The Opelousas courier., 1885-05-30
Teachers Institute.

Ns%u &uSt., Dy an interesting lecture IRON
DIR. Sheib, who continued the subject
of school government, celebrating its
most essential points, suggesting some
new methods of training, and showed
in forcible manner the advantages
of teaching children how to sing and tc
draw, as accessories in promoting health
vitality, and stu3ious attention. He
said that it was as natural for a child
to sing as bird, that if a class of chill
dren became wearied in school hours
the quickest way for the teacher to re.
move that languor was to give them an
exercise in singing, He pointed out
the fact that singing promoted health
as we'll as rested the pupils. Prof
Shelb further said that drawing was q
most important exercise in the educa-
tion of children. That their first i'm
pulse, before knowing letter in the
book, was to take slate and pencil
and attempt to draw some familiar OBJ
ject. He said the teacher should en-
courage this talent or inclination, if fol
no other purpose, to train the hand to
form straight lines, and fix the atten-
tion upon the details Of subject. He
closed By advising the formation of a
Teachers Association in the parish to
be subsidiary to the State Association,
and as an adjunct for the association to
subscribe for the leading monthly pa
pers of a literary and scientific kind to
form nucleus for a circulating library
Prof. Puckette resumed his lecture
on Physical Geography, giving scien-
tifc explanation of the principles
governing storms, the cause of volcanos
and earthquake and the inseparable
connection between animal and vegeta-
BILE life. He then touched upon gram
mar, calling attention to the formation
of the lenses, and pointed ont patent
error in the Potential mood, where the
imperfect tense clearly implied futur-
ity and should be classed in the future
tense. He then discussed the relative
merits of the various text books and
recommended such authors as he deem
ed most correct in the different branches
of a common school education
Prof Grace continued his lessons on
number, showing how to teach mensur-
alton of surfaces by the objective
method. He also gave an outline of
the method of teaching grammar as
used in Reeds and Kellogg's course,
paying particular attention to their
system of diagramming which the
Prof. commended very highly.
This closed the Teachers Institute
here, but, by special request, the dis
tinguished educators gave public lee
lures at the court house ut night, which
h fr1l
dience of onr people.
Before the meeting adjourned the
following preamble and resolutions
weresoffered and unanimously adopted,
to- wit 4:
Whereas, The Hon. Warren EastOn,
State Superintendent of Public Educa-
tion, with the distinguished educators,
DIR. E. E. Sheib and Prof. C. Med. Puck
cite of the State Normal School of MT
chitoclies. and Prof. Earle Grace of
Mansfield, as faculty, have been hold
ing a Teachers Institute of five days
session In Opefousas, embracing four
special lectures to teachers per day, he
sides several lectures to the general
public at night, that covered the whole
range of school government discipline,
moral and intellectual training, the
latest and best methods of teaching all
of those studies comprehended ii our
school system; therefore, belt
Resolued, That the people of st. Ian
dry recognize in the Hon. Warren Eas-
ton an able and Jealous State Superin-
tendent of Education by the system he
has so successfully inangurated of hold
ing Teachers Institutes throughout the
State for the instruction of teachers as
well as the general promotion OF the
cause of education.
Res0gved, That the scholarly lectures
OF Professors Sheib, Puckette and Grace
hare marked them as experienced edu-
Gators in our estimation, and that their
earnest work will give new impetus
to- the cause of education in our midst.
ResoIued, That the best wishes Of our
teachers and citizens 60 with these emf
nent educators iii their future MbOrs
elsewhere, and that they may return to
0pelousas in the same cause atTn dis
9tant day
Res0lred, That copies of the foregoing
resolutions be furnished ourlocal papers
for qualifications.
THIS year the Minnesota State Fire
mems Association has been successful