Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-10-13

and about 30 teachers. OF
he teachers present In the morning, q
rood share were males. Prof Allen adj
dressed the class for half an hour In an
of-hand agreeable manner. gaining and
holding the attention Of all. lie told the
class that the Institute would be what they
made 1t. and urged on all the impor-
lance Of throwing on all reserve. and TAX
ing hold OF the work before them In ear.
nest. In the afternoon. when they should
have room better fitted for the purpose
for which they meet. he hoped to see all
the class In seorkiag order.
The general remarks Of Prof. Allen were
excellent evidcncing thorough acquaint-
ance Of his business and broad views on
education.
He announced that the programme
would be given out In the afternoon.
In the afternoon Mr.. Corthell addressed
the class on object teaching. and Prof.
should be adopted for scholars using
the blackboard TO illustrate his views.
Mr.. Corthell made some remarks on the
neglect Of the study Of history in
school, and on spelling. The session clos
ed by giving out ten words for the class to
write on slips Of paper, and hand in for
examination. Over seventy teachers at
tie close Of the afternoon had reported.
EVENING.
The slips with the ten words were re-
ported upon. and no one had spelled all
the words right OF the ten words. some
had spelled nine wrong. II any one is
disposed to laugh at these mistakes, let
him or her take ten words In use that no
guide is TO be had. either in r,dson OF in an
alogy in their photography, and see
how he will doubt and hesitate in writing
them. We had communication for pub
LEGATION some ten years since, sent In by .
person then teaching in Ellsworth. and he
spelled the word sugar. "shugar." This
must have been through carelessness; and
a. that person still continues to teach, no
doubt he has corrected any habit Of care
less spelling.
Mr.. Cortbell next addressed TIM class on
the right training. or educating the schol-
AT. that Is. asserting that mans physical.
intellectual and moral powers should be-
attended TO by the teacher. He gave .
history Of the special manner Of training
a, different periods Of the worlds history.
The physical nature MAS too much cult
waited al an early period. Physical power
and physical beauty 60 hsnd and hand.
One Greek graduated st the gymnasium
and race course. could put TO flight ten
Pegsians: II. The 10 mo{Al Aaias ys. ! .SS
then came the other extreme. The pres
ent age is aiming to rightly educate the
three parts Of man. We do not atteinp, TO
give a report of the remarks Of any one Of
the speakers. only state in general man
ner some Of the points made.
Professor Allen gave the closing lecture.
He discussed the subject Of schools and
school systems, their pas; and presest his
tory.-needs and aims, so thoroughly and
so deliberately. that no report can be made
isfactory unless the whole was given. The
Professor seems to be = practical man. and
he aims that his teaching shall be Of that
character. He is an easy and graceful
speaker. and weaves into his addresses so
much Of anecdote or incident. BY way OF
illustration. that the attention Of the audi
ence is held throughout.
SECOND DAY.
Exercises opened with music. reading
the Scriptures and prayer by Rev. DIR.
Tenney.
First topic. Arithmetic. was treated by
". J. Corthell. 1t should be divided into
two periods, the perceptive and the reas.
Oning, or the How and the Why periods
First. scholars should be taught how to do
and then AFTER the faculties have become
somewhat matured. the reasons why
Rules should never be committed to men,
DRY. but should be deduced upon the
| blackboard by the teacher, and then BY
| the scholar, till he makes the principle his
own. Facility and rapidity should be in
sisted upon. and should be acquired BY
practice.
Prof. Allen took up the subject Of
Grammar. He would take the Grammar
out of the District Schools. and have Il
taught only in the High Schools and Acad-
elnies. BY its early study in the District
Schools q distaste is acquired, and in after
years long time is required to unlearn
what they had learned so badly; they
must be taught to love what they once
hated. The number Of classes In our
schools should be greatly reduced. One
half in most schools, twO-thirds In many
there should be only one class in Gram
mar. only two In Arithmetic. Grammar
is an abstract study and is composed Of
abstract qualities hence scholar should
not study it till he has received some men-
tai discipline. The Grammar should be
used only ~ . book Of reference. Pars-
ing has TO do with words. 1t changes
and teaches Us the right form. Analysis
enables US to understand the thoughts Of
the author; n the nodiAcstions Of sen.
fences are el11er Adjective or Advsrbial
elements. Under Oral Instrucsion in
Grammar he would embrace the liz, I'd
aud3d reading classes; be wouldth teach
them TO construct sentences and collect
unGrammafical sentences for csiticism.-
Reading should be taught BY words and
not BY learning the letters.-words a.
ways convey ideas, letters never do.
The session opened BY calling the roll
Of the class, and this was done BY calling
the number Of each scholar. Each num-
Der responded with Q seuEiment. original