Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-09-26
Local
OPENING OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Local

THE NEW SCHOOL BUILDINGs-THE
NEW PRINCIPAL ON THE PLATFORM
HIS VIEws.ABoUT observation-disclosures
DDS OF KEEPING SCHoOL-CALIsTHEN
1Cs FOR THE CHILDREN-REsIGNAT
OF THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT
&C., &C., &C.
The public schools of Staunton will be
opened on OF about the 18th of October, by
which time the new building will be in or
der for occupation by the 300 children who
will go there. The examinations for teach
ers have been concluded and have been
very rigid, and everything will be in readi-
ness for the arrival of the new Principal,
Prof Ladd. This gentleman has been at
tending Teachers Institute at Lynch
burg in company with Superintendent Bin
ford, of the Richmond schools and DR..
Sears. and has delivered several most in
teresting addresses. The first was on the
public school system which the papers there
speak of as "a forcible, sensible and logical
speech AS Prof. Ladd's views on teach
ing are of great interest to our citizens just
now, we give the following extracts from
report of his address
The advantages of graded schools were
presented in forcible manner, and the Old
system was very humorously illustrated
He advocated the Rotations OF males and
females in the high schools together for nu-
merous reasons assigned and his arguments
were received with applause. He closed
with very well conceived and happily de-
liyered appeal to the people to sustain and
encourage the public schools. In tie al
ternoon Professor Ladd, of Staunton, dis
cussed the subject of calisthenics, and the
necessity for such physical exercises In the
pnblic school. The next subject for dis
cuSSion was
THE BEST METHOD OF TEACHING ENG
L1sH GRAMMAR TO PRIMARY CLASSES
Prof. Laid proceeded to discuss the sub
iect. Before commencing grammar, chill
dren should be thoroughly conversant with
mental arithmetic, as well as with written
arithmetic, as far as percentage. Teach
ers should commence teaching grammar in
quite an elementary manner, and they
should gain the complete attention of their
pupils. Beginning with the definition OF
letter as an elementary sound OF the hui
man voice, teachers should next define
syllable as combination OF letters, and
they should labor to secure distinct pro-
nunciation on the part of their pupils
Proceeding next to words as the received
signs of ideas. children should be taught
that ideas are s'word pictures,' OF rather
that ideas are conceptions that take place
in the mind, and the expression OF ideas
ofrms ''word pictures" Explain partlcu-
larly why names of things or subjects OF
Thought and conversation are nouns, and
also why some nouns are called proper
and others common. Teach the use of
words expressing qualities or some limita-
ton of words. Let the pupil see the ne
cessity of using such words without insist
ing upon their recollecting the name adj
iective. Give frequent practice and rem
der the exercises pleasant. Be careful to
fix in the mind Of the child the nature OF
the verb. Then proceed to express in sim
Die sentences, comprising, subject predicate
and object, simple ideas. After acqualnt-
ing pupils in the structure of sentences, ex-
plain to them clearly the office of grammar
Insist upon understanding fully principles
rather than definitions. In all cases
EXCITE THE MIND TO INQUIsITIvENEss
and to demand reason for things required
to be believed. Thus proceed in this nat
ural way with all the parts of speech leading
pupils to analyze and parse before they
Scarcely know what it is they are doing
but they should be taught orally. After
grammar, composition will be fonnd an ex-
cellent linguistic or rhetorical exercise.
Small children can tell many things about
objects they love without knowing they are
writing compositions. Children delight to
tell what they know, and when the matter
is properly managed, they may be taught
to write well and to feel pleasure In the ex-
ercise. Teachers should see that their
scholars have enough to do, and the schol-
ars will be certain to take pleasure IN the
performance of their work.
After a recess of five minutes, at II
O'Clock. the Institute being called to order,
Professor Ladd was announced to
LECTURE UPON GEOGRAPHY.
The teacher. he said, should lay aside the
hook and teach the child in reference to
the geography of the surrounding objects.
Teach in familiar style, and adapt your in
structions to the intellect, of the child, Sc
curing at once the attention and interest
of the learner. In this way a child may be
taught great many things just as well as
if taught from a book. The eye of the
child should be taught rather than the
memory. An appeal must be made to the
imagination. In all events the teacher
must enter earnestly upon his work, and
throw his own inspiration into what he
teaches.
Maps are important as a description, to
the eve. of the surface of the earth. Re-
ouire children to exercise in map-drawlng,
locating places properly, or with reasona-
BILE degree of exactness then mark out
the position of mountain ranges, and trace
the principal river courses. Beginning
with the capital, delineate the geographl-
cal features of a State, and lastly fix the
boundaries of the State.
70 niy,o 10 ifJto
sembled at q O'Clock, P. M, at which time
Professor Ladd was announced to deliver
lecture upou the general subject OF i
ssscHooL METHODS"
Promptness. the lecturer contended Incl
dentally, was Of prime Importance. BY
school methods was intended anything rela-
ting to discipline The teacher should enter
anon his work as professional man. He
should know his pc. uliar difficulties, at all
times undergoing kind of self-examina-
tion. whereby knowledge of his faults may
he Gained. and knowledge of the remedies
for those faults may be acquired also. Ev-
erv teacher has cares of peculiar trial, CIV
ING anxiety of fmind-sleeples nights, and
hence it is the teacher above all others who
needs sympathy. The charges generally
brought against the teacher is want OF
discipline. The cause of one of the great
est difficulties to be commended against by
the teacher is
COMMUNICATION ON THE PART OF THE
PUPILS.
This is really the cause Of the principal
want of discipline in schools. Total absti-
hence in regard to communication without
permission should be insisted upon by the
teacher. No school is properly conducted
that tolerates promiscuous communica-
ton, either by word or sign. It has been
practically demonstrated that a school Of
n1,,oe+ NV number NAV he cor Quoted unon.