The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-11-28
Maine Educational Associations

had been his duty, during his occupancy OF the
| official position to welcome many associations
and bodies and he thought that in welcoming
this body he greeted an association whose
efforts give power to all other interests Lit
gave our bayonets in the late war thoughts; and
even the President, the great executive agent OF
our Government, would fail in his efforts were
it not for the intelligence of the governed. The
| education of New England influences the coun-
| try In recent journey to the extreme West
| he had found New England influence the secret
of governmental power, ever in besotted Utah,
The people of Portland welcome you to the hos
FATALITIES of the city. We are glad you decided
to hold your meeting here. We regard your
great work as second only to that of the Church
itself: nay, not second to the Church, for an
uneducated Church is no Church.
Dr. S. c. Gordon, in behalf of the School
Committee of Portland, remarked in his adj
dress of welcome the benefit of association it
rubs up and keeps the mind bright Without
it wei become routinists. If teachers lack sue
cess, it is because they lack association. Asso-
ciated effect influences those outside. We be-
lieve we have good teachers in Portland but
they can be benefited by this meeting. He ex-
pressed the hope that the teachers assembled
would not only get good but convey away good.
the Doctor then referred to some erroneous ideas
| which have prevailed among teachers in regard
| to their profession, and suggested that the key
stone of success was to do well, no matter how
| long or short a time one is called to teach
President Rounds responded to these well
| comes in a very happy manner, complimenting
the citizens of Portland for the energy they had
- IL
| igence which had inspired that energy. He
| fully appreciated their kindness and hoped that
| the meeting of teachers would be beneficial to
Portland, and influence go forth for the pros
perity of the State
w. j. Corthel of Calais, was chosen Secre-
tary pro tenn. in the absence of the regular in
cumbent..
On motion of A. P. Stone, all the friends of
education present were invited to participate
with the members of the Association in the
proceedings.
The President was then authorized, by vote,
to appointed at his convenience the necessary
committees; and he at once nominated as
Committee ON Observation-Disclosures. A. P. Stone
of Portland; Thomas fash of Lewiston, and G.
T. Fletcher of Castine.
lay in the arrangements for this meeting, and
hoped that the time and place for the next
meeting would be considered and decided before
the adjournment. He also suggested change
in the organization; that the meetings be here
after organized on the sectional plan; the high
er branches of education the elementary and
superintendent; the former to consider mat
tiers of interest to higher institutions of learn
ing the second the public schools and popular
education; and the third to embrace the State
SUPPLEMENTARY, County Supervisors and
School Committees This plan had been adopt
ed by the National Association with great sue
cess
The first question for discussion was "How
shall we obtain Trained Teachers for our
Schools?' The debate was opened by G. T.
Fletcher, Principal of the Eastern Normal
School at Castne. After referring to the posi-
ton which the teacher occupies, and the neces-
sity for higher preparation, he considered the
question whether we have the material for
trained teachers. This answered in the affirm
alive, he remarked that special training schools
schools were necessary to produce good teach
ers, and for the following reasons: a systematic
course of study is prescribed common line of
thought and purpose is inspired; and the adj
vantage of the failure and success of others is
. afforded. He believed the Institute is impor-
tant in training teachers, by association togeth
er, and the mutual criticism and exchange of
views which follow. Mr. f. took strong grounds
in favor of compulsory education in the COM
mon schools.
Mr. r. Woodbury., of Pennington, followed
He thought Institutes were good for a certain
kind of vvorlx,-and leot.aros for another, but
neither can do all, Institutes do good work
in waking up the teachers and the people, but
they were too short to do all the good they were
intended for. He suggested six-week lnsti-
tute in each Congressional district in the State,
to be instructed by the very best teachers that
can be obtained. Our present system of teach
ing is patchwork and patchwork not sewed to-
gether
Mr. A. E. Holt, of New Sharon, spoke decid-
edly in favor of system of free high schools,
| and showed the advantage of the system, ex-
| planning in the course of his remarks the pro-
visions of the bill introduced in the last Legis-
| lature the chief feature of which was that
when any town should establish public high
| school, sustained without recourse to the public
school fund, the State is to appropriate an equal
| amount, not to exceed $500.
EVENING SESSION.
A paper on Intellectual Culture, and Modes
of Study best adapted to secure it, was read by
Prof. F. Lyford, of Colby University. He be-
| gan by saying that culture aims at develop
ment growth and increase of strength. Fill
| ing the mind is not storing it, The object Is
not to get it full at the least possible expense OF
| time and labor That mind is not best slowed
| which contains the greatest amount of knowl-
| edge but when it contains that which the in
4 tellect demands and the supply is so arranged
| as to be used with the greatest facility. He
| discussed the old methods of teaching, and OBJ
served that text books have been simplified SO
much as to leaving nothing to be done by the
| mind. Since one system of education, from
| the primary school to the university, depends
SO much upon text books they should be con-
| strued so as to result in systematic storing OF
| the mind otherwise they pernieious him
| ORANGES Our text books should be prepared by
competent teachers and in separate depart
! ments We have some of these, and the num-
| Der is increasing. Authors attempt to make
| their books answer too many purposes, and the
consequence is they are fit for nothing. What
| we require and what should be demanded is
that each book in its own department should
| be complete and contain nothing superfluous.
| If the author has arranged his book in the
| proper order the scholar should be made to pro-
duce the subjects in their order, not because the
| author has arranged them, but because it is the
| natural deduction of the mind. The essayist
| then passed to q consideration of two different
modes of recitation; the dependent and the in
dependent; that which relies upon the text and
that by which thoughts are evolved by analysis.
He contends, therefore, that a child shall not be
| made familiar with words without understand
idg them, or ideas beyond his grasp, but thought
should be brought out by systematic question
ing.
| What constitutes a good text book? Every
text book should be designed to fill a specific
place. In every institution subjects should oc-
occupy special place, all to harmonize without
trenching upon the other, and the Topographic
cal arrangement should present the principal
topic in different type. The scholar should be
asked to express his ideas of the topic without
the use of questions; the teacher to satisfy
himself that the pupil has arrived at his con-
illusions by a proper method.
Ex-Gov. Washburn of Portland, was then
introduced and proceeded to address the audi
ence upon some of the more practical laws of
Success in Life. 1t is truism that no man
should decide upon profession or occupation
, until he has studied to ascertain what he is best