Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-02-08
Washington County Teachers.

The Association Of Washington County Teach
ers and School Officers held day and evening
session at Waterbury, Saturday, the 4th instant
The morning session opened with thin attendance
In the absence Of the president and secretary those
offices were filled by pro tenn appointments. Rev
II. S. Wheeler opened the exercises with prayer,
and Mr.. Coke spoke few words OF welcome, and
OF the need teachers have OF cooperation and
mutual encouragement. A. W. Edison OF Ran
doph normal school. to whom had been assigned
the subject OF Reading" for discussion, was de-
tanned Mt home and In his stead came w. y. Roch-
eeau Of that institution, who opened the formal
discussion Of the day by presenting the chief fea-
lures Of his scheme for instruction in the geogra-
ply Of the State Of Vermont It is an admirable
scheme, well digested and logically arranged,
practicable adapted to the needs of the advanced
classes in all the common schools, and, by omis-
sion Of certain parts which will in no wise impair
Its efficiency, can be readily adapted to the in
struction Of primary classes. His scheme also af-
fords fruitful material for general exercises, can
be readily brought in all Its essential features
within the limits Of an ordinary school term, II
systematically and persistently followed by the
teacher. An intimate and valuable knowledge of
the geography Of the state, its chief towns and
countless It's lines Of travel, It's scenery, resources
and physical characteristics can but be the out
come Of following Mr.. Rocheleau's simple and in
teresting method. For instruction under IL no ex-
pensive text books and apparatus are required.
Walton's Vermont Register, map OF Vermont
such as is printed at the WATcHMAN office and
can be furnished at the rate Of 81 a hundred and
good Vermont newspaper giving sucencty the
weekly news OF the state, embrace the entire out
fit necessary for the plan outlined by Mr. Roche
leau. The plan is not automatic. Back OF it, Of
course, there is expected to be live teacher The
details OF his plan of instruction were outlined
in an interesting and instructive manner.
J. Raymond Bracket, principal Of Montpelier
graded school, followed Mr.. Rocheleau in an
interesting talk on the study Of geography and
map drawing He considered the study of geog
raphy of less Importance, from a disciplinary
point Of view, than almost any other branch of
study taught in the schools. 1t did not involve
chain OF principles and reasoning like mathe-
MATES, were geographical facts, like historical,
bound together by chronology lie reviewed the
| advantages OF the different methods Of primary
instruction,-that which begins with the local
| geography, and branching out from that point at
a later time, takes in the more general and alb
struse geographical facts, and that which begins
| in the old order with the shape of the earth,
divisions into land and water hemispheres, con-
tinents, etc, and at later period in the course
comes round to local geography. lie would
teach realistic geography. lie would have the
imagination cultivated. He would have the
pupils draw map OF the school-room, and let
them understand that as certain lines in that
plan indicate the desks, so the marks and lines
| md in Of
boundaries, rivers, railroads, towns and counties
lie would give geography visible and tangible
existence in the minds of pupils, and TO this end
the teacher should direct unceasing pains and
study. Methods might vary, but to give geograph
ical facts and objects living reality should be
the aim Of all methods. The hints dropped by
Mr.. Bracket must be Of real value to the teach
ers, II Needed and aid materially in the develop
ment Of a sensible course of geographic instruc-
| ton in the schools. lie outlined the plan of map
drawing pursued in his school, and in ample
vindication of its meritorous features showed
some specimens Of the practical work done in the
Montpelier schools. Following the remarks Of
Mr.. Rocheleau and Mr.. Bracket the discussion
seems to have lost its bearings, and, drifting
without chart or compass, invaded the realms of
| geology; ascending to the skies it sailed through
the siderial Arctic regions on voyage of discov-
cry for the north pole, got lost in the ice round
the north star and was gobbled up by the great
bear. very interesting feature of the exercises
was the pleasant music fittingly furnished by
class of little girls from the intermediate school OF
the village under the charge of the teacher, Miss
House Their efforts were received with applause
| AFTERNOON.
| NJ nd
Barre, spoke with energy and great good sense on
the subject Arithmetic, how much and what"
As Mr. Priests views on this subject were quite
fully reported at previous meeting of the ASSOC
citation, it is not deemed necessary to review them
| here. lie seemed on this occasion to present them
with additional force and cearness, and they won
the hearty appreciation of all present Indeed
the discussion which followed was in danger of
assuming monotonous degree of harmony till
| George W. Kennedy, in remark rejecting upon
the usefulness and desirability OF the blackboard
| in the schoolroom, gave utterance to what Mr.. j.
| H. Senter characterized rank heresy"
There was quite a fusilade directed against the
hereto, and being temporarily in the chair, i'm
parchment was darkly limited at. His efforts at
explanation we're not entirely happy and he suf-
fered martyrdom many times during the after
noon as a sly shaft was occasionally and without
warning winged at him for the curious dogma he
| had announced.
| discussion on the metric system was opened
| by J. H. Senter of Warren. Mr.. Senter explained
the system and illustrated its advantages. With
other gentlemen he warmly and ably advocated
the adoption OF the system and instruction in II in
the common schools to pave the way for its adop-
| ton In opposition to the new system it
maintained that the old system of weights and
measures is deeply rooted by the usage of centu-
ries in the language the customs the thought the
business, and the laws Of the country. The prac-
teal disadvantages far as they relate to BUSH
ness-of the old system were overrated and were
| slight when compared with the disturbance which
the adoption OF the new systems would introduce
into the diversified business affairs Of the coun-
| try. For this disturbance the new system affords
| no adequate offsetting advantages. Its adoption
| by English speaking people was so remote con-
tingency that our common school teachers in the
| present backward condition OF our schools were
J advised not TO waste time upon 1t. When they had
| their pupils so well grounded in the eementaries
that they had idle time to spend on and curious
| things, they might then think OF taking up the
| metric system
| Rev S. ii. Church, OF Green Mountain seminary,
delivered very effective address on the Method
Of teaching exceptional cases" He developed
the Importance of the exercise OF that quality in
a teacher which shall lead him to study the indi-
vidual peculiarties and mental habits OF pupils.
Skill in this essential Of successful teaching is the
| key to power In the schooroom. Mr.. Church
| illustrated his subject by nstancng many appar-
emily hopeless cases Of mental imbecillty, inca
| oil gndi of tha
most interesting and striking of which were
drawn from his own experience as teacher, and
showed how either fair business education had
been impaired to these Especial cases by dis
covering the avenue to their minds, or In a re-
puted dull scholar genius had been developed
His lecture abounded In strong points, brought
out with peculiar force and originality, of which
our brief report can give no adequate conception.
Mr.. Church is recent and most valuable addi-
ton to the educational force Of the county and 1t
is to be hoped that he will be heard from again in
other meetings of this association in other parts
OF the county The attendance had increased
since the morning session, and large and inter
ested audience attended upon the exercises OF
the afternoon.
EVENING SESSION
The evening programme was opened by singing
by quartette after which Mr.. Rocheeau of
Randolph was introduced and delivered TO a well
filled room an admirable address on The school
| and the home - He sharnlv outlined the reouire-