Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-02-09


The hour was already late, but the audience
was rewarded for its continued attention by |
some valuable and timely facts Superin-
tendeut Dartt opened the discussion by pre-
senting few points of information about .
our schools.
while the population Of the state has slightly in
creased the number Of children OF school age has
varied but little. Population in 1870, 33O,551 in
1880, 332 2s6 Children Of school age in 1857 $1,000;
in 1875 $1,000; in 1880 925OO; showing very slight
variation But In some respects there have been rad
cal and essential changes in education. Thirty years
nearly all our scholars received their education
| from common schools and academies. To-day our
population is centering around railroads aud manu-
featuring places the back districts have suffered by
depopulation and with greater dincuty and expense
support their schools There is difculty in main
tanning good schools 10 our larger places. business
! interests demand aud gain them. The trouble is to
keep up the proper excellence in the rural Districts
where the larger part Of our entire school population
is educated Excellent work is being done In Of
these remotest Districts but in many Of them the old
methods hold aud the results far from satisfaco
ry. The speaker called attention to the facts that
there are 70 900 Of school age who not in
| school and 1900 ,0yeara Of age who cannot
read two facts between which the connection is OBJ
vious Again. the average attendance upon our
schools aggregates only 1900 How about the re-
mainder Of our school popuation7 Has there not
come to be certain giving up the part Of friends
Of our schools? There is not 30 much danger from
| the opposition of enemies from the apathy Of
friends. These schools will never take care of them
selves certain things necessary for their
Prof. II. d. Ryder, of Bellows Falls, spoke
briefly but forcibly concerning the ability of
| pupils from the back districts, as they come
to the graded schools in the large places.
| Speaking from his experience as Principal Of
| the High School at Bellows Falls, and also at
Springfield, he affirmed that the average schol
arship Of pupils from back districts was above
| that of pupils living in the larger villages
| There is marked vim and energy shown
when such pupils get a chance One thing
the speaker declared to be absolutely neces-
sary, the adoption OF the town system in
some form or other. Massachusetts, has abol-
ished utterly the district system, and Vermont
must follow. There must be more centraliza-
ton in the examining boards in order to
move the examiners from the local aud polit-
ical influences which too often obtain certif-
Gates for teachers who are known to be in
competent. New Hampshire is even worse
in this respect than Vermont Some change
must certainly come.
II. A. Willard, Esq, of Westminster, fol
| lowed giving "reminiscences of early school
days, and suggesting a point which might
well have been developed aud emphasized,
had time allowed the relation Of teachers
to instruction on temperance
Prof. Bingham was called upon, and the
! audience gladly waited to hear him, though
most had been sitting nearly three hours.
He spoke Of the great advance in general in
! formation, aud affirmed that the older teachers
OF the state were not asleep, but were work.
| ing hard to improve themselves and their
work. He held that there had been an un-
mistakabe advance in both means and
suits of the culture Of the young, but affirmed
! most positively that the rural districts were
suffering, and declared that the representa-.
tives from these very districts needing most
| the town system were the ones who in the
last legislature throttled the measure which
would have brought them relief
The exercises Of the evening closed with
the singing of America" in which the audi
ence of 300 heartily joined.
Tuesday Morning.
At this, as at every session of the meeting,
the audience was about half an hour behind
the advertised time for beginning, and the
work of the morning had to suffer proper
| tional curtailment. When all who attended
had finally entered the hall, it was comforta
! bly, filled, about 22j being present. After
prayer by Dr. Stevens of Westminster West,
and singing by the choir, the audience listen
ed to the presentation of "Suggestions and
Hints to Teachers, by Prof. Northend. These
were delightfully."- given in informal con-
versational manner, and if it were possible
! they should all be recorded in this report, as
we'll as the amusing and convincing illustra-
| tions which he gave.
In speaking of discipline, Prof. Northend contrast
| ed two methods-that Of force where the mere supe
riOr strength Of the master compels certain conduct
and the true sort Of discipline, where the teacher
makes the scholars feel that they oil working
gether In this the teacher will succeed In what
should be the end Of all discipline namely, making
scholar do right because is right The teacher should
make the scholar know aud feel that he is competent
| to teach. He should control himself; should have
! confidence IN himself and his power to govern; he
| should be determined 10 have discipline-by mild
means If possible, in other ways If necessary. Donot
govern too much and fret the whole school because Of
single individual. Govern without seeming TO gov
| ern. Remember that common sense is the crowning
grace Of teacher. Do not blindly follow plan in
| which another may have gained success. Do not
| threaten to infct particular kind OF punishment
for an anticipated oHense, but adapt the punishment
|
rules; one is enough-"Do right" II corporal pun
ishment is to be used It may not always be wise
10 it last resort, but administer 1t at the out
set Of course Of discipline for defiant offender.
Generally it should be administered in private. Do
not feel that two similar offenders must be punished
exactly alike. Use natural tones of voice, avoiding
harshuess dictatorial bearing Insist attention.
and remember the great power Of the Cge to secure it,
Teach poeness by example as well as precept; re-
quest a thing rather than order IL. Visit the homes
and parents; make known honestly the demeanor Of
children, and enlist the help Of home training.
simple illustration bearing upon the employment Of
cheap teachers in prma schools, too good to be
does he select for trainer the cbpapes and least EN-
| cient person he find? Does he not rather feel
that the hrst lessons must be given by sklful and
! II necessary, expensive trainer? Surely farmers
ought to be shrewd in training their children in
| breaking their blOoded colts.
Rev. G. H. Merrill superintendent of schools
| in Brattleboro, was next introduced, and spoke
about "Oral Work" This he defined as work
supplementary to the textbook, not exclusive
| of it. He claimed that more attention should
| be given to this on three accounts:
l. Becauset the latest books require It, without
entering into any discussion Of books, Mr. Mer
rill spoke Of the pecuarties of Swintons Geography
| aud Reid keogg's Grammar, and showed that a use
of these books according to the plans of their authors
| demanded oral work on the part of the teachers.
?. Because in this way chiefly, the individuality OF
the teacher brought to bear the pupils. 1t is
what the teacher u.s. not what he does that makes its
impress upon them. We reverence teachers for the
inspiration they have given to our lives and this oral
work is rich in opportunities Of this kind.
5. Because in this way approach more nearly the
natural method OF instruction. as adapted to the sue
eessiye mental processes Less Of foim and more Of
! spirit is what we now need in teaching.
G. F. Eddy, superintendent of schools in
Bellows Falls, now presented a paper upon
the study of English Literature in our
| Schools"
II good at all this study should hnd place in our
common schools. That which conveys instruction in
all branches is Itself worthy OF special study 1t will
help scholars in the choice of books which should be
studied by titles, authors aud themes Children need
to be taught that not every printed book ia worth
| reading. Many do not even hear the names Of the
| masters in classic English. By studying language the
| expression of thought gets more power In his
expression. Very early the scholar will begin to
admire the thought of the writer, well feel the
| force Of his words The true emphasis ON the word
"Engishn will determine the proper Of Latin and
Greek, which should not be studied simply for ETY.
mology and synta1 but also for the real life they give
| to our language. Mr.. Eddy urged strongly the i'm
portance OF this subject claiming that it should be
optional, but taught with all possible attractiyeness.
NJ. w. H. Blanchard of Putney, at present
| teaching in Westminster, contributed some
original and forcible thoughts upon 1.-The Re
lation of Parents to Schools, discussing GER
tain abuses in the matter of the location, con-
struction and furnishing of school-houses, and
the failure of parents to come near the school
and to secure promptness and regularity in
| the pupils attendance Larger salaries must
be paid, and thus older and better teachers
will be secured.
The hour of noon had now come, but it
was thought best to enter upon the discussion
of ''School Supervision, and Rev. A. b. Das-
| comb of Westminster took the floor in advo-
cacy of the town system, and briefly stated
six reasons why the present system should be
| abolished and the new one adopted:
| 1. 1t would concentrate the government Of our
| schools. The present ohicers-the prudential COM
mittee and the town supernendent--do not work to-
gether at ALL and are sometimes Ant8gonistc In the
new system there would be one chairman respon-
| sble head.
q 1t would put the schools into the most competent
hands, simply because it is easier to mud one good
| man than ten equally good.
8. 1t would tend to train men into competency for |
directing sehools the present system Of rotation Of
| Ia IN At b,g,