| Show NORMAL SCHOOL The articles published in this department are written by students of the Normal School They are the unaided productions of students and neither the Normal School nor the CHRONICLE is responsible for any statements they contain Environment IT is a law of nature applying to stones plants and animals that surroundings surroundings surroundings sur sur- make them what they are The crystal that is not crowded during during during dur dur- ing growth develops into a perfect geometrical form while the one that is pressed in on all sides accommodates itself to circumstances and is imperfect imperfect imperfect imper imper- but a crystal still So the flower that grows on the hills spends most of its energy in the production of seeds while another of the same species that in has blossom blossom blossom blos blos- grows a well-kept well garden a som that is lovelier by far yet it produces produces produces pro pro- duces no seed Let us look at the next higher form of life the animal The sheep that lives on poor food never has has has-as as fine wool as he would have if the food were better and the same is true of other animals But there is a higher force of which I must treat it is higher than cohesion in the stones higher than the life in inthe inthe inthe the plant plan t higher than the life in the animal ani ani- mal the mal the force of the human soul It Itis Itis Itis is no exception to the law and We Weare Weare are what our environments make us N Now ow let me be understood Crowding made the crystal unsymmetrical yet it was a crystal still Race environment makes us members of the Caucasian race but it does not follow that a life away from Africa's scorching sands will change a negro into a he would be a negro still For Fori I F i convenience let us divide the subI subject sub sub- t. t of environment into race environment environment environment en en- and environment I will first discuss race environment t tIt It is found that negroes become lighter by remaining in a cool climate and men of the same race who live in hot climates are darker than those who live in cooler regions People who live in sections where soluble p phosphate of off lime is found in drinking water have large bones and are tall I It t has been noticed that if they leave their childhood childhood childhood child child- hood homes home and their children have not this cause for large frames they inherit them for several generations but it finally dies out But these environments are physical in their nature and influence the mind but Ii little bei being g often overcome by the i individual individual environment Individual environment I is the greatest study of the philosopher the teacher or the reformer At the earliest period of expression io the child has some of the peculiarities of the 1 paren parents ts It accents ts its words as the 1 parents accent theirs it uses vulgarisms vulgarisms 1 and idioms which the parents f use and in fact its general actions actions actions' are like those of its parents The bad things things its parents do it does and appearing so early it ha has hasp been sai said j tto toI 1 4 have inherited these habits but this this s jj may not be true it i iThe The great principle that all men are born equal is to a great extent exten t true from i ia a mental standpoint as well as from a r 4 civil one The child imitates the F Factions actions of those around him He sees 1 what they do and what they do not do and does or avoids doing the same As he becomes older he contracts likes tb and dislikes as he is taught by experience experience experience ex ex- with things ar around un him If he 1 fi finds ds a surrounding environment t gives s t thim him pain he learns to dislike it but if it gives him pleasure 1 t ire e likes it Thus i 1 the c child ild is taught to dislike or to li like to 0 certain lines of action and his hIs life proves to be the result of these lines of c i action f fA A child who is early brought in contact contact con con- 1 tact with nature is early taught to observe ob ob- serve the objects Hound him hire and thus has his faculties brought early into a a r ft healthy action while if the faculties are not given food they will not grow Again the faculties may be satiated so that they become tired and and can do nothing like the over-fed over stomach that cannot retain food Thus it is that the mothers mother's frown or smile the fathers father's advice or reproof the teachers teacher's rod or emulation all accumulate in one great the focus the human being f But Bit I have often heard urged children are often given advantages in inthe the way of music teaching etc and yet they learn to dislike ike these advantages Yes I reply that environment was intended for good but proved prayed to be the opposite The teacher may not realize J that if the school-room school is neglected and so is is unsightly the ch child ild will learn to dislike that school-room school in the degree that it is distasteful thus to some extent making school a bad feature in a achild's achild's childs child's life If the teacher has the room nicely ornamented with the plants that have prey previously afforded the child pleasure he be will learn to love the school-room school and love art Yes whatever whatever whatever what what- ever is presented to his mind in such a away away way as to be he pleasurable he learns to love The opposite he learns to dislike dislike dis dis- c. c F like and man to me is the fruit of all his likes and dislikes be they good or 01 bad Then the work of the teacher lies in making the environment good while the child is under his or her care Remember ber you cannot force anything into his mind you may place the food before him he must eat What kind of food shall it be Shall it be the kind needed at that special time Is it wholesome These must be answered to secure perfect development the aim t of all true teaching George Crosby |
