The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-17
Yesterday,s Proceedines.

To the Western Associated Press
MADISON, Wis, July l6-The National
Teachers Association opened with an address by
Hon. Thomas w. Bicknell, president of the as
ISOLATION. Following the presidents address
came department reports, discussing elementary,
normal, art, musical and deaf mute instruction,
with the meeting of the Froebel Institute of
North America and the department superin-
tendents
F. Louis Seldar, Of ST. Louis, president of the
elementary department, referred to elementary
instruction as the basis of all higher instruction.
Miss Cummings, of the New York Training
School, discussed form, color and design.
The normal department was addressed by
Professor w. H. Payne, of Ann Arbor, and by
Professor Hunter.
R. w. Stevenson superintendent of schools
Of Columbus, O., addressed the convention on
supervision of city schools. He said:
The powers and duties of superintendent
are co-extensive with the board of education.
The superintendent of a system of schools
shou1d he man of affairs. In thisconnection, the
expenditure for school purposes were fully dis
cussed But the burden of a superintendents
work IS that OF supervising the instruction. He
held that 1t was no part of a superintendent's
duty to become normal teacher, and to pre-
scribe methods-this led to narrowness and dis
couraged originality The individuality and
freedom Of the teacher should not be interfered
with-each should be encouraged to pursue
specialties for which he has natural gift The
organization and classification of a system of
schools according to wellarranged course of
study was discussed at length. The subjects Of
examinations and promotions, and thefreuuency
of their occurrence, were considered. The paper
closed with the following summary: The range
of the powers and duties of superintendent is
widely extended, yet limited His own good
sense is the boundary of his actions. He is a
4onn daff has
of business--a plain, straightforward man,
candid conciliatory, outspoken, yet a keeper Of
his own counsels and infexible in his purposes.
A man with big heart, yet oftentimes
his actions will appear to the community
cruel A man who could give the
fullest and most satisfactory explanation Of his
conduct and the most valid reasons for his acts
but he is silent The teachers true friend in
her absences in her presence, often her apparent
enemy As the manager Of finance, shrewd,
economical and LIBERAL as the superintendent Of
instruction, scholarly judiclous systematic and
comprehensive; and as politician discreet.
active, fearless and patriotic
Art education was discussed by S. S. Thomp-
son, President of Purdue University, who said:
by drawing we have reference to representa-
ton of form. We mean such thorough study
and mastery of form as will enable one to ex
press his thoughts with the pencil the brush, or
with the chisel in solid materials.
First Drawing must be so taught as to har-
monte with and 10 assist In carrying forward
the other lines of study already organized and
approved by long experience.
"Second-Art education, to be successful
must be SO systematized and taught as to be q
means for the growth and development Of the
mind.
sThird- Drawing must be treated as a part
Of general education and taught according to
systematic pedagogical principles and methods.
TO accomplish the above purposes, drawing
must be treated as Q LANGUAGE or as a means OF
expressing thought. Any language should be
taught as an art and as a science The art Of a
language should be taught first or rather the
science should be taught through the art To
this end. the child must be given ideas and a
motive for expressing in drawing which is the
language of art.
I'm practice we begin with dots or points,
being easier to make than lines, and because by
means Of them we may express position, di-
fection and distance the three essentials Of all
artistic production Straight lines, curves,
angles, triangles, quadrilaterals, etc, may, in
succession, be treated in the same way.
Drawing from copy should generally be from
historical examples which cultivate the taste
and give an idea Of correct design. Dictation
drawing that is the translation Of words into
lines and figures, is generally moderated.
Memory drawing, invention, clay modelling,