Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-08
EDUCATIONAL ECHOES.
Monthly Meeting of Teachers-Announc
ment of School Mountaineering i


ject Of this, as of all similar meetings. was Il
advise and consult over the general educa
tional interests committed to their charge
A feature of all these meetings is the reading
of an original essay and the discussion O.
some particular subject treating on schoo
work. The essayist and parties to the dis
cussion are previously selected by Prof
Wright, the superintendent. The dry de
tails of this part of the monthly programme
if they be uninteresting, are frightened b,
the introduction of music. Thus the meet
ing assumes the character of profitable in
tellectual and pleasurable entertainment
The attendance of the teachers is in no sens
compulsory. But in every instance eacI
meeting has been we'll attended, arising from
the Jealous interest entertained by the corp!
of public instructors.
SCHOOL EXAMINATION, ETC.
Yesterday the meeting was called to order
by Superintendent Wright, who presided.
He announced that the present term woult
end Friday, Dec. goth, and that the new tern
would begin Jan. 9Th, 1879; this meeting
consequently, would be the last for the pres
ent term. For the next term the meetings
would be as follows:
General meeting, Jan. 18th, 1879: prin
clpals' meeting, Jan. 10th; teachers of the
Nth and sixth grades, Jan. 18th; third ant
fourth fourth grades, Jan. oath; first grade, Jan
BOTH; and the second grade, Jan. 31st.
Next Wednesday the principals of The
primary departments would hold their last
meeting for this term
An examination of the pupils would b.
commenced next Thursday in the schools il
the following order:
Thursday, seventh and eighth grades il
reading; Friday, seventh and eighth grades
IN word analysis and spelling; Monday, al
grades IN arithmetic; Tuesday, geography
wednesday, grammar: Thursday, genera
lessons; Friday, seventh and eighth grades il
history, all other grades in spelling.
The above examinations to be conducted
IN writing.
The oral examination would be conducted
as follows: Thursday, at Humboldt school
FRIDAY, Jefferson and Vine; Monday, Neil
ana Rice; Tuesday, Madison; Wednesday
washington; Thursday, Lincoln and Ne
Lean; Friday, Adams.
The teachers will be paid Saturday, Dec
21st.
Having finished the above long list of an
nouncements and arrangements, Prof.
Wrlgh took up the programme fo1 the days
exercises.
THE FOUNDER OF THE COMMON SCHOOL.
Miss Laura Hand had been selected as the
essaylst for the occasion. She presented to
the audience brief biographical sketch OF
johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, the founder OF
the Pestalozzian method of instruction, from
which has grown the school system of Ger
many, and the public school system of our
country.
Miss Hand commenced her address by stat
ing that after the discovery of printing in
1896, books began to be furnished readily
aud SO cheap that the poor could buy them,
publlc or common schools were first estab-
lished in Germany. She traced the course
OF these schools, and mentioned them as
crude both in management and tuition The
clergy were first the only instructors,
but subsequently lay members of
the church took upon themselves
the duties. There were no school
books, the whole course of instruction was
confined to reading the Bible, psalter and
catechism. Even these were taught I'M
meaningly, and with neither attention to
grace or expression, nor connection of the
written idea was thought essential. This
Flooding along through four weeks gave to
q few pupils the accomplishment of reading.
10 this unintelligible and uninteresting
method of intoxicating knowledge was added
The great severity and extreme punishment.
Ihe teacher was task-master, and the
school dungeon.
Ibis system of tuition and tyrannical man
agement prevailed during the sixteenth, sew
and most of the eighteenth centu-
RES. In the first half of the eighteenth CEN
Jury, l74G, the subject of the sketch, Pesta-
ozzl, was born at Zurich. He was not only
destined to revolutionize the schools of his
own land and time, but his influence has
made its impress in the elementary education
Of all lands in all subsequent time. Like all
reformers, it was shown that he had 10 con-
Tend against prejudice begotten of custom.
His efforts were i'll requited, misunderstood,
He was repaid by persecu-
ton, dismissal from even minor educational
offices held by him. He was portrayed as
an enthusiast, and even the seizure of
bis school by the French soldiery at
Stanz. He again applied himself to reform
to become alike their teacher and
protector. His first educational effort was
the establishment of an industrial and agri-
cultural school on his own farm in Newhaf,
where he pursued with zeal his mission for
thirty years. In the end he sacrificed both his
and his wife's fortune in the enterprise.
His subsequent career, his endeavors and
failures, were given Interestingly. The first
general notice commanded of the public by
him arose from book written and pub
lished by Pestalozzi, entitled Gertrude and
Leonard" In it he treated of home educa-
ton, and made Gertrude the ideal housewife
and mother. Through this medium, the
book, he conveyed to the public his educa-
tional theories. The book became the
rage, and impressed all readers with
its wholesome truths, and benifcent ideas.
1t was a revelation both as regards home-life
and the education of children. From this
work, Miss Hand traced the acceEtance of
his IDEAS and the establishments in later days,
OF the prevalent educational system in all
enlightened countries. After the year 1900,
Pestalozzi establisheda school known as the
Pestalozzi institute, which endured for years
From this we're disseminated his advanced
views, and his pupils became the workers in
the 'new departure" which can call the sys-
tenn of to-day its offspring. Pestalozzi died
in 1927, at the advanced age of 81 years.
In conclusion, Miss Hand read several ex-
tracts from his works upon school manage
ment and the mode of studying advantage
ously. In all that was quoted striking
similarity appeared between the suggestions
of the former great educator and the meth.
cd employed to-day.
The above is an imperfect, and necessarily
very condensed account of the interesting
and instructive essay.
Music by Miss Belle Hitchcock, followed
and was received with whispered acknowl
edgments of appreciation.
CREDIT AND BLACK MARKS.
The subject for the discussion was one Of
practical importance to the teachers, that o.
marking"
Mr.. S. S. Taylor read an article of consid