Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-08-16
state Teachers Association.

The thirty-second annual meeting Of the Yer
mont State teachers association was held In Cas-
Teton last week The exercises were opened
wednesday evening with prayer by President
Hamlin OF Middlebury college. d. d. Cole OF
Castleton delivered an address OF welcome. Re-
marks were made by Principal Leavenworth OF
Castleton Normal school and Rev. w. j. Blaisdell
OF Randolph delivered an address on the " Nobil-
ity OF Work" Thursday morning showed
small gathering OF local school teachers, mostly
young ladies, and a few spectators, the associa-
ton being chiefly represented by q few teachers
In the academies, the Normal school principals
an occasional graded school master and college
professor The general air Of the small assem-
blage was dispiriting, and the lncongruity be-
tween the representation and Its assumed char
acter OF an association OF the 900 teachers en-.
gagged in the schools Of the state was marked
Had the meeting been held In the school build
ing, surrounded by the familiar objects OF the
school room, instead Of In n church, something
OF the influence Of congenia association might
have been felt and have impaired warming in
huence to the exceeding rigldity Of the proceed
ings Principals Boynton OF Townshend and Hit
OF Mortified read papers on Institutes and In
stitute Work" favoring this method OF imparting
normal instruction to teachers w ii. Rocheleau
told how practical physics could be taught in the
common schools, and Principal Haskell Of Wind
sor read sensible paper on the best methods Of
teaching language in the schools, recommending
the order OF nature, the adoption OF the course
the chlld pursues at Its mothers knee as the key
" eho oplullOH VI lnt pTpDlPm now DeSt 10 secure
simplicity force and correctness in the use Of lam
guage. The veteran Principal Dana OF West
Rutland sustained the position Of Mr. Haskell
In the afternoon Principal Conant Of johnson
normal school spoke in favor OF normal instruc-
ton and for the subsidized academies called the
normal schools Of the state, and the question of
normal instruction was further considered by Mr.
Beard of Pennsylvania and A. n Adams Of Fair
haven. An essay entitled "Woman's Opportuni-
ties was read by Mrs. A. NJ. Goodel Of South
Windham, and Principal Durham of Bennington
read lengthy dissertation upon Politics in our
Schools, the most notable feature of which was
that 1t was barren OF the remotest allusion to his
subject The matter of school supervision was
then called and Superintendent Randall of Rnt-
land taking the platform opened rafting fire Of
fifteen or twenty minutes upon the general ques-
ton OF education the absurdity OF the claim to
anything like popular interest In the subject OF
which this present meeting and the general char
acter OF the proceedings afforded conclusive
proof. Mr.. Randalrs remarks created a sensa-
ton and were the only indication OF aggressive
vitality which the days session afforded. At the
evening session a half hour was occupied by
Arthur Ropes of Montpelier In further discussing
the subject of school supervision, after which w
f. Howard Esq, Of Fairhaven delivered an Grafton
upon John Brown. At the close Of the evening
exercises, in accordance with an invitation OF
Principal Leavenworth Of Castleton, a reception
was held In the normal school building Friday
the one on Educational Journalism +" by w II.
Sanderson of Woodstock the other on 1.-THE
Teachers Outside Work by c. H. Dunton Of
Poultney. President Hamlin of Middebury,
Professor Goodrich OF Burlington and Rev J. b.
Emerson OF Londonderry discussed the defects of
the educational system Of Vermont and at noon
the association finally adjourned