Birmingham state herald., 1895-10-27
THE CITY TEACHERS
Hold an Important Meeting Monthly Salaries Paid-The Years Professional
 Work Outlined.

The teachers of the public schools met yesterday morning in regular session in the high school building. The salaries of teachers for the first month of the pres ent session, amounting to about $3500, were paid by Treasurer Cameron of the board of education.
 The leading topic discussed by the teachers was the Teachers lyeeum, an organization for the professional im- provement of teachers. The organization Is general, with a course of study out lined as the basis of work; the teachers of each school are organized into classes or circles. which form so many divisions CT chapters of the general organization. Principal Cunningham of the Paul Hayne school delivered an address, in which he outlined the professional work under taken by the Paul Hayne circle, and em rhasiZed the importance of making prac- tical in every day work the theoretical knowledge acquired through the lyceum studies. The work in psychology and child study, he said, should yield fruit age in the discipline and instruction of the school.
 Miss Cahalan, principal of the Powell school, then made report of the work outlined and undertaken by the Powell circle. In addition to the professional work outlined, she said that the circle had undertaken an extended course in history and literature. These subjects, she explained, were to be studied in the light of psychology and educational his- tory; historical eras would be regarded as distinctive thought-moyements of the people, each period representing charac- teristic tendencies in literature, art edu- cation, religion, philosophy politics and economies. These various topics would be studied as so many historical thought phases in national progress and deVel- opment.
 Principal Roof of the Henley school said that the circle he represented would be organized for work, and would begin the course next week. He emphasized the importance of reducing all pedagogical principles to actual practice and testing by immediate application the value of every, maxim and dogma presented by theorists.
 Principal Moore of the high school stated that the high school teachers dur ing this first month of the session had been so overwhelmed with work that they had not had time to begin the lyceum work. He said, however, that he was glad to announce the organization Of the Herbart club, whose general object IS the special study. of psychology and Its specific applications. The Herbart club meets next Tuesday night in. the high school building The membership of the sss setsd sp1fssE E5 fsEcss slaaSH 1sHy3Ass A t b In the work of the club Is invited to at- tend and participate. The study of the philosophy and pedagogy of Herbart, the German philosopher, will form one fea-
 Sdperintendent Phillips addressed the teachers at length upon the work and conduct of the special agencies of work in connection with the schools for the ad vancement of the teachers. The regular teachers institute the grade meetings, the Lyceum circles and the Herbart club must tell in the work of the schools and in the interest of the children in attend ance. He then outlined a few of the problems now presented to the teachers of the country for solution. He referred to the Report of the Committee Of Eff teen" in which Dr. Harris presents nis idea of corralation of studies, which the school of Herbastian educators attack as impractical Arithmetic in the report is regarded as purely quantitative, while the critic urges that from the standpoint of the child 1t must be qualitative; the child can learn numbers not abstractiy, but by concrete application. In language teaching again we find diverging theo- ries: shall language be taught synthetic ally or analytically, or by combination of the two methods? How shall moral instruction be imparted is another ques- tion of deep significance to the schoois: One side maintains that all virtue ana morality must nave dl eSSicSioSt'So' csA sis, and that 1t Is only by the sanction of church or creed that moral character can be developed; moral and religious in- struction can be imparted only py creed specific religious teaching. The other side maintains that with the exception of specific creeds and ecclesiastical dog mas, the school, by the agencies at its command, may develop the highest type of morality Knowledge, they say. en- franchises and elevates the soul eacn subject of the school course has a spe- cifc moral value; the methods used In presenting these subjects are either nor al or immoral, as they harmonize with the nature of the soul. and develop in harmony the varied activities of concor- dant faculties. He said that these are a few of the specific problems studied to- day by the leading teachers of the coun- fry. and he was glad that the teachers of Birmingham were capable of grap- bling with questions whose study must result beneficially to the children under their charge.
 Dr. Phillips dwelt upon several points of detail regarding the schools and in- structed the teachers in reference to nu- merous matters of discipline and admin istration.
 President Samuel Ullman of the board of education was present at the meeting and addressed the teachers in his own felicitous way, congratulating them upon the character of the work they were do- ing and upon their interest and enthu- sasm.
 The schools of the city enroll more pu- pills this year than they have for two years past. The attendance at present is about 3600 The number of teachers employed in the schools Is eighty. Ad- ding to this number the secretary and nine janitors employed, the total number of employees in the service of the board is ninety. The prosperity of the schools is an index to the progress of the city, and it is gratifying to see the large in crease in the attendance of the present session. A visitor to the schools cannot fail to note also marked progress and de- velopments In the conduct and discipline of the schools The pupils are orderly and interested in their work. Not one case of corporal punishment has yet been reported this year from the white schools.