Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-08-04
Communications.


q and %, at Fitchburg, Mass. meeting
of the directors took place on tho forenoon
of the first day. At 2.30 p. NJ, 100 teachers
having met in the town hall, the Institute
was called 10 order by the President, Abb
ner J. Phipps, of West Medford, and pray
er offered by Rev. Mt Jones of Fitchburg.
The Secretary, ID. w. Jones, of Boston,
then read the report on the last meeting,
held at Worcester, at which II appeared
there were in attendance $50 teachers. The
president made some interesting remarks
upon the history of the institute, stating
that the first general meeting was held at
Boston in 1880; 1t then took its name,
American Institute Of Instruction, the oh.
iect of which was to difruse a knowledge of
general education. In the third year Of its
continuance 1t numbered 400 members, 800
of whom were from Massachusetts,, 100 be-
ing from Boston, where the society was
originated. Massachusetts has appropriate
ed during the years of the institute, for the
aid Of the same, a total of 1000; the other
States of the Union nothing. Therefore
there are obvious reasons why the meetings
of the institute hav, been oftenest held in
Massachusetts. Miss Elizabeth p. Peabody
of Cambridge, next read paper upon
"Kinder-gartening, the gospel for chill
dren." She showed some model ways of
occupying the hands and minds of little
children, as practiced in Hamburg; and
said education should be for all, and in the
next generation every woman must he
mother, either personally or by proxy. AZ
ter this paper discussion followed on the
practicalness Of kinder-gartening in the
primary schools of this country; and as in
Hamburg, where the system was first start
ed, there exist but about dozen of these
schools, it was deemed of doubtful useful
ness for American schools.
Wednesday evening the institute was IA
vorcd with lecture by Gen. John Eaton,
Jr., Commissioner of the Bureau of Educa-
ton, Washington, d. c. Subject, "Ameri-
can Education Progressive
After the lecture, Mrs. Miller of Concord,
n. H., entertained the audience with some
select readings or recitals.
Thursday morning, the nth, paper was
read by VIM. T. Harris, supt. of the schools
of st. Louis, on prescription in Modern
Education-Its Province. The paper pre-
sented some of the finest thinking of the
age on this theme, embodying illustrations
in all the past and present history of teach
ing. The opinion was expressed by those
who had longest been members OF the in
stitute that Mr.. Harriss paper was one of
the most elaborate and best ever read before
the institute. Next paper by Rev. Mr..
Hudson of Boston, on methods of Teach
ing History" This was very racy and
sarcastic description of the prevailing plans
of learning history in the schools, nor less
so of the histories themselves, which were,
in his opinion, nothing less than mass OF
lifeless limbs, dry bones and chips, save
some of the larger and more ancient works,
os Gibbons and Plutarch's No history Of
the United States had ever been written, he
| remarked, which is readable for him. The
object of studying history with the young,
he said, should be to form a correct taste,
and an ability to select right books to read.
As an illustration of vitated taste in read
ing, he remarked in opening his subject,
that 5000 volumes of the worst novels in the
Boston library, were read more than the
| other 5000 volumes in the same library.
Mr.. Hudson ended by the proposition, that
most mischief among the young, are the
Sunday school libraries.
At o'clock paper was read by Charles
| c. Perkins of Boston, on 1.-The Importance
of Drawing as a Branch of General Educa-
ton" paper was next read by Hon. II.
X. Oliver of Salem, on The way | was
taught" This was very graphic descrip-
ton Of Mr. divers school and college ed
ucaton in Boston and at Harvard, about
the period from 1906 to 1874.
Evening session. A lecture by Prof II.
c. Gilman of Yale College, subject, ''Scien-
tifc schools in relation to Colleges and High
Schools Prof. Monroe, superintendent
of vocal culture in the public schools Of
Boston, next gave some highly interesting
readings.
Friday, 2Sth, an address by DR.. Richard
Edwards, principal Of State Normal School.
Illinois. Subject, Causes of failure in the
Work of Teachers" In briei'-l. Perer-
sity of parents. =. Natural disqualified
tons Of teachers themselves; though these
are often over-estimated. \ good teacher
should possess patience, hopefulness and
all the qualities which 90 to make upa well
developed man or woman. Ana these
qualities are needed in everybody else not
less than in the teacher. g. Want of prep
aration. 1. Want of plan. 3. Want of will.
q. Want of enthusiasm. Dr. Edwards said
also teaching is no child's play, but re-
quires all the powers of the mature mind.
At half-past 10 a paper was read by warren
johnson, Maine Stale superintendent of
schools, ON Estate uniformity OF Text
books.
The afternoon session of the closing day,
Friday, was given mainly to the election Of
officers and matters of general business,
concluding at p o'clock with paper by y.
\. Calkins, of New York, on the question +;
'Does Object Teaching hold a PhiloSophi p
cal Relation to the Natural Development of
Mind, and the acquisition of knowledge.