Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-02-07
FYENING SESSION.

w ttl ttiCItIS. ~ ~ ~ AlhNo
CURED in the views of the last speaker
Capt. A. Z. Leayenworth. who, with Dr.
Spaulding and afterwards with Prof. Circuit
conducted the Vermont School Journal from
April 1859 to July 1862, was called out and
answered, at some length, questions in re-
gard to his experience in this matter
Mr. Shaw advocated with much earnest
ness, the establishment of such journal.
To test the interest of the practical teach
ers present in this movement, Capt. Leayen-
worth offered to be one of fifty to furnish an
annual sinking fund of one thousand dol
lars, for the support of a school journal
Four responded.
On motion of Mr.. Shaw, a committee oil
three were appointed to consider this sub
ject further and report thereon. Rev. H. L.
Williams of Castleton, H. II. Shawo Man
chester and Louis Pollens of Burlington,
were appointed said committee.
Owing to the inability of Rev. }. W. h.
Coke to be present, Prof. Greene Of Rhode
Island was introduced and entertained the
audience by deeply interesting address on
Language as Medium of Thought. Too
little attention is given to thought, too
much to expression. Children should be
taught to think. Expression or language
will follow at the behest Of thought. This
may be secured by conversation on the part
of the teacher with the children, on the
subject of a previous recitation. As the
children come to use the pen, they should
be taught to express their thoughts on pa
per in an orderly way The mechanical ex-
animation should at first be kept in the
background. We should aim to interest
the pupils in the subjects under consider
ton, without reference to the expression.
The latter should be kept in view, but
should not be made too prominent.
The Professor then presented the topic Of
reading. and showed how II should be made
the vehicle Of thought. lie also gave his
views of the manner in which grammar
should be taught The dry routine of
forms. 80 common. he would discard in the
early teaching Of this subject. The gem
eral ideas of subject and predicate, and Of
the uses of the various clas~e, of words,
should be made familiar by the formation Of
sentences. but We should be careful not 10
burden the mind with mere forms.
The Professor spoke with great freedom,
and was himself the best illustration of his
assertion of the power of thought over
language
The address was listened to with rapt
attention by the large and appreciatiye
audience and was heartily applauded at the
close, and a vote of thanks was passed.
After adjournment half hour was spent
very pleasantly in social converse, and the
association adjourned for the night.
Among the later arrivals maybe noted
Prof. G. y. Weber ofMidllebury College :;
Rev c. B. Hubert Of Bennington. DR.. J..
;. Spaulding Of Barre, Rev. r. T. VIII
liams Of Castleton Rev. W p Aiken Of
Vergennes, Rev. Mr.. Wright Of DANNY and
Dr. Z. l.. Ease OF Brandon.
FRIDAY MoRNING, Jan. 3l~t
SECOND DAY.
The session was opened by reading of
Scripture and prayer, conducted by Rev.
Mr.. Mills of Rutland
The reports Of the Treasurer and Of the
Chairman of the executive committee We're
presented and approved.
\ discussion on what are the objects Of
Recitations, and how best attsined?'' was
opened by A. R. Savage. Of Mortified.
The first object Is Development the second
the imparting Of information Too many
instructors reverse the order. Information
is desirable, but unless development be Sc
cured, the information will soon be- forgot
ten.
+. Conant would call attention 10 the
power the teacher has to direct the pupil.
One object of the recitation l. to find how
much the pupil has gotten out Of the lesson,
but more important one is to show him
how much more can be gotten out Of it.
Another object Of recitation j. the in~pira
tion Of the pupil. Various methods of rec
itation should be adopted They serve to
equalize the standard Of scholarship Of q
class. L. Pollens seconded the views al
ready advanced He always aims to make
the recitation a means Of growth to his pu-
pills. He would cultivate the embodiment
of thought
Prof. Greene said the teacher should be
fruitful in his resorts. He believed in the
illustrative method The teacher should
strip himself of technicalities and come into
sympathy with the pupil, aiding him to get
thought out ofhiS lesson.
IN essay was then read by Mrs E. J..
Hawkins of Castleton, on public schools
These were first established a early as l647,
by the General Court Of Massachusetts.
Colleges and academies are valuable but
within reach of the few. Too often also the
sons of the rich 60 to them, to waste time
and health, while the sons of the poor. like
Abraham Lincoln, are left TO toll in poverty
\ more general culture is the great want of
our time The public school must supply
this want. There has been feeling Of
caste too prevalent in relation to the public
school, but It l. passing away. The public
school Is the peoples college. Some of the
of the public graded school over
private schools are that it trains it. own
teachers and secures Il more regular attend
ance and regular course of study.
After recess. discussion ON '' the
discipline of the Classics n compared
with the Science was opened by
Rev. II. T. Fuller of St. Johnsbury Both
are valuable for their discipline. but
the classics are superior in the breadth of
culture they furnish, and in the subject
matter they present The study of the sci
enceS i objective, that Of language sub
ective. The latter Is valuable in its recip- |
rocal influence on thought 1t furnishes |
more accurate models of form and rhetoric, |
or the ancient writers had greater leisure |
oG perfecting their writings. Scientific |
studies do not give as good use of English /
Is do classical studies, both in point of flu |
,ncy and elegance. \ further point Of /
Is the greater facility in the /
power to investigate, which the study of |
language gives.
c. S Halsey, of Burlington, continued
he discussion The object of study is two
old, the discipline of the faculties and the
acquisition of facts This discussion is con-
ined to the first The speaker proceeded
o show the value of the study of the sci
noes. The study of nature may lead one
Up to natures God, but it does not teach
lin his duty to that God He reads there
he workings of the mind of the Creator,
tut the study of language leads Us to
he higher study Of the browning work of
iod. As much higher a. mind is above
natter, 50 much higher Is the discipline of
anguage, which deals with the workings
f the human mind, above that of the sci
noes, which deal with matter. The power
0 influence mind depends upon the ability
0 impress 1t with the meaning and force Of
he words used in addressing it. The
peaker took a sentence from Bancroft,
elected almost at random, " individuals
isappear like the foliage and the flower.
he existence of our kind is continuous,
nd its ages are reciprocally dependent"
nd by analysis OF the words of classical
EnOuladra Of he I