Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-03-19
TEACHERS, INSTITUTE.
LARGE ATTENDANCE AND An INTnnRsTING
MEETING.

orange building on laSLInursUay morning anu
continued its session for two days. There was
large attendance Of public teachers, and also
number of teachers of private schools and
other spectators. The session was success, both
in the attendance of teachers and the inter-
esting and profitable lectures delivered. There
il no doubt that those who attended the pro-
ceedings of the Institute will be greatly bens-
fted by what they heard, and those teachers
who remained away would doubtless havespent
their time more profitably to themselves and
the neighborhoods in which they teach had
they also been present.
The session was opened with a short address
by Dr. Rob't S. Hamilton. the County superin-
tendent, explaining the objects of these Insti-
tutes and the advantages to be derived from
them. After prayer by Prof J. ]. Ladd the
roll was called and the following is list of the
teachers in attendance during the session.
Beverly Manor District.-S. E. Miller, J. P.
Cleveland, Z. L. Curtis, J. M. Stafy. Geo. Tay-
lor, S. K. Taylor, E. B. Wayland. w. A. McCue,
Mesdames J. Tyler, Kate Craven, NJ. L. Brooks.
Miss A. Noon, R. J. Dyche, A. Hoover. M. R.
Lulenn, j. Cribbens, - Harris, A. jackson, j.
Anderson.
The Pastures District-J. F. Heller, A. M. Jer-
dan, j. H. Slower, E. T. Vincent, J. II. Cross, ].
Wilson, ]. w. Risk, ]. Keys, M. Mickelborough,
G. A. Fall. c
Riverheads District.-J. L. McUutchen, J. F.
Wilson. J. w. Miller, 7. H. White ]. Hutch
ems, c. Dickinson, II. Williams, J. w. Calhoun,
Mrs. J. w. Calhoun, Misses G. Jordan. M. A.
Smiley, L. J. strasburg, E. Beard, M. Cook, E.
Moore. A. Williams, - Ker. :.
South Riper District-M. W. Quarles, w. 7.
Yarbrough, z. T. Waid, A. A. Arnold. S. W.
CARRIER. ]. 7. Casey, ]. S. Myers, G. Phillips, w.
ri oly Gyoifh 0vpif
Franklin, Mrs. King, Misses c. Fishburn, Net
tie Calhoun, Mamie Alexander, ]. B. Waddell,
| L. g. Waddel, ]. Slower.
North River District-N. Wheeler, P. A. White
sal, ]. Andes, J. F. Landes, ]. Hashbarger, J. A.
Michael, ]. Fultz, W. M. Atkinson, A. G. Nc
Corkle, w. H. Coffman, R. A. McGlamary, R. S.
Farrar, Mrs. S. Whitmore, Misses Dooley, E.
Evans.
Middle River District.-A. Z. Pierce, s. A.
Hammer, w. Fl. Humbert, A. H. Towberman,
]. D. Towberman, L. Crickenbarger, w. E.
Roller, c. s. Roller, W. Branaman, M. Halder-
| man, w. Whitmore, e. Houn, r. Houf, JAG.
Bear, Il. G. Early, J. S. Kerr, J. g. Gochenour
]. W. Beard, Jos. Beard, w. 1. Stout, A. Fortune,
]. G. Yarbrough, Misses M. Eakle, M. Gentry,
| s. Bell.
| City of Sydunton.-J. n. Leckey, Mesdames
Thompson, Dillon, Sturges, johnson. Misses
Nelson, Thomas, Wilson, Hartman. Atkinson,
Mitchell. Howard.
Rev. DIR. Sears made capital address on
| "Public schools as a system, and the advantages
thereof" He dwelt on the importance of thor
oughness in teachers; a thorough knowledge
of themselves, their pupils and their business
and they should thoroughly recognize how
great thing it was to be good teacher,
Prof. Ladd made a short address on the trials
av,l &v,,. \ %a~n "a lid 1,xy
congratulating the County Superintendent on
the large attendance at this Institute, and the
signs of growing interest in the cause of sduca-
ton, and spoke of the improvement he had
noticed in the public schools of the State which
he had visited.
/ In the afternoon, Prof Funk, of the Shenan-
doah Valley Normal School at Bridgewater,
lectured On the manner OF conducting recita-
tions, and offered much useful and acceptable
Information to his hearers.
After some genial remarks by Prot. Ladd, the
Institute adjourned till Friday morning at 9
o'clock. Esl
| SECOND DAYS PROCEEDINGS-FRIDA
| The Institute met at 81 o'clock, with larger
attendance of teachers than on the first day.
At the request of the Superintendent, Prof.
Funk made a few remarks. pending the arrival
of some teachers from the country, who had
not yet come in.
He began with some additional remarks upon
| the subject Of fluctuations, urging the impor-
/ lance of varying the sytsem of drill in accord
ance with the character and age Of the pupils.
| He then spoke upon the qualifications of
teachers, insisting upon the idea that teachers
are born, not made" i. e. they must, to become
successful teachers, possess certain natural
qualifications, such as common sense and a
natural desire to impart knowledge The me-
tives which should prompt one to enter the
profession of teaching are love for the work
and also desire to make money.
| A teacher should never iddulge in intoxiea-
ting drinks, nor should he either smoke or chew
tobacco in the school-room. He urged upon
teachers the Importance Of familiar association
with, and affability towards pupils and their
parents. In speaking Of the physical qualifi-
cations of teachers, he recognized the impOr
| lance Of good health and said there was one
disease which should never enter the school
house, and that was the ''liver complaint it
always made a teacher cross, Grabbed, and pet
ulant.
At the close of these Introductory remarks,
the regular order of exercises was opened with
a lecture by Maj. jed Hotchkiss on the subject
of
GEOGRAPHY.
| He prefaced his lecture with few remarks
upon the necessity of observation and attention
In all departments Of education. Arithmetic
should be taught with the purpose of making
pupils acquire facility in reading figures. Peo-
| PIE should be taught to read numbers well
rs they read letters and words.
Geography is the history of the earth as it
is written upon it's surface by the hand Of ma
ture, and children should he taught to read it,
as it daily appears before theV, with the same
facility as they read Words they should be
taught to read and write geographically. In
the first beginning of the study of geography,
no textbooks are needed. Children should
first be taught the idea of direction and the
points Of the compass The lecturer, using the
blackboard, explained, in a very interesting
manner, the steps by WHICH this could be &C.
complished, and at the saEae time train the
child to habits of observation. The next step
is to teach the idea OF distance, and the methods
Of doing this, practically and Interestingly, the
lecturer explained and illustrated on the black
board.
He dwelt at some length on the Importance
of teaching these ideas Of direction and distance
by the location and distance of objects in the
immediate vicinity of the school-room and Of
the pupils home, as by this means the pupil
became interested in and would soon begin to
make observations for himself.
The next step is TO teach the child to lock at
the neighborhood, in which he lives, uertically
The mode Of so doing was explained, and the
Importance of the subject with reference to the
topography of Virginia fully elaborated in a
most interesting manner.
i His closing injunction to teachers was, "teach
geography from the home standpoint"
At the close of Maj. Hotchkisss address, the
A Superintendent announced that the Institute
\ waS open to general remarks and called upon
Il Mr.. W. ]. Stout for some remarks upon the
subject Of Physical Geography" as he knew
that this subject had received much attention
in his school.
In response, Mr.. Stout, after 6 fey humorous
remarks upon the old textbooks on this sub
ject, paid most beautiful and eloquent tribute
to the value and beauties of the study of "Phys-
ical Geography" an extract from which we
publish in another column. He highly COM
mended Guyot's Geography, which he charac-
terized as the grandest work ever given to the
people on this interesting subject.
prof LARD advocated the i'm tn n re of taa oh