Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 January 1892 — EDUCATIONAL MATTERS [ARTICLE]

EDUCATIONAL MATTERS

SCRAP BOOKS FOR COUNTRY SCHOOLS. Many Valuable Suggestions to Teachers— Personal Neatness on tho Part of School Children Should Always Be Insisted Upon—Teaching Geography. Untidy Children. In every school, in every class, there are specimens of this kind of pupil—children who are untidy in regard to their persons, their desks, the floor, their work. Neatness in regard to the person is, perhaps, the most important, as it influences all the rest. It is unreasonable to expect neat, clean work from a pujfll with dirty hands. In manylnstances the teaoher has to contend with the influences of the home. In some of the poorer sections of the city, where the mother is away from home, working all day, and sister or perhaps no one is left in charge, the child runs off to school without any care being taken that his hands and face are washed and his hair brushed. In such case the teaoher must be very oareful not to wound his feelings, l'or some of these little ones are exceedingly sensitive. Often a kind word spoken in private will mako a great change in the appearance of the child. Then a cheery word of encouragement will make him feel tliat you notice and appreciate tho. improvement. If tho child’s self-re-spect can be aroused, the teacher has a strong ally. There is another class whose mothers are glad to get them out of tho way, and start thorn off early. In this case the child, though oloan at starting, has time to change his appearaneo before presenting himself at school. So I have found a piece of soap a very convenient article of school furniture. It is well to speak to the class about washing before coming to school —brushing their liair, cleaning their boots and linger nails. A cross on tho paper, not so much for good work as for improvement, the prospect of having the paper, if neat, pinned to the door; a word, a glance, to show that the improvement is noticed, or a mark, are all inducements to keep tho work neat. It is not necessary to keep account of these marks in the primary grades; it is sufficient satisfaction to get them.

On the other hand, if an untidy paper is handed in, the teacher may refuse to accept it, and have it rewritten carefully. It is a great help to neat papers to have the slate work neat. In every kind of work show the class how you want it done. Have the new words written in columns, neatly separated by vertical lines. In arithmetic, havo figures kept under each other and not crowded together. The teacher should make a point of seeing every slate or paper. There Is a great temptation to do the work carelessly if the child thinks that there is a probability that it will not be seen. As to the desks and floor, it is a good plan to place the waste paper basket so that the pupils pass it on their way out in the line, and let thorn bring their waste papers up with them. It takes only half-a-minute to pass down the aisles after four o’clock, and note the seats that have papers under them, and next morning a mark may be given to the pupils whoso seats were tidy.—Educational Journal.