Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-12-14

The teachers institute for this county was
Saturday of last week. The sessions were
held in the large and pleasantly located
graded school building in that place. The
blackboard walls of the hall were adorned
with neatly outlined maps of Europe, South
America and other countries. showing the
progress of the pupils in geography and
Stree hand drawing" The practical exer-
cises of the institute were conducted by Mr..
C0nant. State Superintendent of Education;
Messrs. Crippen, of johnson. and BARLEY.
of Burlington and Mrs. Kyle. of Essex
Junction and the literary exercises BY
Superintendent COnant and Prof. Perkins, of
Burlington. who were listened to on Thurs
day and Friday evenings by large and sp-
preciative audiences The practical instruc-
ton related to methods of conducting reci-
tatiOns in reading. geography. history,
grammar and in the management Of the
school On all these subjects hints were
given, thoughts and plans suggested, which
were eminently practical in their character
and well calculated to help the teachers in
their labOriOus work. If the enthusiasm of
the speakers could be infused into all the
teachers of our district schools, We should
expect to see very great advance in educa-
tional work in the State. as a result OF their
labors. But the difficulty is that in the
ordinary routine of district school work, the
teacher finds little time to attend to such
labor, or lacks either the ability or the
disposition or the perseverance to acoomp-
Iish it. The perfect model school and the
perfect teacher has not vet appeared on this
mundane sphere. And hence the theories
of teaching and the methods of instruc-
ton. which appear so beautiful, so simple
and so easily comprehended, disappoint US
when we undertake to reduce them to prac-
tice The teacher who can select his
scholars, or find them thoroughly graded
and can devote his time to instruction alone
and not to discipline. can accomplish
much. But such is not the ordinary dis
trct school. Nevertheless, it is no fault
of the State Superintendent Of Education,
or of his able assistants in these county in
stitutes. il the important lessons which
they so ardently labor to inculcate. fail to
accomplish all that could be desired. Su-
perirtendent COnant gave an instructive
lecture on the metric system OF weights and
measures now coming into general use, and
the best method OF teaching it in the school.
Prof BARLEY gave some practical instruc-
ton. the results of his own experience and
observation, on the management of tho
school room and the school. which we trust
will be treasured up by the teachers who
were present. The Importance of good gov
eminent in tho school cannot be Overesti-
mated. The methoi of securing it was
well presented Mr.. Crippen outlined sew
ersl lessons in geography of Vermont. show
ing how all the important facts concerning
it might be readily classified and learned
Mrs. Kyle exhibited her method OF studying
and teaching history, by the introduction OF
class from the higher department of the
graded school. ln fine. the exercises were
all interesting and doubtless profitable. The
hospitality OF the people of Essex junction
was abundant B.