The Portland daily press., 1889-11-02
EDUCATIONAL TOPICS.
Meeting of the County Society al
South Portland.
Interesting Papers Discussed by
Well Known Teachers
That Should Be Perused by All
Parents and Guardians.

The annual convention of this organization
opened at Cape Elizabeth yesterday. The
meeting was held in the grammar school
building at South Portland.
The first session, yesterday forenoon, drew
an unusually large attendance for an open
ing meeting. In the absence Of the presi-
dent of the association, the convention was
at ~ o'clock called to order by Secretary
Norton Of Portland.
Prayer was offered by Rev. l.. II. Bean Of
South Portland.
For president pro TEN choice was made Of
Elgin c. Verrill, Esq, chairman of the school
board OF Cape Elizabeth.
The records of the last meeting, at Bridg-
ton, were read and approved.
The first topic of the programme. Ian
guage Teaching" was presented in a well
written, thoughtful and forcible paper by
Miss A. Merryman Of Brunswick. She re
commended much practice in the use Oh
language by asking questions of things IA
miliar and of interest to the pupil, thus lead
ing the child to familiar conversation, giving
practice in expression. The pupil will take
pleasure in retelling the stories they read in
their text books or elsewhere, and will also
describe objects or scenes which .haye en-
listed their attention, and in these and other
ways much practice is secured in writing the
language.
In discussing the subject Rev. b. p. Snow,
of Cape Elizabeth, thought the best book to
be live teacher. and he wished such teach
ers could have their own way, and by natur-
al, oral teaching develop in the child the
power of language. Technical grammar
should, in his view, not be commenced be-
fore the twelfth year, previous study being
systematic, yet free from the formal terms
and definitions of grammar He would
place normal language teaching at the very
front as an instrument Of education.
The subject was set in clear light by Prin-
cipal Corthell of Gorham Normal School.
He claimed that this most important branch
of teaching should be set free from text book
| trammels; that the school course should give
and might give our pupils at leaving the
| public schools facility in speaking and writ
| ing our mother tongue with eloquence and
| force. A teacher of vigorous mind, al
lowed liberty to choose his own methods and
| judciously selecting good samples OF Eng
| lish for the pupil to read or commit to mem-
ory, and also from the first putting the pupil
upon expressing himself by voice and pen,
could secure results far beyond those now
| generally attained by the use of text books
| or grammar.
| The discussion proved Of much interest,
| and was pronounced of great practical
| value.
| At the afternoon session Vice President
L. H. Poor, Of Sebago. presided. The music
| at the opening of the session by the gram
mar school pupils of South Portland was re-
markably good. @k
| At the opening Of the regular work of the
| session the question, "How can temper
ance instruction be made more efficientP'
was considered in a general
discussion opened by State Superintendent
Luce, who said this instruction could bt
rendered more effective by the teacher be
coming more imbued with the Importance Of
temperance teaching. This view of its i'm.
portance would come from more intelli.
gent measure of the subject in question, in
its several important bearings. There should
be clear cut aim in the teaching, and in
struction should take the broad scope the
branch merits.
Miss French of Portland emphasized the
Importance of this branch, and referred
with commendation to the pathfinder Sc
ries of Temperance Text Books approved by
the Woman's Christian Temperance Union
The Relation of Teachers to School Off
GERS and Parents" brought out a suggestive
paper by Miss Mary E. Alden of Gorham.
There was some uncertainty In the mind
| af tho Uritar tn what waQtp0 from
the subject given, whether the relations as
they exist at present were wanted. or wheth-
er an ideal picture should be presented. AT
first an Illustration was given OF a visit By
the school committee to young teacher
first school, and the unsatisfactory results
obtained. And such are the visits OF the
school officer in the average school, owing to
the frequent changes. Of teachers and the
shortness of many OF our schools. The
school officer must depend largely upon his
teacher, therefore the teacher must be a per
son of exactly the right stamp, and one who
can be depended upon; then there should be
mutual relations between them In order t
secure the best work.
Also much depends upon the right person
for a teacher in regard to the relations O
parents; for he must be person who is vel
| known in order to receive the proper re
spect from the community. The fact tina
parents ought to visit schools had beer
urged so much and so long that 1t had be
come bygOne has been somewhat defeated
by the model schools Of the Gorham Norma
School; and what has been done In these
schools may be done In Others The aim
parents and teachers should be a common
one, viz: to make noble men and women
and here again the teacher must be persol
who has the highest of life In order to influ
ence his pupils In the light direction.
Mr.. +. e. G. Robbins of Deering, opened
the discussion on the subject in able re
marks.
Mr.. o. S. Norton of Portland, began the
discussion on the Evils of the District Sys
tenn" Mr.. Norton said: "The Declaration
OF Independence was based upon the fac
that all men are born equal and ,endowe
trict system of our common
schools does not give o.all equal rights, a
1t says to one boy you may attend schoo
nine months year and to another livin
four months, while the father of the last bo
may pay five or ten times the tax OF the first
Either Thomas Jefferson was wrong or ou
J school system is. 1t is not business like
The town of Cape Elizabeth would not vot
$4,000 to build hall or highway, choose
committee of three men to oversee the g,
pending of the money, and then elect
men to employ the 80 persons who were to
the work.
Again person to be able to employ WORT
men inteligently, must know something q
the work to be- done; three ffths of the dis
! trict school agents know nothing abor
school teaching. Very much better teacker
: will be selected, as the committee will NEE
all of those who wish to teach, and, after el
animation, choose the best, and assign each
the position to which she is best adapted
Dividing the responsibility between commit
: tee and agent weakens the system. III
1 district system does not give the needed al
! pliances which the town would furnish, an
: many Of the school houses are standin
monument that the system is a failure. Pett
/ divisions in districts have destroyed man
5 schools, because Jones Is agent Smith
= bound to do all he can to break up tt
school. The only argument to be given
favor is that it is the way we have AWAY
. done, which would be ample reason for di
y carding any system In agriculture, man
2 facture or commerce.
a Mr.. Leroy l.. Hight, of the Portland Hie
!. school, read a paper on The Organizatlc
= and Government OF Schools" This subJe
2 is one of Importance to us as teachers ana
Y even more consequence to those whom
instruct. While aware that the pu
pose of the school 10 dispute
question he believed that thu
: are not merely to afford the girls and boy
a who attend them, little learning In Il
K common branches Of education but that Il
r first object is to make the boys and giI
h good citizens. We must teach them the
+ duty as upright men and women and to
Q spect the law which governs them. T
9 teachers work has two parts, instruct,
II and government OF these two which is /
: more important? Instruction in t
l. Il.