The Morning herald., 1876-09-12
WILMINGTON. DEL TUESDAY. SEPTEMBER l2, 1876.

evenings Of the school were 60, and th,
average attendance was 60. The Nintl
Ward School began its term November, II
1876, and ended February IS, 1876. The
school was held ffty-seven evenings, an(
the average attendance was 20. The nigh
school, corner Of Second and Washington
streets began its term November Is, 1875
and ended February 18, 1876, The numbe
of evenings the school was held were SO ant
the average attendance was Al. The cost O
maintaining the three schools, was thu
amount collected from the pupils, $14S.75
The report then goes on to give the
amount of seating capacity in each school
which was given In the bulk in the first of the
report. The committee on each school from
the Board of Education is also given and q
description of the buildings, the latter hav-
ing been given IN these columns in full from
the previous report. The name of School
House No. has been transferred from the
building formerly occupied for school pur-
poses on Sixth street, between Market and
King street, and now occupied for city pur-
poses, to the new school building just COM
pleted on Walnut street, between Twelfth
and Thirteenth streets
In the summer vacation of 1875 school
houses Nos. 3, s, 10 and 10 were altered &c
as to make In each six rooms about equal
size. Nos. IL and ID which were built az
Nos. 10 and IL were before their alteration,
are now undergoing changes that will make
them as Nos. 10 and IL now are.
The second story of mo. was also al
tered in the vacation of 1875 by turning two
recitation rooms into one, and by cutting
the large room into three rooms, one seat
ing eighty pupils and the other two, forty
each, this gave twenty more available seats
which is the Increase of seating capacity to
this grammer school.
As this part of the house was before the
alteration, there were seats for more pupils
than three teachers could teach we'll, but
not seats enough for sufficient number Of
pupils to justify the appointment of four
teachers, nor was there recitation room
for the four teachers as there is now.
In reference to teachers the Superintend-
ent says :: ''1t does not follow however
that those who have the most natural ability
te teach always teach the best. Willing
ness to work is the special qualification
that Is most frequently lacking in those
teachers whose classes are not advanced as
rapidly as they ought to be. Many people
seem to think that teachers have done all
they are employed to do. when they have
worked for their schools the six and hall
hours day, that they are required to be in
their school rooms. There are three kinds
of work that must be carried on together In
order to teach successfully.
Each lesson should be examined by the
teacher, within short time before 1t is as
signed. This is suggested as measure for
giving tasks according to the capacity of the
child. 1.-THE teacher has not gone over the
lesson in advance much time will be lest in
making explanations to the class of the diff
ferent points. The superintendentexplains
as an important quality in the teacher, and
second to no other, the ability to give clear
and succinct explanations of difficult points,
and that this is to be accomplished by self
training. The superintendent makes anoth-
er good point when he speaks of the teach
ers performing as much of their labor as
possible out of school hours, and devote
that time which is cons sumed in schools for
clerical purposes, to the recitations. He
further suggests that cheerful industry
ought to prevail in every schoo.-room.
When cheerlulness and industry are marked
characteristics of teacher her example dis
pels much of the detection, ,dullness or apathy
that too often comes over the pupils. The
teacher who feels Indifferent or apathetic
towards her work will make her pupils feel
SO toward theirs. 1t is not enough that a
teacher is industrious, for there is a severe,
bitter kind Of industry, that repels. Her
industry must be cheerful; If possible, q
joyous industry.
lie further on alludcs to good order and
promptness of the pupils at the opening
and closing of schools and in passing to and
from the recitation rooms. 1t is very easy
to loose half hour day in opening and
closing schools and in changing classes,
such losses of time affect the progress ofthe
schools.
He gives further very good advice where
he says It is very desirable that every pu-
pill should give close attention to evely
question asked in his class, and that he
should try to answer 1t mentally If 1t is not
his turn to recite. As our classes contain
from twenty to thirty pupils each, it has
b .en found of great advantage to have many
questions answered simultaneously by the
class.
When the answer is necessarily short, and
not liable to be given In different words by
different pupils, know of no other
method go good as this In primary classes,
provided that the teacher compels the pupils
TO answer precisely together or not at all.
A little practice enables teacher to deter
mine with sufficient accuracy, who answer
and who do not. The best way to manage
school is to require that every pupil must
work at his proper school work all the time
that he is in school, that the lessons as
signed to him should afford him sufficient
work, and that of kind of work that he
can do.
The principals Of the high schools have
submitted reports to the superintendent.
G. Wiley, Principal of No. l,
states that the past year has been one of
hard labor and good results. That the
school has a laboratory for physics and
general chemistry. The students in general
chemistl Y have been afforded Qnnortunity