Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-01-08
EDUCATION.
subjects Discussed by the Wisconsin
State Teachers Convention.


Madison, MONDAY evening, Dec. %, with
an address by Hon. Louis A. Proctor,
member of the State Board of Super
yiSors, on ''Work at the State Indus
trial School for Roys." After a general
survey of the subject of reformatory
work, Mr.. Proctor proceeded To give a
history of the Industrial School at
| Waukesha. description OF the system
as at present established there, and an
exposition eff ideals held in view in
dealing with the boys committed TO the
| institution. At the close of the address
In response to questions ay w. II.
| Chandler and w. E. Anderson further
information concerning the character
ana condition OF the bows at the time
OF entering the school was given by Mr..
Proctor and by G H Reed, a former
| teacher there. The fact was developed
that about one-third OF them are entire
ly iIIiterate, fully one half nearly so,
the great majority of them from the
large cities, and most of them actual
Migrants. Albert Hardy cor frmed some
of the statements of the address. Mr.
Chandler said that according to his OBJ
| servation, the parents are as rule weak
rather than wicked. A vote Of thanks
was rendered Mr.. Proctor and then
| followed an informal reception in which
many Of the teachers participated
Tuesday morning.. the president of the
| association. e.. w Burton, made a few
! pleasant remarks suggested by the asst
meeting Of the National Association,
omplimenting the eachers Of WiscOn-
sin on the hospitality displayed at that
time, and urging them to keep alive The
! inspiration then received and make it
fruitful of greater and better results in
their work. Hucius Heritage, of the
state university, made some remarks
respecting the study Of Latin emphasiz-
ing the necessity OF more thoroughly
memoriz'ng paradigms and expressing
serious doubts as to the utility of recent
innovations in the teaching Of the Ian
guage, including the sO-called Natural
M-thcd. He insisted that the way in
which child picks no an acquaintance
with his vernaCular tongue Is not nee
essarily the kest way for the acquisition
Of new language by q mature mind.
The discussion was continued by W. G.
Sawyer and a. r. Sprague, the latter
ObJecting particularly to the criticisms
on the natural method.
State Superintendent Graham present
ed a committee report or "Arbor Day."
recommending that Gov Rusk be re-
quested to designate an Arbor Day for
the spring of 1885, and that a committee
be appointed by the Association to pre-
pare "a simple tasteful PLAZA for the ar
rangem9nts of trees aud shrabs, to be
prepared in diagram for distribution to
county superintende nts. Remarks in
endorsement Of the report were made by
A. r. Sprague and VIM. Jones. The
LOT 3~,ay i Il. =, i
most school grounds and the educative
iHHueDce which can be expected from
the movement in resisting the narrow
~ unitarian tendency of the times. w.
j. Desmond called attention to what
has been done in replacing forest trees
Ia Southern France, the Obstacles en-
countered there, and the expedients
employed to OvercOA 1e the prejudices Of
the peasants. He would Ike to see the
work undertaken by the National Gov
| ernmenG. The discussion was continu-
ed by j. L. Emery and W. FL. Chandler.
The latter cautioned the Association
against biting off more than it could
chew" He would have it's efforts
strictly concerning the schools, instead
of attempting to go out INTO a wider
field. He would not have the general
work OF discussing or attempting the
refOr esting Of the country at large as
summed by the Assc citation. j. w.
Stearns called attention to the danger
of having too much shade in the viciDi-
ty of the school house. Tk9 first re-
cOmmendation Of the report was adopt
ed by the Association. Aftsr a long
general discussion, the further con-
sideraGiOn OF the report was postponed
until Wednesday morning.
A report On Supplementary Read
ing" was presented by Fl. d. Maxson,
chairman of the committee. After
briefly discussing the purposes Supple
mentary Reading ana the methods en-
plOyed in its use, it was recommended
that committee be appointed hy tie
Association to prepare a graded list of
books and papers useful for the purpose.
and that the subject be urged as a spec
ial topic for discussion at teachers i'll
stitutes and other appropriate occasions.
Tie report was discussed by L. d. Har-
vey and E. r. Saith, and further con-
sideration Of the subject postponed un-
til the afternoon session.
According to special order, the As |
sociation proceeded to the election of |
delegate 10 represent it at the next |
meeting Of the National Association, |
and A j. Hutton was chosen.
The afternoon session was opened |
with an address on ''The New Educa- |
ton by Fl. Fl. Belfeld, of Chicago, |
which ia the absence Of its author was
read by w. D. Parker.
The report Of the committee on
Reading IN tbs Schools was presented |
by w E. Anderson. G. II. Reyes gave
an account of the experiment. with the
pupils Of the public schools of River
Falls in procuring a small library and |
cultivating a taste for good reading
He had used with decided success, the
privileges of the library as reward for
satisfactory school work. It has also
been observed that those boys who in
dulge the most In vicious reading when
not properly guided, on the other hand,
unaer judicious guidance exhibit the
greatest dvidiCy for good reading. The
discussion was continued by E. r.
Smith, E. J. Wiswell, and w. Fl. Chaad-
Ter Mr.. Chandler deprecated any at
tempt to frame specific course OF read