; and he begins his career by holding his pencil properly while he plays with his slate, if he is not more than five or six years old. He is awkward at first, unless he has had home or kindergarten training ; but he can be taught When he can ' make marks ' with his pencil in position I let him now and then hold a pen and ' write ' if he is ambitious to do as he sees the older pupils doing. A little drill each day, of the chubby hands; a guiding toward a definite object; some- times a slate pencil against the hard surface of the slate, sometimes a crayon at the blackboard, then a lead pencil, with now and then a pen and ink, and he becomes and keeps interested in the variety of tools that he has been handling." " But, Miss Preston, do you mean to say that you let mere babies use a pen and ink in your school ? We have never given it to them until the second year of the Senior Grade ; " and Mr. Johnson looked a little aghast at the possibility of a fatal experiment. " No, not ' mere babies," " she responded cheerfully. " The youngest ' nursery stock ' has never been turned over to my tender mercies ; but as soon as the children are brought GOOD RESULTS. 117 within my jurisdiction they are given pen and ink, under my ( or some one else's ) guardian care, at not-too-frequent intervals, and they learn to use them without stabbing them- selves with the one or deluging themselves or their neighbors with the other." " Is it possible ? " " Yes ; and by the time they are seven or eight years old they write quite legibly ; and I have had those who did credit to themselves, even as young as that." " Miss Preston, I wish you would begin at the initial step and tell us just how you accomplish the desired result," said Mr. Johnson, with interest. " It varies with the patient and the circumstances," she replied, smiling. " For instance : what I would do with a class in the primary room, knowing that that year or two would be all that I would see of them, and that the subject would be ignored for the next two or three years by my suc- cessors ( as it nearly always is until the children are in the Junior Grade ) would be entirely different from what I would do with a more mature class, or with a class which I expected to stay with for two, three, or more, years." "I can readily see that but as we have all these con- ditions represented here, suppose you give us a brief outline of your work under each of these varying circumstances," and he looked appealingly at the one teacher on whom he seems to rely for advice and real help. Oh, it is worth something to know that one's work can be relied upon that it will stand the tests of time and result ; and this must be an inspiration to Miss Preston, as I hope it may come to be to Yours Truly, Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. PRESTON PAPERS. No. XXIII PENMANSHIP. (Continued.} " Well, I will begin with a supposed class of children in the Primary Grade, who have already learned to hold their pencils, but who know little of form. One thing right here to all classes I would hold up as good a copy as I could make while they watch." "Why then, in preference to doing it in their absence?" queried Miss Butler. " Because it helps them see how where to begin any given stroke, how carried, and in what way it is finished. My teaching of the subject will doubtless seem childlike to most of you but I can not teach children in any other way. I begin somewhat after this fashion having drawn some lines of various sizes and shapes, and at various angles, on the board : Children, what have I done ? Been making marks some one will be likely to venture. Yes; and we call them lines. Are they all alike ? No, ma'am. Some of 'em tip ( slant ) and some of 'em stand up straight, and some bend around. Yes, and each kind has a name; those that stand up are called straight lines, and those that bend are called curves or curved lines; and I make more, asking them to name them as I do so. Then from these two kinds I develop the CL A SSI PICA TION. 119 first letter of simple form, the letter / of the small alphabet, at the same time explaining the right curve and the left curve of penmanship. Having assured myself that they can name its parts whenever seen and wherever found, I let them write while I 'call off.' That is usually enough for one lesson for so young a class, and at the next lesson I review this and take up a new one, n, and combine the two in a word. I always find great delight at the idea of writing words, so I begin early, and give a new one as often as possible, so that they will not tire of the work. I group the letters, according to their formation, and do not attempt a new principle or combination without special preparation of the lesson myself, made with particular reference to the class that is to receive it. I teach from analysis, compare one letter with another, different parts of the same letter with each other and teach the children to use their eyes,, and brains, as well as their fingers, in writing." " How do you divide the small letters ? Into how many and what classes ? " inquired Mr. Wheeler. " Into four classes : the short letters, the stem letters, the loop and the inverted loop letters," she replied. " Do you use copy books at all ? " inquired Mr. Johnson. " Never. The copy should be made by the living teacher, for the reasons before given ; and it should be produced upon the child's mind so accurately that if a wrong pro- portion is used, or an imperfect line a right curve for a left, or a sharp turn for a round one, they will be able to remedy it." " Nor tracing books ? " "Never. Nothing but ordinary foolscap paper, cut in halves for convenience, across. I put a general copy on the I20 PRESTON PAPERS. blackboard, analyze it, get the children to work, and then go among them and examine their work finding the most common troubles, and calling attention to what I have seen without mentioning any names, try again. Then if I find any one perpetuating the same mistakes I make a personal comment on the work, in an undertone so as not to injure the child's desire to do well point out the defects or have him do so if possible sometimes placing an imperfect word or letter on the board on purpose to get an expression from the children as to its accuracy or defect." " How about the more advanced classes ? " " With those who already write, even though quite poorly, my first work is to get before them a mental picture of what is right; teach them by analysis, and let each one aim toward his mental model, guiding and suggesting where necessary." " Do you write a great deal, in your ordinary lessons ? Reading, history, spelling, or language, for instance. " O, yes ; a great deal. But I never allow scribbling. Learn to write well first, rapidly afterwards. I say to the children that all can learn to write beautifully; that the only difference is the difference in the amount and quality of practice they put upon it." " Is it so, indeed ? " said Mr. Johnson. " I had supposed that some could not learn to write well, as some can not learn to read well." " I have never seen any one who could not learn to do both," replied Miss Preston. "But in the matter of writing I think perhaps I do give it more attention than some, for I have found its advantages to be so great; and I encourage the pupils to take great pains in the formation of each letter, even when writing from dictation. ' Keep your thoughts ahead of your pen ' is a help to most of them." THOUGHT AHEAD OF THE PEN. 12, " You are at least logical and successful in your methods, Miss Preston," said Mr. Johnson, "and I am gratified at the results of your work, and grateful for your illustration of your methods." This was the voice of us all and while much more was said privately to little groups and knots of interested teachers who gathered about her when "meeting broke up," enough has been said to give you an outline of her ways of teaching penmanship. Hoping it may be helpful, I remain, Yours, in the general cause, Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. 122 PRESTON PAPERS. No. XXIV. OVERWORK IN SCHOOL. OLDTOWN, N. Y., Dec. 23, 188-. MR. , Supt. Public Instruction. My Dear Sir : Coming together a little early at our last meeting, a few of us found Mr. Johnson and Miss Preston eagerly discussing something of evident importance, for each was oblivious of all else. Rising soon after our entrance, Mr. Johnson said : " Well, Miss Preston, we will have the matter brought before the ' common council ' to-day. I am only sorry you have not mentioned it before." " It has troubled me somewhat ever since I have been here," she said, with a shadow of hesitation in her voice; " but as a teacher I was not in the best position to remedy it besides being a little uncertain that it might not be largely a matter of fancy at first ; but as your assistant I have had more and better opportunities to study cause and effect, and I am convinced that both teachers and pupils undergo too much strain during a large part of the year." The meeting was now called to order by our Superin- tendent, who presided that day, and after the usual "open- ing ceremonies," he said, with some feeling: " I have had a matter laid before me to-day which gives me great surprise and real anxiety. I have never thought VER WORK. 123 much about it, but believe that it may be true that the number of hours spent in school and school work, daily, is too great for both teachers and students, and that the curriculum should be abbreviated, or the period for its pas- sage be prolonged. I would like to hear from each of you on the subject, and freely." We were a little astonished, to put it mildly, and for a few minutes no one spoke. Then Miss Smith broke the silence, by saying in her peculiar way: " I'm glad somebody has begun the agitation of the waters, for the subject has been a sore one to me for some time. Last year Mollie Arnold had to be kept out of school a third of the year, because of her headaches; Nettie Hurlburt's eyes became so bad that she had to wear glasses; and Clin- ton Brundage had to leave school altogether. This year it is no better; head troubles, eyes, or something, one right after the other, until I have sometimes been led to wonder if a common school education is worth all it costs, any way." "I am sure it isn't in some cases," said Miss Preston, " for when a boy or girl comes out of school with impaired health, narrow chest, ' stoop ' shoulders, defective eyesight, or bad digestion, as the result of overwork, all the ' sheepskins ' in the universe will not compensate for the loss." " True," said Mr. Johnson, " and if the same daily grind has overtaxed the teachers who should be living examples of physical culture as well as mental training, the results are indeed deplorable, and can not be too heartily condemned." " What do you propose doing ? " queried Mr. Brown. Now he is not one on whom the duties of a teacher will ever rest with undue weight. He is very considerate of himself, and is likely to outlive his day and generation, at 124 PRESTON PAPERS. least. He may not be actually lazy, but he has the quality of inertia remarkably well developed. "We are just thinking of that part of the evil," Mr. John- son responded, seriously and thoughtfully. " If we could close school a little earlier each day, and all spend that time out of doors whenever possible, and in some active work any way, it might help." "We should have to drop some of the studies then," said Miss Wheeler, " for there's only time enough now to give each branch a cursory sort of teaching, and that sort of teaching doesn't last." "No," said Miss Preston, "and it is bad all around. The innocent victims of this overworked system get a smatter- ing of things beyond their comprehension, learn almost nothing thoroughly, and get into slovenly habits of thought and study that incapacitates them for the real work of life. We attempt too much, and we stuff, cram, and overwork children and teachers, until they come to look, act, and feel jaded nine tenths of the time ; and this condition is not compatible with the best mental effort." " I hardly know what we should leave off," said Professor Lowell, with hesitation. " Miss Preston has shown us how we may gain some time in the teaching of geography," said Mr. Johnson, " and I dare say she can suggest other places where we waste time that might be used to advantage," and he looked at her inquiringly. " I think, perhaps, we shall get at the root of the matter most easily by ascertaining what is the object, grasp, or scope of our curriculum," she suggested. " It embraces mathematics enough to turn out automatic book-keepers CURRICULUM. 125 and clerks. It takes in several languages, double that num- ber of exact sciences, several ' arts ' and the ' three R's ' besides other things ' too numerous to mention,' as the circus bills say. These are all good, and each may find all that he needs for a practical life ; but our mistake is in an indiscriminate pouring the contents of each of these 'vials of wrath ' down the throat of each, instead of adapting the dose to the sufferer." " What do you mean ? " asked Miss Howe. "Why, here's Thomas, with a mother to support, two younger sisters and one brother, all waiting until he can do the work of an accountant in Mr. Slocum's bank, where he has the promise of a permanent place if he becomes a good penman, quick at figures, and an idea of commercial corres- pondence. Having undertaken to educate him, and map out his course for him, we should do so with some reference to his future needs ; but no, he must go through the regula- tion drill on vocal music, Latin, and astronomy, the same as though he had plenty of time to do it all, and with no special reason for extra work in his line. Again ; Mary has no liking, no taste, and no reason for studying cube root, surveyor's measure, or apothecaries' weight, for her young soul is all on fire with the genius of Art. She loves drawing, and has 'form' largely developed in her phrenological make-up, but we keep her pegging away at bank discount, equation of payments, algebra and other things equally foreign to her aim. She has a right to choose from the curriculum, or to have chosen for her, what will point toward her object. Helen, who means to teach, and has a fondness for language and literature, ought not to be compelled to tie herself down to physics or metaphysics, if she must make her living by what she learns at school." 126 PRESTON PAPERS. " There is truth in what you say," observed Mr. Wheeler, "and I have often wondered, if we were called upon to define the object of our work, what we would say." "Several of the best years of life are given up by the student," pursued Miss Preston, "and he becomes fagged physically, and we surely ought to look for splendid mental attainments, in part compensation for what has been lost otherwise ; but in the majority of cases we shall look in vain, and at the end of the 'course,' instead of presenting to the world one who is symmetrically developed physically, mentally, and morally, armed and equipped for the battle before him, we too often give a semi-invalid with a mass of indefinite knowledge floating around somewhere at loose ends in his brain, unavailable because of its vagueness, and often worthless." " What can we do ? " This came somewhat despondently from Miss Miller. "Weed the curriculum. Shorten the school hours. Teach individuals instead of classes, wherever possible. Give some time to physical culture, social, and moral training. Find out, if possible, somewhere near the child's probable future, and lead him up to it." " That would necessitate more overwork among the teachers than the present way, would it not ? " inquired Mr. Brown. " I think not. By reason of the shortened hours of labor the teachers would be capable of accomplishing more in a given length of time and yet would have leisure to recuper- ate from their state of exhaustion. As it is now, by reason of reports, examination papers, class books, records, etc., the teacher ' drudges ' as much as the overworked pupil. I LATE HOURS. 127 know," she went on, smiling, " that much of what is com- plained of as overwork in school is really overwork out of school. A boy or a girl is up late at night several times during the week, and after a time headaches begin and 'overwork' is the cry, when it should be 'late hours.' But there is a show of reason, at least, in the complaints that are taking shape and being presented almost daily." " Before we come together again we will see if our idea can not be made useful in revising our plans," said Mr. Johnson and we parted with some new ideas rolling over and over in our heads. More anon, from Yours Truly, Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. 128 PRESTON PAPERS. No. XXV. SPELLING. OLDTOWN, N. Y., Jan. 22, 188-. MY DEAR SUPERINTENDENT : Our last familiar talk was on the time worn and time honored topic of "Spelling," and it was really interesting. "I have been having an old fashioned spelling school," said Miss Butler, with a laugh, as she seated herself. " How did you manage it ? " queried Miss Preston, with interest. " Quite in the old fashioned way. I selected two ' cap- tains ' who 'chose sides ' and spelled against each other." "You pronounced the words?" inquiringly. " O, yes. And no one could try but once, on any word. If he misses it goes across to the other side, the 'fallen soldier ' sitting down as soon as he misses, his ' opposite ' catching it if possible if not, he too goes down." " It gets to be quite exciting, does it not ? " asked Miss Preston. "Yes, indeed it does." " Have you ever spelled against your whole school ? " she inquired again. " No. I never thought of that. Have you ? " " Yes, many times. I let some one who can pronounce distinctly, and who does not need the practice in spelling as A PLA Y-SPELL. 129 much as the others, pronounce the words and I spell every alternate word." " But, Miss Preston, I thought you did not believe in oral spelling," said Mr. Whipple. " Nor do I, as a rule. As we usually use spelling only when writing, I have the lessons written in the every day practice. But I have found it a good thing to review quite frequently, and this I often make a sort of play-spell ( no pun) as Miss Butler seems to have been doing. It prevents the sometimes dread of review day, and spurs to thorough work ; for in a ' play ' of this sort every one's weakness in orthography is made manifest, while in the ordinary lesson routine only the child who misses and myself are cognizant of his faults." " How is that? " queried Miss Sigourney. " The slates are passed to me for examination," responded Miss Preston. " Will you tell us how you conduct a spelling lesson ? " asked Mr. Wheeler. "With pleasure. Having everything in readiness, I pro- nounce 'One ' (to correspond with the figure already on the slates) and then give a word to go with it. Should any one fail to understand the word, a hand is raised to indicate this, when I again pronounce it, and go to No. two. When the last word is written, each writer signs his name below his work, dates it, and the slates are gathered up in order from each aisle, by a ' waiter ' chosen for the week, and placed on my desk for my inspection. I then announce the next lesson and my pupils study that while I look over the lesson just finished, underscoring the misspelled words on each slate, after which the slates are again distributed, the ' misses ' 9 I 3 PRESTON PAPERS. corrected by those who have made them, and that lesson is considered done." " Do you mark a word ' missed ' if the penmanship is illegible ? " inquired Professor Lowell. " Always. And not only that, but I do so if it is merely ambiguous, a u for an , an undotted i or an uncrossed / being an error that in a legal paper might be of importance; and I aim to teach accuracy in even the most trifling details, as I believe it to be one of the most important qualifications for any position in life." "Good," assented Mr. Johnson; "but, Miss Preston, I have heard that you teach spelling much as you do language with and by means of every other lesson. Is this true ? " " To a certain extent, yes. If I assign a lesson in arith- metic, I want to teach observation at the same time I teach mathematics; and the habit is a good one to cultivate. I do this so regularly that it comes to be looked upon as part of the play, and no lesson is considered fully learned if there's any orthographical difficulty unmastered." " Do you use a text book, or ' speller,' at all? " asked Miss Smith. " Yes. I have found Swinton's ' Word Book,' or something similar, helpful for a set lesson; and then we sometimes make our own lesson, I suggesting a topic, and the children pronouncing the words connected with this topic which they do not know how to spell. These words I write on the blackboard and leave until the time for the next recitation, then use the copy which I have had made instead of the book and proceed as before." " Do you ever spell around, marking the words that are missed, and afterwards announcing them ? " asked Miss Wheeler. VARIATIONS. 131 " I never have. How do you manage ? " "Simply pronounce so many words to each pupil. He spells each one, only trying once, you keeping the record but not announcing the result until the close of the lesson." "I should think it would make a pleasant variety." " It does, and it has this recommendation; no one has any advantage over the other. For instance : in Miss Butler's ' spelling school,' if a word comes up where it must be spelled in one of two ways, and the first speller misses it, the ' oppo- site ' knows how it must go and gains by what the other lost." "I see," said Miss Preston. "There are many ways to relieve the study of monotony and save it from being merely a memory lesson. And that reminds me. As soon as a child can understand the simplest rules I have them learned, and then give them examples under each rule, so that the chil- dren can apply what they learn." " Spelling has always seemed like such an arbitrary thing that I've never made the most of it, I think," sighed Miss Wood. " It may be invested with a great deal of interest," said Mr. Johnson, " and I think that by the time we have taught a few more years with an inspiration to do our best and make the most of our opportunities and material, we shall better know how to do even so simple a thing as to teach spelling to the best advantage and with a view to the final results." So say we all, and God speed the day when more of our number awake to a realization of what they, and others through them, are missing. With best wishes, I remain, Yours Truly, Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. 132 PXESTON PAPERS. No. XXVI. READING. OLDTOWN, N. Y., February 25, 188-. MR. Supt., etc. Since our talk on Reading I have been putting into prac- tice some of the ideas I got that day. I have lately been troubled that our public school is training such poor readers, and \vhile lamenting the fact and wondering at its probable cause I have been too busy to solve the problem. Said Mr. Johnson at the opening: " I hope there will be a freedom in this discussion, for reading is one of the really essential things that seem to be in more or less danger of neglect." Which is somewhat true ; for with the advent of so many new ideas as to what should be taught, our time has been so filled that we have read less in our classes than we did twenty years ago, when every pupil read aloud four times a day. Miss Wheeler ventured the first remark : " If no one has formulated the especial features of com- plaint, perhaps we had better inquire first as to what appears to be the matter." " I can tell of one trouble, at least," said Professor Lowell. " The young ladies and gentlemen who come into my classes do not average to read as well as children should at twelve FAULTY READING. 133 years of age ; and I know that many of them leave the High School without the ability to read, at sight, an ordinary newspaper or magazine article. Several days since I was invited down to Mrs. Hanchett's to dinner, and Lizzie picked up the evening paper and read a few items in a shockingly bad way, and with apparently no concern at her awkwardness with the Queen's English. Her mother and her college brother were painfully apparent of her short- comings, but she seemed to think that she acquitted herself creditably." " That is one bad thing about it," said Miss IngersolL " The fault is so prevalent that no one feels isolated because of poor reading. Lizzie reads as well as Harry, Emma, James, and Ellen, in the same class ; and as she seldom hears any one else read how should she know that her work is below par ?" " That remark suggests a hint of one step toward better work," said Miss Preston " We can each furnish a good model in this, as in other things, and as children are quick to imitate and to see and discriminate, they will be benefited every time they hear really good reading." " True," said Mr. Johnson. "Cannot each of you name some special fault which you have observed in class or in- dividual, and then suggest a remedy for it ?" " I have noticed," said Miss Wheeler, " that many of my youngest pupils drawl their words. They even stumble over very simple words, such as I felt sure at first they must be familiar with. By experimenting, however, I found that this was not so; that the real difficulty lay just here : that as soon as a child was familiar with the shape of a word he would not drawl nor hesitate in its pronunciation ; so I began bringing t34 PRESTON PAPERS. them into frequent contact with words. I found that they had tired of their readers, and while they were familiar with the 4 pieces ' and could 'read ' any or each paragraph as a whole having heard the thing daily, perhaps the words were as strangers to them ; so I put them to work in a new way : reading backwards. By so doing they could not tell when they had pronounced one word, what would come next, until they learned the next word." "Has the result been satisfactory ?" asked Mr. Johnson. " Very. They are getting a somewhat extended vocabu- lary of words which they know; and when they know a word they can call it by name when they see it, and that without trouble." "I have used that plan myself," said Miss Preston, "and with even older boys and girls. Sight-reading is not com- mon enough even among our older pupils. But the trouble which I have observed in visiting the different schools is of an entirely different nature. I have noticed very rapid reading; even passages of great tenderness, pathos or sub- limity being in about 6-8 time. I have asked one or two such classes that have come under my observation to read in concert. This gives a chance for the very slow ones to accelerate their speed, while those who read too rapidly are held in check by the 'volume of voice."' "I have found no trouble with my classes." said Mr. Wheeler, " when reading from their reading books ; but if I asked any of them to read tomorrow's history, geometry or botany lesson, I was always sure to find them in the quick- sand. So I have been using newspapers, magazines, etc., for extra supplies ; and have asked each to bring something of interest to read to all." DIFFICULTIES. ! 35 " That word interest covers a multitude of help," laughed Miss Preston. " You will never have trouble in securing listeners, nor in teaching reading, if you can hold their interest. The newspaper work is a good idea." "I was in a school recently," said Mr. Johnson, "where the teacher was reading a story to her school, and every time she came to a word with which anyone was not famil- iar, a hand was raised to indicate the same, and they had a good time word-hunting." " I have done that myself," said Miss Wood. " Some- times, to vary the exercise, I have had one of the pupils read for me when we were having a recreation of this sort." " I have found one trouble," said I; " the children drop out little words and do not seem to realize it. They do not seem much concerned to get at the sense of what they read. So I have 'played school' sometimes, reading a paragraph as they do, asking them to watch for errors and call atten- tion to .hem." " I have had them do that with each other, to a somewhat limited extent," said Miss Smith, "and for the same pur- pose; I also sometimes let them read until they make a mistake, the first who notices the mistake taking the next turn. That serves to keep them alert, and it holds their interest at least while it lasts." " A good plan," said Mr. Johnson ; u and I think I know of one good reason at least for poor reading among the older pupils want of practice. This comes sometimes because none of the household is interested in developing good readers sufficiently to listen to Thomas's rendition of the President's message, or to Mary's scrabbling through a report of the latest concert. Young America is taught to 136 PRESTON PAPERS. be seen and not heard, so Young America reads in silence when he should be reading aloud." " Too true," said Miss Preston ; " and what is true of pupils is true in only a lesser degree of us. We read aloud too little, and we do not often enough listen to good read- ing. We grow careless, and our own habits are reflected in our pupils ; and if we begin a reform we must begin at home and work outward." "Activity of mind, a thought of the author's meaning, a putting of the child en rapport, if possible, with the article to be read, by a few timely questions, a few judicious remarks, will go far toward helping expression," said Mr. Johnson. " We must teach them that we cannot express what we do not truly feel ; and we can not feel what we do not understand." " That is one thing about many of the reading books of to-day," said Miss Preston ; " most of them are down to the level of the child's capacity. A few years ago this was dif- ferent ; and the child who ' went through ' a set of the old readers not only tired of trying to grasp what was away beyond his comprehension, but was made ridiculous by so doing. Now science is made attractive, poems of merit are found expressed in a language that even children can com- prehend, and history tells marvelous stories of thrilling interest, and yet in words that the juvenile mind can grasp." " My classes are interested just now in English history," said Mr. Brown ; " so we have had as many authors on our table as possible, and when a fact of interest has been ascer- tained we have read from the different books, impromptu ; and I can see, although it is less than a month since we began, that it has been a source of improvement." " It must have been," said Mr. Johnson. " I should like to A BAD START. ^ hear more from some of the Primary teachers, for I have an idea that some of the bad habits start on the lowest round of the ladder and might be held in check there. But I see that it is time to close, and we shall have to wait for another session." We were not ready to stop. We seldom are since we began to brim over with our subjects, but I must follow his good example. Yonrs Truly, Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. 138 PRESTON PAPERS. No. XXVII. HOBBIES. OLDTOWN, N. Y., March 15, 188-. Hon. , State Supt. Public Instruction. MY DEAR SIR : We had a very lively discussion at our last meeting, concerning our various " Hobbies," and as I may not write again for some months, I will outline it in brief. "I think," said Mr. Johnson, seriously and penitently, " that I have been unfortunate in my own hobby ; for I have placed System so at the head of all things that great dam- age has been done to many of you who have tried to work after my ideal. I am glad that the change came when it did, and only regret that it did not come sooner. In pre- senting System as your goal, toward which I asked you to work, things that were of more importance were neglected if not ignored ; and time was wasted in trying to bring all to one standard." Miss Wood said " Dignity seems to be the hobby which I've ridden with a high hand and a tight rein until recently; and yet somehow my dignity has n't preserved me from attacks of various kinds,, both among my pupils and from their parents. I, somehow, set out with the idea that in order to keep a school well under subjection one must be very dignified in bearing, very impressive in manner. My THE REAL AND THE SHAM. '39 success as a disciplinarian has been far from satisfactory to myself, and I know that I have not pleased my patrons." "Possibly your key note is wrong," suggested Miss Preston. " Perhaps if, instead of keeping your school well under subjection, you had aimed to keep the pupils en rap- port with you, you would have had less trouble. I think that my hobby " Getting down to the Child," has led me into errors of a mental nature, at least. I may have made things too easy for the child, in my anxiety not to shoot too far beyond his powers. I think there is real danger in this, and that the mistaken kindness of the teacher or mother who does too much for a child will rebound, leaving the child more nearly helpless than he would have been with a more vigorous method or treatment." Miss Sigourney was the next to confess, and remarked : " I believe that ' Discipline ' has been my hobby, and that I've been a hard rider. I can see, in my later work, that the discipine that needs very much muscular force is not good discipline, and most of mine has been accomplished by means of the rod. The word and the idea have been ever present, preventing many things that would have con- duced to the general good ; and yet because some things might interfere with discipline, or might interrupt the dis- cipline or break it up, I have said ' No,' when ' Yes ' would have been better, and when I might thereby have shortened the distance between my pupils and myself." "Just my idea," resumed Miss Wood. "I have come to believe, at least in my own case, that the dignity that needs bolstering is not real dignity, but a sham ; and it may be so in regard to discipline." " It is," said Mr. Johnson. " The discipline that needs 140 PRESTON PAPERS. to be talked about in order that it shall not remain in ob- scurity is not a power." " I am not sure," said Miss Wells, " but that I have been carried away by ' Appearances.' I have wanted my school to compare well with others ; and I've made it a sort of end toward which I've worked with a good deal of zeal, if not with wisdom. Too much has been sacrificed for mere show but I've quit my hobby, 'forever and for aye.' "Good .'"said Miss Preston. "Would that more of us had the courage of our convictions !" "Oh, we're getting it," said Mr. Lowell; "but it takes a while to eradicate the habits and thoughts of years, and break ground in entirely new soil. I believe that Laziness has been my great drawback. I have been too prone to do what would be the least trouble now, regardless of the future and of consequences. Laziness is an easy hobby, but is likely to throw one at the last/' and he laughed a little uneasily. "Your experience is not unusual," said Mr. Johnson. " Few of us realize until too late that our every day work has such a relation to the future that we ought to put in our best building material at any cost." I knew that my turn was at hand, so said, " I have been riding ' Order ' for my hobby, and so gallant has been my steed that for many years I, like others, mistook the sham for the real. It is not so very many years since I actually believed that order, good order, consisted in having my pupils work in automatic precision, speak in set forms, vary- ing not a hair's breadth in recitation, even if done without spirit or understanding either. I know better now, and I look back with horror upon the machine work of my earlier CONVICTIONS. 141 days. I don't know how I got into the groove, nor can I see how I stayed in it so placidly for many years ; but this I do know that my present teaching is a real pleasure, and before it was real drudgery." "It could hardly be otherwise," said Miss Preston; "and if it was drudgery to you, what must it have been to those committed to your care ?" " O, I can see it all now," I cried; " the only thing that puzzles me at all is, that I was blind for so long." " Selfishness seems to have been my hobby," said Miss Miller. " I have looked at everything from my own stand- point, and have considered, in all my school work, just how far such and such a thing would affect me not what would -be its results upon my school, but where I might count upon its influence. I think it has tended to make me indif- ferent toward the best interests of my school, and I regret the loss of years in which I might have done better." The silence of conviction settled upon us, for who could cast the first stone at Miss Miller ? Had we not all been carried by this hobby for years ? " I think that ' Independence ' has been the hobby on which I've ambled at a slow going trot," said Miss Smith. " I've cared too little for law and order, too much for re- sults ; and have ridden rough shod right over the wishes of parents, superintendents and others, pitting my own judg- ment against that of every one who differed from me, as to methods, manner, principles or what not. I mean to defer a little more to the experience, observation and judgment of others," and she sat down as vigorously as she had spoken. Miss Smith has less to blame herself for than most of us 142 PRESTON PAPERS. have, for although she's quite likely to believe that her way is right she has a great deal of common sense, and that has helped her to see through many of the false educational notions of the day, and it has kept her out of much of the mummery that has been the bane of the rest of us. Mr. Wheeler was the next speaker. " I believe that the 1 Practical ' hobby has been mine. Now I think that the practical side of things should be given consideration, a great deal of it, but not to the exclusion of all else." " That is a common fault," said Mr. Johnson. " We have all been more or less warped by it I think, looking upon things of mere beauty as entirely without a mission, and upon studies which had no practical issue as being useless, when really either of these things may be of the greatest importance in modifying our natures and in making them symmetrical," all of which is true, and is now so conceded by the authorities in the educational world. *' Well," said Miss Bates, "I think I have clung tenaci- ously to ' Custom ' for my hobby. I have been too averse to change, even when a change would have been best. What I have done and as I have done for years, has been my hobby; and I've been reluctant even to acknowledge progress." " Just contrary to my experience," said Miss Tngersoll. " I believe that when I look over my list of delinquences, I shall find that I've given whip and rein to ' Change,' wel- coming anything that gave indications of being something new, like the Athenians of old. Let any one suggest a new method in teaching or governing and I tried it, regardless of the probable differences of situation, time, and necessi- ties. Only give me something new to work with, and I've SUGGESTIONS. I43 been happy in the work even forgetful of the real aim of the work." "That is common too," said Miss Preston. "Only let one teacher in a given situation, and with a given class, 4 make a hit ' in presenting a subject and instantly the won- derful results have been written up, commented on, and exaggerated, possibly, until everybody is on fire to try the same thing in the same way without reference to the great differences in teachers, pupils and times. We so lose our individuality and injure our work." "Lecturing seems to have been the mule that has carried me," said Mr. Whipple ; " and I have been so in love with the sound of my own voice, apparently, that no opportunity to listen to its music has been lost. I think a few words ' fitly spoken ' would have been of more weight than all my harangues." Again we were silenced, for few of us but felt that Mr. Whipple's confession would do for each of us. " I fear that my hobby has been worse than any yet men- tioned," said Miss Sherwood, with a scarlet spot burning upon each cheek. " I think now, in retrospect, that ' Men- ace' has entered into my school work at every opening. My school has been under the shadow of a threat of some kind from September until June every year but it never shall be again. A threat is at best a weak weapon, and I hope never to be guilty of its use." "Perhaps we had better all revise our decalogues," said Mr. Johnson; "and instead of ' Thou shalt not,' substitute ' Let us try not.' There is a principle within us that can be reached by an appeal to our better selves; but its opposite comes to the top whenever a thing is absolutely forbidden, 144 PRESTON PAPERS. especially if there's a penalty attached. And right here I would suggest that we study Nature more. Let us study ourselves and our pupils, finding out the weaknesses and defects of the one, while we look up the necessities of the other. Let us profit not only by our own experience, but by that of our associates. Let us look below the surface of our teaching and see how much of it and what part is likely to take root; and if what we have done is not the very best that might have been, let us not be too proud to begin again in a new way, with a higher ideal before us, a more definite plan as to reaching it." This seemed to be the Amen point; and here I leave it, only expressing the wish that it may be of as great use to others as it has to Yours Truly, Miss PRESTON'S ASSISTANT. j " me allowed a< f; , a. i-V^^Pt .same I th J teac ... ^ or a special :1 .^ is book is kept overtim ay will be charged. If se- ine and tvv'