Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-09-01
TALKS BY MIR. FITCH
He Told the Teachers at the
Institute
HOW TO TEACH HISTORY
ME. Fitch Has Plan 10 Substitute BIZ
ogFaPhical Reading for he Dime
Novel Literature.

The Hon. Ferris 5. Fitch, super.n-
tendent OF pubic instruction, was
guest Al the New Livingston yesterday.
81 intended TO deliver lecture here
tonight" said Mr. Fitch; '.but having
missed train last night | could not
keep some engagements on the lake
shore and should have to visit those
towns TODAY. As a substitute for the
lecture, | went 10 the institute this
morning and delivered the teachers q
lecture on the subject OF teaching his
tory. The question was discussed from
professional standpoint. and | hope
il may be OF some benefit IN increasing
the attention shown 10 this sadly taught
subject. | tried TO the best OF my abll-
lty to snow them how the study OF his
tory might be made interesting instead
OF being the grind II Is to many pupils.
tried 10 show why IL should not be
made mere test or memory as so
many teachers have tendency TO
make 1t; and how the imaginative and
reasoning faculties must be developed
IN the study. There Is too general an
inclination ID the district schools in
certain parts OF the state TO teach his
tory by rote. The pupils take certain
text book on the subject and memorize
its contents. The result is that the
pupil has committed 10 memory GER
tain number OF pages of the book with
out having any definite idea what IT Is
be has learned. l advised the teachers
TO procure all the historical and bio-
graphical notes they could IN the dis
trict and permit the pupils to use them
IL connection with their work IN his
tory.
Excites More Interest.
They will be surprised TO soc how
much more interest the pupils take in
the work. A great deal of biographical
reading should be given them. There
is little danger Of their having too
much. 1t stimulates their imaginative
faculties and gratifies the natural de-
SIRE that boys and girls have for the
adventurous. Boys don't read dime
novels for the mere love of reading
them. They want excitement and
stories of hair breadth escapes. To
them the dime novel with is intricate
plots and highly wrought coloring is
that passes current for the truth.
He believes the adventures pos
sible, and the average boy
the possible and the actual. Let him
read the biographies of some of the
leading generals, and the personal ad-
ventures of the colonists and he has
found something that gratlties his appe-
tite and at the same time gives HIM a
certain amount of reliable information.
II these biographies cannot be obtained
IN the district, small editions can D.
bought for 80 or 10 cents, and IL would
pay the teacher to buy :hem to loan TO
the pupils on account of the increased
interest that would be shown in the
work
An Excellent Institute.
The institute here seems TO be doing
excellent work aud is an unusually
successful one. | am very sorry that
| cannot deliver my address on the re-
cent English elections. 1t is a subject
to which have devoted much attention
and in which | am very much interested.
We are very busy IN the state superin-
tendent's office at present arranging
for the educational exhibit at the
worlds fair. We have no clerk in the
office now and that retards the work.
We have sent blanks TO the various
schools of the state and are daily re-
ceiving samples of their work. Much
of the work will be in the line of man
ual training. We shall have large
amount of primary and kindergarten
work, showing what has been done in
the line of modelling etc. Then we
have sent examination blanks to the
different schools. The papers are all
made out under the same form. The
blanks contain plan for the name of
the school, the teacher and the pupil.
These written examinations and tests
are sent in and we shall select the best
of them to be bound for exhibition at
the fair. Then we expect TO have sam
Piles of wood carving, wood engraving,
mechanical drawing and other similar
subjects taught in some of the schools.
The outlook for the success of the ex-
hlbit is very encouraging"
If you want to enjoy yourself for q