St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-04-29
NOTED ST. PAUL SCHOOLS.
MISS HARRISON SAYS IHE WORK
HERE rs URExcELLED.
GIVES GOOD SUGGESTIONS.
Disposition of the Child Should
he Learned-What VIII An.
swer for One Will Not Do for
Another "The Religious
Training of the Child" Her
Topic Yesterday.


Trainin. of the Child" Her
Topic Yesterday.
Miss Elizabeth Harrison, who has for
many years been identified with kim
dergarten work, especially in connec-
ton with the Chicago Kindergarten col
lege. has during her recent say Ill this
city devoted some little time to visiting
our public schools, and has very nat
urally given the kindergartens her spe-
clal attention. Miss HarrisOn'S lee
( lures have been an inspiration to the
teachers and mothers who have attend
&c them, and no less encouraging to- the
Woodworking teacher must the few
words of commentator be which Miss
Harrison spoke to the reporter OF the
GLOBE who asked her yesterday about
the work that is doing in the public
schools. THE spirit of enthusiasm ana
the desire to progress" said Miss Har-
risOn, ''is the finest [ ever saw, and
have visited schools all over this coun-
try. Nowhere have l seen just the
amount of work done. The teach
er5 in the schools attribute their
great enthusiasm to the fact that in
their work they are allowed so much
freedom. while at the same time such
great results are expected. This very
naturally gives the teacher chance to
use her inventive faculty. and. II one
plan does not answer with a class of
children, discover another that will"
Miss Harrison quoted an expression of
teacher of ability in New York, who
remarked that 1.-THE kindest thing a
very considerate principal ever cid for
her was to place her before class and
then leave her alone"
Asked in regard to the methods en-
played in the city kinderyartenS. Miss
Harrison continued: u am extremely
pleased to find that the authorities do
not think that all schools must neces-
sarily have the same work planned for
them as others, especially in regard to
the detail. The same general outline
OF study Is good thing, but it is as alb
surd to plan the very same work for
dozen different kindergartens as it
would be to furnish the same bill OF
fare for the same number OF families OF
children. The environments OF a school
should be employed III the educational
work. and the children in schools with
different surroundings should have diff
ferent work, and no one class of
children in kindergartens should be
Kept for any given length of time on
the same work. Ii the work OF the
kindergarten means anything, II means
chance for originality"
OF the science wOrK that is doing IN
the schools she spoke very highly, and
remarked that no higher proof of her
| opinion of this work could be given than
to say that she had just arranged with
| Prof. Scott, of the high school, TO lect-
| ure in July before the students OF tho
| summer school, that is conducted under
| the auspices of the Chicago kindergar-
| ten college. with which institution she
| IS connected.
! Oh the new methods introduced into
| the schools Miss Harrison thinks too
| much cannot be said IN commentator.
1.-The public schools Of your city," SAID
! she, NOW have national reputation,
| ana the people of st. Paul may feel no
! less proud of what has already been ac-
complished almost entirely by one man
! than of the possibilities OF the FUTURE
I The sixth and last lecture of Miss
I Harrison was given at the high school
| yesterday afternoon. The subject was !:
The Religious Training OF the Child"
/ The speaker began by stating that
I theology is not religion any more than
! astronomy is the stars Or hygiene is
| health. They are mems views of these
! vital things, finite and changing with
the passing generation, whereas re-
lIgion was permanent from the earliest
consciousness of man 10 the latest
| psychological study OF self. 1t meant
| the binding together OF man and God.
| The closer the sense OF this union the
| deeper the religion. Education, said
| the speaker, elevated and emo bled
| religion, but it does not deepen it.
| Many an ignorant slave ON a Southern
plantation had that deep, abiding con-
seriousness OF which ST. Paul speaks
| when he says: In Him we move and
| breathe and have our being"
The speaker then showed how the un-
| Outstanding that Our religious training
OF the child depends upon our realizing
that there is an instinct within him
| which must be awakened before 1.-THE
| grace of GOd' can mean anything to
| him.
This instinct" said she, lis what,
for the want of better term, will cal
the instinct OF reverence. 1t is that in
stinctlye consciousness OF something
outside of self which is greater than
self. As crude and dim at first in the
young child as it is in the savage, and
Just as likely to degenerate into feal
ana superstition unless lifted up ano
developed by US. All Increased rever
ence is increased capacity for religion
She then proceeded TO unfold THE
Kindergarten method of leading ths
child to feel God through the mystery
of nature, to learn God through the
words of the inspired writer's, to verify
the existence of God through the com.
muning with his own soul; to realize
the God nature by the GOd-like deed:
of his own life.
Miss Harrison leaves for Duluth or
Tuesday, and stops at La Crosse on hel
way back 10 Chicago.