Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-11-09
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Monthly Meeting Of Teachers-Proceetling s
of Moro than Usual Interest-The Super
intendent's Remarks and Essays by the

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with the following announcements by supt.
Wright:
PROGRAMME OF MEETINGS. 80.
Teachers of fifth ant sixth grades-Fr iday,
November 81. ..-.
Teachers of third and fourth grades--Wednes-
day, November 26. .ss.a
Teachers of the first grade-Thursday, De-
cember 4.
Teachers Of the second grade-Friday De-
cember 5. ......r.
Principals meeting-Thursday, December1l.
Teachers of seventh and eighth grade-Fri-
December -.
General meeting Saturday, December 6, at
10 o o'clock A. NJ. .......
Teachers will be paid Wednesday, December
3, from $3.50 to P. NJ.
Following this, superintendent Wright said,
next week wonld be devoted to examinations
in all the schools in the following order.
EXAMINATIONS.
Monday, November 10-Seventh and eighth
grades, History-Reading in all others.
Tuesday, Observation-Disclosures.
Wednesday, November 12.-Language.
Thursday, November l3.-Geography.-
Eighth grade, Physiology.
Friday, November 14.-General lessons and
spelling.
ORAL EXAMINATION.
Humboldt school-Monday, November 10.
Vine street school-Tuesday, November II
afternoon.
Jefferson Wednesday and Thursday,
November II and Is.
Neill school--Friday, November H.
Madison school-Monday, November II, and
Tuesday, November IS.
Adams school-Wednesday, November 49,
Washington school-Thursday, November 20.
Lincoln school-Friday, November 81.
Mclean school-Monday, November "a.
Rica schoO1-Tuas6av Novarobor
Supplemental to the above, Superintendent
Wright appointed the following committees:
On General Lessons-AIr. Slack, Humboldt
school; Miss Wright, Washington school. and
Miss Brown. Madison school.
On Revision of Blanks-Gen. Smith, Mad
ison school; Mr.. Taylor, Jefferson school; Mrs.
Travis, Franklin school. The committee will
meet next Wednesday at the superintendent
office.
The superintendent concluded his remarks
| with a reference to the desolate and cheerless
appearance of the school rooms in general, as
alluded to in the GLOBES report of inspec-
| tions, and suggested that so Tar as the teach
ers could do it, he thought it would be advisa-
bic to improve the rooms by some modest kind
| of ornamentation. Teachers and pupils alike
would be benefited by such course on the
part of teachers.
SCHOOL MARKS.
The regular order of exercises was begun by
! Mr.. Campbell, principal of the High school,
who addressed the meeting upon 1.-The system
classes of the public schools" The theme
| was introduced with reference to the duty
incumbent upon teachers to try gain the
good will Of the pupil, following which he
| treated the subject in manner Of peculiar in
| terest to the teachers, putting it forward as an
management of schools by irregular or careless
marking" Examination papers, etc. should
be carefully reviewed, and the utmost justice
| and impartlality be used in noting the result.
So far as possible a uniformity in
marking should be adopted throughout
| the schools; one evil at least should
| be avoided, that of marking the class higher
| than it deserved, so as to make a show for pu-
pills and teachers. Impartiality, with an exer-
| else of good Judgment, was enjoined as proper
| and the only way to secure uniform system,
| with justice alike to all, the pupils, the re-
| spective schools and the several teachers. In
| regard to examinations Mr.. Campbell said the
| objection was urged, and with degree Of
justice, that they were too frequent and sub
| jected the children to too great strain. While
ordinarily pupils were not overworked, the
| contrary rather holding good, he did think for
a nervous, ambitious child, the examinations
were too long. They extended over a week.
He believed the test of scholarship might be
made in less time and with fewer questions,
N' less ' mental st t 'D' Respecting 20
the knowledge of parents of their chiIdren's
progress, he thought better means should be
| adopted to keep them informed of the progress
of their children, and thus secure their coop
Grafton. Such reports to be made frequently
in general expressive way, and not by figures
! as heretofore.
READING IN THE SCHOOLS.
Miss Miller, from the committee to make re-
port regarding ''reading in the schools" sub
mitted long report celebrating the subject.
Coupled with the subject of reading in gen.
eral, its objects. etc. Miss. Miller's report
abounded in wise suggestions of a practical
Miss Hand followed with few practical
| suggestions, and remarked if fault existed
| among the children in reading it was largely
due to the teachers. She believed,
ana confessed it reluctantly, that
themselves who were not ignorant of the art
| of elocution, and, of course, couldn't teach it.
As remedy she urged that teachers devote
some of their time to the study of elocution,
and as it was made easy, to an extent, by able
and practical works upon the subject. From
such study the teacher would obtain practical
suggestions which could be advantageously
adapted. Miss Hand cited text book
which had been of assistance to
her, and related some of the benefits
derived from it, and all related was of such a
character that each and every teacher might
adopt the principles to the tuition of her class.
Reading in reading lessons" alone should be
adhered to, and the innumerable questions
| suggesting themselves from the subject, as
well as the spelling of words in the lessons,
might and should be confined to another lesson,
one preceding the reading lesson, so
that the enthusiasm begotten by
the reading, the subject treated of,
should not be marred and subdued by a lot of
unimpassioned questions, as to ''Wheres Win
chester?" ''Who's Sheridan, what's his rank ?"
etc., if ''Sheridan's Ride," for instance, were
the subject of the reading lesson. Practice,
that frequently. and the reading of ordinary
subjects, from the newspapers, etc., we e sug
gested as mode to bring about an understand
ing and the aim of reading.
Supt. Wright approved highly Of Miss Hands
recomm endations, especially that portion rec
ommending that the children be made &C.
qua nted with the newspapers.
Miss Davis, teacher of elocution in the High
school, followed by reading extended and
beautiful essay upon "readirg." One thing
was clearly demonstrated, Miss Davis knows
how to read, and has a full knowledge of all
the niceties of elocution, obtained by jealous
study. Nature made all, even the child, an
orator IL in expression or gesture Unr@strained.
the child shrank when frightened, expressed
by look or gesture, joy or any sentiment or
passion. In school the child became restrained
unnatural, and when set to eading gave every
passion or exclamation of joy or fear or WON
der in the same monOtonOus STYLE Miss Davis
gave an imitation here which created no little
merriment, SO true to nature was it, or nature
restrained. The remedy was to make the pupil
easy, natural, and to do this the children
should be enlivened and put at ease by some
minutes of healthful exercise, such as calls
themes afforded. sI
Ceasing to read her admirable essay, Miss
Davis was called upon tx give an example of
her mole of instructing, especially the gym
nastic exercise to give strength and freedom to
the vocal organs.
Volunteers were called for from the teachers