The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-07-20
TEACHERS PLAY BALL.
Diversions Of the School Mistresses
at Matrha's Grove.
STUDY AND RECREATION AT THE
SUMMER SCHOOL.
The System of Teaching Teachers How to
Teach Recently Adopted by the State
How the Summer School is Conducted.

Teach Recently Adopted by the State
ESPECIAL TO THE PREssl
Fryeburg, July 19.-The Maine school
| ma am, as. she is seen at Martha's Grove
is young woman of good looks and
varied attainments. She eagerly drinks
in the wisdom which has been on draught
in the assembly hall during the week and
then she goes out and plays ball, for
among the diversions of the teachers in
attendance on the summer school, the
national game has not been neglected and
| the contests on the diamond have been
hard fought by the young women who
| filled the places on the opposing sides.
One instructor, young lady who teaches
the young idea to shoot, in a town not a
| thousand miles from here, has wonderful
command of the ball and her admirers
/ say..shesscould give points to some of the
pitchers of..the New England tleague.
Croqaet, tennis, sails on. the. river and
rides to Jockey Cap have made the days
here pleasant
4 These things are mentioned first not to
| conceal the fact that the summer school
| is place where there is much earnest
devotion to the real business of the hour,
but to prevent any one getting the idea
that it is place where it is all work and
1 no play. AS matter of fact Martha S
Grove during it's occupation by the
1 teachers has resembled the typical
summer resort. The summer girl out
numbers the men about nine to one, but
that is natural, as there are about ten
female teachers in the state to every male
4 pedagogue. In his capacity as student
and summer girl, the Maine teacher has
more enyiable distinction, for the gather
4 ing has been socially great success, and
State Superintendent Stetson, who has
4 had much experience with summer
schools in Illinois and other states, de-
clares that in it's methods OF getting to
work, keeping at it and getting through
promptly, this school is about the best he
ever saw. There have been eighty seven
teachers in attendance, and they have had
the benefit of good instruction. Superin-
tendent Stetson has impaired knowledge
in the branches of child study and ad-
4 yanced methods in teaching reading,
geography and history. Instruction in
music has been given by N. S. Moore of
Auburn, physical culture by Miss Colby
Of Gorham, drawing by Miss Halliday,
geology and mineralogy by Mr.. Harry
Landts of Rokland, literature by Prof.
Roberts of Colby, civics by G.. A. Stuart,
primary methods by Miss Adelaide v.
Finely, principal Of the Lewiston train
ing school. The lessons" have been in
! the form of talks with the class, manysot
whom have shown their interest by the
use of note book and pencil. The efforts
. of the teachers have been supplemented
by lectures by educators and others.
President Chase of Bates, Principal
Corthell of Gorham, Professor Roberts
and Professor Stetson have delivered
lectures. Today Mrs. George French of
Portland, spoke upon Scientific Temper
ance Instruction in the Schools" and
! Mrs. James S. Tryon of Concord, Mass.
Talks" illustrated with paintings done
by Mrs. Tryon.
The eighty seven teachers came from
far and near. Auburn sent about half Of
them. One came from far away Calais,
and Bridgton Fryeburg and Brunswick
were well represented. Professor Fish ot
the Brunswick High school, and Professor
Hansoomb of Oxford, are among those il
attendance
This is the first of six summer schools
to be held under the auspices of the state
the last legislature having appropriated
$1,000 to pay the necessary bills. The next
school will be held in Saoo during the
Foxcroft and Northporu will have one ir
turn. Such schools have been held with
great success in other states. Vermont
has four; Connecticut, two; New Hamp
shire, one, massachusetts, several, ant
. Rhode Island one or more In New Yorl
I; there are many of them. In the States
east of the Alleghanies these schools are
managed by the state authorities; in some
Western States they are held under the
auspices of the counties. The idea is tha
these gatherings of teachers will give
q them many ideas of value in their worl
r which they would not otherwise receive
as to many of them such opportunities tt
listen to leading members Of their profes
sion would otherwise be denied. The
state provides thes teachers, many O.
whom volunteer their services, and
place for the sessions The teachers pa,
r their own travelling and living expenses.
! Everything else is free and, as Mr. Stet
son puts it, anybody who has taught, il
. teaching or would like to teach, Is vel
come. The inauguration of the system in
r Maine is largely due to Mr.. Stetson' s
Q efforts.