The Placer herald., 1874-05-02

| joined in singing "Neyer Grow Weary" Prof.
| Allen presiding at the organ We would say
| right here tins Institute showed marked i'm
| provement IN vocal music over any we ever at
| tended. Whether this is an accident or the re-
suit OF requiring teachers to be examined IN this
branch we do net know. Prof. Allen continued
| his remarks, which were confined mostly to the
study of Geography and manner of teaching
this branch. He claimed that general thing
teachers teach too much Geography. During
the Professors remarks he called for the bound
AIRY OF Missouri at which one of the teachers
called out ''on the west by Rhode Island" At
the conclusion of this talk, which proved very
interesting well as instructive, the Institute
took a recess until half-past o'clock.
| At the above hour the Institute was called to
order by the County Supt. Prof. Allen again
| took the floor and lectured on school govern
ment, and the manner of conducting recitations.
| He submitted that it good idea, if it could
| possibly be so arranged, that pupils should not
! be allowed to see their lesson for an hour pre-
vious to recitation. In this way he held you
would get what the pupils kno'e about the les
| sons and not what they can remember just long
enough to tell it. To make parents and guard
ians visit schools, the exercises must be made
| interesting. For this reason ne would appoint
one or two of the smartest classes to recte in
the afternoon, for, said he, if anybody ever
| does stray into school, it is about that time of
the day. They would perhaps thus become in
terested, and if SO, they will come again. 1t
was like circus, he said if interesting, they
like to see it, if not, they don't, and he wisely
remarked they won't be driven" The Prof.
asked how long, in the So school hours each
day, they (the teachers) would expect third
reader pupils to study. 1t answered by
some that one hours good study each day would
be satisfactory, The Prof concurrd in the be-
! lief and said that he thought any teacher who
succeeded in getting from each pupil one hour
| of solid study daily, was success. By all
| means he advised, be sure you get what you
ask, but be very cautious that you ask nothing
| but what Is reasonable.
At the close of these remarks, the Prof. con-
| Quoted the Institute in vocal exercise, which
| was as instructive as aughable.
After a few minutes recess and little good
singing, Mr.. A. II. Goodrich took the floor and
| continued the discussion of the proper solution
| of the example above referred to, on page 202 of
| Robinson s Practical Arithmetic. On dispens-
ing with this. Mr.. Goodrich continued his re-
marks i'll illustrating his method of teaching
| Arithmetic to beginners, which, from the results
he claims to have attained must be very prac-
| teal.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Goodrich s remarks,
| Prof Allen again took the floor and lectured
awhile on the subject of teaching grammar or
| languages. He claimed the best way to teach
language, words, and indeed many branches,
was to first make the child familiar if possible,
with the object ITSELF and then tell it the name,
which they would then, he said, never forget.
But words without some tangible object, were
wings that would soon fly away and leave the
child knowing no more than at first In short
associate names in the minds of children with
things as much possible. Remarks were con
tinued on this subject until p M, when the
Institute adjourned for the day.
| THIRD DAY.
| This day of the Institute was pretty much all
| taken up by dscourses on school discipline, men
tai arithmetic, grammar reading and industrial
drawing, by Prof. Allen. The remarks were
quite interesting and full of wholesome and
practical suggestions. Prof Allen during the
day, in the way of recreation, pronounced 20
words to tho teachers-all words in common
use-and none spelled.all correctly.