The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-11
VERMONT STATE TEACHERS, AssoCI.
ALTON.
Twenty.sixth Annual Meetinr.


day, in The high school building, BurlIng-
ton, at = p. ms There were present good
~ representation of the teachers and school
superintendents. Edward COnant, of Ran
dolph, the president of the association. oc-
| cupied the chair. After prayer by Rev.
| Y. =. Torrey, of CballOtte, President
Buckham, of the university of Vermont, in
behalf OF the local committee of reception
made an address of welcome.
Inc nrst topic on the programme was n
discussion on the question, "What can be
done to enforce respect for authority
among the pupils of our schools ?" This
was opened by II. r. Fuller of st. Johns
bury. He remarked that respect, like love
is not in itself to be compelled. 1t flows
from qualities which lie back in men. A
teacher to be respected must be worthy of
respect, must have character, must respect
himself. Courtesy must come together on
general footing, the same as that on
which they mingle in general society, each
recognizing his place and demanding
that az others shall recognize it,,
The ability and acquisition Of the teacher
must be proporiOnate to his position.
Many teachers err through too much talk
| ing. Scholars dislike to be scolded. The
| prompt, terse rebuke, or the private appeal
to the scholars own sense Of right and pro-
priety are often effective Yet with all
else that can be done, resort to punishment
is sometimes necessary. This may be de-
| privation, confinement, or, in extreme
cases, castigation. No single method of
| discipline is adapted to ali pupils, nor is
the school which Is best for most, the best
for the boys who need exceptional treat
ment. The teacher must hsr@a determin,
alton to deserve respect. the tF--sufe and
maintain it by maintaining his rlghtful au-
thority.
Rev. Theodore Hopkins, Of the Epi.co-
pal institute, Burlington, spoke OF the ne
cessity of the parents surrendering all con-
troll of the pupils into the hands of the
teacher, of entire abstinence from tobacco
among scholars, and of requiring good po-
sition and perfect attention in the school
room. Appeals from scholars to parent
should always he returned to teachers by
the parents. Our schools are often too
large-forty to sixty pupils are as many as
| any ordinary teacher can control
DR.. j. S. Spaulding said he hardly knew
how he managed his school, but he did re-
quire obedience If this is secured. res
pect follows. He sought what the man
would commend, even if the boy did not
always find it agreeable He sometimes
resorted to corporal punishment; if so, he
made it so thorough that there was no need
of IT'D repetition. He required the same
| defereEce to his associate teachers as to
| himself, and always expected that school
affairs would 90 on well in his absence.
The next discussion was on How to
teach English" which was participated in
| by Professor Goodrich of the University of
| Vermont, Pollens and Hopkins of Burling-
ton, and Fuller of St. Johnsbury.
PROFESSOR PERKINss Address,
which followed, was an earnest plea to
teachers to include instruction in natural
history in their daily course of in
struc,ion. | should be taught from nature
from the leaves and flowers and insects
and animals The study should be made
science of observation. So taught with
due preparation on the part of the teacher.
and some enthusiasm in the subject, it may
be made most delightful recreation and a
most improving study. 1t was bis love of
nature that made Agassiz so effective and
admirable as "A teacher. "He prayelh well
who loveth well, both man and bird and
beast" Mr.. Perkins alluded to methods of
| instruction to use the blackboard to
text-bo' ks, to be used by teachers more
than by the scholar and to the prevalent
|
most familiar insects and animals, taking in
illustration of this the common toad, and
mentioning divers curious things about
him, not Familiarity known by most persons
as that his tongue is attached to the front
of his mouth, and its end, when at rest, is
down his throat that lie has no ribs, and
breathes not by inhalation, but by gulpine
down the air. MIR. Perkins was animated,
interesting, and at home in his subject
and was arplauded at the close.
THE STANDING COMMITTEES.
President Conant announced the follow
ing committees:
On Business-L. Pollens, j. d. Barley,
and Priest, of Barre.
| On Nominations-J S. Spaulding, j. f..
Goodrich, G. A. Barrett.
| On esOlutions-Presiden NJ. II. Buck
ham, President G. B. Hubert, j. d..
Miller
On Palace of Next Meeting-H. f. Full
| Ter, j. S. Cilley, w. G. Crippin.
EVENING SESSION.
The session opened with debate on the
question, "How shall History be taught in
common schools" participated in by
Messrs. w. G. Crippen of johnson, and
| Seneca Hasel.on and l.. l.. Lawrence of
Burlington.
Next came an address, by the Rev. C.
b. Hubert, president of Middlebury col
| lege.
| PRESIDENT HULBERTs ADDRESS.
The American republic traces its origin
| to the pilgrims and Plymouth harbor, and
| the pilgrims to Wickliffe's translation of
the bible. This makes Wickliffe the father
of this country. His translation of the
bible was commenced in 1880, and that is
the date of a moral revolution-of a new
era in the calendar of ages. The disciples
| of WIckliffe multiplied rapidly, and the
| bible in The hands of the people poured the
| illumination of truth on the errors and
abominatlons of the ROmish church. In
| l414, in obedience 10 decree of the coun-
Gil of Constance, Wickliffe's bones were
disinterred and burned, and his ashes were
cast into the river Swift. From the Swift
they were carried into the river Severn,
| from The Severn TO the narrow sea and
from the narrow sea to the main ocean and
so distributed throughout the world. Prot
estantism arose-before Luther-in Wick.
llffe's time. Nothing came to birth IN the
sixteenth century that did not exist in EN-
| bryo in Wickliffe's time.
The speaker then gave rapid sketch of
the rise and growth Of Professionalism from
Wickliffes era, and the settlement of the
pilgrims in this country. The history of
the pilgrims did not end with the lives of
the pilgrims themselves. Their principles,
their virtunes and their moral ideas are the
foundation of the republic. Let us CON
slider the elements of empire among US
what are they You may point TO the vast
| extent of our territorial domain and our
immense material wealth-but do ,hese
form an adequate foundation for a nations
greatnessH The answer is too obvious for
argument. Do you say the federal consti-
tuition the ballot box? the people-the
principles in the people and the popularity
of character their principles give them ?
What are these principles2 The general
intelligence and education of our people, as
reflected in our public schools, our semina-
ries, colleges, and the press. But certainly
danger is possible even amid all these
things.
What, then, Is the center-piece in the
American characteristic corner-stone of
| Our natiOnalitVp I anawar a..-t..;aou..