The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-09-12
51isecll
Reported for The AEyis 1t httclligencer.
Hartford County Teachers Institute.
WEDNE SDAY.

WEDNESDAY.
After the usual opening services, the con-
tents of the question box were discussed, the
most interesting one being: "Howshouldt the
Alphabet be Taught2"
The general drift of the discussion indicat-
cd that teachers did not use the old "pcn-
| knife method oftcaching all the letters before
proceeding to read or spell, and while ]. W..
Burkins would rather under most crcum-
| stances, they would not, as but few were Ca
pablo of teaching it correctly Has the child
print one of the capital letters number of
times and then name the letter and find all he
| can like it upon chart.
N. o. Stokes who had taught it to at least
| 100 pupils, begins with one letter, teaching in
this way at least three, and commences to spell,
| teaching capitals first.
| Mrs M. Il. Chase gave class exercise in
Map Drawing She has pupils commence
this work when eleven years of age. Rev.
| DR.. Nelson then read an admirable essay upon
| 1.-THE Teachers Work" which, on motion of
J. w. Burkins, he was requested to grant for
publication in the county papers
The value of Time Tables in connection
| with Grading was discussed by J. w. McNabb,
f. Williamson, II. M. Cathcart, j. w. Carter,
| Prof Jackson, A. +. Galbrcath, and Misses
| st. Clair Hetrick and Grafton, which discus
sion established the fact that thorough grading
| was becoming more popular and the difficult
| tics were fast melting away.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
j. Z. Smith showed an ingenious but useful
method upon the blackboard of keeping re-
cord ofbooks, grades and promotions combn-
ed.
r. w. Eubank opened the discussion upon
methods ofdisciplne, reading several excerpts
to show the force of hisargument that a heal
thy and efficient dicipline ofall the moral fac
ulties was as necessary as intellectual train
ing. Would have but few plain rules rigid
| ly enforced and do justice to each and every
pupil, and never admonish one before the
entire school. If teachers could send month
ly reports to parents it would be great help,
and believed with Lord Preston that children
were not generally bad.
| j. w. McNabb stated that his ideas upon
discipline had undergone a complete revoll-
ton Was not in favor of "rod-discipline "
Discipline yourself and require pupils to do
nothing you would not wish to do.
Miss s. Susie Mitchell read an essay upon
"Discipline."
| THURSDAY.
| Exercises opened with sacred music, and
prayer by Rev. DR.. Nelson. Miss A. M. T.
Mitchell gave class exercise in Geography
suited to beginners.
"Our Teachers Associations, their use and
value" was then considered by G. T. Wilson
II. W. Ramsay, J. w. Carter, J. B. Scarbo
ough and ]. A. Calhoun. Miss M. Emma Nor
ris read an essay upon the subject.
Rev. DR.. Nelson urged the teachers to sus.
ain them.
Mr.. Harlan followed, urging teachers to
make an effort to sustain live, active and Wig
orous district associations, and so conduct
them as to secure an audience of the patrons
Let the associations educate the people tt
| a Just appreciation of the Public Schools HI
thought that during the past year the fiftl
district, whose next meeting was announced
in the morning to be held at No. 8, Sept. 18th
was the only successful one.
The best method of conducting Publ,
School Examinations was considered by Miss
M. NJ Offley, f. A. Brown, l.. e. Berry, ]. II
Rgdon and others, who contended that til,
examiner should compile and publish lis
of questions for examination, to be sent tt
each teacher in order that they might b.
fair and impartial throughout the county.
Mr.. Harlan stated that examinations il
schools was his 'hobby." They enabled pu
pills to correctly express themselves upon pa
per. The cause of nine-tenths of the failure
for teachers certificates was occasioned b,
applicants falling to record their thoughts il
an intelligent manner in writing, holding tina
no one was fit to be a teacher who could no
express himself plainly in this respect Teacl
your pupils to do it and tolerate no "prompt
ing" in your classes at Rotations. 1t was a
bad as petty theft.
In order to allow the teachers to attend tn
session of the Musical Association the insti
tute adjourned until Friday.
FRIDAY.
The session was opened by the choir sing
ing Gospel Bells" and prayer by Rev. Dl
Nelson.
Mrs NJ E. Chase gave her views of the val
ue of map-drawing as means Of teachin
geography. She claimed that it gave pupil