The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-12-23
THE TEACHERS.
Minutes of their Meeting Held on
Saturday Afternoon.

Assembly ROOMS on OaVuTuayr DIS per
adjournment, Superintendent John
Morgan presiding. Beautiful Day"
was sung by Mr.. C. F. Wilcox. Singing
by the choir.
The interest of the meeting was high
tened by the fact that Mr.. George 81.
Brimhall, County superintendent of
district schools of Utah County, with
representation of the teachers of that
county, were meeting in association
with the teachers of Salt Lake County.
Superintendent Brimhall, being intro
dUced to the association by the chair,
made a few Introductory remarks, then
proceeded to the subject assigned him
on the programme: The Organization
and Classification of District Schools"
For a person to thoroughly under
stand and appreciate the remarks of
Superintendent Brimhall on this sub
ject, he would have to hear them him
self. Mr.. Brimhall considered that the
child is a miniature man; and if the
teacher can pattern the government of
the school after the best governments
among men, that it Will be the best way
of governing the school ID ~
The teacher on entering the school
room, sees before him heterogeneous
mass of children. He stands there as
their general, and not as task-master.
The first step, then, is one of organiza-
ton; to appoint his officers and assist
ants. Considered that a teacher should
throw the responsibility of the govern
ment of the school as much as possible
opOn the pupils, making the principles of
self-goYernrnent the base Of the school
government. The gentleman, in his
school, allowed the pupils to elect from
their own number the following officers:
A school secretary, whose duty it is to
keep the register, and take down the
names of new pupils, entirely removing
this labor from the teacher A
monitor. who has the school
programme before him. and
announces when the time for one
recitation is up, and for another to
commence; also announces the class
that is to recite next; Whereupon
another officer, the class reporter, steps
up to the desk and by tapping bell
diSmisses one class, and calls another.
The formation of the pupils in the class
sunder the direction of the class re-
porter. Another officer, and a very
important one, is the temperature re-
porter, whose duty it is to watch the
thermometer, and see that the school
The pupils also elect inspectors, to
examine the house, desks, books, and
records, and see that all are in proper
condition.
Committees were also elected by the
pupils: One on decoration. This COM
mittee, as did the others, had the priv
lege of calling on the other pupils for
assistance, Who were to decorate Ii
schoOlhOuse, and make it pleasant to
meet in. Another committee was ap-
pointed on cabinet This committee,
with the assistance of others, collected
together specimens, representing the
three kingdoms of nature, also speci-
mems of art.
The duty of another committee was
to get up entertainments for the pupils
of the school every Friday afternoon, or
at such times as were thought proper.
These entertainments to consist of
songs. Rotations, etc., by the pupils
and for the pupils. This had the
tendency of enlivening the meetings.
Another committee, and perhaps the
most important, is the committee of
investigation, whose duty it is to ex-
anime the records of the pupils, and see
that they correspond with the records
kept blythe school secretary, to investi-
gate all cases of disorder arising in the
school, and to decide what punishment
should be awarded the transgreSsing
pupils. The gentleman said that this or
ganiZation seemed very complex, but
he had found that it helped the teacher
very much in the school governments and
it gave TO the pupils that kind of educa-
ton that would be of practical use to
them after life.
t,2d-Select reading Miss Emma Finch.
The selection read by this lady con-
tanned many words of wisdom and
sound ideas.
3d-Lecture by Professor T. B. Lewis.
Subject-"Cultivatio of individuality
and self reliance by the pupils"
1.-The teacher must bear in mind that
what is not used is lost, so the child
that does not use his intelligence, or
has not the faculties of the mind cul-
tivated, becomes at last dark minded
and incapable of thoughts; also that
knowledge and skill are only secondary
! objects, while the power to think is the
primary object to be obtained in the
education of the young. If the teacher
knows the mind of the child and the
subjects taught, he will need no cut and
dried methods. No teacher can teach
from sixty to seventy-five pupils on any
one method, and bring out the individu-
atty of the pupils.
"A pupil must learn to feed himself,
and not to think that he depends en-
tirely upon others. A teacher should
never allow pupil to fail when it is in
his power to prevent it, the lessons
should be such as the pupil can get
for by getting them, the pupil has ac-
complished something, and this fact
begets self-reliance in the pupil. The
! teachers should not permit a pupil to
/ obtain assistance of others, but to do
/ the work himself If a pupil works
/ diligently at lesson and fails to getit,
! give that pupil credit for the
work that he has done
GOD has implanted a germ in the breast
/ OF every human being. This germ has
the power to grow, and Will grow. The
/ teacher is placed in the schoolroom to
remove the barriers from this germ and
let it grow"
The Association was here enlivened
with a song by Miss Thornley,. which
was thoroughly appreciated by the
teachers present.
The critic, Mr. BrintOn, briefly re-
viewing the proceedings, said that he
had little else than praise to bestow on
what had been said and done.