Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-10-12
4 THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The Monthly Meeting of the Teachers
Held Yesterday. .'..t

The Monthly Meeting of the Teachers
Held Yesterday.
The public school teachers held their reg
ular monthly meeting, yesterday forenoon.
The attendance, as usual, was large, nearly
all the teachers being present. Though at
tendance upon these meetings is not obliga-
tory, the instruction impaired and the expe-
Renee begotten of them, command an inter-
est with all the instructors and they seldom
fail to be present to participate in the enter
tanning and instructive exercises.
Prof. Wright, on calling the meeting to
order, referred to the Importance of these
meetings, and said he thought there ought
to be record kept of the proceedings and
order of exercises, etc. He therefore sug-
gested the election of a secretary.
Thereupon Mr.. Sanborn, of the High
school, was elected TO do the duty of scribe.
Following this Superintendent Wright
made the following
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Teachers of the fifth and sixth grades will
meet Friday, Oct. II.
Teachers of the third and fourth grades will
meet Friday, Oct. "a.
Teachers of the first grade will meet on
Teachers of the second grade will meet on
Friday, Oct. 81.
Principals meeting on Friday, Nov. Z.
Meeting of all the teachers on Saturday, Nov.
8, at 10
Teachers will be paid on Wednesday, Nov.
5. at 3 80 P. NJ.
Continuing his remarks, Supt. Wright said
his attention had been called to the awkward
manner in which subdivisions of class
grades had been designated, as for instance,
''the first half and last half of the third
grade,'' and so on. In future he suggested,
in fact directed, that hereafter these desig-
nations should be made by naming the first
or advanced division of each grade as SAP
class of the third grade, the second division
B class, etc.
THE STUDY OF ARITHMETIC.
The discussion for the day was elbow to
Improve the Work in Arithmetic.'' Superin-
tendent Wright, in introducing, said there
was much room for improvement, and the
design of the discussion was 10 suggest some
method whereby this improvement could be
introduced in the schools so that the pupils
could become more proficient in this study,
something they materially lacked just now.
Gen. Smith followed with few sugges-
tions. He was in accord with Supt. Wright
in saying the study of arithmetic, most i'm
portant in itself, was not attractive to the
children, but, for all that, they should be
made to give attention to the study. To this
end Gen. Smith suggested methods OF teach
ing the subject to pupils, which, in their
nature and idea, were of peculiar profess
sional interest to teachers. He thought the
teachers confined themselves too
much to the text, and
thus attached the drag of routine to the
study. He advised the introduction of ''ex-
amples" taken from observation, and which
addressed themselves to the pupils as home
like or something with which he was we'll
acquainted. In concluding his remarks
Gen. Smith stated that he believed text
book should be introduced in the Third
grade. It would be the source of saving
much labor to the teachers, IS at present
they were compelled to write out from some
elementary book, all they taught to the
scholars, and which could be avoided by the
introduction of text book which would have
the additional advantage of impressing upon
the child the subje taught. In summary
Gen. Smiths remarks were of a professional
character, suggestive of new ideas Ct par
ticular interest to the teachers.
Superintendent Wright continued the dis
cussion. He believed in the introduction of
the textbook, as suggested by Gen. Smith.
He thought the board of education would
alter their former determination in this
respect. Several suggestions we're made of
practical Importance to the teacher, as to the
method to be adopted IN teaching the SUBJ
ject, and it was urged that the suggestions
be given at least trial.
Miss Beales gave her "experience" in re-
gard to how arithmetic had been taught in
the lower grades, and the difficulty she had
to contend with in removing the error of
method, when such pupils become scholars
in the high school. Miss Beales' remarks
can be epitomized into the declaration that
"there's great room for improvement in
teaching arithmetic in the public schools
Mr.. Campbell, of the High school, fol-
lowing in few remarks, which in the main
agreed with the foregoing. He, however,
objected to the introduction of new text
books, as the children were somewhat over
crowded and forced already.
The discussion was continued at great
length, and took wide range, Supt. Wright
taking an opposite view from Prof. Welt
brecht, in that he contended that primary
classes should be taught by concrete facts,
when they advanced they could be taught
reasoning from an abstract standpoint.
Prof. Taylor was fully convinced that
arithmetic was poorly taught, and that an
alarming deficiency existed among the pu-
pills as to their acquaintance or knowledge of
the study. Illustrative, Mr.. Taylor said one
of the brightest boys in one of the schools
in higher grade had been asked: "a farm
er sold 3-5 of his sheep and had 20 left.
How many had he at first?''
The youths answer was 1925. Laugh
The g of sheep must have been lamb,
suggested Mr.. Taylor. Laughter.
Mr.. Taylor believed little more attention
to arithmetic and less time given to memoir
izing isolated historical facts, would be
found of practical benefit.
THE ART OF E1ocUr1oN.
This practically closed the discussion, and
was followed by the introduction of Prof.
Wiley, of Minneapolis, who proposed, for a
consideration, to teach the art and polish of
olocution to such teachers as might desire to
avail themselves of his offer. 10 show that
he did not profess what he could not do,
Prof. Wiley favored the audience with q
selection, choosing 'The Vagabonds,or Roger
and L" semi-humorous and pathetic story
of a tramp and his dog, which the professor
| recited in passable manner, failing some
what in sympathy when he attempted to
convey pathos as the salient sentiment in
the colloquial manner adopted by master to
dog he also failed in giving the off handed
and brute, sole companions of sunshine and
storm. --..
Following this Miss Rachel Brown favored
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