The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-16
Chittenden County Teachers Insti.

The teachers institute for Chittenden
county was held at Burlington on Friday
and Saturday of last week, under the charge
of Prof. Edward Conant, state supern.
tendent OF education. Addresses and lee
lures were delivered by Prof. Conant, Prof.
Judah Dana of Rutland, and Prof. u f.
Ward of Bellows Falls, Prof. George II.
Perkins of Burlington, and Rev. c, b.
Hubert, president of MiddIebury college,
We give abstracts of Prof. Dana's remarks
and President Hulberts address, as given
in the Burlington Free Pres and Times.
MIR. DANA's LECTURE.
Mr.. Dana pronounced reading The most
important and most neglected branch of
common school education. He had found
in towns in Rutland county, within ten
days, and presumed the same was the case
elsewhere, reading taught in the same style
that it was over fifty years ago When
he was boy, the best reader was the one
that read most rapidly. The old ideas ON
the subject will still be found in vogue
and it lpay that in introducing new ones,
the teacher will encounter the prejudice
and opposition of parents. This must be
met kindly and firmly. The teacher must
first know that he is right in his methods.
and should spend some time in advance, in
the preparation of each lesson. He must
not set bad example himself--a poor
reader in the teacher will make poor read
ers in the scholars. Bad existing habits
must be broken up. The scholar should
be made to understand the meaning of the
words. Some teachers find it well to snend
some time in explaining the meaning of
the words and sentences, before the reading
proper commences. The scholars must un.
derstand that the object of the reading is
to express the idea. They must be drilled
in artlculaton-the art of making little
Joints in the words. They must be made
to enunclate clearly. They must cultivate
expression by emphasis and infection.
AS to position, the child should stand in
reading, with head erect, to give full NAV
to the lungs, and hold the book in one
hand. MIR. Dana thought it well 10 con.
meet the spelling lesson with the reading
by having the spelling lesson read aloud
till the scholar gave the correct nronomnci.
alton TO every word, and IN spelling. every
letter should be named distinctly. and HE
syllables divided and pronounced correctly
Thorough work should be made. and no
passage slurred over or left, till the child
has read 1t correctly, keeping ALWAYS in
view the object aimed at-the expression
of the idea to be conveyed in the words.
PRESIDENT HuLBRRT's Address
President Hubert began his address nv
narrating an incident In his own career
When student at the Andoyer theolop,cal
seminary, in the last year of the course he
accidentally met a gentleman. at The house
OF q mutual friend, and the conversations
took theological turn, each taking o,,no.
site sides. Mr.. Hubert told at LENGTH b nsy
he was defeated at every point in the argn-
ment, his logic completely Overturned and
he himself left benighted and discomfited
In conclusion he told me that the iesson
should teach me never to make n sta,emont
that.was not accurate nor to assume n no.
stlon in an argument that could not he
sustained. was a little relieved in ascer,
tanning subsequently that nv opnon-
ent was Judge Il. r. Hoar. of Con
cord, Mass. This incident led me To see
how much depends on what A man ia. as
distinguished from what he learns. I was
mortified and ashamed that all nv reading
and study and acquired knowledge had
done so little for me. felt a hideous dis.
parity between Judge Hoar and myself.
An appear to SNEAKER to increase mans
capacity would eDem, generally, the easiest
remedy for this inequality of man and man.
But there is one objecton--it can not be
done. Made as we were at the beginning
we shall continue to be. But the greatest
Thing IN the constitution of man Is the ca
Pacity for growth. 1t is an attribute little
less wonderful than life itself. We need
not despair because we have not great pow
or, great faculty-for our faculties and
powers grow. Instead of bewalling our
selves and betaklng ourselves to our Maker,