The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-02-21
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.
CONDUCTED BY w. j. NC KoNE.
COUNTY NOTES.

ven is all rlgnt, as seen from the reports OF
the spelling schools held i'm that township.
The Michigan Moderator prints verbatim
q letter from Miss Bertha Bentley, pupil
of Miss Mary K. Dyer, of Dist. No. 3, Yer
non township, with most favorable COM
ment. Patengil says he don't believe there
was pupil i'm the school forty years ago
that could begin to do as well.
A spelling contest held in Dist. No. /, be-
tween Dists. No. and 4, OH Jan. "a, re-
suited in draw. Having pronounced all
the words i'm the speler four remained
standing, viz: Misses Blanche Underwood,
Myrtle Smith. Lizzie Welch and Alma
Dickinson. Teachers, ii. &. DolldOff, l..
D. Underwood.
Recently there was question asked as
follows: What means would you suggest to
teach writing when the program is too full
to permit the time being used for that pur-
pose? John Sherman said the way to re-
sumo specie payment was to resume. Writ
ing is one of the most important exercises
and should not be crowded out. Of the sins
of omission in district schools, neglect of
writing is the most fragrant. There has
been an attempt to remedy this defect and
many teachers have responded nobly, at the
head of this list perhaps the name of ii. G.
Dolloff should be placed.
II. A. Phelps is teacher i'm Venice who
teaches i'm the highest sense of the term. So
intense is the study of mathematics that
there is formed sort of arithmetic club
which meets from house to house. Arith-
metic problems are by no means confined to
the textbook, and are brought to- the class
solved OH paper, so that much valuable
time is saved in recitatiOns that can be de-
voted to explanations. 1t should be added,
Mr.. Phelps teaches music and has q fine
chorus of voices.
LANGUAGE.
Nothing is more important than the cor
rect expression of thought. Absolute pre-
cision and correctness i'm speaking should be
gained as soon as possible. The reason why
so many teachers fail In language work is
because it is not connected with the pupils
own thought; he copies sentences from the
grammar, and reproduces what has been
read without thinking what the words in
the sentences mean. 1t is of great impor-
tance that expression of thought should go
hand in hand with thinking Consider
what the writing of sentences Involves
capitalization, spelling, punctuation, writ
ing, arrangement of words. Are not these
important points? Now add to this the
mental training that thought expression ne
cessitates, and the exercise will be seen to be
first class. DictatiOn should grow less and
less as the ability of originatiOn increases.
A very high grade Of skill in teaching writ
ing requires very little dictation i'm the low
est grade; when pupils have one hundred or
more words distinctly fixed in their minds
the work of dictation may begin, but with
it. hand in hand, should go the expression
of original thought. This can be stimulated
by simple questions as i'm the lowest grade,
''Tell me what you saw on your way to
school?" or "Have you kitten?" or "What
is your dolls name?" or ''Ilave you a sled?"
Each of these questions will lead to little
conversation, and the pupils can be taught
how to express the thoughts this converse
ton brings out
GRADING or DISTRICT SCHOOLS.
For some time | have been trying To
think of some good method of grading dis
trict schools, and leaving suitable report
to the teacher who may succeed the present
one; but as yet my ideas in regard to the
matter are few and so disconnected that
fear they are of no use. 4 believe the dis
trict school may be graded to certain de-
gree. OF course we cannot expect to bring
them to as high standard as our city and
village schools, but do believe, If the grad
ing be done properly, they may be greatly
improved. In order to bring about any
great change in the condition of the schools,
our school boards must be made to realize
the fact that il is for their interests to hire
teachers for longer term than they are
hired for at the present time. How much
can teacher accomplish i'm a school i'm a
term of two months? This Is about the
time for which all summer teachers are
hired. have am idea this may be remedied
somewhat by the county secretary. Let
him urge upon the school board the necessi-
ty of a longer term. realize that some OF
them are almost or wholly impregnable,
but think IL the right method be persued.
they might be led to see the error of their
ways, etc. An eminent professor says:
'In order to improve our schools we must
improve our school boards"
When the country pupil arrives at the age
OF thirteen or fourteen, In consequence of
having something more important or at
least more urgent to do at home, he is COM
PEELED to absent himself from the spring and
fall terms. On entering the following win
ter the teacher, as a rule, is unacquainted
with the work previously done by him. In
consequence Of this he Is compelled to go
over much of the same work lie has previ-
ously been over. This Is apt to be the case,
and from my observation while attending
school, also i'm teaching, / conclude that the
majority of teachers, either through error or
lack of interest in the matter, make this