Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-07-09
EDUCATORS IN CONVENTION.
Freceedinss OF the Second Dav-lnter.
esting Papers Presented by Prof sears
and President hyde-Appoiniment or
Committees.
BAR HARBoR, July !;

Thursday morning the exercises opened
with prayer by Prof Geo. Hains of Ando-
YER The first paper OF the day was given by
Prot. L, Sears Following Prof Sears, Prof.
Perkins OF Brooklyn, New York, presented a
paper on Methods, their Use and Abuse,
he made very abe presentation of the
various methods employed by different teach
ers, with the uses and some of the attendant
abuses He said that some teachers seemed
TO defy methods. while in reality they are
masters of higher and broader method
winch Is clear to them. The speaker further
SAID that young and inexperienced teacher
may at first be somewhat constrained bv rules
and models, but if true to himself he will
soon grow away from them, and through dis
cipline and observation and careful thought,
method will be evolved, which, though un-
like any other. will be best for him.
This paper was discussed by A. E. Win
ship of Boston, and President Greenoagh OF
Amherst, Mass. The closing paper was bv
President Hyde of Bowdoin College.
The subject OF President Hyde's paper was,
"Overwork in Public Schools
The paper was based upon the answers of
$50 teachers and physicians on a series of
questions. Of these $50, 100 say there is no
overwork in the schools of their city /; 20 reply
'not generally, but in individual cases." 10
reply some nervous high school girls" 10
do not answer directly; only, four physl-
clans and one teacher, consider oserwork in
schools prevalent evil.
The experience of $50 persons does not
furnish 100 cases of serious injury due TO
overwork alone; and halt of the whole mum.
Der of cases reported were given by one
teacher. who reported 20, and one physician
who had met 80 in one year.
One physician expressed the sentiments OF
many Ill the remark, devotion to society and
school work at the same time will kill any
girl" Overheating and lack OF ventilation
was found to be serious evil in about one
halt of the schools of large towns and cities
and lack of ventilation universal throughout
the country districts.
The remedies suggested for the evils attri-
buted to overwork, were a substantial diet
abundant sleep, regular exercise, flexible
course adapted to the capacity of the pupil; a
quiet home life, the prevention of secret vice,
and absence from social dissipation during
the years devoted to school.
Parent and pupil superintendent and
standing, must work together by frequent
conferences, keeping in view the training OF
a race of men sound in body, intelligent in
mind, and pure in heart as the noble crown
of their combined efforts.
Discussion of the paper was opened by
Merrick Ly on of Providence, who was fol-
lowed by DR.. Baker of Baldwinsville, Mass
The president then appointed the following
committees:
On Resolutions-Henry c Harden and
Edward c. Carrigan. Massachusetts; s. w.
Landon. Vermont: William T. Peck, Rhode
Island w. o. Robinson, New Hampshire.
On Teachers-Francis Cogswell, Ma-sa-
chusetts Alvin Pease, Rhode Island; C. c
Rounds, New Hampshire; W. J. Cotthell,
Maine.
This evening a lecture on Harriet Mar
tinue was delivered bv Mrs. Mary A. Liver
more, who was followed by Hon. NJ. A.
Newell Of Baltimore. The following is a
brief abstract:
Hon. NJ. A. Newell, secretary of the State
Board of Education of Maryland, made some
sConfessions of a Schoolmaster" The
schoolmaster now making confessions. he
said is one of the oden time, now becoming
very scarce There may be survival of the
untlttest here and there, but the race is fast
Fastening to extinction. The present gener-
alton may also have sins to confess, but
differ mt kind of sins-fewer sins of oms-
sion, more of commission; fewer sins of igno-
rance, more of presumption.
The speaker makes confession not for him
self alone, but for his bretheren and sisters
as well; and though he speaks of the school
teacher ALWAYS as she" and "him, the sister
in grammar at least the masculine gender en-
braces the feminine without any violation OF
the proprieties Speaking, then, tor the
schoolmasters and schoolmarms of the olden
time, and especially discaming any allusions
to the highly improved race of teachers.
normal and abnormal represented by the
members of the American Institute, who's
sins, if they have any, must be of the most
venial character, he continued:
First. We confess to fondness for hob
bies. and an inclination to ride them to death,
if hobbies could be killed in that way-hob
bies in great variety-the mental arithmetic
hobby, the parsing hobby, the diagram hob
by, the eiocution hobby, the map-drawing
hobby. the busy-work hobby. Every teacher
used to have at least one. and many had
full assortment OF course none of the bril-
liant vaur q teachers nowaday ever indulge in
a hohb , but perhaps they may know that
some of their acqusintsnces have had expert.
ences of this kind.
Second. We confess to sins of ignorance
/ NOT ignorance ot arithmetic and grammar
nor even of the 'ometries and 'ologies. but OF
something more important still--ignorance of
the nature of the boys and girls to whom this
knowledge is to be impaired; ignorance of
their intellectual nature, of their physical ma
ture, of their moral nature, of their emotion
al nature. Verbal memory was developed at
a sacrifice of the powers of observation and
reasoning. Repression took the place of ex-
pansion, and fear was the motive power in
| the place of love. The will was looked upon
as power to be broken, not a a force to b.
directed and de, eloped. Badness was con-
sidered as a positive evil to be driven out b.
the rod or otherwise, not as negative to be
replaced by a positive quantity, as darkness
can be driven out only by light being let in.
! Third. We confess TO a want of staying
power We run well for time, but we get
out of breath too soon. Lawyers and doctors
and statesmen, and even soldiers, the older
they grow the more they are IN de-
maud, but the schoolmaster is the old man"
before he is 80 and most probably 1.-THE old
| foor before he is 60. Then we require to be
wound up so often, some of US every year,
most of US every three years. except superin-
tendents, who run an average of four years.
| Finally, we undertake to do impossibilities,