The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-11-18
TEACHERS INSTITUTE.
ONE OF The MOST SUCCESSFUL SESSIONS EVER
HELD IN THE COUNTY.

HELD N THE COUNTY.
When the Institute met on Tuesday
morning the faces Of the teachers looked
bright and earnest, as though they were
ready for work. A pleasant hour, pre-
sided over by ]. c. Speieher, was spent
partly in discussing the graded system
as applied TO country schools, and partly
in answering questions; and was closed
with a very well written and well read
paper by Miss Mamie B. Kimmel, Of
lockwood, on the Common Schools.
At l0o'clock, after the reading from the
Scriptures and prayer by Rev. Harkey, Of
the Lutheran church, DR.. Winship, Of
Boston, was most attentiyely and profit
ably listened to while he talked Of De-
vices in Teaching and their psychologist
application to the mind Of the child.
The Doctor first gave a learned disserta-
ton on Pedagogics, and then went into
the most interesting subject Of his talk,
Devices. He said devices in teaching are
of three kinds; lst. the classical ID, the
extemporaneous; Sd, the fad device.
Classical devices were those that had
been tried and tested by time. Extem-
poraneous devices we're such as had to be
used as the necessity occurred in school
work. All devices must be adapted to
the mind Of the child. The Dr. does not
ike that much-abused word average
as applied TO children, OF men either, for
thst matter there is no such thing as the
average" child. The principle object
of devices in teaching is to save time ami
work. He illustrated this by a little
25fgure diagram which he said contained
thousands Of problems in fractions, and
could be drawn in five minutes. The
Dr. created good deal Of fun by multi
plying by and getting the result 2s.
Prof Brumbsugh mounted the plat
form after DR.. Winship and gave the In
stitute a talk about Language and par
ticularly forming the vocabulary Of a
child. The very irst thing 10 do when a
child comes to our school, said the Pro-
fessor, is to find out what he knows you
then have q point TO start from. The
words that the child uses unconsciOusiy
in his conversation form his vocabulary
The business Of the teacher is to add
enough words to this to fit him for the
ordin ary pursuits Of life. Children com
ing 10 school at six years possess from 20
to $50 words of which they know the
meaning. The English language con-
tains about 10000 words, but of these 4
great master of words-Shakspeare-only
used 1900 in all his writings; Milton,
1900; the ordinary citizen uses about
1850 words, but if the teacher adds 1000
words to those the child comes to school
with he has done his duty. Prof Brum-
baugh is a very earnest, intelligent talker,
and holds the attention Of the Institute
as in wise.
Following Prof. BrGmbaugh, DR.. Sehaf-
fer gave a short lecture, in which he
made the distinction between talking in
things and talking in symbols. Wheu
you talk in things you have in mind the
objects themselves when you talk in
symbols you are thinking about the char
acters that stand for these things When
the carpenter uses his hammer and saw
he talks in things when he uses words
be uses them as the symbols Of these
tools. The child comes to school to ac-
quire knowledge of things in symbols.
This is a favorite topic with DR.. schaffer,
and he promises the Institute more Of it.
At adjournment for the morning Supt
Berkey announced the meeting Of the
Directors at the Opera House at l:30
p. m
Immediately after calling the Institute
to order Mr. c. E. Heller, of Berlin, was
announced for an address, whose subject
was principally Moral Discipline in the
school. Mr. Heller placed great stress
on moral discipline as help 70 order
and progress. Il is not 50 much what
We do as how we do it. In no school
should the pupil be ruled by fear. 1.-THE
pupil is to be punished, don't do ii while
his moral nature is blunted by passion /;
wait. Nor must the teacher punish when
he himself IS in passion. Teachers must
be honest, open and just with pupils /;
they should have no vices, and especially
no lack of integrity Methods must be
adapted to the character Of each child
Mr.. Heller was followed by DR.. Win
ship, who, to the regret Of the Institute,
announced this as his last talk here The
Doctor said by way Of preface that he
would like any teacher in Somerset
county to write to him when he wanted
advice, and if he was able he would give
it to him. Tho Doctor then took the
teachers on q long excursion into the
realms of ancient philosophy with Aris-
totle, Plato and Socrates, finally getting
down to the German philosophy Of to-
day, which, he said, was divided into the
'me," the ''you," and something that was
neither. The @ne," freely translated
into vulgar English, meant-st2nd on
your feet; don't get rSttled- You must
give scholars confidence stand them on
their feet The you principle meant
blend yourselves with others The
third principle meant loyalty; intellect
ual loyalty. He believed in the theory
of making men healthy, wealthy and
wise" through the schools. Don't make
your scholars believe that the only good
l. 100 per cent. In closing the Doctor