Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1859-10-07
Teachers Convention.


The Teachers Convention was held al
Bluehill last week, under the care of Mr.
Dunnell, the Superintendent of the Common
Schools in the State.
there were some fifty who took part il
the exercises. This was only a small pro.
portion OF the teachers in the County. A
majority OF the towns were not represented
at all, while several only by one or two
1t should have been otherwise. If all the
teachers, and all who propose to become
such, are tinished-poished to the point of
periection-then such small attendance
might be excu>able. and the Conventions
discontinued. But if the Teacher Mllen-
mum has not arrived, it was inexcusable and
those who stayed away from slight causes
are certainly open to remark. The pay of
teachers has been considerably increased
within few years, mainly because they have
had greater facilities for obtaining a thor
ough knowledge of their profession, and the
supposition that they had awaited themselves
OF them, and had become more expert and
useful than their predecessors The public
schools afford them the requisite knowledge
the State now furnishes them the means of
learning how to impdrt it to others in the
most expeditions and useful methods. Those
who will not avail themselves of these faci-
tiles cannot be supposed to be so well quail
fed as those who do, and cannot complain if
a preference and higher compensation is CIV
en- to their more cnterprisins and devoted as
soeiates. School agents should faithfully
cooperate with the Legislature in this i'm
portant policy, and make it the interest OF
teachers to attend these Conventions.
Those, who did attend were highly graft.
fled by the lucid and thorough manner of
teaching praeticed by the State Instructors.
Prof Burnham might be styled "Arith-
metic made easy His method was so sim
pie and inductive, that the dullest mind
could comprehend propositions in few
minutes, that used to require long and labo-
rious calculations. All his remarks upon
the various methods of inspiring confidence
and interest in the minds in the different
classes { pupils; and his varied and appo-
site illustrations, furnished mainly from his
own large experience, were full OF instruc-
ton, and perfectly fitted to make perma-
nent impression on all who listened to him.
Grammar, that has SO long been terror
and an enigma to so many in our schools, in
the hands of Mr.. Bootherby became as meek
as child's vocabulary. doubts and diff
fculties dispersed and it revealed as an easy
and pleasant exercise. His illustrations of
Physical Geography were listened to with
delighted attention, as he untolded and ex-
planned very many of the natural phenome-
ma of the Earth Whose solutions to many are
not generally familiar.
The other branches were treated by them
with the same facility, showing how wonder I
fully the science Of instruction has been sim
plihed and improved within few years.
The spectator. who attended one session.
was sure to come back to the rest, till the
house became crowded. The evening lee
lures were exceedingly interesting and in
structive, filling the church to Overlooking
with a delighted and attentive audience. In
them, the duties of parents, and especially
that of frequently visiting the schoo-rooms
Of their children were admirably Illustrated
and enforced j.; and the proprieties of child
hood and youth were 50 clearly and a1ec-
tionately urged, that the ycliest rowdy could
not but feel abashed and resolve to amend.
In short, everything passed off pleasantly
md those teachers who stayed away may be
assured that they missed "a good time -
1t may be of interest to some, to learn
that that bane of Institutes and Teachers
the Book Agent, is apparently
lying out; as only one Of that class of para
sites was noticed to have obtruded his
wares within the walls Of the Academy,
where the sessions Of the convention We're
held, and it is believed he was the only
one in attendance. 1t favors the hope, that
soon the idea of Teachers Convention will
not he associated with that Of change of
books in the mind of the public. y.