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Making personal friends.-A common error.-Mr. Abbot.

dangerous, because it tends to cultivate a spirit of detraction in the young; and it is mean, because the party is absent and has no opportunity of defending himself.

Another important advantage of the visits proposed would be, that he would make the acquaintance of many of the children beforehand, and very likely, too, if he should go in the right spirit and with agreeable manners, he would make a favorable impression upon them, and thus he would have personal friends on his side to begin with. The parents too would see that he took an interest in his employment; that he had come among them in the spirit of his vocation-in the spirit of earnestness, and they would become interested in his success, a point of no small importance.

I might here caution the teacher against a very common error. He should not confine his visits to the more wealthy and influential families. The poor and the humble should receive his attentions as soon as the rich. From the latter class very likely a large portion of his school will come; and it is wrong in principle as well as policy to neglect those who have not been as successful as others in the one item of accumulating property.

On the day of opening the school he should be early at the school-house. Mr. Abbot, in his Teacher, has some valuable suggestions on this point. "It is desirable," he says, "that the young teacher should meet his scholars at first in an unofficial capacity. For this purpose, he should repair to the schoolroom, on the first

Early at the school.-Why ?-It should be habitual.

day, at an early hour, so as to see and become acquainted with the scholars as they come in, one by one. He may take an interest with them in all the little arrangements connected with the opening of the school. The building of the fire, the paths through the snow, the arrangement of seats, calling upon them for information or aid, asking their names, and, in a word, entering fully and freely into conversation with them, just as a parent, under similar circumstances, would do with his children. All the children thus addressed will be pleased with the gentleness and affability of the teacher. Even a rough and ill-natured boy, who has perhaps come to the school with the express determination of attempting to make mischief, will be completely disarmed by being asked pleasantly to help the teacher fix the fire, or alter the position of a desk. Thus by means of the half hour during which the scholars are coming together, the teacher will find, when he calls upon the children to take their seats, that he has made a large number of them his personal friends. Many of these will have communicated their first impressions to others, so that he will find himself possessed, at the outset, of that which is of vital consequence in opening any administration-a strong party in his favor."

It will be well for the teacher, for several days, both in the morning and afternoon, to be early at the schoolroom. He can thus continue his friendly intercourse with the pupils, and effectually prevent any concerted action among them at that hour to embarrass his government. Many a school has been seriously injured, if

Roguery promoted.-A day's work.-"What shall I do?"

not broken up, by the scholars' being allowed to assemble early at the school with nothing to occupy them and no one to restrain them. Having so convenient an opportunity for mischief, their youthful activity will be very likely to find egress in an evil direction. Many a tale of roguery could be told founded upon the incidents of the schoolroom before school hours, if those who have good memories would but reveal their own experience;-roguery that never would have occurred, had the teacher adopted the course here suggested.

SECTION 1.-PLAN OF THE DAY'S WORK.

It will be remembered by many of the readers of this volume, that in former times numerous teachers were accustomed to work without a plan, attempting to do their work just as it happened to demand attention, but never taking the precaution to have this demand under their own control. If one scholar or class was not ready to recite, another would be called; and there being no particular time for the various exercises, the school would become a scene of mere listlessness; and the teacher would hardly know how to find employment for himself in the school.

I shall make this point clearer by an example. Having occasion, in an official capacity, to visit a school which had been kept by a young teacher some two weeks, she very naturally asked-" What shall I do first, this afternoon ?"

"Yes, m'm."-Veto.-A hard time.-A hint given.

"Do precisely as you would if I had not come in," was the reply.

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She looked a little perplexed. At length she doubtingly asked," Is the geography lesson ready ?” Yes, m'm"-" No, m'm"-" Yes, m'm,"—was the ambiguous reply from the class. There was so much. of veto in the looks of the young geographers, that it amounted to prohibition.

"Well, are the scholars in Colburn's arithmetic ready?"

This was said with more of hope; but the same equivocal answer was vociferated from all parts of the room. The teacher, placing her finger upon her lip, looked despairingly; but recollecting one more resort, she said,-"Is the grammar class ready?"

Again came the changes on "Yes, m'm," and "No, m'm."

The teacher gave up, and asked what she should do. She was again told to go on as usual for that afternoon. It was a tedious afternoon to her as it was to her visitor. She at length called one of the classes, unprepared as many of them said they were, and the exercise showed that none but those who said "Yes, m'm", were mistaken. The whole afternoon seemed to be one of pain and mortification to all concerned; and I fancied I could almost read in the knitted brow of the teacher a declaration that that should be her last school.

At the close of the afternoon, a single hint was suggested to her, viz., that she should make out a list of her scholars' duties, and the times when they should be

Improvement.-A case supposed.-Classification.

expected to recite their several lessons. She was told that it would be well to explain this plan of her day's work to her school in the morning, and then never again ask whether a class was ready. The hint was taken; and on subsequent visitations the several classes were ever ready to respond to the call of their instructor.

Now this matter is no unimportant one to the teacher. Indeed I judge of a teacher's ability very much by the wisdom and tact with which he apportions his time for his own duties, and divides the time of his scholars between their studies and recitations.

In order to aid the young teacher in forming a plan for himself, I subjoin a scheme of a day's duties, adapted to a school of the simplest grade. Suppose a school to consist of thirty scholars, and that the teacher finds by inquiry and by examination that there may be four grand divisions; the first, which he designates [A,] may unite in pursuing Reading, Grammar, Mental Arithmetic, Written Arithmetic, and Writing. The second, [B,] can pursue Reading, Spelling, Writing, Geography, Mental and Written Arithmetic. third, [C,] attend to Reading, Spelling, Mental Arithmetic, Writing, and Geography. The fourth, [D,] consisting of the small pupils, attend to Reading, Spelling, Tables, and sundry slate exercises.

The

Now it is very desirable that as much time should be devoted to recitation as can be afforded to each class. It may be seen at once, that in certain studies, as geography, mental arithmetic, and spelling-the teacher

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