Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-07-15
Teachers at Bar Harbor.
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN INsTI-
TUTE OF INSTRUCTION.

Harbor, Tuesday evening, the 9th. the ses-
slons to be continued until Friday evening
A large number Of prominent people inter
ested IN educational work were present, fill
my the large skating rink which had been
fitted up as an audience room. Hon. James
W, Patterson presided. Gov. Robbie, who
WAS expected to deliver an address of vel
come, was unavoidably absent and Rev. A.
+. Palmer welcomed the visitors to Bar
ilarhor, while State Superintendent Of
Schools Luce extended a welcome on behalf
of the state. To these addresses President
Patterson responded. He said that it is
source Of satisfaction that the natural force
Of this honorable association is not abated
but rather increased on the up grade Of this
half century. While gaining the prestige
Of maturity, il has come slowly to be re-or-
ganized as bond OF professional unity
which brings the teachers of the country of
all grades into an organized community of
common interest. and common responsible
ties. 1t should be religiously fostered and
persistently maintained as the indispensable
condition Of professional standing and in
tluence.
4 permanent association Of men Of recog-
nized ability and standing in the profess
sion, annually meeting for deliberation and
debate, may do much to establish the fact
that our system of yublic instruction was
founded by law for definite purposes and con-
sti,utes an essential department of govern
ment; that teachers are public officials
smeuable to law, and where the schools are
properly conducted and supported may be
held accountable for the character of their
legitimate work and for nothing more. It
can be shown that the duties of the school
should no; be confounded with those Of the
church, the family, the Ieformatory or the
workshop. The schools should not be too
industrial. for that would substitute mere
dexierity for mental and moral power as the
fruitage Of the system.
The teacher stands in an official attitude
to society. The family and the state have
delegated to him a duty which springs from
natural and spiritual relationships Of the
race. Hence those Of Us who realize the
nature aud compass Of our calling and are
moved BY the spirit Of the great Teach
er will not only master the learning Of tie
schools, but will become familiar with the
business, the condition. the motives and the
temper Of the community, and viii seek 10
apprehend the character and drift Of the
time. and SO apply their energies 70 the rea!
and practical wants Of society.
There seems 10 be an uncoHiessed i'm
preston, more or les, prevalent. that IN
.pl,e Of theory and historic experience, pop
u.ar education Is not necessary 10 the main
tenaaCe Of good government or 10 business,
To cure this moral sickness. TO remove tins
deadly germ from the public conscience, Is
one Of the iabors Of our profession. An
other duty is TO correct the estimates and so
shape the Inspirations and ambitions Of man
Kind this can only be reached by !ore>,a..-
INK the judgments Of men, and by preoc-
cupy,ug the mind. % youth with true CON
ceptlcns Of the divine purposes Of life. Oar
special work to-day, as body OF Christian
thinkers ard scholars, IS 20 hold the age
from Swinging into indifference 10, and pos
sh!c disbelief ~. lmmatera ana spiritual
entities.
a; Pre,ideat ra,tersots conclusion. Hon.
Henry Barnard. Of Hartford, Conn, de.iy-
cred lecture upon "Keminiscence. e OR
Educational wosh'
AZ the session Wednesday morning ). 7.
Dalton. superintendent Of schools a. New
Haven, Conn. read paper on Education
as prevention and cure for crime.
In the absence Of Hon W. A. Crockett.
who va. 10 have presented paper, Henry
Randall Waite Of Boston, president of the
American Institute Of Gives, made an argu-
mena in favor Of the education FOR citizen
ship as the only means Of securing good
government and good socla. conditions.
Hi. remarks were ably seconded by Gen. II.
h. earning, on, Of Boston.
\ committee IN nomination was then ap-
pointed BY the chair.
Az the evening session large audience
was in attendance. George \. Littetield,
superintendent Of schools AZ Newport. r. l.,
Delivers. lecture on the chief needs Of
scholars. He SAID the erea, modern deve-
opmrnt Of the public school system Is a
cause for congraiulAtiun and pride, but
should not obscure future possibilities. 1t
can be vastly improved. Our paramount
need is stronger financial support. Twice as
many teachers aud schuo, rooms are required,
better apparatus and 1 library II every
schaol building He criticised the low sal.
aries economists, instancng certain Ne"
England millionaire governor, whose income
was over $4,000 year, Yet he SAID ~ MS
inaugural that one-tenth Of the amount was
more than the public could afford to pay IL,
highes, school official. The creates; pr.'l-
lege Of American citizenship IS the night 70
send our children TO schoo! under the care
Of excellent teachers. 4 mans Elective
ness a. a mere machine i improved p pr
cent. by common school education, 50 PER
cent. b, an academic education, and 100 per
cent. by collegiate education. Another
great need i to place teachersTn more m
dependen, position, and improved methods
OF electiug school committees, thai their ac~
tions may be as fearless as Judges on the
bench. They should be OF the best and
every child should be compelled 10 attend
school between the ages Of seven and hi
teen.
Prof. A. 5. Hardy Of Dartmouth College,
followed, With lecture upon the Science
Of Education
Thursday mornings exercises opened with
PRAYER by Prof George Haines, Of Andoyer,
Mass The first paper Of the day was read
by Prot. L. b. Sears. Following Prot.
Sears. Prof Perkins, Of Brooklyn, y. Y,
presented paper on methods"
He said the time in which We live is an
age Of methods. This is nowhere more ap
parent than in the work of education. The
difference between the old and the new
schools is largely due to an improvement IN
methods. This improvement should be
studied by every teacher.
Rev. 4. T. Winship, editor of the
Journal of Education, Boston, in discussing
this matter, argued that, principles are above
methods. Principles are interchangeable
methods may vary indefinitely and still be
good. We have abused methods by magnl-
fling them until they have oyershadowed
principles. Principles are the highway !;
methods, the guideboards. We abuse
methods when We claim one right way Of
doing anything in education, as though all
other ways were wrong
Evening session. This evening lecture
on Harriet Martneau was delivered by Mrs.
Mary A. Livermore, who was followed by
Hon. NJ. A. Newell, of Baltimore, on the
Confessions of Schoolmasters." Following
is an abstract:
Mr.. Newell's Confessions of School
MASTER" Hon. NJ. A. Newell, Secretary of
the State Board of Education of Maryland,
made some Confessions of Schoolmast-
en-" The schoolmaster now making con-
fessions. he said, is one of the olden time,
now becoming very scarce. There may be
survival of the unfttest here and there, but
the race is fast Fastening to extinction.
The present generation may also have sins
to confess, but different kind of sins-few-
er sins of omission, more OF commlssloni
fewer sins of ignorance, more OF presumpt-
ion.
Tie speaker makes confession not for
himself alone, but for his brethren and
sisters as well.