Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-07-21
PROCEEDINGS OF BERKELEY coUN-
TY TEACHERS INSTITUTE.

lEAAnEno lN0lll " E.
The Institute began on Monday i
July 9th, at 1880 p. M, with thirty
teachers enrolled. The exercises were
opened with prayer by the Rev. F.
p. Robertson. The instructors, Maj.
]. M. Lee and Prof. T. G. Miller, each
made short addresses upon the lob
ject of the Teachers Institutes" The
subject organization of District
Schools " was opened by Prof. Miller,
short extract of his remarks only
can be given. "Some law Is at fault,
some system is at fault that teacher
cannot find, when he. takes charge of
a new school, some record Of the num-
Der of classes, the standing of each
pupil in his class, the members of
each class and other information, not
only important, but almost indispen-
sable to a new teacher. Twenty-Five
per cent. of the schools In w. Va.
have new teachers every term and
ten or fifteen per cent. of them have
teachers who have never taught be-
fore. They enter a school room on
the first day knowing nothing Of the
manner in which the school has pre-
viously been conducted, or Of the
classes and studies taught. Term re-
ports stored away by secretaries OF
boards, for the benefit of mice, are al.
most an imperative need of a large
percentage of the teachers. ''He pro-
posed the plan of leaving statement
of each pupils standing and class, and
other important information by every
teacher at the close of school, locked
securely in the desk. A school should
not have more than twenty two or
twenty three classes. A country
school can be graded just the same as
the town school," Major Lee then
took the floor and said in regard to
obtaining information regarding q
new school: /" 1t is a good plan to
visit around in the sub-district before.
hand, becoming acquainted with all.
and securing the good will of as
many of the patrons as possible, and
also great many of the former teach.
ers' ways OF conducting the school may
be learned.n Asa@ 's4ss 20 ',s+'
After recess the subject, =" The
Recitation was taken up. Major
Lee in his remarks said that first
"We must organize school in order
that we may instruct it.; and second
ly, we must govern it that we may
preserve the organization. In the
recitation the real power Of the teach.
er is tested, the power for good or bad
is then brought to bear upon the ,pu'
pill. Reciting is to restore or repro
duce what has been already learned
from the book or teacher. Learning
embodies two elements, viz: acquire
ment and reproduction. Teachers
should give suggestions to pupils how
to study the time to be given to diff.
ferent studies, and the order in which
they are taken up. There may be
gained from recitation A declared
knowledge of the subject; growing
pleasure in the subject taught; the
conversion of knowledge into opinion,
skill, habit, development of faculty,
conversion of knowledge into power
conversion acknowledge into common
sense; culture; (meaning the result
of preparation or cultivation and not
cultivation itself.) Among the re-
quirements of the teacher are the fol
lowing, -Interest in the subject
taught. A teacher has not all routine
work. He works upon minds moi
upon subjects. There is much more
routine work in other callings than iu
that of the teacher. He should have
abundance of knowledge, for the fol
lowing reasons,-Something is always
lost in transmission knowledge gives
moral courage /; it gives a source Of IL
lustration quick perception lof the
eye and earl the ability to ask clear
and pointed questions. A number of
the teachers were then appointed to
discuss different subjects upon the
program for the next day. The Insti.
tute adjourned until Tuesday morn
ing at 8 a. M. ....t s-..,t ....a..t G
Tuesday, second day. The institute
was opened by prayer by Major Lee.
The roll was called and during the
day fifteen teachers were enrolled
making an enrolment of twenty-three
ladies and twenty-five gentlemen
a" Primary Geography" was the first
topic up on the program for the morn
ing session. It was opened by Miss
Ada G. Dodd, who in lively and in
terestIng paper said that Geography
should be taught, accompanied, by
historical knowledge, to add interest
to the study. The definitions should
be illustrated by forming in sand
models of the different natural divi
sions as little can be accomplished By
learning the text book definition. II
modelling in sand be impossible tht
work may be done in the schoo
yard" Miss Mendenhall followed
who was of the opinion that first les
sons in the study should be oral. Maj
Lee then took the floor, the fol
lowing is a short extract of his adj.
dress EVERY teacher should have 8
pocket compass for the purpose Of
teaching points Of the compass. Only
the four cardinal points need be taught
the first year," Prof. Miller said thai
no text book should be introduced ir
teaching Primary Geography. Let 6
map be drawn of the school room, Of
the school yard, of the sub-district
and so on up to those upon a larger
scale. Outline maps should be used
in conducting Rotations. Synthe
tic methods should be used at first
followed by analytical methods. Mex
came the subject of Spelling discuss
ed by Prof. Miller: There is no doubt
in regard to the importance of this
study. The eye must be trained thai
words when spelled correctly may be
recognized at once. After conducting
an interesting exercise in spelling BY
forming the teachers into class he
closed his remarks and recess of ter
minutes was taken. ...s..
The exercises were re-opened by
singing Peace, be STILL" The subject
Reading, Primary methods was adj
mirably treated upon by Miss Hen
shaw; objects or actions should be IL
Illustrated by pictures or the pupils
themselves, they then become fami
liar with the word in script and nexl
hunt for it in type. Pupils have made
rapid progress by this plan being used
in the beginning. Maj. Lee mention
toned the objection met with BY
teachers in introducing the wore
method hut she Thought this was thu