Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-06-29

speaker that if he had been able to accom-
plish any good in the world be owed il
all to that teacher, because che first in
splred him with the love of learning. He
referred to gentlemen who found in the
wilds OF Wisconsin lady of refinement
teaching school far away from any hab
itations, and upon his expressing surprise
she replied that she did it to educate
them, etc. ea.ez @
We talk of moral sublimity, of heroes
on the battle field, of statesmen, and oil
the President of the United States, but
there was more of that quality in thai
woman, and there are such all over the
land. a@f .a .f
He did not know how to make the sub
ject of arithmetic interesting. 1t was be-
fore them all the time, and all admit it,
Importance both for itself and to discipline
the mind.
There are different methods of teaching
arithmetic, but the first thing should bt
to instruct the scholar thoroughly in the
elementary principles. Some have here
tofore claimed that mental arithmetic
should be taught first. others make the
same claim for written. 1t seemed te
him that both were essentially the same
He did not think that the study of arith
metic should be commenced before eight
or nine years of age-it was generally
commenced too early. There was differ.
ence in children boy of ten years old
was one of the most proficient in arith'
metic OF any scholar he had ever met. He
believed in putting the text book into the
scholars hands and having them learn the
exact language of the rules and under.
stand them. All correct. teaching OF
arithmetic and grammar must be essen
TALLY the same. The language in arith.
metics may be different, but they mean
the same thing. We talk about differen,
arithmetics, but they are really essentially
the same. We must awaken an interest in
the scholar, and make him understand
They must be able to perform a sum and
then give the reason why.
JUDAH DANA
of Rutland, said that there was no arith.
1netic that gave a correct definition OF
discount or of satisfaction. He agreed
with Mr.. Cilley in reference to the time
of commencing the study of arithmetic
Although he had studied it, he did not
know anything about arithmetic until he
WAS nineteen years old and was engaged to
teach a school. He would not let his own
children com ence its study until they
were fifteen. He believed frat in the
study of language and then of Latin
(which is the very best discipline for the
mind,) and then when the scholar sees
the definitions in arithmetic he under
stand them-he knows it, not perhaps in
the language of the book, but he knows
it and must know it, He did not believe
in having scholars confined to the exact
words OF the definition of the text book
let then learn it and give it in other
or their ewn language, 80 that they gel
it right and understand it. He would
especially advise teachers to examine
carefully every definition in the tex
book and see if every word is right and
belongs there. He closed by explaining
some of the different signs In arithmetic
A. e. LEAyENwoRTH,
of New Haven, said that he was trained
on a farm and was thankful for 1t. He
agreed with Mr.. Cilley as to the value
and Importance of the science of arithme
tic, and that scholars should be made tt
give definitions in the exact terms of the
text book.
Mr.. Dana said that we did not learn
like parrots.
e., Mr.. Leavenworth replied that that
might do for graduates aud the highest
officer of the Rutland Graded School, but
it would not do for District Schools. His
scholars must learn the exact words OF
the text book. Advanced classes might
be allowed to paraphrase. He took that
course with his teachers class. At the
blackboard he would let the scholar use
their own way ia explaining. He also
approved of thoroughness. He had a
class that were two years going through
the arithmetic, while in q District School
they would probably in the same time
have gone through it five or six times.
His father used TO repeat the old lines,
multiplication is q vexatioD," etc, but
he considered fractions one of the most
important parts of arithmetic. He taught
his scholars to treat fractions in the same
way az whole numbers, and he taught
them in the same manner, and found no
particular difficulty in them.
MR.. CILLEY
said that it had been said that child
should never give the exact words of the
text book, he protested against this. Know
the text and preach the sermon. He il
Illustrated it by man stopping at school
house to ask the way of the teacher when
there was a guide-board at hand to in
form him.
The subject of graded schools was then
resumed
JUDAH DANA,
of Rutland said he was the oldest public
school teacher in Vermont Twenty-six
years ago last fall the legislature passed
a law authorizing villages to grade their
schools and support them on the Grand
List, He was at Woodstock for ten years
where scholars were graded by their ages,
without regard to proficiency, and some
persons allowed their children to play in
the streets till they were old enough to
enter the high school, From there he
went to Windsor and taught a school
graded according to proficiency. After
a short time he visited Woodstock, found
a good teacher there, and the people were
convinced so that they esta blished their
that of advancement. His advice to pa
T6nLS Was, uOu u ilHu idlIL WALL COil-
mittee, if on examination they don't ad-
vance your children as fast as you think
they should be. Get a good teacher and
then leave the rules and the enforcement
Of them with him; work together harmo-
niously, or part. Remember that it re-
quires the best of talent to teach the pri-
mary school, as the foundation is there.
j. s. CILLEY,
of Brandon, said that he believed in
graded schools He commenced his labors
at Brandon, and it seemed to him that if
he was to commence again, he should
shrink from the responsibility and the
work. There were four hundred scholars,
divided into six departments, and the re.