The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-02-03
Prof. Ladd then delivered an address on


He said what he had to say on this subject
was the result of 80 years experience in public
school rooms, from the lowest to the highest
He would speak more especially order
which leads to discipline. In the first place,
teachers in exercising control over little chill
dren land these are the ones with whom they
have mostly to deal had to com bat and overcome
the prejudice in the minds of parents against
restraining little children, for the impression
pretty generally prevails among parents that
little children should be allowed to do pretty
much as they pleased.
Children always like good order when 1t Is
once established, and fose their respect
for q school when disorder prevails.
First Of all, to produce good order there should
be no communication among pupils, ssesse what
ever.
Exact and full obedience should always he
enforced.
Children should always approach in the SAND
order and return to their seats in O similar way.
They should also leave the school-r in
strict order, bench by bench, or otherwise az the
teacher finds best, but always in strict order.
He spoke Of the Importance of minglfng With
the children during recess, and of making them
return promptly to theschool-room when called.
No hardness in coming to school should be
allowed-it is fatal to discipline. One good way
ofpreventing hardness, is by opening the school
with some kind of exercise which will be inter-
esting to the pupils.
He discussed with much earnestness the sub.
ject of how much and in what manner pupiI
should fear his teacher and said that it should
not be the fear Of violence, but the fear 0f love.
This is the only kind of fear which will sue
coed in enforcing order among pupils.
Corporal punishment should be administered
with the greatest care and the greatest fidelity,
and then only in extreme necessity when all
other means have failed.
He spoke of the Importance OF discipline out
Of school as means of impressing people IA
vorably with the character of the school,
The speakers time having expired he had to
close, although he said there was much vet to
be said upon SO important subject.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The Institute met promptly at half past one
o'clock, and quite lively discussion arose upon
some arithmetical and algebraic problems;
which was participated in by number of the
teachers.
Prof. Owelfs delivered very interesting ad-
dress Upon arithmetic, Recommending Grube's
method. He was followed by Mr.. Fuller, who
gave some interesting and curious instances Of
what can be done with figures and explained
the circulating decimal. Major Hotchkiss also
delivered short address upon the same SUB:
ject expla1ning the process OF altering the base
or unit of enumeration.
The subject of Reading was then again ia
ken up and discussed by Prof Owens. He said,
if you want children to read aceH, you must teach
them articulation, and in the very first place
teach them the diatonic scale and how to
sing. This tends greatly to the development
of their vocal organs, and moreover children
taught to sing together will agree better togeth-
err. 1t harmonizes their feelings
A few concluding remarks were made by
Prof Ladd in which he said that he had in the
last few years attended sixteen Institutes but
had never seen larger than this. This
one had been very interesting and he
hoped the teachers would go to their fields of
labor strengthened and encouraged in their
work. He urged them to think over the things
they had heard and see what use they could
make of it and strive to bring up their schools
to the high standard they ought to have.
DR.. Hamilton thanked the teachers for their
prompt attendance at all the sessions of this
Institute and said that the teachers of the
county had attended this Institute in greater
numbers and with greater punctuality than had
ever before been known.