The record-union., 1894-11-28
hNOEHER DAY WITH THE TEACHERS.
Some Excellent Papers Presented
Yesterday.
1eachers Resolve Themselves Into 6
committee of the Whole to Dis
cuss Various Questions.

The second day of the Teachers Insti-
tute opened yesterday with clouds and
rain, but closed in sunshine. The papers
read were of unusual excellence, and the
teachers repeatedly showed their appreci-
alton Of them.
CHILDREN's RIGHTS.
Miss Margaret L. Schallenberger's s
paper on "Children's Rights as Seen by
Themselves" was an unexceptionally ex-
cellent one. We must, she said, study
the child as we would study nature. How
are we to go about it? If we could look
at the world through his eyes we should
get at his inner nature, and begin to un-
derstand him. We are beginning to look
at things from different standpoint of
late years. We do not accept the phil
osophical theories of any one, but look at
facts and think for ourselves.
We put ourselves in others places, and
try to think how we would have acted
had we occupied their positions So if
we would study the subject of children's
rights, we must study the children. The
subject IS a very large one, and only a
small portion of it can be touched on.
She gave an account of how some chill
stories,
III order that their ideas and the workings
OF their minds might be studied. The
teachers did not tell them that they were
to write out stories to be sent to the STAN
lord University, but asked the child to
give It's opinion as to the action taken in
reference to little girl, who used her
new paints TO beautify her mothers par
Ior chairs, thinking to please her mother
by the improvement, and was punished
for it.
The 5000 answers were grouped under
many heads, such as ignorance uninten-
Lonal transgresslon, explanation, punish
ment IN a large variety OF ways, pro-
hlbltlon, threats, etc. The younger
children were mostly inclined TO punish
ment and the larger ones to more lenient
view. Many of the younger children's
answers showed that revenge was an
element of the opinion. Out Of 1000
answers, 1,l02 children of to years
old advocated whipping, 763 at II years
Old and only lS5 at 10 advocated it.
a large number thought she should be
punished for the object of preventing
such an occurrence in future This is
largely in accordance with our present
laws, which hang a man for murder i'll
order to deter others. a third division
would explain to her for her reformation.
Here was another curious thing. Out OF
1000 answers not one OF the siX-year-olds
would have explained to the offender
punished for the purpose of reformation
OF the twelve year-old pupils lSl would
have explained, and 75l OF the sixteen
year-old pupils. most of whom were
girls, advocated explanation. The older
pupils gave in some instances a long
chain OF reasoning, based on the fact that
the little girl thought she would please
her mother by beauLfylng the chairs
while only twenty-tnree children OF 6
years old gave any thought TO her ignor-
ance.
Another curious fact, in contrast to the
general chivalric feeling of men which
induces them TO condone the sins of
women, was that more boys advocated
whipping than there were girls who did
so. The boys. therefore, were less merci-
ful than the girls.
Threats and forced promises make no
impression on children. Young teachers
often use them; experience soon teaches
them the uSeleSsneSs OF such means
and they abandon them. 1t is difficult to
get at the ideas and opinions OF children
OF or years old, for the reason that
they generally are unable to express
themselves clearly or fuentIy. 1t was
found that the home treatment of the
children had a great bearing on the opiH-
ions given in this case, indicating the pol
icy pursued in the home circle, or per-
hapS IN the schoolroOm. Whether the
children give the results of home en-
taught, these experiments give the exact
truth as to their opinions. How many of
us base our opinions upon the truth, and
do not rather believe what we have been
told by others?
Certainly, said the speaker, the tired
mother in the mountain cabin does not
punish her children in the same manner
that the city mother in her fine home
does, but the answers of the children in
either case showed remarkable unanim-
ity OF idea Young children, it is evident,
are more cruel than older ones, anu boys
are more cruel than girls. If a young
child commits a wrong act and is not
punished for it, it fails to recognize the
fact that it has done wrong. No real
truth, however small, lies idle. 1t is
sent out into the world to perform its
mission.
The next paper was on Defining" by
Mrs. L. Z. Osborn, which was listened to
attentively.
She called attention to the Importance
of her subject and the little attention gen.
orally paid to it in the schools, in COM
parlSon with other studies. With smaller
children. language work may take the
place OF 1t. The dictionary will be a great
help, but it should be used under the di-
rectlon and with the aid of the teacher,
i'll order that mistakes and misapprehen-
sion of synonyms may not occur.
Its use will not for the first year or two
tighten labors of the teacher but it will
greatly aid the teacher. No word in the
lesson should be passed over until the
child understands its meaning.
The speaker gave illustrations of meth
Ods of securing good results in the study
of defining, and ludicrous instances OF
the misuse of synonyms.
WHY Is IT?
Miss Annie c. Weeks paper asked
s'Why Do Boys Leave Scnool Sooner
Than Girls, and What are We Going to
DO A bout It?''
She said that in the schools bows and
girls work side by side in nearly equal
numbers, but when we enter the High
School we find that the girls largely pre-
pouderate in the classes. Our boys are
being defrauded of their rightful heritage
and are beginning to care little because
they are so defrauded. The need for we'll
educated men is greater to-day than ever
before, but questioning of boys reveals
the fact that they hold their precious
privileges lightly. In many homes the
wages OF the father need to be supple
mented by the efforts OF the other menu
bers of the family, and the boy who can
earn something Tor the common fund
does so, while the girl continues her
studies.
IL is said that the girl looks forward in
her school life to a higher education,
while the boy does not look ahead to it
with the same desire. Mans life is
struggle to make q living, and the boy
often does not realize that there is any
necessity of gaining a higher education
BOYS, when asked, say that their COM
panions, from inattention, idleness or
other causes, fall behind their classes.
and then begin to tease their parents to