Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-12-09
TEACHERS INSTITUTE.
Opening of the Two~days' Session at Now
Castle Tuesday Morning.

tute OF the teachers OF the free public |
schools Of New Castle county convened |
thls morning at 0. 30 u'GlpGk in the |
Opera House, this city.
The building commenced 10 fill up
AZ early as 8 o'clock with the teachers
and their friends, who seemed to enjoy
themselves greeting old aquairtances,
and making new ones. The institute
was formally opened by the Rev. +. n.
Munaon, LII. D., with prayer. after
tho institute had been called TO oruer
by Superintendent Smith. Prof. An.
drews made tbs address Of welcome to
the assembly ia behalf Of the Board Of
EduCstinn, and the citizens OF Now
Castle.
At 10 o'clock Ur. II, e. White OF
Columbus, o., was introducetl aud
spoke on 'Fundamentals in Teaching"
which proved the speaker to be
master of his subject. He was listened
ITO with earnest and marked attention.
New Castle, Dee. 8.--The afternoon
session OF 10 Teachers Institute yesier-
day was rslled to order at 1.30 o'clock
by Pro-. Norris W. Wilkinson. assistnnt
chairman, who introduced Prof. il. W.
| Elson. The professor spoke on How
10 Teach History" In part he said;
What ia an institute? 1t is collection
Of individual methodH. all of which 90
\ to teach something. Although they
may not be without fault, each nne
| has a methou, ami all heing brought
together tho good in them can be
utilized, and tho bad cast aside. The
members forming the Institute are
lonking for new points, something that
will help them. The teacher must be
| fully versed 10 tbs subject hetpro the
scholar ia taken in hand. Every tsRcher
10 but student. History is very badly
taught In many schools. Our taste for
scientific stud!ea ia nc acquired one,
Whilo our love for humanity IS inborn
and natural. a Ecologist, deiyiDg
aiming the rocks tinds fossil bones; his
| mind leaves tho study OF rock strata
and tries TO clothe those pre- historic
bones With living flesh. la the Willis
of the West some iners had been out
side the male us civilization for ten
yeara. They took a trip to ii town and
went TO a theatre. During the playing
Of tho orchestra baby cried. and it
appealed 30 strongly to their humanity
that they stopped the music and lis
tened to thu cry that appealed to their
souls. History ia hut the study Of
generations. You 20 back US it
wers, step by step. Ton much de-
pendcnce should not BIO placed in text
books, Tho reason foreign history is
more interesting than our own is be-
causa of the glamour thrown around 1t
by the gingly uespots. tournaments and
semi barburc splendor; but American
history treats OF the very institute we
now enjoy. Tho American lndian
| yknt,ifl in Fpr N nl nlnuar
study thar ia given him: his is his.
tory that is lost in tie ages before the
discovery OF this continent. History
should be made as interesting as pos.
sinle to be of real value, and one must
go outside of books to teach it properly.
Tho interest of the pupil must be
awakened. The rules for teaching his
tory are: Rule first, DO not hurry
take date; fix it we'll in your mind,
and then work from that date as date
line. Form skeleton of dates, and
clothing Of historical matter will
gradually form itself until you vii
eventually have perfect form. Rule
second, Take notes, for If you dc not
you will be confused and will have
your history In a chaotic state, OWNS
to defective moda of study. Away
make 1t point to review the notes o
preceding chapters. The dates in his
tory bear the same relation to thu
! study as a map does to geography. &c
|, main date and group othere arount
i'd. Teach, as ii were, by chain work
link your dates and the facts around il
a sort of historical chain, and teach
after this method. Pictures help great!
in the study OF history. For example
sketch of Shakespeare reading OF hi
. | - 4,
! siyely that they were OF the same era
/. much longer than written matter.
l Dir. Elson smoke for so minutes, anG
gave way to DR.. White, who spoke oil
/ Language.
At the session last evening Dr. Byrol
W. King, president Of Kings School 0
Oratory, Pittsburg, Pa, kept the audi
ence in continual state of laughter. II
has voice that can be adapted to OK
ID press any and all emotions. He pre-
faced his remarks by one OF his ow
compositions. DIR. King remarked tina
IL persons whu were students of Shake
O spe6re would read Hamlet" an
q imagine tho character to be a man VIII
q mad suicide under serious contempla
I. ton they would better understand tn
o idea, 1.-THE immortal William" whe
he conceived the character of "Th
Il Prince of Denmark" DR.. King close
!. his entertainment by giving his frs
v experiences in public when boy.
was very we'll satisfied audience tina
q left the Opera House to the strains {
II the "Appolo March. y
:. New Castle, Dec. s.-The Teachers
d Institute opened this morning at 0. ]
ia with prayer by ths Rev. L. p. Curkra
of this city. The entire audience inine
10 singing national anthems, under ID
leadership of Superintendent Smith
IN The audience rose 10 their fest an
q the hymns of the great republic mad
at the welkin ring, and the enthusiast
j. patriotism displayed proved the wiadol
.. Of the saying: "Giys me the maxim
Ig OF the songs of country. and cal
81 not who makes the laws"
lg DR.. King was introduced by Supel
~ intendent Smith, and opened his az
Or dress by asking how many of til
Tx teachers were married. The sient
I'd wnR not broken. He then asked no
s, many would like to be, and the ha
was filed with blushing maitlene, WI
we're as yet non-committal. Tine speak'
offered as an apology for his seeniir
er bruskness, that he wanted status |
ia data line to work from, as it was q
al important for speaker to know I'll
ID exact makeup of his audience, as
r. saved a speaker from many blunder
a Dir. King then took up the theme
le his discourse, Language. lie Spot
q g.