Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-06-15
Teachers Meetings.

ino 'eaoners meetings Tor washington COUNTY
opcneu IN capital hall Friday evening with ligh
a'''"uance' Inc notice oil the commencement o
'no "aee''hgs seems 10 nave been very imperfectly
o"ou"''eo ana very rev OF our citizens wer'
a"s'. VI '"e 'act that any meetings were to b.
"oiu "o'e' UT NJ ieast that they were to commence
FRIDAY EVENING.
Rev. Howard +. Ill., school superintendent 10,
Montpelier, presiding, introduced the speaker 70,
the evening" Professor J. s. Cilley, a veteran
among the teachers Of the state Mr.. Cilley',
subject was " Language" Illustrating how a
machine may indicate thought and sculpture OF
painting may give expression TO the conventions
OF the heart or soul, he said that language was
that power by which the expression Of thought
was conveyed lie sketchod the development OF
this power from the creation down to the confus.
ing Of tongues at the building Of the tower Of
Babel; to the birth Of the Greek and Latin
tongues which had been the instruments nv
| which the New Testament and the priceIess
things in classic literature had been preserved
and handed down to the present time. and the
development out of these and other elements nj
the English which he characterized as the nobles,
Of all. He advised the study of Greek and Latin
| by those who contemplate n liberal cnIture IN
aid in understanding our own Language. He re-
garded as foolish the study Of these languages nv
scholars Of narrow capacities, or whose sphere in
| life destined them for toll He would studv creeL
and Latin as a means and not "a an and az tbe
most direct way to thorough knowledge NJ tho
| English. The expression of thought tho nprnoae
OF language, could be perfected only by the most
| thorough study of the science Of lanouage and
Greek and Latin lie at the foundation Of the
study OF this science. Thev are not dad Ian.
guages, though not spoken. but live In everv
| modern tongue especially in the ENGLISH Tho
natural sciences have been developed in CraeL
and Latin, and these sciences in later times owe
much to classic cultivation attained bv the studv
of the dead languages, Knowledge nj tacts
| alone is Of little value unless supplemented NV
the power to use them. with the mower In think
to Investigate, and to express thought man can
educate himself,-has In his own hands the KEYS
OF knowledge, and the speaker regarded the study
OF Greek and Latin as essential to the possession
OF these keys. As people, we are deficient in
scientific knowledge Of language; we do not know
the power of the English language 1t is not
| studied, and its Importance is ignored in our
schools, is not appreciated by the people or un-
derstood by the teachers. 1t should form an es-
sential part in the education our schools are in
tended to impart. He passed from the considera-
ton of the study of the languages to speak Of
the Importance of instruction in reading and to
criticise the neglect OF this important art in the
schools. lie characterized the average exercise
In reading as sound without sense, and attributed
much OF the defect In this important branch OF
instruction to the inexperience of teachers and
the fact that they were themselves poor readers.
Mr. Cilley forcibly illustrated the difference be-
tween correct and senseless reading by several
pe.'inent examples.
ouite SUPERINTENDENT Dart followed in few
re'"arNs' illustrating the ali-pervading influence
Vi our common school system in the infusion OF
nteilgence among the masses by the familiar in
cidents OF the late war OF the rebellion, when, II
there was dismantled locomotive to be set up or
repaired, bridge to be constructed any special
service demanded requiring the experience of ed
ueated intelligence, men stepped from the ranks
OF northern regiments who were capable of per-
forming 1t. lie further dwelt upon the awakened
interest in the subject OF common school educa-
ton In the south and OF the recognition there OF
measure OF the Importance to the subject.
Kew. Howard +. Hill remarked upon the pres
ence OF the days OF cheap books, when, for a few
cents, the best things In English literature be
purchased, and thought that this suspicious fact
furnished the antidote for the debasing class OF
puDlications that formerly constituted cheap
literature An antidote whose healing influences
were already apparent on railway trains, and at
news stands in railway stations and on the
streets. He made the commendable suggestion
that any one having purchased one OF these low
priced publications for a temporary purpose, in
stead OF throwing it away when done with it,
SATURDAY MORNING.
Rev. Howard F. Hill opened Saturday forenoon
exercises with prayer, after which A. W Edison
principal of Randolph Normal School, spoke upon
the subject OF Neglected Duties" lie spoke Of
the little duties of the school-room, the observ-
ance OF which contributed to the success of a
teachers work. Self-activity is the keynote OF
the teachers success To teach the pupil to think
Is the primary duty OF the teacher, not to fill his
nnd with long lists of facts. To promote the de-
veiopment oil the power of thought, ask questions
Encourage the pupil to ask questions. II scholar
asks no questions about lesson, one of three
reasons is the explanation of the fact-either he
knows 1t all, or knows nothing, or Is too lazy.
The speaker criticised the textbooks, saying he
would leave out much that was in them He
abominated textbooks and claimed that there
should be no use OF them by teachers In school, |
rhoroughness in instruction was strongly en-
Joined, and the tendency to crowd pupils over a |
larger space than could be rendered familiar
knowledge was deprecated. To promote thorough
ness and to acquire precision in the matter of Civ
ing definitions. he would require pupils to write
them out on the black hoard where INV danart,ra