Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1873-12-02

but the literature of the world. He then
insisted That the teacher should have n
plan or aim in each recitation, and not be
rigidy bound by the rules Of the text
books II is not nj all necessary that The
cut and dried lessons of tho book max.
ors should be- given in their established
order. The teacher should understand
his SuCjeci. independent of his books
What lnily To treat of the cases ol nouns
hclorc IIr pupil knows aught ol the
lansllire verb or the proposition 1t is
conducting him along IA blind path.
A, ain. the teacher should knOY how to
IacsIion, nov TO lead his pupils to tell All
they know. The merits of individual
and class questions were discussed and
thc objections TO them lorcibly presented.
The teacher should work rapidly, should
STRIKE when tho iron is hot, should mag.
ueiizc her class, should keep them under
Ared not irc oi shell, should work.
\ icccs> was then allowed. alter which
M. CoiJhcll resumed the subject ol
words and their uses" taken up the
other day Children should Le taught
The correct use, The powers and bcautie.
nl the Eusliah language at home. The
habits of speaking correctly and readily
must be acquired before sixteen, else
it will be found very difficult of acquire
menI The orator aud the grammarlan
mls, be lormrd IN Tie cradle. Care
should Le taken that lhc culture OF the
homo bc not io>l on the Playground. II
should be born in mind that evil commu.
uicat.uus corrupt good speech Is well Is
good manners.
The study OF language in our schoo.,
should begin in The primaries We should
not wait till he comes into the higher
grades. by this time The child should
know how To spcaA we'll aud to write well.
Then 40 time need he lost in the con Get.
ing of INDUCED errors. hut how J., the
I right use oi language to bo tnught? Most
enec'uaiil hy example. In primalie,
example Is OF much greater use than pre-.
I ccpl Il the teacher talks we'll, the pupils
viii. quite uucousciouSly initiate her. BY
lIequen, conversation with scholars, ,uuOt-
fetal be- il remembered. much good IN
/ this regard can be accomplished. Tho
/ teacher Who 10 master ut his art can
draw out children. can ascertain and
take advantage of their modes ol think
ing. Composition should be- required at
al early az. The child, properly man
aged, viii delight in the employment,
and ~ III soon write easily and correctly
I The greatest care should oc taken to i'm.
mcla,eiy cousc, all forms OF speech. in
/ pronunciation, in grammatical form, in
/ taste There are some errors very prey.
aieut in all school, and all groups ol
/ ch .ldrcn. These should be seized upon
at once and exposed. The exercises ol
correction can he made very interesting.
Yon must make The children themselves
critics OF language. You not only bene
/ lit them but YOU benefit THEN households.
F tor into each ol them you introduce n
merciless little clilic who detects and
exposes every errorot speech and thereby
/, OF much benefit. When children have
learned to use the words they possess,
their voc ,buhries must be enlarged. To
do thi, am,mrize them with the bes. OF
English literature. That Is not of neceS.
Sly the most profound. for some of the
sweetest things written. arc in the Ian
gua.c OF children. These should be
copied aud re copied until the children
M Ike the words their own.
Prot Allen then resumed The subject OF
rcclA,ion.. and spoke of The necessity OF
eslIJ i,hing proper relations between
teacher and pupil. Ease should exist and
/ slilne,s should not be allowed. \ mutual
confidence should be cultivated The
receiving ot answers is another i'm
portAnl point iu recitation. When you
are alter principles, as geOmetrical lheo.
/ ries for example, where every word is a
coined idea, the very words OF the book
OF tie teacher must be given. In other
cases the largest liberty aud individuality
! in answ ering should be allowed. Ii The
answer be part truth and part error. give
credit lor The truth 81 the error may Ue
the more marked. Encourage mdepen
deucc aud lhoughilulness and thorough
ness in answers. Ii pupils have any
| IDEAS outside Of on beyond the text books,
encourage their presentation. The Pro-
/ fe>sor referred To Ar. Beecher's lecture,
and iniimalcd there were waste and blum
ders in the school room which should be
done away with. Prof Allen concluded
/ by sayln. that the efforts OF teacher
should be measured, not by the five or
ten of her class pushed ahead, but by
The plane to which she has advanced her
Ahole class.
FIETH DAY.
The attendance al tie opening of the
morning session was not large. Alter
prayer and The reading OF the Scripture
by Prof. Allen, questions on points not
quite ceai were asked by some one in
the audience, aud answered by tie Pro.
lessor. As regards rigid routine in
recitation Mr. Allen insisted upon sys
tcmatic thought, but deprecated that
ridgity which parslyzes independent
thinking. Some leading thought, about