Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-10-18
CoNNEcr1cUr TEACHERS.

dresSoS-Yesterday,S FrOcee01nSs. |
Proceedings were continued yesterday
at the state school teachers convention.
There were four sections of the meeting |
open both morning and and afternoon,
and each meeting place was crowded with
teachers from all parts of the state.
Dwight Holbrook, M. A., principal of |
the Morgan school, Clinton, presided at the
session at the high school section, which |
was held in room 10 in the high school.
The interesting feature of this session was
the address of the Rev. w. w. McLane of
the College street church, who spoke on
t'The Relations Of the High School to the
State"
The speaker began by remarking upon
the tendency Of the age toward union
among men. People were everywhere com
bining and attempting to assist the indi-
vidual by the power of union.
Although the doors of the high school
are opened to everyone, it is evident that
it affords only an opportunity to those
whose parents are able to support them
for certain number of years.
Therefore ]. say that the high school is
restricted to a certain favored class. Much
should therefore be expected of those who
intend to enter the high school.
DR.. McLane closed by saying that any
education above the common school educa
tion which is carried on at the public ex-
pense should be given only to those who
showed that by it they would make better
citizens and would be of material benefit
to the state.
The others speakers at this session in the
morning were: Professor E. L. Richards of
Yale university: on Elementary Geome-
try;" George f. Eliot, jr., M, A., Of Nor
gan school, Clinton, on English Litera-
ture,' and Professor Brainerd Kellogg, NJ
A., of the Polytechnic institute, Brooklyn,
on s'The Rightful Authority in Matters
Verbal"
AT THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
At the afternoon session of the high
school section Messrs. FL. F. Roberts of
the Norwich free academy and George F.
Jewett, principal of the Putnam high
school spoke on "The Marking System in
High Schools and Academies" Professor
Wheeler of Yale university gave a lecture
on history and Professor w. H. Brewer Of
Yale also made an address on "Physical
Geography in the Public Schools" The
capacity and the various addressed were
listened TO with rapt attention by those
present.
The sessions of the grammar school Sec
ton were held in the Sunday school room
of the Church of the Redeemer Principal
H. D. Simonds of the Prospect street school,
Bridgeport, presided.
At the morning session Miss S. II. Fahey
of West Stamford read an interesting pa
per on United States history, and Eugene
Benton, superintendent of the Bridgeport
schools, read one on Reading in the Gram
mar Grades" Wilfred M. Peck of SIAM
ford read a patriotic and eloquent paper
upon "The Schoolboy and the Citizen, !"
tisanship, should be taught in the public
schools. He believed in instructing both
boys and girls in the political history of
the nation.
Superintendent v. G. Curtiss of the
New Haven public schools delivered very
able and comprehensive address upon the
subject, ''The Practical in Education"
The ideal education, he said, consists in
| the harmonious evolution Of man in his
three-fold nature-physical, intellectual,
| moral. The bringing out of whatever is in
him, in the highest perfection of material
| form, reason and character of which it is
| capable, and any education which fails in
| this is one-sided, partial, incomplete. The
4
| money, and the tendency in American life
| to elevate money above education.
| We need teachers not only with knowl-
! edge of books but with knowledge of
mankind. And in this practical education
there must be language for the develop
ment of public speech; mathematics for
| the strengthening of the reasoning facu1
| ties, science for the discipline of his powers
| of observation; handicraft, for the training
I r. l.: ~ 60. %ha
| of his nature, and music for the elevation
| and refreshment of the soul; and then, by
the blessing of God, he cannot go astray OF
fail, in the course of time, to be truly
practical.
At the afternoon session Paincipal Ed
ward Shepard of the Olive street school
| Newark, M. j., read paper upon "Pen-
manship," and was followed by j. G. Wit
| ter of Bridgeport, who opened general
discussion upon the same subject. Super
| intendent of the Jamaica, N. Y, schools,
William J. Ballard delivered q very enter
| tanning and instructive address upon
physical Education and Development fol
| Teachers in Pupils in which he advocated
l the more general use of exercise among
| the teachers as we'll as the scholars. His
address was replete with good advice and
practical illustrations of the manner il
which such exercises should be taken He
was assisted in his illustrations by class
| of pupils selected from the various schools
of this city. The attendance at these sec
tons were fully as large as at any of the
| others, and the various addresses were at
tentively listened to and carefully noted
by all present.
| Principal George B. Hrrd of the Win
chester district presided over the sessions
| of the primary great section in high sehoo
hall. The session opened with devotiona
exercises conducted by Rev. John Fl. Ma
son. Other events in the morning session
consisted of various class exercises ant
discussions participated in by Miss Eliza
beth Allen and Mrs. NJ. L. Breen of tn
Cedar street training school, Miss jennie
Banks and G. F. Carroll of the New Bri
tain normal school and Misses Carrie G
] We'll and B. E. Howes OF the Welch train
| ing school.
At the afternoon session High Schoo
hall was crowded to it's utmost capacity b,
those interested in primary school work
The session opened with exercises in Gales
themes by twenty pupils from Skinne
school, this city, with Master Ward Stew
art of Eaton school leader and Miss S. E
Briggs of Skinner school instructor. Thi
l was followed by class exercise and dis
| cussion in primary reading, participated
| in by Misses Leila M. Wurm, Emma F
Il ~.
port Training school. Probably the mos
Interesting exercises of the afternoon wer
those in Topography Picture Work" il
which seven young pupils, whose averag
age was about nine years, took part unde:
the guidance of Miss Olive S. Day O
the Wolch Training school. This wa
followed by a very able discussion upor
the subject by miss M. R. Webster, princi
pal of the WEIGH training school. Thu
substance of her address was as follows
In teaching the forms of nature, modelling
drawing, description, reading, etc., al
have their special use. Requiring pupil
knowledged to be exceedingly valuable
This picture work may be divided into tn,
following steps: drawing from nature
l2-Drawing from memory. 3-Drawinl
imaginary pictures. Gradually as tn,
child's knowledge increases and his skill
in drawing grows the pictures becom,
more and more complex, including varie
ty of the natural forms, vegetable and an
imal life, houses, people, etc.
The picture work gives opportunity fol
special training in language. Oral ani
written descriptions should accompany
the drawing in each step. In many
schools picture lessons are a part of thu
regular course in language and such les
sons might be made more valuable thar
many are, if teachers would use better
Judgment in the selection of pictures and
choose those that bear some relation tc
their other work. The four principa
reasons why picture work is so valuable
are: First-Because it leads to close
careful observation. Second-Because 6
clearer, deeper impression is made upon
the mind. Third-Because it develops
thought. Fourth-Because the represen.
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