Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-03-05
NEW LEASE OF LIFE
GiVe1 Ihe Kepnt bee County
Educational Association
Scores Il Teachers Galh.r 10 Discuss
Their School Work.
Able Papers and Interesting Remarks
by Prominent Educators.

srucisn Of .hich the excellent programm
Of speakers ss arranged by Mr.. Lineoll
Ossn Of this city, AID j. II. Parsons o
Auausta gave promise
When Mr.. Oxen called the ftst meeting
# he dsy to order 10 the large recitation
room 81 the sutuEe, tlere we're nearly 20t
people ssse bled. DR.. J Il. Hanson va
introduced as lhe chsirmsn OF the meeting
followed by prayer offeIed by Prof. A Ii
Lane, Of the Instiiuie.
The opening address Of the dsy was Civ
en- by W j. Cortbell, principal Of the Cor
ham Noimsl School, upon = Eng
ish ia the Lower Grades " Mr.
Corthsil called attention to the fac
that there were IL 800, 900 children in tn,
common schools of the country. abou
l50 900 Of Nh N get into the colleges anc
advance into the higher studies, hence tbs
close attention that should be gwen &c
English in the lover grades. The speaker
came Gown heavily on the idea Of there
neirg normal lrsiring; it is i'm possible tf
?. aDiish se, III -tho1 ,nst shall apply tC
the cobdiuon of every scholar. The pupil
-houid be Il d - study and grasp the idea OF
the author. he chou be taught TO cultivate
the melhod of clothing his own ideas prof
eriy as ell as &ppreclsting those which he
reads.
1hs use If Epgli,h should lie brought
into CONNIE ciion With very study in the
common school curriculum. Into Mr.
cor.heii's remarks were woven anecdotes
of his experiences and many bright hits to
illustrate his we'll taken points.
..prof J. II. Parsons Of Augusta then de-
liyeTed an able sddress on Methods iu
Latin" Of which the following is an abstract.
| he said
| As to the sdvantsges to be gained from
the study of Latin, there is probably little
| disagreement among teachers. We are in a
pOsiiion to see both its disciplinary value
and its practical unlity.
! But whatever msy be the opinion Of the
teachers Of Latin In our State, it Is doubt
/ less true that there is among thinking
men growing belief that 8 large
part Of the time now spent upon
the classics of Greece aud Rome might
m.re proftsbly be given to so
called practical studies. Although at
| pre- sent the weight OF the discussion has
reference TO Greek, still the Latin must il =
evitsbiy come 10 for its share of the cfiti-
c.m; and it may be worth our while to
.asider whether this seelingis not TO some
extent due 10 The presence among us Of
met hods of teaching that have 0utlived their
usefulness.
1t seems evident to one that there is no
mare profitable study pursued in our
schools Than the LsIin language
when properly taught, and that in
DO department Of our work are to be found
more miserable failures in tesching.
| lie evident thst the present lime issa
! period Of transition in msny lines, and no
one will, thiJk, deny that 1t is especially
Irue in regard to methods 10 Lsta teaching.
Ga the one hand is heard the demand for
! change, and on the other the warning voice
/ of those who cling tenaCionsly to the past,
, great deal lie ssid soou; the new and the
old IN Latin methods and it is important
that at Ibe outset IN this discussion We get 3
1 4 finite idea OF the meaning Of these terms
/ For If sny one shaping his views By certain
books for beginners, thinks that the new
meth I'd is only smother name for something
simple, a slt of Latin by homeopathy, let
/ hin be at once assured thst this paper is not
I Advocating anything of that sort. Anymeth-
| cd that would remove the need OF exertion
| from the path OF he student is as much te
| be avoided As one that would retain the
| hedges and the pitfalls that have been
| placed ihere by sympathetic eoucstors IN
/ By gone years.
The old method is destined to pass away
sud II remsiHs for US TO consider what shape
/ he ne- shall wear.
! As | understand the two methods in
/ Latin. they differ chiefly in the lsce sivep
! the gram ar and the importance attached
| to iis study. The old disper rsstion says,
| The student was made for the grammar.
| he new msintalns that the grammar
was made for the student. The former re-
CURED the bes, forts of teacher and
student 10 be drectt toward the grammar.
! The later uses the grammar as book of
reference and invites the attention of the
student to the language.
Let US awake to the fact that there is
some thing in language Of more Importance
/ than rules and psrsing, and, climbing out
| Of the rut in which we have moved so long,
| lift our hesds above the earth, and looking
about Us. try to get view beyond the mar
| row limits thst so long have hemmed US in.
| Let US leave the crammipg of facts to the
| Grsdgrinds, cease the useless endesvor
to compete with cheap eyclopsediss and
turn cur attention to our legitimate work.
By this time you are expecting me to
give netting more than seulogy upon
| old methods or Al exhortstlon to new ones.
| oder this propc ton 10 which think we
can sgfee: That tte underlying purpose
of sill stuiy is mental growth, power to
thirk ard 10 set. Taking this As g basis
should maintain thst our purpose so far IS
Latin IS concerned. is best sttsined by er-
stling the student to read and wrie the
anqusge. Right here | am aware that
an 81 s.ue with ,hst pet theory that DISC
| pline can only come from minute dissec-
lion OF N small portion from teacher q
f.yori.e suihor. As il the best growth OF
miud and heart mus, be gained from doing
dissgreeable tasks by con pulsion. Did
you ever stop TO think how absurd 8 thing
,t,s ihst = bright b should study Lain
for five or SIX years, ard be unable at the
end of that time, TO translate sn ordinary
Latin sentence from passage he has not
seen sithC Ut FRI quent recourse TO die
tiopsry And yet it is not strange ~her
We c,ns ide, the quantity of rubbish thai
bs. been given him In sn inspiring 'ais
nefo,s the Msine tes ehers in in PortlaI d
SnpsrfnIendent Aldrich made remark II
feg,rd to teaching arithmetic ,hs, vii
.pol, SOU Ally well to osher subjects.
quote him. making the application TO III,
L,tin.
Brig the pupil fsce to face With th'
matter tu be esrGed
And whst must pupil know hat he ma!
translate or wriie Lain win facility "Ht
must know firms, so-ds ard consiruc
toms" So says Pr White in the sdv&nc'
nsy,. OF the B GIN e.s' CT ek book. speak
iog OF the Greek. butu is especially ,ru'
Of Ia ia thSI one may know forms, sons
xrrd. f,he old method did not reqar'
msnv1 and constructions sufficieu!iy, whei
p.ssga hiss been translated. to cisssif,
syery Geni We ard most of the Sui iuec i've
,ccord,ur to Green u.h or Hsrzness b!
ns,hods most approved By his iastructo
and ssiil haze, when he approaches ser
ercs. feeliug akia . thu. Of a msn los
i the r0ois.
Toe limits OF this paper fortid me 10 q
into tetsil in the lines opened up By n
Question rsised IS TO what IL necessary &
ssure correct and rapid transisticn. Bu
muss drop hin. upon each point IN pass
ipg n the early stages OF ihe study
iudicious use Of the blses beard IL we
nigh indispensable and may b. made eq1ail
valuable in the acquisition Of forms, woid
and constructions.
Let the work from the start have IN vis'
the reading of some author. for exanpi
CnssY. and iet stress be sid upon WIS
viii be found in residing that sutn'r. L.
the words be his words and the conssrue
tons .uch IS be EMPLOYS No time shonl
be wss'ed over psculisrities OF form an
iutricacies Of construction shsf VIII nete
be met with, or il ever not until long Ale
they have been forgotten.
] Ia acquiring . vocabulary, than ehic