The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1877-04-28
TEACHERS INSTITUTE.
Wednesday, April 25th.
x,,pN,N-. r,-.r,AS

MORNING SESSION.
The Institute was called to order at 10
o clock by Prof. NJ. A. Newell President,
and opened by prayer by Rev. Mr.. Squier.
On motion of +. S. Everist, Mr.. George
Biddle was elected Secretary. The Secre-
tary then called the roll. The whole num-
Der Of teachers in the county is ia Of
these - were present at roll call, aud i've
or ten came in afterward.
\ resolution, that no member of the In.
stitute be excused from Attendance GA it's
sessions, without the consent of the Insti-
tute. was offered and lost. 4 motion, that
the President appoint a committee to draft
resolutions, expressive Of the sorrow of the
Institute for the death of Mis-. Hannah
Walker. was carried. The President APP
pointed on the committee Mr.. e. 5. Quig-
ley, Miss Nollie Johns, and Miss NJ. l..
Roberts.
Rev Mr. Squier then delivered an adj
dress on "Ohiect Teaching" his main de-
sign being to show the Importance of the
sense of sight as means of producing
clear mental impressions.
Miss Falls then sang " lie is such lovely
waltzer,' Mr.. Fohrman presiding at the
organ and playing the accompaniment in
his usual fine style.
\ rambling address by Prof. Newell fol-
lowed. He congratulated the teachers
upon the fact that. while in many places
the salaries of teachers had been reduced,
their salaries which could not Well be re-
dnced had not been entirely taken away.
He called the roll Of teachers employed in
1876, and found that all but ten have been
teaching this year, whereupon he cungraju-
lated everybody upon this fact, saying that
it spoke well for the usefulness of the
schools. and C0ntaSted favOrably with the
condition of other counties in this respect.
He eXhorted teachers to exert themselves
to return the people iul value for the money
they spent for educational purposes, this
being the SureSt method of keeping the
CommOn schools in general public favor.
he Pft$id&n then announced the follow
ing subjects for discussion al some future
session: " How do we employ children of
the lower grades when not reciting?' and
How should such children be empiuyed?'
and also stated that, at the fu;ure sessions.
teachers would be reqUiied TO report the
condition of their schools in regard to the
following particulars: |. Condition of
house, furniture. apparatus; >. Pupils,
number on roll, average, progress, etc ,
Outside relations of the school: Sug.
gestinns for Improvement
lr;stitnte then adjourned to meet at >
o'clock.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Institute met at the appointed time. Y
number of members were late.
The subject, g Best methods of teaching
arithmetic, mental and written, was taken
up for discussion 1t is impossible to give
~, Irtn Of III al II
was opened by J. W Falls MesSrS. Por-
ter, Weber and Warner teach the idea of
number, 10y having the children count Oh
iectS. J. d. G. Hanna points to figures on
the black board and has pupils perform the
operations indicated. Many of the speak
ers disapprove of teaching mental arithme-
tic, and do not like Brooks normal series
j: l.. Hanna teaches mental. believes in it,
aud has found no better author than Brooks.
Since We must have some form. why not
have csmpact and Ineligible FORM
Messrs Lavender, J. L. CrotherS and
Stidum also participated in the discussion.
Mr. Newell then summed up" the mat
ter, his summing up being, as usual
strongly impregnated with his own pecu-
liar ideas.
The next subject taken up was syn
thetic and analytic methods in teaching"
this discussion was opened by an address
by Mr. Squier. J. d. {. Hanna wished to
know what Mr.. Squier meant. Mr.. 5. re-
piled by giving an Illustration from comic
sections, which was entirely satisfactory to
all, since no one understood it. Some re-
marks were made by Messrs. Quigey. Cal
houn, Warner aud J. i. Hanna, the latter
putting in a plea for analysis. Altogether
the discussion was not luminous, practical,
or beneficial. The President then pro
ceeded to interrogate the teachers in re-
gard to the condition of the schools, etc,
after which the Institute adjourned till
evening.
EVENING SESSION.
Institute was called to order at O'Clock,
Mr.. Biddle presiding. The exercises in the
evening were OF a popular character, com
mencing with music by MIR. Fohrman.-
"ShamuS OsBlicn > was recitud in a Spir
tied manner by J. d. c. Hanna. Miss
Mary Sauter read "rhe painter and his
captive" \ duet. ." My Goudoletta," by
Miss Nellie Mckinsey and Miss Falls, fol-
lowed. W. J. Jones, Esq, of the Elllton
Bar, delivered an address. lie urged teach
ers to give special attention to these two
points: First, "teach good manners" and
teach the common things first, and teach
them thoroughly.' John a. Calhoun read
an essay on Books aud Book Men. -
After abiding to the fact that the cheap
ness Of printing had flooded the country
with a vast quantity of inferior literature.
the gentleman went on to show what a pro-
dIgiouS nuisance has grown out of this
fact, in the way Of the publication Of in
te!minabie series of text books. and the
impudeuce Of the agents employed to secure
their Introduction. A song. " Flirting in
the Park, y by Miss Nellie Mckiusey, was
followed by well written and well read
essay on " Home Government" by Miss II.
VI. Ferguson. The Soul" a select read
ing by Miss Hattie T. Lprt, came next in
order. Miss Lort is a graceful and earneSt
reader The Larhoard Watch was very
finely rendered by MesSrs. smith and FIN
nan. after which the Institute adjourned to
Thursday morning.
Thursday, April 2Gth
MORNING SESSION.
The session was opened 10y prayer by j.
D. c. Hanna. More inquiries about partic-
ular schools and school houses followed.
The question of "s;chool Government