Grand Rapids herald., 1894-01-06
JUST HOW TO TEACH
Educators He'd Two vep Inter-
esting Meetings Yesterday.
OUR PsOAGOGuEs IN COUNCIL
An Exoeilens Display Of Appar.fss
Mede "a the Court House -t,osnted
AddrcSses last Night.

/ The educational council u the prom.
4 inent educators oi Kent Auskegon.
I Ocesna, Ottawa aud lonls ooanties wss
I held yesterday afternoon IA the supef-
visors' committee rooms The full
boards Of the school commissioners Of
! Muskeson. Ottawa. Oceana and Kent
couGties we're present besides many
district officers. school teachers and
other educators including Saperinien-
dent w. W. Chalmers and President r.
Il. Fisher and about foriy OF the school
teachers Of this city, In the Office Of
4 the county school commissioners very
interesting exhibit We made u the
geographical drawing. busy work"
Kindergarten work and other products
OF the district schools OF kent and other
counties. The display will be 90 exit
bition Tor two days more. 1t was VIE
ited by many city teachers yesterday
and Was q revelation 10 many of them
as TO the remarkable good work done by
their colleagues in the country.
The educational council was presided
over by the late superintendent of pub
lie instruction. III. X Pattengill. aud
School Commissioner Eugene Carpen-
ter kept the minutes These councils
are being held throughout the state
chiefly for the purpose Of obtaining the
ideas OF the educators on needed TO
forms ia the school laws The various
| suggestions xIll be taken 10 Lansing by
Mr.. Pattenglll. boiled down and digested
and then presented 10 the legislature for
action.
school Attendance.
| l. - 4.
cussion was over school attendance and
and Il was the scpse OF those present
that compulsory attendance should
begin at the age of I; children under 10
years OF age should be compelled to at
tend the fall term Of school and the
larger boys and girls should be
compelled 10 start in the winter term
or by December /. Ii was also conceded
that the law should be changed so as 10
make the chairman Of the township
board of school inspectors a truant
officer; all truants TO be reported 70 that
officer by the teacher. and that tinc be
provided for the officer and the parents.
IN case they fail To do their duty. The
| truant should also be admitted 10 the
reform school at the age OF 10 years
Competent school Examiner.
The educators were also OF the opin-
ion that school examiners should hold
first grade certificates and that school
commissioners should have at least three
years experience and be American citi-
| zens. or have declared their intentions
Of becoming such. Free text books,
uniformity Of text books and the grading
If district schools we're also approved,
and il was agreed that teachers should
be permitted at least two days FOR their
examinations. and that the law should
tix the amount of school apparatus 10
be bought by each district
/ Il have fifteen more OF these educa-
tional councils 10 attend before i get
around the state" said Superintendent
Pattengili The meeting this after
y noon brought out some excellent ideas.
The matter OF attendance. which was
discussed at this council. had scarcely
been touched upon by other councils
but il is certain the law ought 10 be
changed IN that respect"
The Evening Session.
STANDING Room Onlyr was the order
last evening at the educational rally in
the grammar room Of the old Central
High school building. President r. Il.
Fisher Of the board of education pre-
sided. Commissioner Smith being slight
Is indisposed The Rev. J. L. Hustled
opened the exercises with prayer. three
dozen sixth graders from Turner street
school sang a song OF welcome very
heartily and the regular program of
live minute speeches began. Miss Cora
| GoOdenow, school CON missioner OF OF
taga county, led of with brief talk on
language. In "a sarcastic manner she
rad hcr respects 10 the teachers who
are never sick" but are often ill. who
never want" but always require
something and who never break leg"
but always fracture limb" yet who
are always ready 10 say you bet"
There are no flies on ne and other
kindred expressions.
Chairman Fisher made brief address.
urging the school teachers 20 read the
newspapers and use them in the schools
for good reading matter
Charles A. French, who. IL seems. is a
school trustee on his native heath at
Grandvile made ringing speech IN
favor of patriotism. lie wanted the
school teachers 10 teach their scholars
from the earliest grades that our coun.
try is the grandest and greatest on the
face 81 the earth
Prot shepard lead the audience in q
I iNANthA - Nt-' tftNt
Banner
6. +. Chapel OF Sand Lake. one ~ the
school examiners for Kent spoke w
struciively in the proper use OF scaool
apparatus
The little Turner street Misses sang a
Christmas song which had been left
oser from the holidays. but had only
gained IN strength aud beauty With age.
schools ia Esriy DAYS
Farmer" G.. T. Adams of Grand Rap.
ids township told q the hsrdshipe ex-
perieuced by him IN the log school
houses % the Western Reserve in Ohio.
MIR and Mrs William H. LOomis sang
duet 81 ehsrmingly that an encore ~
enthusiastically demanded.
The Rev. ] /. Hustled made an creep
tion 70 the rule sud by special request
talked ten minutes. instead ~ five. he
told oi his early youth. when he wrapped
bic feet In cloths sod went 10 se-s,ol IN
mid winter because a a great Fnspirs-
tion givsr him by good tsscher. after
he bad hsd amusing snd painful erperi-
ences vith an Irish. Scotch and an
English teacher.
rrof W. " Chalmers spoke - the
relation Of apparatus 10 The schocls He
thought uas tha; u is the teacher. Dci
the apparatus. Which makes the school
and be further gave Ia ae his nFYi riion