St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-28
VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS.
Teachers Who Want History
Taught by Better Methods.

rendered by Mrs. Nettle Fuller, AlfS.
Lizzie p. Erwin. Miss Millicent Wilson
and Miss Hattie E. Brush, of st. Paul.
President Hyde delivered an address,
in which he said one purpose OF the
gathering was to discover and remedy
defects in the school system. What
were the functions of the state school?
Under deSpOtic government, rs III
Russia. the aim in the state school was
to promote sufficient intelligence to
make citizens valuable tools for deSpot-
ism. CitiZen-building did not compre-
bend the entire work of our schools.
Analogous to such training for citizen
ship was the so-called religious teaching
in denominational schools. The idea Is
not uncommon among the patrons OF
these schools that their children have
been taught religion when they nave
menoriZed certain formulas expressive
of faith and doctrine. A religious at
mosphere should pervade the school,
but the end of the school is not c0mpre-
hended in the intellectual and es-
thetic culture of its pupils. Mat
thew Arnold had only contempt
for civilization in the United
states which sought to narrow class dis
tinctiOnS by raising all to the highest
love. His ideal was not the true one
for state schools. The complaint was
often made that our schools dld not mt
pupils for the business of III nile
this was not true of all, it was true or
too many. Teachers were not solely
responsible for this. The remedy was
not in the teaching of trades, but In
more efficient, general culture. Inc
true work of the state school was. hrst
of all, to impart knowledge. Many
teachers had false notions OF what con-
Stitutes knowledge, and much or the
teaching tended to the development or
the parasite, or the
PULPY MIND OF THE PARROT.
The parrot always knew his text
book, but seldom his subject. Secondly,
the schools should lmpart Skill. Skill
in oral language, drawing, modelling
woodwork, or laboratory work, so Tar as
it is an expression of thought, is the
best preparation for learning trades and
professions. Third, the schools should
inspire pupils with patriotism: and
fourth. the highest aim of the schools
was moral ira ming. Tie teacher must
be living text book on morals. and the
teacher who lied to the children to make
them good was training pupils for the
gutter and the penitentiary.
Prof. Edward Seering,of the Mankato
Normal school, read apaper on the Nor
NAL schools of the United States. This
matter has come up for discussion in
nearly every meeting of the teachers
association and superintendent con-
vention for the last two or three years,
and as yet 10 final conclusion seems to
have been reached in regard to, first,
the actual merits and dement's of the
Normal school course: second, the fut-
ure intention of the High schools and
Normal schools as related factors in the
education of the state. Prof. Soaring be-
lieved that the Normal schools should be
thorough in the common branches, and
not too professional. lis reason for
this was, that most of those whom
these schools fitted for teachers were
young women, who generally leave the
work Just at the aye when lawyer or
doctor is getting really into life prac-
tice. Messrs. Rankin and West took
strong grounds against certain points
in the paper. which, to them, seemed
undue criticisms of the High schools.
The discussion was lively, and only
broken by the adjournment of the seS-
sion. Groups of teachers took up the
question in the corridors, the general
impression being that the High schools
and Normal schools should in no sense
be considered rivals, and that more
considerable feeling
SHOULD EXIST BETWEEN THE TWO.
A long session was held during the
afternoon. w. A. Shoemaker. of st.
Clond Normal school. read a paper on
What Does Professional Training Do
for the Teacher" The substantial ben
.,Ft in. pl1lfin
of the order of acquiring the subject;
second, skill in preparing the student to
receive instruction; third, application
of the true economy of zeal and ability
to form specii c plans for education;
fourth, knowledge IF special method.
A knowledge of scientific method helped
the teacher wonderfully in the improve
ment of his own mind, and was a most
powerful aWakener OF that humility and
aspiration which characterized the true
secret of knowledge.
w. S. Pattee. dean of the University
Law school, followed with paper emit
tied THE Relation of the Schools to the
Business of Minnesota"
President Irwin Shepherd, of Win0na
Normal school, opened the discussion
on Mr.. Pattee's paper, in which he EN-
phasiZed the right of every child to
demand the fright of way" for the cul-
tiyatiOn of every power possessed.
Supt. Lewis. of Hastings, contributed
some thoughts Oh teaching of history
in high ana normal schools, in which
he discussed two plans: How is history
taught? How should it be taught, and
what class of facts should be taught?
By the exclusively chronological
method more harm was often done
than good, as pupils were not led to
discover philosophical relations. and
they thus formed an aversion to the
subjected which prevented them from
reading
HISTORY AFTER LEAVING SCHOOL.
Oniv those facts should be taught
that had direct bearing upon the pc
Rod of settlement. the revolution. the
constitution and on practical history.
Events of our history should be studied
more i'm the relation that they bare to
the European movements out OF which
they grew. The study of history should
install patriotism and make pupils more
Intelligent voters. 1t should fortify
them against the temptations of politi-
cal corruptioniStS. More tariff history
should be taught. Not that tariff prob
lens would ever be solved by school
masters, Dut NLlC SCiOOio oiiohlI tCtsN II
pupils the nature of tariff and furnish
Them the elements of the problem so
that they might form more intelligent
judgements when they become voters.
1t was better to study two or three
epochs well in the causes which led up
to them and in the moulding influences
that grew out of them, than to be able
TO date all the events
OF OUR HISTORY.
Messrs. Waugh. Red Wing; Richard
son, Dodge Center: Farnsworth, st.
Paul; Dodd, Faribault; Schmidt, st.
Cloud; took part in the discussion. MIR.
Farnsworth remarked there was too
much of the Revolutionary end Civil
Wars in the United States history, and
he would like good deal of this left
out and more of the peaceful growth OF
the country put in.
Gov NIofNiI Nod haan invited IN adj