The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-07-14
SCHOOL
DR.. Brown Continues In.
teresting Talk.
Methods of Teaching in Well
Known Institute of
Learning.


Prof. Brown addressed full gathering
of the first section Of the Summer
School ON the Tompkin's School, in
Oakland, Cal
Prof. Brown began by pointing out
the immense value to be obtained from
visiting good schools. teacher may
be doing poor work, and be ignorant
of the fact until visit to a good school
opens his eyes A visit to good
school supplies the teacher with good
models.
A discussion then took place upon
what should be looked for on visiting
a school The order, atmosphere, (phy-
steal and moraD, the physical condl-
ton of the children etcetera should be
examined DIR. Brown spoke OF Rag
ged Edges in the school room. A
teacher may be giving good lnstruc-
ton to those near him, and those VINO
are some distance away from him may
not be giving close attention. Inc
teaching is good but it has Ragged
Edges Emerson, in speaking of Ma
poleon said that he always knew what
to do next, and added Most men have
no next" DR.. Brown would look to
see if the teacher had a Next. "
Speaking of the interest of the pupils,
it should be question of quality
rather than of degree. The question
should be asked, ''Is the interest of the
pupils in the subject matter, or is it in
class standing, getting above another
prizes, etc" The interest should be in
the subject matter.
Prof Brown then went on to de-
scribe the work of the Tompkin's
school Entering the school, we find
Mrs. Coady in charge of one of the re-
ceiving rooms. The first thing on the
days programme is the inspection.
The condition of the hands and cloth
ing is inspected, and where necessary,
the children are required to wash their
hands, sew on buttons and mend their
clothes.
Next comes a talk about homes. By
this talk the teacher learns the condi-
ton of the child's home, learns of any
sickness or distress in the family, and
thereby can get into sympathy with
her children, and the school and home
are thus brought into sympathy.
Then follows a lesson in reading.
| The children select some object for
nature study, and make observations
about it to the teacher. Some parti-
cularly pertinent sentence is used, and
| the teacher writes it upon the black
! board. The children now read this
sentence and thus their reading lesson
| is on the subject of the most immedf-
ate interest to them. 1t is to be no
ticed also that the words used are
those of the children themselves. If
the class is well advanced in the grade,
other sentences are taken from further
discussions, and previous reading les
sons are reviewed.
After the children have done as
much of this work as they can profit
ably do at one time. they take up some
of the kidergarten woodworking, sew
ing, etc. They are frequently required
to sew in their papers outlines of let
ters previously placed upon the papers
by the teachers. Sometimes they go
across the hall and join with the child
rem of the kindergarten in one of their
circle games.
There is another receiving room in
the Tompkin's school of which Mrs
Walker is the teacher. Mrs. Coady re-
ceives new class at the beginning Of
Walker receives a new class in Jan
uary. The teachers carry their classes
through the full year, and the work of
the two rooms frequently overlaps
But there is freedom allowed in the
school to such an extent that these
teachers while working in harmony, do
not follow ne same plan. They agree
however in teaching the children to
read about that in which they are in
terested.
Mrs. Walker begins with the story of
''Silver-Hair and the Three Bears"
First she tells the story through as
whole, so that the child may get it in
a general way. Then she begins at
the first and repeats it sentence by SEN
tence, the pupils repeating it after her
The story is then written on the black
board. The children repeat the story
as the teacher points out the words
The story is prepared on slips of paper
IN script and ordinary print The
ch1lren read from the printed slips
The children now write on the black
board the matter they have been read
ing. First they write in the air.. e.,
go through the motions of writing on
the blackboard while standing a few
feet away from it. In this they follow
the teacher as she traces the letters. 1t
has been found that the children take
great interest in copying the slips.
SUMNER SCHOOL NOTES.
Mr.. John A. Moore received the sad
news of the serious illness of his
daughter, and left for Maui on Mon
day. His genial face is missed by his
many friends in the Summer School.
Number of teachers present at Q q m
on Monday, $50.
Mr.. Snyder is assisting Mr.. Bush
with some of his pupils in algebra.
Meeting of the National Teachers
Association on Friday evening at 7:30
in the High School building.
Don't forget the concert for the bene-
fit of "Hawaii's Young People" on Sat
urday evening next, in the Y. NJ. C. A |
hall.
Mr.. Hedemann, of the Honolulu Iron
Works extends q cordial