Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-02-26
THURSDAYS SESSION.

The proceedings of Thursday morning
were opened with devotional exercises con-
Quoted by Rev. +. l.. Phalen, and the sing
ing of America" Mrs. Elmer of the
Brattleboro High school gave paper on
Life in the classroom saying in sub
stance
Mrs, Elmer's Paper.
Success in the classroom can only be- a result Of
finding out where and why we fail President De
Witt Hyde of Bowdoin college says that the
revolution in education puts ability To perform
processes above capacity to remember statements
and formulas The pupil should be able to tell
all about subject question in his own Ian
qua e., nor should the teacher be- too critical Of
language while the pupil is talking. Hesitate to
check a spirited recitation in this way; kindly
suggest the better way of expression after the
recitation is finished Mental activity, not passiv
ity, is the goal Older teachers are too apt to
cling to customs of the past Different results
are expected from the teaching Of today, and
different means must he employed. All work of
ours which does not keep the child mentally
awake is in direct line with the Chinese method
of education. Let a condition of mental activity
be reached upon the part OF the class and there
is nothing but good time for 9th teacher and
pupil. For any lack of this fitness of things,
the teacher is responsible. Set a feast of good
things before the children and they will answer
the summons every time. Curiosity is the natur
al quality of the child. Reach the sluggish ones
through this characteristic Avoid pumping. \
child will tell eagerly what he knows. Let him
disbelieve the authors statements until he is hon
tStlN convinced. Routine IN any method ot reel
taton is fatal. Encourage variety. Laugh pos
sby, at ones mistakes, but handle with care the
shy boy or girl Keep the attention in an easy,
natural way. Help mother Nature to get control
of weak nerves. Nervous haste has often scared
children into utter failure when preparation had
been perfect Have yourself the appearance of
ease and self confidence. Many a good thing in
this world would never have been revealed hut by
explosions, aud an explosion of laughter ON the
part Of thecasS VIII oftentimes put new life into
it Keep the temper always
The brighter and more friendly the Intercourse
between teacher and pupil the better success.
Never take from pupil 10y premature explanation
the keen JOY of discovery Get outside of the text
book by previous preparation. Arous" 90 person
al interest Tell a humorous incident, especially
at Nuur own expense. Thus you show your sym
pathy IN love of fun, Let us not Slcrc" too
much of what is nerdful lest We seem not quite
sufficiently refined; the code of ethics urthe draw
ngruum, filled with GUILTY. ated and refined gentle
men and women. NAV not b,. lust the one for the
school room with all its different makeup. Oc-
equations not the most refining are sometimes
OF methods ! sometimes think that one the
best whore there seems to be- the least. Let rs
not try to be- too dignified We are most digni-
fled when best We III into our respective inches III
life. But whatever our methods, let us retncm-
Der that inspiration goes forth from any
teacher who not only seems but is alive to her
work.
Following Mrs. Elmer's paper was a
class exercise by six little ones from the
second year grade of the Bellows Falls
schools, conducted by their teacher, Miss
Mabel Capron, who had a remarkably
pleasing way with them, and the exercise
fully demonstrated that the School-roOm
may be happy place as well as proiita-
BILE one. After recess a trio was well rem
dered by three of the Brattleboro seventh
grade pupils, Following this came gen
eeral talk by Superintendent Palmer upon
"PsychOlOgy," showing the direct bearing
which mental science has upon the work of
the teacher. There can be no worse act of
folly than to attempt to educate a child in
way that does violence to the human intel
lect. Psychology, in its broadcast terms,
shows, for instance, that some children
learn more easily by sight and Others by
sound. Most use all the senses. There
should be a natural order of development.
Fundamental ideas and principles must be
first established in the mind as a basis on
which to rest others. Mental science is a
present helper to the teacher-a standard
by which to determine his work,
MIR. Fletcher on Temperance Instruc-
ton.
G. T. Fletcher of Northampton, Mass,
the general agent or superintendent of ed
vocational work in that state, was now in
troduced by Mr.. Ryder, and gave an eX-
ceedingly able address, his happy manner
as well as his humorous touch adding no
little to the enjoyment of the audience.
One of the important thoughts in connec-
ton with the teaching of hygiene in our
schools, he said, is to teach it to the very
young as preventive measure. If we de-
lay we are reminded of the old saying:
"While we are busy here and there the
boy may be gone Social necessity re-
quires instruction in hygiene, and that
early, i'm connection with temperance.
Boys in the higher grades may already
have passed the line, and evil habits have
been formed. BY use of diagram on the
board Mr.. Fletcher gave the work of in
struction in hygiene a practical form for
teachers. Object teaching in this is best.
Children should early be taught the rea-
ton of digestion, circulation and ventia-
ton to health Teachers must rely upon
thermometers, not upon themselves, for
temperature. Temperance instruction for
prevention must be intellectual and moral,
and the latter must be emphasized. Edu-
cate the will power of the young child to
resist the evil. Turn the will power TO
good; give something to exercise the will
power upon. Tobacco is the evil of the
times. The habit is both unnatural and
unnecessary; besides it is morally de-
grading. Men, famished and with starv-
ing families, will buy tobacco rather than
food. The habit is unclean, engenderng
i'll manners and lowering in all its tenden-
cies. 1t creates desire for further slim
ulants. Teachers, be earnest and consci-
entious in keeping boys and girls from the
evil. 1t is work for good citizenship.
This closed the morning session. At
the opening of the afternoon session Mr..
Fletcher spoke on photography and read
ing, but was obliged so greatly abridge his
remarks to allow him to leave on the train.
His advice with regard to the teaching of
spelling was to avoid confusing the mind
of the pupil with useless rubbish, Make
a collection of words usually missed, and
then select from the spelling books list
of those most generally used, and make the
class master them. We have been retro
grading in spelling, and this is partly due
to dropping the old plan of oral spelling
but the written word is necessary to photo
graph it on the mind. In short discus
sion on spelling which followed Principal
Horne, Superintendent Palmer, Prof. Shaw,
and Mr. Ryder took part.
The next number on the program was
a thoughtful paper by Principal j. C.
Simpson of Bellows Falls on Education
on its moral side"
Principal simpsons Address.
II is not necessary at this day the sneaker said