Morning journal and courier., 1892-10-29
TEaoHER,s CONVENTION.

TEACHERS CONVENTION.
State Teachers, Associa-
tfon-Its Forty-sixth Annual Meet.
ing-An Unusually Large Attend
ance-1,2OO Visitors Provided for at |
the City Hall.
MER1DEN, Oct. 23.-The forty-sixth an
nual convention of the Connecticut State |
Teachers association began a two days. ses-
sion here to-day. The attendance was I'M
usually large, nearly every school district
in the state being represented. Fully
1900 visitors were provided for at the city
hall, where dinner was served. At the
business session the following committees
were appointed, after which the section
meetings began: On nominations, J. A.
Graves, John D. Lewis, 81. D. Simonds.
Membership, J. F. Williame, L. G. Evarts.
Joseph Girard, F. J. Heavens, II. Lam
pher, F. A. Verplanok. Resolutions, N.
L. Bishop, S. B. Willard, Dwight Hol-
brook. Neurology, M. s. Crosby, NJ. W.
Griffin, W. G. Foote.
Among the interesting papers was one of
Isaac Thomas, principal of the Hillhouse
high school, New Haven, on Literature
noon. It was on the topic, ''Literature in
the High School," After speaking of its
value and importance he added:
"Above all the pupil must realize that it is by
his own use and not another's that skill can
come to him, that while he may learn much by
reading the great masters and by observing how
they write, if he never puts to actual use the
results OF his observation, they will be Of little
ture brought to life in him, to learn to appre-
ciate the best things in English in such measure
again are so much more to the pupil In every cry
way, than any and all things else we can do for
him l., in English that it seems to me we
should make them the sine qua non of all our
teaching in the mother tongue. If succeed
in doing these for our boys and girls we shall
ment for their youth, delight for their mature
years. adornment in their prosperity and
refuge and solace for their adversely"
PAPER BY MISS BISHOP OF THIS CITY.
Miss NJ. Harriet Bishop of the WEIGH
training school, New Haven, read well
prepared and thoughtful paper on the topic
''The Place of Literature in Primary
Schools" In opening she spoke of the
long-recognized value of literature study,
and the judicious and proper training and
development of cultivated taste for read
ing. The requirement of taste
for literature might most properly be-
gin in the grammar schools, and on this
point the speaker added few well defined
suggestions. The possibilities of literature
study in the intermediate grades was not
| within the scope of the speakers paper
She then spoke OF the importance of train
ing and observation. A valuable aid to
the primaryteacher was the study of liter
| ature. Here she may select from the best
that the world has to offer, much that will
interest her pupils, and at the Same time
they may be led to observe the authors
language and should hear it again aud
again until to some extent the
children think the writer's thoughts
in his language and express them
selves accordingly. No other subje ct
presents such rare opportunities for max
ing the ideal of good language high one
None too soon can such models become
daily music to the child's ear.
As means of training the attention lit
tie may be eaid, as the story has long been
| known to be potent means for securing
| the interest and attention of child. But
| in place of the desultory selections made
from the current magazines and papers, let
the children hear stories which are worth
| hearing many times, and which are worth
| remembering. Then if certain passages
| suited to their capacity are memoriz-d,
| another kind of mental training is given
one which has nos received sufficient at
tention during the last few years-as the
vain attempts to memcrize made by older
pupils testify.
| But more strongly than to any other mental
faculty does literature work appeal to the i'm
agination. 1t is important that this faculty
should receive proper development and not that
it should be choked as if it were a weed, or he
| allowed TO grow without direction. Says Joseph
Baldwin in his work on applied psychology: "A
cultured Imagination enables US to appreciate
| and enjoy and create the best things And
again: studies which demand constant and
| vigorous imaginative work have high value as
/ means of educating Imagination. Literature
| and art rank highest Imaginative literature
from childhood to age does most to
| awaken and educate Imagination Then he
goes on to say that 'Ihe culture of imagination
seems to be more uniformly neglected than that
of any other faculty. The ability to represent
| story, from a verbal description, is very rare.
| Few pupils in studying history, geography or
astronomy form any distinct and true pictures OF
What is described. Fewer still are able to create
| ideal personages and scenes"
Valuable indeed, then, is this study a means
| of training that faculty which gives power to Gre
| ate high ideals which must, therefore, influence
| the spiritual life of the child.
| AS a means of educating the reason literature
| takes high place Little children may under
proper guidance, be led to make easy differences
| with regard to the characters or circumstances
of story. And closely associated with this is
| the power of judgment, at frst.very feeble but
/ gradually growing by constant exercise in simple
/ ways.
-, Thus we see that in developing mental power
| tant place even with the little children Kinder
gartners have long recognized literature as ''nec
essary at starting for the complete development
| of tine child" Says Miss Buckland 1T is not to
/ be regarded merely as source OF amusement,
but is to be placed among the essentials Of edu,
| cation" II this be true at starting, how neces
| sary that the work begun should be continued,
| that the seeds sown may ripen and bear abund
| Since we cannot regard a subject az necaseor,
| for complete development if mental training
alone is received, let us consider for a few
| moments whether the study has any moral value
| We have already said that through the culture of
imagination the child learns to form his ideals
words seem strong and true: ':-tories are the
child's first Introduction into that grand world
| OF the ideal in character and life; and the first
and highest use of stories is to enable child to
| form pure and noble ideal of what man may be
and do. A child who is taught only certain
| moral precepts, and who has representation
put before him Of these truths expressed in char
| acters and actions rising above the common
aspira ion and still more tie humility necessary
to raise his own character and life to the highest
| Standard
| then, they should gain ideals of kindness I'm.
selfishness;, courage, beauty, manliness. gentle
public Schools have in their home fe amost
nothing to make their ideals pure and noble
to do, and how wisely she should use ali
the means at her hand. By example anG
l ~ PACSCPC blu CuuCtbVOIS W supply winch
| her pupils cannot find elsewhere. And what val
liable helps she has at her disposal in the noble
thoughts of noble mon nobly said Rightly used
these must be strong power to influence foI
good those whose contact with the pure and
lovely is to say the least extremely limited. TIC
| gain a feeling of love and admiration for the
true and good is to lay the foundation for better
Good literature tends to develop good Wilt
| meaning here by will the power to choose-''and
bad literature tends to strengthen bad will: Good
| ideas tend to become good purposes and good
| acts; bad ideas tend to become bad purposes and
/ acts"
! Good literature too abounds in that which
| brings the child as well as the adult into closer
relation with nature and her beauties
Proceeding Miss Bishop added various
suggestions, comparisons and illustrations
in further calculation of her subject, the
paper IS whole being both interesting and
instructive.
AT CITY POINT.
Re0peninG of the Howard Avenue