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tions in which it is of importance for his pupils to talk naturally, vigorously, and effectively; not simply to placate his teacher, but rather to impress his hearers and convince them. Most of the good public speakers we have known have had a large part of their training in debating societies or organizations of this general character. This is strictly in accord with human nature; you can not call out any ability unless there is some external demand which stimulates it. Nature never made human beings so that they could develop in vacuo. Teachers of public speaking need to keep this principle constantly in mind.

TEACHING CHILDREN MANNERS.

We quote the following from an Oshkosh paper: "An interesting experiment is to be tried out at the Kansas state agricultural school, where it is proposed to offer an elective course in table etiquette for students, or in other words a course of instruction to teach the young men and women how to properly conduct themselves when they eat. The idea seems to be an excellent one, and its popularity is shown by the fact that 100 students of the Kansas institution have signed up for the course. They will eat a designated number of meals under the watchful eye of an expert in table manners, who will make corrections, offer suggestions and, in fact, expound the fine arts of manipulating knives and forks with grace and dexterity.

There is no good reason why quite as much care should not be paid to teaching boys and girls how to behave as how to read. The American school system in many respects is the best in the world, but it is behind the European school in this department. What a vast difference it would make in the next generation of men and women if the public schools should now begin teaching boys and girls general as well as school deportment, including the etiquette which many of them are not taught at home but which is so essential to gentlemanly and ladylike behavior."

Anyone who is familiar with the work of the public schools knows that there is constant insistence therein upon good manners. Much of the attention of teachers is given to cutivating mannerly behavior in all the relations that arise in the classroom. It would be impossible to conduct a school without considerable restraint on the part of pupils, and courtesy manifested toward classmates, and especially the teacher. It is safe to say that the manners in any well conducted public school are very much better than they are anywhere outside of the school.

But when it comes to teaching table manners in the school, we object, unless pupils take their

meals there. In schools in which luncheons are served, table manners may very naturally be inculcated. But it would be mechanical and artifical to try to shape manners except when they are required in the natural relations of the child. with his fellows. Nothing could be more ineffective than to learn rules about manners which concern the pupil's social adjustments outside of school. If the home can not teach the manners that relate to strictly home relations; if the church can not teach manners that have to do with strictly church activities, then such manners never can be taught. On the whole, the school is succeeding in making pupils behave themselves appropriately in so far as the work of the school is concerned, and this is all it really can do, unless it be given entire charge of all the relations of the pupil. One can't learn manners by heart, and then go out and observe them in the real relations of life.

AN ALL-STAR PROGRAM.

The program for the meeting of the W. T. A. next November is about complete at this writing. And it is a hummer, as Shakespeare would say. In witness whereof, note the following names on the general program: President Parlin; Governor McGovern; President David Starr Jordan, of California; Booker T. Washington; Miss Sarah Louise Arnold, President of Simmons College, Boston; Earl Barnes, of Philadelphia; William R. George, of the George Junior Republic; William G. Frost, of Michigan. The Friday evening program has not yet been determined upon; but either the best music or the best speaker to be had in the country will be provided.

For the social meetings, there will be, in addition to many capable men and women from our own state, the following speakers from abroad: President Jordan; Professor Bailey, of Cornell; Professor Barnes; Henry Turner Bailey, of Massachusetts; Mrs. Ella Flagg Young, of Chicago; State Supt. Blair of Illinois; Professors Barbour and Ferris, of Michigan; and Mrs. Edith Smith Davis. Our next meeting is going to be an allstar performance, unless all signs fail.

FOR SALE

Encyclopedia Britanica in thirty-one volumes. Practically new. Late edition. For particulars write H. P., PARKER EDUCATIONAL CO., Madison, Wisconsin.

THE RECITATION AND ITS RELATION TO THE FORMATION OF HABITS FOR LIFE. I.

A

PRESIDENT H. L. WILSON, State Normal School, River Falls, Wisconsin

CONSIDERATION of the recitation and its relation to habits for life suggests at once the question, What is there in the recitation that functions into habits? I have found considerable difficulty in answering this question, because the recitation may have a negative as well as a positive influence upon pupils. We can not say without qualification that the thought processes of the recitation function into habits, because too many recitations do not occasion any thoughts in the minds of the pupils; nor does it fully meet the situation to say that the activities of the recitation function into habits, for in some recitations the pupils are wholly passive, at least so far as the subject matter of the recitation is related to their mental processes. However, for want of an entirely satisfactory expression to indicate just what there is about the recitation that results in habits, I shall consider this subject from the point of view of the functioning of the activities of the recitation into life habits.

To experienced, well-trained, thoughtful teachers, the term recitation has a definite meaning and significance. To many others, the meaning and function of the recitation are evidently not so well understood. Briefly stated, the first meaning of the recitation, and in too many instances the sole use of it, is telling again or saying back to the teacher what has been learned. No one questions the value of this use of the recitation, but if it has no other function than this, the life habits resulting from the recitation can not possibly be very helpful to the pupils. While I realize that every thoughtful teacher has his own ideas in regard to the function and nature of the recitation, I myself have come to think of the recitation, not as a place nor a time, but as a process in which the teacher and his pupils cooperate. Considered from the teacher's point of view, this cooperative activity requires of the teacher at different times. and in varying degrees the testing, the teaching, the drilling of his pupils upon the subject matter of the lesson, and the assignment of the next lesThe manner in which the teacher performs his part along any one or all of these lines will determine the kind of life habits which his pupils

son.

form as a result of the activities occasioned by the recitation.

It is hardly necessary to add that the recitation far surpasses all other phases of school work in importance. However valuable books, and furniture, and programmes may be, these are only secondary to the recitation. It is in the recitation that the thoughts of the teacher meet the thoughts of his pupils and by so doing stimulate, direct, and clarify their thoughts; it is here that teacher and pupils may become united into one controlling mental force; it is in the recitation that soul meets soul and the stronger soul of the teacher may guide and mould the souls of his pupils into true manhood and womanhood. The well-conducted recitation in which the larger life experiences and greater wisdom of the teacher make possible the control and moulding of the mental powers of his pupils, results in the final attitude of these pupils toward knowledge, study, thought processes, expression, and all of those activities. which function into character.

If pupils are fortunate enough to be trained in a system of schools in which the recitations are generally well and effectively conducted, they may be turned out into the world with a foundation for wisdom, habits of industry, clear logical powers of thought and expression, and reactions functioned into character that will enable them to live intelligent, happy, efficient lives. If on the other hand, they are not so trained by masters in the art of conducting the recitation, the little knowledge that they acquire will not be properly organized and they will not be able to think connectedly, logically, and continuously upon a subject until they arrive at a definite conclusion; moreover, they may form such habits that their characters unfit them for the greatest service to society and the greatest happiness to themselves.

It is a well known simple psychological law that motor activities resulting from the stimulation of neural centres, especially the lower centres, tend to function into habits. Probably nine-tenths of our movements in mature life are performed without conscious effort. The degree of consciousness varies in the numerous activities

we perform, but in most of our acts, habit is the controlling force. The nervous tissue of the mature human being becomes so thoroughly set and the muscles are so completely responsive to the neural excitations that it is practically inpossible to break the habits formed in early life. This law of habit is just as all powerful and almost as unalterable as the law of the Medes and Persians in its application to the common practices of the schoolroom. The recitations which result from stimulation of the exercises of the recitation function into habits which control the thought processes, the forms of expression, and the conduct of pupils as long as they live.

Doctor Stuart H. Rowe offers some vory valuable suggestions concerning the formation of habits in his book upon "Habit-Formation and the Science of Teaching." This may be a recognition of the influence of formal discipline rationally applied to the many special activitie- oceasioned by school work; at any rate, every thoughtful, practical teacher knows that habits result from various school exercises which are frequently repeated and continued long enough. For illustration, let us take the influence of the recitation upon the habits of pupils in spelling, arithmetic, composition, and penmanship.

Many explanations have been offered for the poor spelling that is too general among public school children of the present generation. I do not presume to have found the sole cause of this defect in the education of many people, but I believe that better results in spelling would be secured if teachers only recognized the fact that certain fundamental habits must be established before good spellers can be produced. Among these habits, must be (1) the careful observance of the letters and their relations in new words, (2) a hesitancy to write a word whenever its spelling is in doubt, and (3) a disposition to criticise or glance at the words just written which are somewhat difficult to spell. Other elements, of course, enter into the process of learning to spell, but if teachers would make a persistent effort to establish at least these three habits in the formal recitations in spelling as well as in all exercises involving spelling, would we not soon have a generation of better spellers than we are credited with having at this time?

In arithmetic, three or four fundamental habits

should be established. Before progress can be made in this subject, pupils must comprehend the conditions involved in all problems; they must read the problems intelligently. Therefore, (1) the habit of carefully reading a problem in order to comprehend the conditions stated, before attempting its solution, is all important. As an aid to clear, accurate reasoning, hardly too much emphasis can be placed upon (3) the habit of expressing the solution of the problem in clear, neat, accurate form. And finally (4) the habit of criticising the process of the solution and its results, is necessary to insure reliability.

Whatever else should be accomplished in the recitation in arithmetic, the teacher should make a conscious effort in the solution of every new problem to establish certain habits, because the important things which pupils will take them into life from the recitations in arithmetic are the habits formed in dealing with materials of this kind. Just consider the habit of expressing the solution of problems in some form. Whatever that form. may be,—whether good or bad, neat or slovenly, short or long, practical or impractical,-the one thing which the thoughful teacher will never fail to keep in mind, is that the forms acquired by his pupils in his recitations will become fixed as habits with them, and, consequently, in all practical affairs in life these forms will be used.

The use of language is the result of habits rather than an understanding of grammatical and rhetorical principles. Consequently, the language used in school, especially in the recitation, becomes very largely the language of the adult. This is equally true of both oral and written language. It is difficult to state just what habits should be established in order to obtain desirable results. Some of the most obvious habits in the use of language which the teacher should aim to secure in the formal recitation are (1) the continuous, ready, correct expression of thought in both oral and written language; (2) the correct use of the mechanics of language in written composition such as capitalization, punctuation, spelling, paragraphing, and the logical arrangement of thought units; and (3) conscious self-criticism of all the forms of both oral and written expression.

While the exigencies of business and of the professions, and the requirements of cultured people may stimulate sensitive responsive individuals to

extraordinary exertion to overcome the incorrect forms of language acquired in various ways and to establish the correct forms required by their station in life, the great fact remains that the habits of language formed in the recitation become the controlling force in both forms of expression after school days are over.

In subjects like penmanship and drawing in which mere form must be emphasized, habit is all important, and the teacher who fails to recognize this principle will fail utterly in teaching these subjects. Thus the recitation in penmanship is largely an exercise in establishing correct habits of holding the pen and keeping the paper in position, the body in the right posture, and of using the muscles of the arm instead of the muscles of the fingers to secure free and easy movement in the formation of letters.

Many other illustrations taken from the daily recitations of the school room might be given, but these are sufficient to show how the activities of the recitation in the presentation of various subjects function into life habits.

(Concluded next month)

THE TOUR OF LONDON AND WESTMINISTER

ABBEY.

Prin. M. H. Jackson.

We ave passed a "Sane Fourth." So far as I can learn, only one little fire cracker was exploded in the city of London, and only one of us was present at the celebration. In my room on the 5th floor is a pretty little fire place, and up in the chimney where no one but me could hear it, I touched off a cracker which I had brought with me for the purpose. It was a good one, "not one o' yer sissers," and it was well fired. son except me heard it.

Not a per

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reigned eleven days, was captured by Mary and thrown into the tower. From her cell the beautiful shrinking girl was led to the scaffold outside. The guides took us out to the spot where the execution took place. On the same spot were executed Lord Hastings, Queen Anne Boleyn, Queen Katherine Howard, Jane Viscountess Rockford, Robert Devereaux and many others equally well known in English history. We were sick at heart after our visit to the Tower and for one I never want to see it again. The hundreds of stone inscriptions made by prisoners, the staircase under which the two little princes were hidden after being cruelly murdered, the Traitors' Gate, the Bloody Tower, if their stories could only be forgotten! After visiting the Egyptian "mummy" department at the British Museum, and the Tower immediately afterward, I assure you I was glad to get out to see a crowd of kindhearted Englishmen again.

The Tower itself was first built as a feudal castle. The moat is still there, and there are at least two portcullises still in place over the gateways. Many of the walls and towers are still standing that were first built by William the Conqueror in 1078.

There are numerous exhibits of implements of war found here, from the battle-ax up to fireEvery known device used in wars by the English may be found here.

arms.

Westminister Abbey.

It took five hundred years to build it, and there was a church on the present site built by Edward the Confessor. Edward died a few days after it was dedicated, Dec. 28, 1065.

The Abbey is closely associated with English history. On this spot the beloved Edward the Confessor was buried, and long afterward Edward III chose the Abbey as his burial place that his body might be near that of the former Edward. Since then Westminister Abbey has been for a long period the burial place of kings, statesmen, poets, warriors, and churchmen. stone are buried here. Newton, den, we cannot name them all. are tablets erected to the memory of great and good men who are buried elsewhere. Among these we find a beautiful bust of our own Longfellow erected by English admirers.

Pitt and GladChaucer, DryThen too, there

IN THE SCHOOLROOM

May

The Glory of God in Creation

Thou art, O God, the life and light
Of all this wondrous world we see;
Its glow by day, its smile by night,

Are but reflections caught from thee.
Where'er we turn, the glorious shine,
And all things fair and bright are thine.
When day, with farewell beam, delays
Among the opening clouds of even,
And we can almost think we gaze

Through opening vistas into heaven,
Those hues that make the sun's decline
So soft, so radiant, Lord, are thine.

When night, with wings of starry gloom,
O'ershadows all the earth and skies,
Like some dark, beauteous bird, whose plume
Is sparkling with unnumbered eyes,
That sacred gloom, those fires divine,
So grand, so countless, Lord, are thine.

When youthful Spring around us breathes,
Thy spirit warms her fragrant sigh,
And every flower that summer wreathes
Is born beneath thy kindling eye:
Where'er we turn, thy glories shine,
And all things fair and bright are thine.

-Thomas Moore.

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