Wilson County Teacher from Fredonia, Kansas • 1

"'1 Wftk No. 5. Fredonia, January, 1886. Vol. I.

tempting to answer the question the problem. In "compound proportion" a direction is given The Wilson Co. Teacher. Published Monthly at Fifty Cents Per Year. let us examine the origin of these as follows: "consider from the Editor.

H. A. BRUNDIDGE, nature of the question whether Entered at the Postoffice at Fredonia, Kansas, as Second-Class the answer required will be greater or less, etc." Mr-Stafford's difficulty is that in ordinary problems, pupils will apply that rule, reversed, and "consider from the nature of the faults. The first arises out of a disposition to shirk any work that requires the mental strain of the continuous thought necessary to the solution of a problem we may say it arises out of mental sluggishness. It is easier for such to "cut and try," than to endure the painful stress of an intense thought.

The other fault arises from self-confidence which of itself is right, but cultivated to excess becomes conceit. Now, while no general rule can be given for correcting these or any faults, because the character of each pupil answer what combination of the numbers given in the problem will produce the answer, and so com bine them with no other reason but that it will get the answer." Hence, the oft repeated language of pupils in every school-room, "this will get the answer and that will not." Put against this fault of In No. 4, Mr. Stafford inquired how he should prevent pupils from working for the answer" to problems in arithmetic. No one having responded, the editor desires to say that there is nothing wrong in working for an answer or the answer.

Problems are given with the expectation and request that the answer will be sought and found. Mr. Stafford's difficulty is not fairly stated in his own language. The error he desires to correct does not lie in the seeking to find the answer, but in making use of the given answer as a pointer to the solution of the problem. Pupils understanding the language and grammatical construction of a problem, able to divide it into separate statements, seldom pay any attention to the answer printed with the prbblem until they have reached their own conclusion pupils one other "as an offset, for the teacher, yet, we suggest that usually pupils who "cut and try" for the answer should be re namely: and over-confident spirit, which is sometimes created by try ing to correct or obviate the first fault.

The language of the one is "this will get the answer." The lan guage of the other is the answer in the book is wrong; I know it is." The latter class of pupils depend upon reaching correct con clusions by a correct course of quired to pay more attention to the grammatical construction of the problems of their lessons; cultivate mental activity by anything requiring analytical process, whether in arithmetic or not. Puzzles, enigmas, charades, given for evening amusement, may be found helpful. A boy or girl who can heartily enjoy a game of chess and be induced to do his best in the play, can be induced to give as intense thought to arithmetic. Make the methods of solutions plain, by dwelling upon them. If the teacher pays more attention to why than to how, the pupil will learn to do so.

But if the teacher reasoning just what they should do. If the answer given coincides or answer by a course of reasoning; they then use the answer to with theirs, their respect for the author is unbounded; but if there confirm their own, or, if not the same as theirs, to show reason is a difference, they conclude that for doubting whethertheir method of solution was correct. This may be considered as a proper use of the given answer. But if Prof. Ray or Prof.

Davies is in error or the printer made a blunder. What then shall a teacher do to correct the habit of some pupils of using the printed answer as a key to the combination of the statements of the problem, without giving them a tendency to form another fault of ignoring the answer given by the author of tlve arithmetic? Before at a pupil does not have a clear conception of the terms of a problem he will study it, not only in re presents the "how" to obtain an answer and makes too much of that, the probability is the pupil will soon say I can get that answer in half the time." In regard to the second fault, conceit, I will only add, the conceited boy is traveling along a road where sooner or later that fault is likely to be taken from him. gard to its grammatical construction, but is quite likely to use the answer, if given, as affording some explanation of the terms of.