The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-11-16
M i 8 @ elan O III 8.
Proceedings of the Teachers Institute.
THURSDAY.


Morning Sesston.-Session opened will
prayer by Rev. Mr.. Cathcart. The roll cal
showed 10 present. The topic in regular
order was "Irregular Attendance, its causes
and remedies" Miss Lizzie Adams has O
very regular attendance, 81 out of no.
Mr.. G. r. Wilson has found no remedy as
yet, but thinks it well to require a written
excuse. Miss Mary V. Tarbert gives re-
ward cards to those who miss no time, and
finds it to work well. Prof. Newell stated
that taking the State as a whole, the atten.
dance is about half the enrolment, or the
State gets just half it pays for. Miss
| Theresa Glenn tries to make school inter
esting and finds no difficulty in securing a
| regular attendance. John d. Burkins finds
| irregular attendance is one of the greatest
evils teachers have to meet. The want Of
interest on the part of parents and bad
weather is chiefly the fault. Mr. Wetherell
for the last week has had every child pres,
emit; thinks the fact that the best children
are at the head of the class is a strong in
centive to regular attendance. His children
have time to shake with ague and time
to study. Mr.. Jackson tavors the system
of reward cards, and making the school
house attractive with pictures and flowers
F. A. Brown allows his children to go up
and down in the class and keeps them
anxious to attend, so as not to lose theil
places. Mr.. Harlan thinks we must reach
the pupils through the parents. Mr.
Burkins thinks it good idea to publish
the names OF those who miss no time in the
county papers. J. A. Calhoun has found
the idea to work we'll in Cecil and thinks
it would be good idea to adopt in Har-
ford. A. D. Clopton has no trouble. He
gives his children to understand that il
they fail to bring an excuse for absence
they get whipped.
| Geo. Jackson opened the discussion on
Arithmetic. He thinks child should be-
gin by counting and then has them learn
the figures, thinks examples in addition
for beginners should have but two lines
Notation should be taught first. In mental
arithmetic would not allow child to pass
u problem he could not put on the black
board. Thinks teacher should prepare
the lesson himselfin advance. Miss Matte
Ofiley thinks there is no means of knowing
if the child understands problem unless
he can put it on the blackboard.
| Prof Newell called for information as to
now many sCnOolS nave nO DlaCh-uouru VI
none fit to use. Nine teachers responded
Mr.. Jackson spoke of the Importance Of
neatness in black board work. Miss Clara
Hetrick devotes two hours daily to Arith.
metic. ]. Finney Galbreath thinks it not
good idea to help children too much. II
is better to try to have children find Their
own mistakes than to do the work for them
Mr.. Worthington thinks it easier to preach
than to practice, that in ungraded schools
| thorough class instruction is impossible
but does the best he can under the circum
stances. G. T. Wilson thinks there are two
many schools; that the evil could be
remedied by more complete graduation,
Prof. Newell thinks large schools have
but one advantage over small oncs-they
are cheaper. The large school is apt to be
come mechanical, while the small one may
do so but is less likely to do so. The small
schools bring us more in contact with the
children. Thinks all schools necessary
evil, the school being simply substitut,
for family training. Ten minutes is as lon&
as the attention of the First Grade can b.
given to Arithmetic; the higher grades re
auire more time. Glass drill is absolutely
necessary. Individual instruction SHOULD
be carefully avoided; give as little as posi-
BILE individual instruction and as much a
possible, class drill. You can't teacl
Arithmetic at all without a black board
and in those schools where there are IL,
black boards have no arithmetic taught il
them. You must not confine yourself tt
the questions in the book. Give practica
examples from real life. All teacher
should be acquainted with the metric sys
TEN, but has no hopes of substituting it 70
our present system and do ubts if it be de
sirable if practicable. The metre is no
an accurate measure of the meridian of til
earth; a measure supposed to be exact
not exact. 1t can't be substituted for tn
present system, because the present term
must be taught to make the language in
telligible. The metre may be added, bu
it can't be substituted, and we have enoug
J to teach already. 1t is an inherent la,
that we shall compute by common fraction
The law making the metre legal in Engan
and America is merely legal fiction. w
will keep Oh computing land by acres, nc
areas forever. After century of trial of
decimal currency New Workers still con
pute by shillings not by dimes; the Frencl
man by sous not by confines.
After recess the question of "Gradin
versus Individual Teaching" was the
discussed. Mr.. Baird thinks it best [
grade schools upon their reading, then tt
to work them up to the average. By grat
ing we have great deal of concert teacl
ing. One of the objections to the gradin
system is the frequent absence of children
but without concert teaching he can't 81
how schools are to be taught at ALL Thinl
in the days of Plato and Aristot
schools were graded. Aristotle require
Natural Philosophy to be taught befo
Mental and Moral. Thinks to secure ii
dividual teaching we must have teach
for every twenty scholars, and that IL
. | aaiilnli 10 will NOT hear tho tnX Nina Etr,rr