Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-18
THE TEACHERS.
INTERESTING MEETING AT HIGH scHoUL
Discussion of Topics Which Are Dear to the
Heart of the Progressive
Pedagogue.

SciloOl QUILTING yesterday uioiliiHS.
There were present not only the teachers
actively engaged in the city schools, but
also the fifteen young ladies constituting
the training school, as we'll as large
number of other teachers and visitors
from the city and county.
Superintendent j. H. Phillips, in calling
the meeting to order, stated that the ex-
erciseS of the regular monthly meeting
of the teachers should be general rather
than specific in their character; that
while the grade meetings are devoted TO
specific topics and methods and the appii-
cation of the principles of education to
the work of our own schools, the general
meetings should extend the scope of the
teachers interests and sympathieS to the
work of education as developed in the
state and in our country at large. our
teachers should know the precise status
of educational progress in our. own state
and become factors in educational adj
Vancement beyond the limited sphere of
their immediate work. Familiarity with
the educational tendencies of the United
States, as illustrated by the word of the
national assc ciation will prove an impor-
tant aid in Strengthening our home work
To carry out this scheme, he then called
upon Principal j. b. Cunningham, of the
Paul Hayne school, to discuss the educa-
tional status of Alabama from the stand
point of the Alabama educational aSSo-
ciation
Professor Cunningham congratulated
the teachers of Birmingham and Jeffer-
son county upon the important part they
had taken in making the Alabama Edu-
cational association a success. jefferson
county leads in the roll of membership
with about sixty active members and
about fifty of these are teachers in the
Birmingham public schools. He reported
at length the discussions at the July
meeting of the association upon the sub
ject of articulation of the elementary
schools with the colleges and universities
The fact that our state system of educa-
ton fails to recognize secondary schools
has served to discourage to large de-
gree the progress of elementary schools
and is rapidly causing our universities
and colleges to languish and decay. A
complete system of state education re-
quires three observation-disclosures
secondary and higher, closely articulated
Unfortunately, secondary education, as
represented in the public high school is
today missing factor in our state
scheme of education. The elementary
school should lead directly to the high
school, and the high school, located con-
Veniently to all the people, should be
closely articulated with and lead directly
into the college or university. So long
as the public school, as a vital part of our
educational organism, is ignored so long
Will our elementary schools lack the in
spiration that comes from above; so long
Will our colleges langush for want of
students He complimented in high terms
paper read by President r. G. Jones of
the state University, on the subject of
articulation, and also a paper read by
President A. G. Moore of the Birmingham
nigh school on the same subject The en-
tire subject of articulation was by reso-
luton, referred to a committee consist
ing of DR.. Meek of the university, Super
intendent Phillips of this city, Professors
Christenberry, Powers, Liner, VERIFY
Garrett, DR.. John Massey Hon. |. G.
Harris and Miss Julia S. Tutwiler.
Another important committee was ap-
pointed on the educational status of AL
ALBANIA, which was instructed to memo
riahze the general assembly, on behalf of
the association, to suggest such educa-
tional provisions as would lead to the
adoption of a system of education which
would ultimately lift Alabama from her
present disgraceful position in the roll of
states and place her on an equal footing
with her neighbors. He outlined briefly
the work to be undertaken, but inasmuch
as the committee is to hold it's first meet
ing in this city next Saturday, refrained
from anticipating its probable recon-
mendations.
Mr.. Cunningham further described at
length the sentiments of the members of
the association touching the various
problems with which we are confronted
but deplored in strong terms the fact that
political emergencies necesstated the alb
Sence from the association of the chief
II
would deprive the teachers of the benefit
of his counsel and advice concerning the
most vital questions affecting our people
Principal Roof of the Henley school
was the next speaker, and briefly de-
scrlbed some of the educational tenden-
cies in the United States as indicated by
the great meeting of the national associa-
ton held in Buffalo, N. Y, In July. Among
the distinct tendencies that may be OBJ
served are a definite impulse in the line
Of hpttpr tea ching in Enp1ch i'm
provement in the work of the rural
schools and the conveyance of the sew
eral warning psychological factions. The
followers of Herbart and the representa-
tives of the Hegelian philosophy indi-
Gated by their discussions tendency to-
wards coalescence and pedagogic unity.
He also emphasized the Herbart club as
department of the association, and con-
graduated the teachers upon the fact
that they have local organization In d.
rect connection with this national society.
Principal A. c. Moore of the High
school then spoke of the progress and
some of the results of child study in the
United States. He gave briefly the his
tory of the organization of this depart
ment under the leadership of DR.. G. Stan
ley Hall of Clark university, observing
that several states, among them New
York, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Cali
fornia, have organized societies, through
which parents cooperate with teachers
in the scientific study of the child Among
the important subjects of observation are
children's games, children's views Of the
pupishments inflicted upon them, chill
dren's rights as viewed by themselves,
the origin of children's conceptions of
right and wrong, and their religious ideas
and Impressions as expressed by them
selves Mothers were encouraged ITO OBJ
serve systema tcally and to carefully
record their observations of the child
from an early age. When the child enters
school this record is placed in the hands
of the teacher for careful study.
Miss Mary A. Catalan, principal of
Powell school, was next called upon, and
gave her impressions of some of the most
noted national educators and of their
work. She happily illustrated the atti-
tude of some of the noted teachers In the
United States towards the subject of
correlation of studies, and gave humor-
Gus description of how an important
psychological doctrine could be made
ridiculous in the hands of an ignorant
teacher.
DR.. Phillips spoke of the educat ional
tendencies described by the preceding
speakers as definite, If not unconscious
efforts to attain higher educational
ideal Every age must have IT'S ideal in