The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-03-08

Il
teacher is deeper, higher, broader and nobler
than himself. Then will he rely upon that
teacher as a source Of good unto himself"
Dr. Sheldon grew eloquent in debate.
Some of his thoughts were:. "You must
have the spirit of sympathy and noble char
acter yourself in order to interpret it in or
impart it to children"
"You can not test the teacher by formal
tiles. You must test her by her power to
upift and rightly influence lives"
DR.. McMurray said: ut is a matter of
manhood and womanhood instead of scholar
ship"
| Supt. Seaver thought we could bury
"persuits" and depend upon influence. DIR.
| White, of Cincinnati, thought that teachers
are superior or inferior according to their
environment. "Some teachers can not
teach well in other mems traces"
County Superintendent Bright, of Chi
lcago, thought that we commence arithmetic
too early and study it too much. He would
cut down the subjects in arithmetic and
make what is left largely mental. These
remarks of Mr.. Bright were given upon
subject No. s. He further said: ''In learn
ing how to read, the child should learn to
love to read. This can not be accom-
pllshed by the use Of the ordinary school
reader with its fragmentary readings" He
would do away with the so-called school
reader after the third or fourth grade and
substitute whole pieces from our best
authors. 1--WE should study literature and
not about literature" ",
Under the third topic. Miss Arnold
thought that mechanical teaching is giving
way to sympathetic teaching. ''We must
teach the child that the thing is greater
than its sign"
DR.. Harris thought true reading lesson
should not be buried under many abstrac-
tons. Side questions are important in
giving a child proper understanding but
after these should come the careful and
earnest expression of another's thought.
There is not room for all but we add
few stray thoughts from the discussion of
! No. 8.
O Supt Search thought our graded schools
to be too mechanical; they aimed at too
much uniformity; the bright pupil must
wait for the slower pupil 10 catch up he
considered that the process hopelessly
buried some pupils. Said grading was the
cause of much ''dead time" in the lives of
some pupils. He thought in class exer-
else too many pupils were in comatose
condition; that the work of the class is done
by practically a few pupils; said grading
| anchored pupils to definite line of work.
| He believes in the individual method.
| Would have the teacher go from pupil to.
pupil and instruct in accordance with
| case in hand,
The discussion was animated and brought
| out many men who have wide and eX-
tended experience in methods of various
| kinds.
Supt. Jones, of Cleveland, said there was
| no true teaching unless the teacher entered
| into the life of the pupil as an inspiring
| power. When this can be done, and it is
| possible when proper teachers are employed,
| then the class plan is superior to the in
| dividual plan for many reasons. He said,
1.-The individual needs the running mate
of his own age to give inspiration" 1t is
necessary adjunct in all mental effort
DIR. Boone, of Ypsianti, Mich, said:
1.-THE individual needs association in life
and needs this same association in class;
the pupil needs the stimulus of his mates;
needs the friction of the recitation in groups"
| DR.. Harris said by the individual plan
| pupil could get but five minutes, while by
| the class method he could get forty. 1.-The
class plan, properly conducted, is the
greatest reinforcement to tho individual.
1t brings a cross-fire. Critical alertness
comes only when mind encounters Nmnd.',
'The pupil sees himself reflected id the
mind of mis- neighbor pupil" 81
| He considered the greater danger to lie in
| that the unwise teacher would not properly
recognize the difference between her own
mind and the pupils mind and would
unwsely lead him into thought spaces and
depths too great for his appreciation.
COL Parker thought that knowledge get
ting is not the end of school work. pupils
are in school to learn how to live"
1.-THE social factor in school is the pre-
dominant one, and individual instruction
does not properly cultivate it."
"The class is the one place where mind
meets mind"
DIR. White thought indiyidualism to be a
good thing for some bright pupils, but a
deadener for the poorer pupil. "Indivd-
ualsm had blasted many lives"
A strongly emphasized point was that
the most important adjunct of school is a
teacher with no particular grade in charge,
but who would take backward pupils from
any grade and give them some personal
instructions aside from class, and permit
them to go on with the regular class exer-f
else Another point which met with genera
commentator was that pupils need more
contact with the mind Of male teacher.
| Many pupils never receive any instruction