The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-08-08

The teachers in the summer school
and those others who are not yet teach
ers but hope soon to be are settling
down to earnest study The numbers
differ but little from yesterday.
In the opinion of many of the teach
ers the pupils of the summer school
are trying to take too much. Whether
one takes one recitation or eight de-
pends entirely upon himself Quite a
number are taking the full eight.
The reason for this is of course en-
tirely to the credit of such pupils. They
wish to learn all they can and to ad-
vance all they can. But if this is done
at the expense of energy their schools
will suffer. 1t was the expectation of
Mr.. Townsend that the average number
be three or four. At the same time,
there is no occasion for the complaint
seen in the Bulletin. If any man or
woman has too much work it is because
he or she has taken it voluntarily.
In most departments the work of yes
terday was merely a continuation of
that of the day before. This is especial
ly true of the work in the common
branches, arithmetic, geography, gram
mar, etc. The class in tonic sol ia
managed to get UP something of a dis
cussion on whether the syllable ia, the
fiat of the seventh note of the scale,
III ha crixy ho
sound of a. Mr.. Alexander prefers the
latter. Many of the teachers seem in
clined toward the former.
Those who are taking English COM
position in the simple but well graded
books by De Garno seem well pleased
with their work, and their numbers are
increasing. A fuller description of this
work may be given later on Quite a
number of the younger attendants seem
TO think that arithmetic is the staff of
life or else to be determined that the
examination will not find them wanting
in this regard at least, for they are
taking two classes in it. One or two are
even attending three classes in arith-
metic
1t has been found that there is no
place on the program for a second
drawing class and inasmuch as the |
best room to be had for the study will |
accommodate less than half those who |
wish to take it, it will probably be |
necessary to make two sections, one to |
take it the first part of the term and the |
other the last. This will make the work |
ch h11f
ALL is to get the interest aroused and |
the work started for the year in the |
right way.
In the class in general pedagogy the |
primary teachers were called upon to |
give their experiences as to what stories |
are most interesting to young pupils. |
Quite a decided difference of opinion |
was manifested, but the majority seem |
to think that fairy stories are the best |
to begin with.
In methodolOgy the consideration of |
the formal slips was continued. Mr. !
Townsend emphasized again the differ |
7nce between telling and teaching. and |
continued his illustration of the day |
before in regard to the shape of the |
earth. In answer to question, he said |
be ShOuldg i've statement of aim before |
he lesson, but not too close a one. For |
instance, on this subject he would not |
say we will try to discover whether the |
earth is round or not, not what the /
shape of the earth is, but what we can !
find out about the shape of the earth |
by looking. He had said the day before |
that to teach a pupil the shape of the |
earth he would show him first of all |
! globe. not telling him. however. that |
it was a representation of the earth |
nor saying anything about the earth |
in connection with it. But holding |
pencil behind it, he would ask the pupil !
TO walk back and forth and see how |
much of the pencil he could see The |
latter would soon discover that when |
near he could see all or nearly all of |
the pencil, but as he went away he |
could see less and less: or vice versa,
when far away he could see little. and |
IS he approached more and more BY |
little experimenting the pupil will dis
cover that this would not always be |