Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-12-29
PROVO.
STATE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION.
Important Papers Read = Pleasant Socla
Function.

A large number OF teachers arrived
yesterday morning from the north and
south. and the meeting held yesterday
morning was much larger than the
Monday evening" meeting, there being
about FIVE hundred teachers in attend
ance.
The meeting was opened by the audi
ence singing america" prayer was
offered by President Clun.
Superintendent Oldham of Cache coun-
~ read a paper entitled WHEREIN Are
| We f.dueationally Wasteful.' After
| calling attention TO the necessity Tor
| economy in all public affairs. by reason
| OF the existing financial strlngency ana
| the increased expenses attached TO the
| advent OF Statehood. and TO the met
| that IL Is not always true that certain
| things which may appear wasteful are
really SO. he pointed out several nm
| provements In the school System, when
! in his opinion would tend to economy.
| He advocated a. uniform system OF
| examination, under the supervision OF
| the superintendent of public instruc-
| ton and the State board OF education
| in order TO raise the standard OF
teachers throughout the state, and
| prevent the waste Incident to en-
| ploying poor teachers. The super
| vision OF the schools in each county
| Except those in cities of the nrst
| and second class should also be I'M
der the supervision of one board OF
| education, composed of men and
women acquainted with school work.
| The law should be changed so as to
require attendance of twenty successive
| weeks instead OF ten, and the total
number of weeks of attendance re-
quired should be thirty instead of
| twenty. The waste resulting from the
| tendency of society, and many homes,
to inculcate a spirit of selfishness In
| the pupil contrary to the spirit Of sym
| patty and selfsacrihce which should
be inculcated in the schoolroom. was
| also referred to as n great source OF
wastefulness of time and opportunity.
| He was in favor OF extending the age
/ at which a person was eligible 10 teach
| from IS to 20 years. This would serve
| a two-fold good purpose in permitting
| many ladies to marry who otherwise
would be swallowed up by the peda-
| gogical octopus. and Increase the abili-
| ty of those who entered the profession.
| thus making a saving to the people
| who paid the teachers.
The Brigham Young Academy Man.
dolin and Guitar club then rendered
one of their pleasant selections.
The discussion of Superintendent
Oldhams paper was led by Prof. J. A:
| Smith of Ogden, who mainly agreed
with SUPERINTENDENT Oluihlll bht toph
| issue with him on the proposition OF
examination being under the super
VISION of the State board of education.
| This might be proper In older and
more advanced states. but not In other
| places where 1t was necessary to leave
much to the discrimination of local
| examinations. He was, however, in
| favor of an examination list being sent
out once a year from the State board
| of education as n guide to the local
examining committee. The American
| people were u wasteful people and this
wastefulness entered into the school
| system. He was in favor of properly
| equipped buildings and free text books
| and the employment of qualified teach
| ers only, and considered that there was
| too much text book teaching and not
enough nature study, and referred to
| the slack method of teaching the Eng
| lish language, which must serve as
the great aid in future studies. Other
| teachers expressed themselves on the
| paper. One gentleman was OF the
| opinion that the salaries paid would
gauge the work of the teachers, and
| that 1t was useless to prescribe GER
tain standard by law for teachers to
come up to because even If the
teachers were competent, according to
the prescribed standard, his work
would depend upon the salary.
Superintendent Millspaugh of Salt
|
| Relative Value of Text Book Work
and Oral Instruction" First. he re-
| ferred to the age before printing was
discovered, and when all instruction
was oral then he reviewed the various
| changes of opinion that had taken
place in favor of and against each
method. The paper pointed out that
| each method was necessary In order
to perfectly educate the student. The
advantage of the oral method for tho
| young chiYlren was especially dwelt
| upon.
George A. Eaton of Ogden discussed
this paper, and was of the opinion that
| oral instruction was the rational
method of instruction for the child.
and also favored textbook work for
more advanced students.
Mr.. Lamoreaux favored the assem-
| bly, with a bass solo and encore, and an
| adjournment was taken.
In the afternoon department meet
ings We're held as follows:
KINDERGARTEN AND PRIMARY.
"The Modification of Likes and Dis
likes in Children" was treated by Miss
Ida Coombs: the discussion was led
| by w. G. Roylance. The Child and
His Relationship" was treated by Miss
Mary C. May, and the discussion led
by Rev. l.. b. Ridgely.
GRAMMAR.
"The Pedagogical Function of Draw
| ing" by Miss Aretta Young. Discussion
led by Amelia Il. Brotherhood. "'rhe
Breaking Up of Bad Habits and the
Forming OF Good Habits of Oral Ex-
pressions," by Miss Bessie Eimbal.
Discussion led by Miss May Ashworth.
HIGH EDUCATION AND SUPER
1NTENDENCE.
supervision in Rural Districts" by
NJ. T, Porter, Discussion led by A. c.
Nelson, Functions OF Teachers Elk
animation" by ID. II. Robson. Dis
cussion led by Moslah Hall. "Func-
tions of the High School," by Willard
Done. Discussion led by j. a. Widt-
soc.
The evening session was opened with
Il plano solo by Miss Lulu Gates.
DIR. John II. Park then read n
paper on Popular Education as
q Scheme" This able paper treated of
the public school system in Its effect
upon the people. The object OF the pub
lie school was set forth as not being
to make mechanics professional men
hut to prepare them to take hold of
the various vocations OF life and be-
come good citizens. Tue evil of me
chanical and formal graduation to the
exclusion Of the individual advance
ment OF the pupil. even when such u
system was not necessary. was de-
precated, and the training of the child