Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-02-12
(For the Monitor,)
THE TEACHERS INSTITUTE.

| find there are some tax payers, who
are counting up the cost of the excellent
institute recently held at Albany. | at
tended only one day, and was glad to
find the Irasburg teachers there. We
have some good ones, and some that will
teach in years to come and be benefited
by the instruction. know the wages
of our teachers that attended may be
about $40 for the time they were absent,
but how many districts have lost all the
teachers wages, board and time Of their
scholars, for the whole term, when they
have had a teacher not qualified for the
work. This institute was not a tame
lifeless affair, from which teachers could
return and say eve have had a good
time" and congratulate themselves on
their attachments. On the contrary
many said sit is much harder than
teaching" and others said, lit seems as
though | never could teach school again,
| know so little compared with what L
should know 1t is matter of regret
that the large scholars of the county
were not present in greater numbers
Ten times as many could have been
taught by the same words, and the ben
eft to the county would be proportion
ately increased. All parents within a
radius of ten miles of the institute,
should hail with pleasure the school va
cation, that allows them to send their
scholars to such eminent teachers at so
little expense.
The teachers who we're present, may
perhaps regard it as presumptlous IN me
to try to convey an idea of one lesson
given while | was present, which may
not be as noteworthy as others did not
hear; and your reporter may have given
your readers the same. The subject
was: The preparation to study Grammar.
The teacher first inquired the use of
grammar Ans: ''to teach us to speak
and write the English language correct
ly. The teacher then desired all who
had learned to speak ten sentences diff
ferently by studying grammar, to hold
up one hand. No hands up. All that
have learned three things ? no hands
up; all that have learned to speak one
sentence differently, hold up a hand
and three or four hands were lifted
among over hundred teachers and 9TH
er members of the institute, most Of
whom had spent weeks in the study Of
grammar After a little inquiring in
regard to the precious things learned,
he proceeded to say: We learn to talk
by imitation, and speak from habit, and
the time for the teacher to teach children
how to speak correctly, is just as soon as
they begin to come to school. Wheney-
er they make mistakes correct them, and
teach them the proper manner of express
ing the same idea. And the time te
teach child to write, is as soon as they
begin to read. They should read from
their primer in the forenoon, and write
their lessons upon their states in the at
ternoon, being careful to put in all cap
ital letters, and punctuation points. JUS
as they occur in the book. The teacher
also should take time during each term
to require his scholars to write lettel
properly, with town, date, address, anc
signature also to fold, seal, and direc
it, and if this is done thoroughly, it vii
be more useful than all that some chill
dren learn in a term. Then teach then
these four rules so that you are sure they
know them.
lst. Begin every sentence with a cap
ital letter.
I'd. Spell each word correctly.
Sd. Never divide syllable at the enc
of line
18th. Put period at the end of ever.
sentence, unless it asks a question, thel
just an interrogation point there.
These rules were repeated seyera