The Teacher Part 13

"I am very much prejudiced against spiders, and every insect in the known world, with scarcely an exception. There is a horrid sensation created by their ugly forms, that makes me wish them all to Jericho. The b.u.t.terfly's wings are pretty, but he is dreadful ugly. There is no affectation in this, for my pride will not permit me to show this prejudice to any great degree, when I can help it.

I do not fear the little wretches; but I do hate them.

Anti-Spider-Sparer."

"This is not expressed very well, the phrases, "_to Jericho_" and "_dreadful ugly_," are vulgar, and in very bad taste. Such a dislike too is more commonly called an antipathy, than a prejudice, though perhaps it comes under the general head of prejudices."

"How may we overcome prejudice? I think that when we are prejudiced against a person, it is the hardest thing in the world to overcome it."

"A prejudice is usually founded on some unpleasant a.s.sociation connected with the subject of it. The best way to overcome the prejudice, therefore, is to connect some pleasant a.s.sociation with it.

"For example, (to take the case of the antipathy to the spider, alluded to in the last article,) the reason why that young lady dislikes spiders, is undoubtedly because she has some unpleasant idea a.s.sociated with the thought of that animal, perhaps for example, the idea of their crawling upon her--which is certainly not a very pleasant one for any body. Now the way to correct such a prejudice, is to try to connect some pleasant thoughts with the sight of the animal.

"I once found a spider in an empty apartment, hanging in its web on the wall, with a large ball of eggs which it had suspended by its side. My companion and myself cautiously brought up a tumbler under the web, and pressed it suddenly against the wall, so as to enclose both spider and eggs within it. We then contrived to run in a pair of shears, so as to cut off the web, and let both the animal and its treasure fall down into the tumbler. We put a book over the top, and walked off with our prize, to a table, to see what it would do.

"At first it tried to climb up the side of the tumbler, but its feet slipped, from the smooth gla.s.s. We then inclined the gla.s.s, so as to favor its climbing and to enable it to reach the book at the top. As soon as it touched the book, it was safe. It could cling to the book easily, and we placed the tumbler again upright, to watch its motions.

"It attached a thread to the book and let itself down by it to the bottom of the tumbler, and walked round and round the ball of eggs, apparently in great trouble. Presently it ascended by its thread, and then came down again. It attached a new thread to the ball, and then went up, drawing the ball with it. It hung the ball at a proper distance from the book, and bound it firmly in its place by threads running from it, in every direction, to the parts of the book which were near, and then the animal took its place, quietly by its side.

"Now I do not say, that if any body had a strong antipathy to a spider, seeing one perform such a work as this would entirely remove it; but it would certainly soften it. It would _tend_ to remove it. It would connect an interesting and pleasant a.s.sociation, with the object. So if she should watch a spider in the fields making his web. You have all seen those beautiful, regular webs, in the morning dew, ("Yes, sir,"

"Yes sir.") composed of concentric circles, and radii diverging in every direction. ("Yes sir.") Well, watch a spider when making one of these, or observe his artful ingenuity and vigilance, when he is lying in wait for a fly. By thus connecting pleasant ideas, with the sight of the animal, you will destroy the unpleasant a.s.sociation which const.i.tutes the prejudice. In the same manner, if I wished to create an antipathy to a spider, in a child, it would be very easily done. I would tie her hands behind her, and put three or four upon her, to crawl over her face.

"Thus you must destroy prejudices in all cases, by connecting pleasant thoughts and a.s.sociations with the objects of them."

"I am very often prejudiced against new scholars, without knowing why?"

"We sometimes hear a person talk in this way, 'I do not like such, or such a person, at all.'"

"'Why?'

"'Oh I don't know, I do not like her at all. I can't bear her.'

"'But why not. What is your objection to her.'

"'Oh I don't know, I have not any particular reason, but I never did like her.'

"Now whenever you hear any person talk so, you may be sure that her opinion, on any subject, is worth nothing at all. She forms opinions in one case, without grounds, and it depends merely upon accident, whether she does not, in other cases."

"Why is it that so many of our countrymen are, or seem to be prejudiced against the unfortunate children of Africa? Almost every _large white_ boy, who meets a _small black_ boy, insults him, in some way or other."

"It is so hard to _overcome_ prejudices, that we ought to be careful how we _form_ them."

"When I see a new scholar enter this school and she does not happen to suit me exactly in her ways and manners, I very often get prejudiced against her, though sometimes I find her a valuable friend, after I get acquainted with her."

"There is an inquiry I should like very much to make, though I suppose it would not be quite right to make it. I should like to ask all those who have some particular friend in school, and who can recollect the impression which the individual made upon them when they first saw her, to rise, and then I should like to inquire in how many cases the first impression was favorable, and in how many unfavorable."

"Yes sir." "Yes sir."

"Do you mean you would like to have the inquiry made?"

"Yes sir."

"All, then, who have intimate friends, and can recollect the impression which they first made upon them, may rise."

[About thirty rose; more than two thirds of whom voted that the first impression made by the persons who had since become their particular friends, was unfavorable.]

"This shows how much dependence you can justly place on first impressions."

"It was the next Monday morning, after I had attained the wise age of 4 years, that I was called up into my mother's room, and told that I was the next day going to school.

"I called forth all my reasoning powers, and with all the ability of a child of four years, I reasoned with my mother, but to no purpose. I told her that I _hated_ the school mistress then; though I had never seen her. The very first day I tottered under the weight of the mighty foolscap. I only attended her school two quarters; with prejudice I went, and with prejudice I came away.

"The old school-house is now torn down, and a large brick house takes the place of it. But I never pa.s.s by without remembering my teacher. I am prejudiced to [against] the very spot.

"Is it not right to allow prejudice, to have influence over our minds as far as this? If any thing comes to our knowledge, with which wrong seems to be connected, and one in whom we have always felt confidence is engaged in it, is it not right to allow our prejudice in favor of this individual to have so much influence over us, as to cause us to believe that all is really right, though every circ.u.mstance which has come to our knowledge is against such a conclusion? I felt this influence not many weeks since, in a very great degree."

"No; it would not be prejudice in such a case. That is, a _prejudice_ would not be a sufficient ground to justify withholding blame. Well grounded confidence in such a person, if there was reason for it, ought to leave such an effect, but not prejudice."

The above may be considered as a fair specimen of the ordinary operation of such an exercise. It is taken as an ill.u.s.tration, not by selection from the large number of similar exercises which I have witnessed, but simply because it was an exercise occurring at the time when a description was to be written. Besides the articles quoted above, there were thirty or forty others, which were read and commented on. The above will, however, be sufficient to give the reader a clear idea of the exercise, and to show what is the nature of the moral effect it is calculated to produce.

The subjects which may be advantageously brought forward in such a way, are of course very numerous. They are such as the following. In connexion with each, give the suggestions as to the kind of articles to be written, which the pupils may receive at the time the subject is a.s.signed.

1. DUTIES TO PARENTS. Anecdotes of good or bad conduct at home.

Questions. Cases where it is most difficult to obey. Dialogues between parents and children. Excuses which are often made for disobedience.

2. SELFISHNESS. Cases of selfishness any of the pupils have observed. Dialogues they have heard exhibiting it. Questions about its nature. Indications of selfishness.

3. FAULTS OF THE SCHOOL. Any bad practices the scholars may have observed in regard to general deportment, recitations, habits of study, or the scholars' treatment of one another. Each scholar may write what is his own greatest trouble in school, and whether he thinks any thing can be done to remove it. Any thing they think can be improved in the management of the school by the Teacher.

Unfavorable things they have heard said about it, out of school, though without names.

4. EXCELLENCES OF THE SCHOOL. Good practices, which ought to be persevered in. Any little incidents the scholars may have noticed ill.u.s.trating good character. Cases which have occurred in which scholars have done right, in temptation, or when others around were doing wrong. Favorable reports in regard to the school, in the community around.

5. THE SABBATH. Any thing the scholars may have known to be done on the Sabbath which they doubt whether right or wrong. Questions in regard to the subject. Various opinions they have heard expressed.

Difficulties they have in regard to proper ways of spending the Sabbath.

(8.) We have one other method to describe, by which a favorable moral influence may be exerted in school. The method can, however, go into full effect, only where there are several pupils who have made considerable advances in mental cultivation.

It is to provide a way, by which teachers and pupils may write, anonymously, for the school. This may be done by having a place of deposit for such articles as may be written, where any person may leave what he wishes to have read, nominating, by a memorandum, upon the article itself, the reader. If a proper feeling on the subject of good discipline, and the formation of good character, prevails in school, many articles, which will have a great deal of effect upon the pupils, will find their way through such an avenue, once opened. The teacher can himself often bring forward, in this way, his suggestions, with more effect than he otherwise could do. Such a plan is, in fact like the plan of a newspaper for an ordinary community, where sentiments and opinions stand on their own basis, and influence the community just in proportion to their intrinsic merits, una.s.sisted by the authority of the writer's name, and unimpeded by any prejudice which may exist against him. In my own school, this practice has had a very powerful effect. I have, myself, often thus anonymously addressed my pupils, and I have derived great a.s.sistance from communications which many of the pupils have written. Sometimes we have had full discussions of proposed measures, and at others, criticisms of the management of the school, or of prevailing faults. Sometimes good humored satires, and sometimes simple descriptions. 'Tis true the practice is not steadily kept up. Often, for months together, there is not an article offered. Still the place of deposit remains, and, after a time, some striking communication is made, which awakens general attention, and calls out other pens, until the fifteen minutes, corresponding to the afternoon General Exercise, in the plan provided in a preceding chapter, (which is all which is allowed to be devoted to such purposes,) is not sufficient to read what is daily offered. Of course, in such a plan as this, the teacher must have the usual editorial powers, to comment upon what is written, or to alter or suppress it at pleasure.[A]

[Footnote A: The following articles, which were really offered for such a purpose, will serve as specimens. One or two were written by teachers.

I do not know the authors of the others. I do not offer them as remarkable compositions: every teacher will see that they are not so.

The design of inserting them is merely to show that the ordinary literary ability to be found in every school, may be turned to useful account, by simply opening a channel for it, and to furnish such teachers as may be inclined to try the experiment, the means of making the plan clearly understood by their pupils.

MARKS OF A BAD SCHOLAR.