Do not flatter; in doing so you embarrass those upon whom you bestow praise, as they may not wish to offend you by repelling it, and yet they realize that if they accept it they merit your contempt. You may, however, commend their work when it can be truthfully done; but do not bestow praise when it is not deserved.-Ex.

N the first article a simple plan was presented by which to introduce beginning classes to primary geography, so that the pupil's field of knowledge may be extended, and the basis be laid for comprehending general geography. In the second article it was the aim to show how the class, by the preparation indicated in the first, may be caused to view the earth as a body, having certain relations of shape, motion, position, etc., which relations determine many of the great geographical conditions that are to be learned.

There comes a time at which it is desirable for the pupil to take a text-book in the subject. His investigation now proceeds chiefly by means of the printed statement and map. A pupil who can read fairly in the Fourth Reader, and whose attention has been directed to the meaning of words, may be capable of using the Elementary Geography. The pupil would probably be using the Elementary Arithmetic at the same stage of progress.

In the use of his book he meets many statements of facts more or less closely related, and clearly stated. These statements become the objects of his attention, and the chief error is likely to be his attempt to learn a great number of unimportant and unrelated facts. The learning of a great number of names of rivers, towns, bays, capes, etc., can scarcely be profitable, and the attempt to do so may very materially confuse the pupil and destroy his interest in the subject.

The text may fail in significance, as the pupil tries to learn from it what is beyond his experience. Physical features, such as mountains, plains, large rivers, great expanses of water, etc., need to be carefully wrought out by the teacher. To a child who has never seen a mountain, the word mountain is a meaningless term. A picture of such an object is a much more useful character than the word. The modern text-books are beautifully illustrated. The teacher may find their chief excellency in their suggestive pictures. Through the study of pictures it is not difficult to reach a clear conception of mountain and valley, of island and waterfall, of ships and commerce, of various modes of life, and of many other interesting and important matters, which through the printed statement alone are likely to remain barren wastes to the pupil.. To the pleasant interest that comes from the illustrations let the teacher add verbal descriptions, and state important relations. After such expositions the printed statements have in them a life which the pupil will readily grasp and retain.

Leading importance needs to be attached to home geography and interests and many details may be taught in connection therewith which ought to be omitted in the discussion of foreign countries. Treat distant countries in outline. This will give the more time for the full exposition of those districts of the earth's surface in which the individual's future life is likely to be cast.

Some simple plan of map drawing will prove profitable. Try to have the learner so grasp the relative position of places, and parts that he may fairly represent them on board and paper. Maps which are reasonably careful sketches, made by the children, are to be preferred to those which are elaborate and painfully accurate. The map drawn is not the ultimate. The general relations in space existing in the section studied are the essentials.

Resort to frequent outline reviews. Constantly associate the text and map. Refer frequently to the globe and the actual earth. Emphasize the important parts, and unhesitatingly omit the parts of the text that are put in the books for sake of completeness, but the learning of which can not result in profit to the pupil. View the work by subject rather than by page.

COMMENTARY ON THE SCHOOL LAW OF INDIANA.

XXIV.

MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS.

Township Institutes.

THE LAW.

SEC. f. At least one Saturday in each month during which the public schools may be in progress, shall be devoted to township institutes or model schools for the improvement of the teachers, and two Saturdays may be appropriated at the discretion of the township trustee of any township; such institute shall be presided over by a teacher or other person designated by the trustee of the township. The township trustee shall specify in a written contract with the teacher, that such teacher shall attend the full session of each institute contemplated herein, or forfeit one day's wages for every day's absence therefrom, unless such absence shall be occasioned by sickness.

COMMENTS.

1. In order to enable the county superintendent to attend the township institutes, the trustee should consult the superintendent in relation to the time of holding them. Whenever the county superintendent is present at a township institute, he should be permitted to take charge of it.

2. The township trustee should attend the township institutes and see that the work is properly done. He may, if he pleases, take charge of the institute himself.

3. The township institute is held for the benefit of the teachers of the township, and not for the benefit of teachers in cities and towns Teachers in cities and towns can not be required to attend township institutes, and can not be deprived of their pay if they do not attend.

4. It is held that each teacher who attends a township institute is required to take such a part and perform such reasonable duties as may be assigned to him by the trustee or by the person in charge of the institute. The object of a township institute is the improvement of the teachers of the township. It seems to me that all the powers necessary to carry out this object are by common law conferred upon the persons managing the institute. The object of the institute will utterly fail, unless the teachers attending take part in the exercises. I think, therefore, the contract which the trustee makes with the teachers, in relation to township institutes, necessarily requires the teachers to perform such reasonable exercises and duties as may be assigned to them. Indeed, the statute provides that the trustee may designate one of the teachers to preside over the township institute. I am of the opinion that the mere presence of a teacher at a township institute does not necessarily fill the requirements of the law.

5. Teachers can not be compelled to attend township institutes held out of their own township.

Schools to be Closed during the session of the County Institute.

THE LAW.

SEC. 160. When any such [county] institute is in session, the common schools of the county in which said institute shall be held shall be closed during the session of said institute.

COMMENTS.

1. The county superintendent should notify the school trustees of the several corporations of the time when the county institute will be held, in order to give them the opportunity to close their schools, as required by this section.

2. Although not so expressly stated in the law, every teacher in the common schools of the county is morally bound to attend the county institute, and the trustee can enforce this attendance by ininserting a clause in the contract with the teacher to that effect.

Equalization of Time in Public Schools.

THE LAW.

SEC. 11. All schools in a township shall be taught an equal length of time, as nearly as the same can be done, without regard to the diversity in the number of pupils at the several schools, or the cost of the school, aud each of said schools shall be numbered by the proper trustee as School No.

COMMENTS.

1. The trustee should not make a division of the revenues to the districts of his township, to be expended by them. The schools should be equal, not in the amount of money expended upon them, but in the number of days taught.

2. This section does not give any trustee authority to discriminate unjustly against one district in favor of another, by knowingly giving one district a good teacher at high wages and another district a poor teacher at low wages. It is the duty of the trustee to employ the best teachers his money will secure. While it is his duty in employing his teachers to take into consideration the size and grade of each school in his selection and distribution of teachers, he should endeavor to give each school the teacher which, under the circumstances, will do the best work for that particular school.

3. In case a district can not have its proper number of days of school in any one year by reason of the burning of a house or from any other accidental cause, the children of such school may be permitted to attend other schools in the same township. If they generally avail themselves of this privilege the money apportioned to such district for such time as they are without a school house should be added to the general tuition fund and re-distributed to the various districts of the corporation the next year. But if the children of such a district are not distributed and accommodated at other schools, it

is held that the trustee will not violate the spirit and intent of the law if he holds the money belonging to the district and gives it a longer school the next year.

Apportionment of Director.

THE LAW.

SEC. 25. The voters as defined in sections 14, 15, and 16 [and 26] of this act, shall meet annually on the first Saturday in October, and elect one of their number director of such school, who shall, before entering upon duty, take an oath faithfully to discharge the same. The director so elected shall, within ten days after said election, notify the trustee of his election; and, in case of failure to elect, the trustee shall forthwith appoint a director of said school; but any director so appointed may be removed upon a petition of three-fourths of the persons attached to said school, who are entitled to vote at school meetings.

COMMENTS.

1. A trustee should not recognize any person as director until the requisite oath has been filed with him.

2. The director acts under the authority of the trustee. The trustee may permit him to make such temporary repairs as may be deemed desirable.

3. Section 26 of the school law provides that school meetings may fill vacancies in the office of director. In case they fail to do so the trustee may, after a reasonable time, appoint one.

Trustees must Protect Teachers.

THE LAW.

SEC. 162. If any parent, guardian or other person, from any cause, fancied or real, visit a school with the avowed intention of upbraiding or insulting the teacher in the presence of the school, and shall so upbraid or insult a teacher, such person, for such conduct, shall be liable to a fine of not more than twenty-five dollars, which, when collected, shall go into the general tuition revenue.

COMMENTS.

1. It is the duty of every school trustee to give to his teachers a hearty and unwavering support in their legitimate work. When a person visits a school and interferes with the work he commits an offense against the school and the school corporation as well as against the teacher. It is held, therefore, that it is the right and the duty of the trustee to see that all offenders under section 162 are punished to the full extent of the law. The suit can be brought before any justice of the peace in the name of the State of Indiana.

School Officers may Administer Oaths.

THE LAW.

SEC. 166. School officers are hereby authorized and empowered to administer all oaths relative to school business appertaining to their respective offices.