The Portland daily press., 1892-12-31
Especial to the Press.1

State Board of Education Presented.
Especial to the Press.1
LEWISTON. December 30.-The de-
mand for seats was lively this morning
when the second days session of the
thirteenth annual meeting of the Maine
Pedagogical Society opened IN the hall
OF the handsome Oak street school build
ing and the facilities OF
the room were put to an unusual test.
Lovely woman, as r. Wilfer would say,
was predominant, and the rustic of her
skirts audible above til hum of conver-
sation; but alert looking men were there
too. and specialized students who seemed
weary with the weight of much learning.
The precise speech, formal as Quaker
cut coat, and labored to the point OF
weariness, which marks the pedagogue
on exhibition, the dialect OF the school
teach her, fell upon the ear from every
quarter. On pouting lips it has pi-
quancy, like the chanting OF solemn can
ticles by a chorus girl.
The smorning exercises opened with
PRAYER by the Rev. B. P. Snow. The
first paper,of the session was on psychic
logy and ethics in secondary schools, by
President Whitman of Colby, who advo-s
Gated their study because it promotes
mental strength, aids acquaintance with
self and consequently leads to larger
knowledge of human nature, and is the
best possible preparation for literature
and any phase of investigation which de-
pends upon analysis and portrayal OF
character. 1t gives completeness to the
school course. The study is not much
in vogue yet, for out OF seventy-hve
schools in the state which have respond
ed to inquiries, but fifteen give attention
to both ethics and psychology; but is
gaining in the favor of educators and de-
serves all the encouragement that can be
given. Text books freshly written and
up to the times are now published;
though in many schools talks and lee
lures are still the main reliance, and per-
haps, for the present, form the most
available method.
The paper was discussed by Mr.. W. ].
Corthell Of the Gorham Normal school,
who sustained the views of President
Whitman, and commended the study as
of practical as.well as disciplinary value
The second paper on the programme
was by Professor Charles r. Warner OF
the Cambridge, Mass, training school,
his topic being manual training. he
held that as the education of the hand
becomes of paramount Importance IN
our industrial communities, it must
command the closer attention Of our
| schools. The best teacher is he who
best develops the physical as we'll as
mental activity of his pupils. A great
| change is going on in our educauonal
methods-not so much in the things
| taught as in the manner of teaching.
| The laboratory method teaching by DO
| ING. is coming to the front. The paper
was rather decursive in it's nature. A
| cursory view was taken of the method OF
manual training pursued IN pracucal
school work, and as illustration the fash
| Joining of a pair of tongs described. Very
often, said the professor, boys slow OF
speech and apparently dull at their
books develop into good scholars under
the system of manual training, and take
! to the text books when they begin to see
| the practical bearing of them. Pupils
become more deeply interested in their
studies. and the character and discipline
| of the school improve. AS to methods
Professor Warner favored co mbination
| OF the Russian and Swedish as best
adapted to our schools. In conclusion,
he exhibited some OF the work OF his
own school and the tools in use.
| After music by the Lewiston high
| school uuartette, which the pleased au-
dience encored as it deserved, and brief
recess, a vivacious paper, vlvaclousiy de-
| livered, by Miss Mildred B. fairfield OF
the Lewiston training school, on the
teaching of English, was presented. 1t
was a thoughtful, yet sprightly disserta-
| tion. packed as full with quotations as
| Christmas pudding with plums, to which
| it was a pleasure to listen-a pleasure
greatly enhanced by the animated dellv-
ery and crisp, clear-cut enunclatlon OF
| the author. Miss Fairfield made strong
| plea for the preservation of the English
| tongue in our common schools, and
protest gainst the intrusion of any other
| in place OF the vernacular. Let it be
! our aim. she urged. to give American
English the lofty rank for English
speaking peoples that Partisan French
has obtained as model of purity and
style for Frenchmen.
But, far above style, which must not
be made a fetch, is the thought that
language i; framed to convey. The pu-
nil must learn to think clearly; then he
can be easily taught to express himself
clearly. He must not be permitted to
| content himself with parrot-like repeti-
tion, but should be taught to rely upon
himself, and to express his ideas precise
ly, fuently and pleasingly. Too much
time is usually given to the mere me-
chanical exercise of reading. All school
work should be for mental aw kening
and stimulation, and that method OF
teaching reading is best which most full
" cultivates the scholars powers. A
necessary aid is a good reading book;
even the best we now have leave some
thing wanting. We should bear in mind
that the best literature is none too good
for our schools.
Discussion of the paper was undertake
en- by Supt. O. NJ Lord of the Portland
schools. who was inclined to dispute the
feasibility Of teaching the entire theory
of reading during the first year and de-
voting succeeding years to practice, as
| advocated by Miss Fairfield. Children
should not be compelled to read any
thing they do not understand. The read
4 ing books are at fault here and he fully
4 svmpathized with the essayist's criticism
of them.
| The importance of placing good books
in the hands of pupils was the subject OF
Continued on Second Page.