Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-16
TALKS OF TEACHERS.
superintendent Powell Describes the
Grade Meetings.

Grade Meetings.
WHAT rs INTENDED TO BIZ AccoaPirsHrp-LEc-
TUREs To The TEAcHEEs-CcNFARIsoS or
METHODS AND EXHIBITIONS az RrsUIrs-TaE
REPORT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.
Supt. W. b. Powell of the public schools. rs
stated in The STAR. has reported az length in
response to a resolution of the school board on
the subject of teachers or grade meetings. In
this report Mr.. Powell describes the character
and purpose of these meetings of teachers as
follows:
Our teachers meetings are of i've classes:
First. Meetings of the supervising corps.
At these arc considered and discussed, with
much freedom ana detail. the objects and aims
or purposes OF the different branches OF studv
taught. each division thereof being considered
at length Tor the purpose OF discovering the
essentials therein and for eliminating all un-
necessary and burdeninS detail; the conditions
OF the schools; the progress made by schools i'm
each of the considered subjects or parts thereof;
as well as helps or hinorances 10 advancement
The success of teachers, collectively and indi-
vidua!ly. comparisons being freely made and
conclusions drawn as guide 20 future work in
supervision. The moral and Ihvsical coudi-
tions of the schools. including such topics as
conduct of children, conduct Of teachers,
methods OF discipline. their effects on the
moral nature OF the child and on the moral
tone of the school The condition of school,
buildings. schocl-rooms closets Fairgrounds
ana other appurtenances intending yentila-
ton. heating. etc. The value of helps TO bet
ter teaching. as maps, charts. and other books.
objects of investigation and for iliustratration.
&c.
1t will be seen that the judgment and expe-
rience OF the entire supervising corps is brought
TO bear upon each and every one OF these sub
Jects. as well as Others not enumerated. This
part OF the work of supervision is at all times
methodical and definite in its purpose. BY
direction of the superintendent, the super
Slsors examine some unit OF the school work.
as the entire work of grade or the work done
In a given branch of study in one more
| grades, or the conditions Of houses and APP
purtenances, and make a report of the results
| or their Investigations at a specified time
when the considerations and conclusions pre-
sented are discussed. respectively. These
meetings are under the direction of the super
| intendent.
| TALKS TO TEACHERS.
| The second class of teachers meetings is for
the purpose of adding to the information of
| teachers and broadening the view of their
| work. At these meetings lectures are given by
men distinguished in their professions. special
lists in the lines of work OF the school, geogra-
pliers. travellers. historians. &c
Perhaps j cannot better show the purpose of
this class OF meetings than TO give am outline
/ of a series to begin this week:
The subject of music will he presented by
| Mr.. III. J.. Holt. OF Boston, a distinguished
author and teacher.
course of university lectures on the his
| tory of the United States will he given as fol-
| lows: Ancient America" by Major J. W. Pow
! ell; The renaissance of geography and the
| discovery OF America" by Prof. ii. b. Adams.
OF Johns Hopkins university: Capt John
| smith and the first settlements in America. by
| Prof. Robert Finley. of Johns Hopkins univer-
sity; Colonial confederation" by Prof. ]. A.
| Woodburn, of Johns Hopkins university: The
! conquest and organization of the northwest" by
Prof. 1. j. Turner. of Johns Hopkins university;
| Formation of the American Union" by Prof.
| Albion Small, of Johns Hopkins university:
Early Colonial Customs" by Edward Eggles-
| ton; The Rise and Progress of Am, rcan
Literature" by Hon. James McAllister. super
| intendent of public schools. Philadelphia. Pa:
! tsubject to be selected in the futureD. Hon.
Ainsworth r. Spofford. librarian OF Congress:
Forms and Units of Government" by Super
| intendent ". b. Powell
A syllabus CT each lecture. including bibli-
| ography and some specimen from an original
| source of information. VIII be furnished the
teachers at the beginning of each meeting.
TALKS BY TEACHERS.
The Hird class of meetings is that of the
teachers, by grades. at which a free discussion
of the school is invited. the object being 70
have the teachers get clear %iew OF the ,Illr-
poses and place of each kind OF work done in
the grades. understood by the supervising
! corps. At these meetings the special teachers
| OF music and drawing present their subjects
| respectively. The design of these meetings is
not to give the teachers methods of instruc-
| ton. 1t is not enough, for instance. for n
! teacher to know that she is to teach North
| America in geography, that subject
| is almost without limit: not enough that the
teacher is to know that she must teach
| the settlement of America. as that also.
| when studied in detail. is almost lmitless
These meetings are for the purpose of present
| ing to and discussing with the teachers the
| subjects taught in their grades. the essentials
| that should be taught, the order of their pre-
| sentatiOn. and the relative values of the same
4 knowledge of the proper sequence of topics.
| psychologically considered. is of vastly more
| importance in teaching than methods of hear
| ing Rotations. considered solely methods
| This sequence cannot be understood without a
perfect knowledge of the parts that make the
| whole and their relative importance. Such
meetings can be but most profitable in their
| effects upon the schools. The superintendent
has charge of these meetings.
COMPARING METHODS.
The fourth class of meetings. for which the
teachers have been prepared by the other
meetings, is that in which methods are pre-
| scented. The teachers of one grade in a divis-
/ ion, sometimes the entire District. are brought
! together to witness specimen lesson by a
! teacher of that grade. Each lesson is given by
| a teacher to the pupils of her own school. or
| DN NORMAL SCHOOL lCocDtr. III the presence oil
| the assembled teachers of the grade, after
which the lesson is freely criticised. The crit
iciSms followed by suggestions from the
person i'll charge of the meeting. who NAV be
| the superintendent, the supervising principal.
| the principal of the normal school. or one of
| the special teachers. Many valuable lessons
have been given by the normal school corps.
! These have generally been given to all the
| teachers of an indicated grade in the entire
1 schools, and have been confined mainly to the
| first, second and third grades.
! EXHIBITING RESULTS.
| The fifth class of teachers meetings is that
| in which results are shown. Exhibits. usually
restricted to the representation of the work of
| a single grade. are made. Here the indiyidu-
| ality, intelligence, enterprise and methods of
! the teacher shown III such a way as TO be
studied with profit. Here, too are found the
interpretations by each teacher in the grade
| of the purposes and plans of the
work as set forth in all other classes of
meetings. For unifying and broadening the
work of the schools these meetings have been
| especially valuable in the work of English COM
position, geography. history music, manual
| training, sewing and cooking. Teachers are
prepared by all the instrumentalities of super
| vision to examine and profit by these exhibits