Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1877-08-09
KNOX COUNTY PUBLIC INSTITUTE
Proceedings of the First Night and
Second Days Session.
To the Editors Of the Chronicle:
CONCORD, Aug. 8th 1877.
LAST NIGHTS SESSION.

LAST NIGHTS SESSION.
The Institute was called to order by
the Superintendent. Singing by the
choir, :" We shall rest" Then an
Essay was read by Prof. McSpadden,
1.-THE Model Teacher" which was in
teresting. Many participated in crit
icism. Then Prof. Murphy delivered
an essay on the Educational Inter-
ests of Knox County" which was full
of life and animation. After which
the choir sang, CT am weary, [ am
fainting, my days work is done,n
closing with, GOOD night" doing
honor to the performers, and the In
stitute adjourned to Wednesday morn
ing.
SECOND DAYS SESSION.
We resumed business this morning
with invocation by Prof. Payne, when
the choir sang, We must watch"
which was we'll rendered. The min
utes were then read and corrected.
The Critic made his report, was
assaulted somewhat, but held his
ground. Some committees were ap-
pointed for the working of the Insti-
tute. Profs. Perkins, McSpadden,
Smith and DR.. Roberts were elected
Vice Presidents of the Institute. Prof.
Il
inc a class in Arithmetic, which he
made intensely interesting to all.
Professors Sharp, Wilson and others
participated freely, eliciting thought
and bringing out very many new and
good processes of teaching fractions,
both decimal and vulgar. Many of
our te%chers, certainly, can not go
away unidentified by the examination
of the class by Prof. F. Smith.
A class was then called in elemen-
tary sounds and reading. Prof. But
Ter being absent, Prof. Wilson, of ROg-
ersville, was called to the examination
of the class. He drilled them extern
sively in sounds. The Professor con-
Quoted the examination in way that
went to prove him thoroughly &C
quainted with the "mOdus operandin
of the business. Prof. Sharp gave US
some very beautiful thoughts on read
ing, and we then adjourned until lis.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The Institute resumed its business,
the choir stirring our hearts with,
"The rock that is higher than l."
Prot. Perkins first examined a class
in History. He gave very good sys-
tenn of teaching History. The dis
cussion was participated in by many.
"A QuSSIlOh " aO AoIoCO1 " A1OLhCA " q
ography or History should be taught
first in the course, or whether they
should be taught side by side. A
lively discussion followed. Prof. Nc
Spadden thought The United States
History might substitute the Fifth
Reader. Penmanship was introduced
by Prof. Sharp, of Maryville, and was
elaborated extensively and very sys-
tematically. He then showed how to
get a class to work.
RECEss-After which the choir, in a
mastery manner, did themselves
honor with "In the sweet ever
more"
Primary instruction was called up
and Prof. Smith thought teachers
must accommodate themselves to the
surroundings until they can do better,
doing the best they can with the tools
they have. He said no one could teach |
school without blackboard, map and |
other apparatus. He then introduced, |
with great merriment to the audience,
the work method Of instruction. |
Prof. Sharp said: We must, in pri- |
mary teaching, pass from the con-
crete to tue abstract, from the known |
to unknown and from simple to COM |
pick elements. 8.