Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-11-26
SCHOOL TEACHERS IN SESSION.
Annual Meeting of New Castle
County Institute.
EXERCISES DEEPLY INTERESTING
AVarIety OF Subjects Ably Dis
CuSSed.


Convention Largely Attended.
ecialCorrespondeuceo Gazette and Journal
Middletown, Nov 10. = Yesterday
mornings session of the New CASTLE
County Teachers Institute opened with
prayer by the Rev. F. II. Moore. ~
The first speaker. of the morning was
DR.. James Coughlin. who spoke on the
subject of "School Discipline as an
Element of Success in Teaching.'' Tho
teacher, in order to be successful
teacher, he said, should study per-
sonality. She should be as familiar
with the characteristics OF the pupil as
with the text. 1t is the impersonality
of the teacher that enables one teacher
to succeed where another fails. She
should make herself master of The
situation il she would lead the young
minds to SUCCESS. The leading point
in tho SUCCESS OF teacher is 81 mpathy.
She should endeavor to surmount cold
formality. Self-control is that which
gives ono control over self above every
thing else. 1t is pure, unauthorized
sympathy for humanity. Decision of
character is a strong element in a sue
cessful teacher. The temperament OF
a child should also be considered, noting
the physical and mental characteristics.
The true requisites of governing self
are self-reliance, self-knowledge and
self control.
DIR. Byron W. King instructed the
teachers on the subject of Lam
guage." He said word is not known
by it's definition only, but by what
gives it power and effect, and mis-
tnlr ~etz 10 n
bering words instead OF the meaning.
Coughlin continued his instruction,
taking for his subject Character
Building" He saiG character means
more than reputation. Character is
what we are; reputation is what people
say we are. Character building should
take place in the mind when the mind
is susceptible of external objects. Here
the principles Of promptnoss should be
established, as habits formed in child
hood follow through life. The teacher
should encourage respectful obedience
in preference to obedience under pro-
test She should focal all her efforts
on the foundation of character, making
truthfulness one essential element.
DR.. King followed on the subject Of
"Reading. He spoke of the mind
being subjective and objective. Read
| ing is double study. One is to get
it, the other to give 1t. The child
should be taught to forget the book in
reading, as the thought in passing
from the printed page through the
brain to the nearer is likely to lose
| effect.
At the afternoon session DIR. Cough
lin spoke on How to Make Number
One in Pratice Of Teaching"
Mr.. King gave instruction on the
subject of Physical Culture.
After recess of 10 minutes the
teachers sang "There is Music in the
Air" Next the subject of Liam
guage" was then discussed by DR..
Coughlin.
Superintendent Smith appointed the
following committees:
Resolutions-A. r. Spaid, Miss Annie
Lynch and Miss Fannie Armstrong.
| Neurology - DeKeller Stamey, Miss
Emma Hamilton and Miss Frances
| Medill.
In the evening Mr.. King recited
selections from Shakespeare.
In the circular issued by Superin.
| tendent Smith each teacher was asked
to prepare some work for the institute,
| and as consequence the school work
| that adorns the walls of the Opera
House exceeds that of any previous
year. The schools furnishing speci-
mems of work are Middletown, Mac
donough, Delaware City aud High
| lands.
Middetown, Nov. 20. = Yesterday
mornings session of the New Castle
| County Teachers Institute was called
| to order by Supt. Smith.
After prayer by the Rev. F. Fl. Moore
the teachers sang "The Battle lynn
of the Republic.
DIR. g. M. Phillips, principal of the
West Chester State Normal School,
spoke of the value of national currency
and explained our present banking
system. There are about a, 600 national
banks In this country. Every teacher,
he said. should know something of the
banking system and teach it in the
public schools.
DR.. a. E. Winship gave instruction
on the subject of child study. divid-
ing it into four parts, philosophical,
scientific, obseryatIonal aud common
sense. Common sense, he said, means
that which you never reach by philoso-
ply, sight or observation. To know
that the earth is fiat at the poles is not
common sonse. but to know that the
earth is round is common sense. 10
teach child common sense you must
train the imagination, feed the imaglna-
tion and give him high ideal of
truth. Train the child in the unfold
ing period to idealize the ideal In
the developing period train him to
idealize the real.
After recess of 10 minutes the
teachers sang America.
DR.. Phillips discussed the subject of
stocks and bonds. BY many teachers,
no said. this ia considered merely some
thing to fill the arithmetic. He OK
planned the difference between stocks
and bonds. Every teacher should i'm
press upon the children the dangers of
Specializing. One of the worst things
that could happen to young man is
to win in bis first speculation.
DIR. Winship continued the subject
! of child study, limiting it to boys.
| Tho most admirable thing about boy,
no said. is his appetite both for food
and knowledge. A boy 8 life is divided
into three periods. A boy at IL is
more unlike himself at 6 than he is
unlike any other boy. A boy at 16 is
more unlike himself at ~ than he is
unlike any other boy. His appetite
consists of three things: Sense hunger,
word hunger and social hunger.
| The afternoon session began with
singing "God Bless Our Native
| Land"