Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-11-19

points of the Greatest Interest TO the
Members of the Wilmington Board of
Education.
The Wilmington Teachers Institute
opened at the high school assembly room
on Thursday. There was an attendance
of over 200 teachers. Some of the mem
bers of the Board of Education were pres
ant also.
City Superintendent of Schools D. w.
Harlan presided. The Rev. DR.. Dobbins
of Grace Church offered prayer when the
opening address was made by MIR. Harlan.
He said the institute meets under very
favorable circumstances. He mentioned
several instances that had come TO his
notice of families just come to Wilmington
who had heard good reports of the city
schools. The speaker thought it only the
part of wisdom to keep up the character of
the schools and so to deserve the approba-
ton of the public. To this end there must
be continually a study Of means TO ends.
Teaching is science and has its principles
as other sciences have To teach well we
must know these principles and teach in
accordance with them.
Miss S. w. Burmester, of the Philadel-
phia Normal School corps, made an adj
dress on the topic Of Reading The
duet. might and Morning." was rendered
by Misses Jackman and Thielman, with ac-
compartment by Miss Mary S, Bonner.
Principal A. II. Berlin, of the high
school, next discoursed on the subject,
"What Boys Should Know When They
Enter the High SCHOOL, This was fol
lowed by a vocal solo, Tell Her | Love
Her So" by Miss Annie Raudnitzky.
George Il. Little of Washington, d. c.,
gave an interesting illustrated black board
talk. He showed the teachers how to
draw pots, kettles and pans on the black
board, and how to do so by simple
methods. The lecture was mainly to show
the advantageous use of chalk for school
blackb board illustration.
The afternoons exercises comprise an
address by Miss Lydia A. Kirby, assistant
superintendent Of schools, Pennsylvania,
on the topic What the Work of To-day
Requires of the schools and supple
mentary Reading" by Miss 5. a. Bur
mester.
\, The public is invited to attend the insti-
tute exercises. The public schools have
been closed so US TO enable all the city
teachers to attend.
The City Teachers Institutes held
here are always bright, attractive, and
enlivening. Thursday afternoons ses-
sion was so in remarkable degree.
The statement may be ventured that
an educational topic has seldom been
treated in such masterful, inspiriting
and eloquent style as the topic so bril-
liantly handled by Miss Lydia A. Kirby,
assistant superintendent of schools in
Philadelphia. The subject was "What
the Work of To-day Requires Of the
Schools" Miss Kirby has most pleas
ling, attractive manner. The address
LITERALLY scintillated with the most
pointed and practical illustrations It's
Stenor was really of somewhat philo.
sophie turn. 1t was addressed to the
higher and completer demands of the
fpublic of to-day upon the teacher in our
schools. It was serious message
jalthough impaired in easy, readily com.
prehensible thought.
Although listened to by the teachers Of
the city only, great share of the ad.
dress constituted most. applicable edu.
cational Observation-Disclosures for each
and every member Of the Board of Edu
cation.
1t would be impossible to give othei
than few of the suggestions and lessons
laid down by the authoritative speaker
SCHOOL FAIRGROUNDS NEEDED.
It was stated that the civilization O
to-day has reached the stage Of orna
mentatlon. The lecturer roundly con
demned the practice of the Philadelphii
school authorities of boarding up thu
school yards and filling them up will
school building annexes. Children neet
their school playground as much as thei
school room, Trees should be planted
there. And such as exist should not b
cut down.
The best work is that that is done hes
in the shortest time. The demands o
to-day do not allow of the dawdlin
over the correction of problem tn
second time. There is value in time
The world nowadays does not wait 70
the old-fashioned method of giving tn
answer to 7x9
THE SLOW PUPIL.
But the teacher says, "the slow-witte
pupil must have time" Does the dri
sergeant in the United States army /
handling his recruits wait for tie slo,
MANI Or does the boatswain in til
navy wait for the slow man I There is
method for meeting the slow persoi
But above all we must remember thu
the world will not wait for him, an
you teachers are training your charge
for life work. | don't condemn hast
in the learning. But haste in the en-
is absolutely necessary.
DoTAGE IN TEACHING.
You will recognize the old style. tn
teacher asks her pupils in geography
"Did you ever see the surface Of ii
earth Z 2 The pupils, amazed at such
change in the routine book style
questioning, reply NO, MIN
"Did you ever see part 'of the su
face of the earth p" Again, "No, MN
"What is the surface Of the earth
Then the answer comes straight All
glib, simply because it is the boo
question as printed.
What is needed is that teachers cult
vate the faculties Of the children mo
than the facts. History is a conglotaer
ton of dates, battles, events, &c. Elo
many of them do you remember? II
hardly fair to ask that Of you. But ho
much Of it do your late pupils, tho
who have graduated and now grow
up and are in business, remember. VIII
almost nothing
ELIMINATIoS NEEDED.
Don't load the mind of the child wi
facts, think Of the great number
facts you have forgotten.
Take any Wilmington physical
Which of them to-day, taken ha
hazard as you meet him on the sire
could describe the course Of the Danul
or parse the verb ito be-" or solve I
Pons Asinorum2 He can't do it. j
knowledge has fallen away from him,
THE LAWYER BAD ALSO.
Long ago accumulation of facts "
needed when books were few. But no
with the daily newspaper, the numcrc
reference books and cheap books it
altogether otherwise. Think you Il
The iawver knows all the law If ii