Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-11-27

lected. to be followed later by some
good work on Pedagogy or child study,
but only one at a time will be taken.
Some plans for monthly quiz are in
order but nothing definite is laid out.
Third. For method work the superin-
tendent will begin a course of lectures
on geography to begin weekly.
The acquisition of practical knowl-
edge rather than a mere memoriZing
of facts is becoming more and more
the aim of the public school. An illus
tration of this was afforded at the
recent oxford county teachers con-
vention, where one speaker declared
that manual training department
should be in every high school and
expressed himself in favor of more
laboratory work; another recommended
more nature study and told of one
woman, lost on one Of our Western
prairies. who was led to find water
and habitation from remembering what
she was taught in nature study in
school, and third favored a rigid
study of the dictionary. "A teacher
cannot enthuse a school when they are
confined to their text books wholly"
said another speaker. Make the school
alive" Another spoke of the use of
tobacco by some educators and longed
to see the time when the use of it
would debar men from experimenting
and teaching school.
Lisbon was one of the first towns to
abolish the old-fashioned district sys-
tenn, though many residents of the town
can look back to the time when the
teachers We're hired by the agents:
when the spelling school was the social
event of the neighborhood, and the
news that one school had spelled down
another. hitherto invincible. caused as
much excitement as the rumor of a
foot ball victory now arouses. The
spelling match of olden time was a
most picturesque event" said an old
resident of Lisbon. recently. 1T never
failed to bring out the whole neighbour
hood. / remember well the excitement
which prevailed on one of these occa-
sions when District No. which had
spelled down all the schools far and
near came within hairs breadth of
losing it's laurels by reason of the six
foot fellow, who being the oldest boy
in school. was sure he must be the best
speller. What a burst of applause
shook the rusty stove funnel when the
cuIly-headed girl whom everyone had
thought almost too small to be chosen
to spell the word and District No. 1
was again victorious. During the eX-
citement nobody had noticed that it
had been showing heavily and
frisky wind had sealed the outside
door. The boy who couldn't spell
could shovel. and most of the
boys could do both. We all got
home before morning. but it was
tough pillow through the drifts.
Lisbon points with pride to Prof. w.
II. HartshOrn of Bates College. who
was once the star" pupil in Lisbon
schools: and to Frank A. Munsey.
author and publisher. who says he
owes most of his education to the
Lisbon schools. A large number of
good teachers in New England and
and not a few successful
business men in various parts of the
country, are also enrolled on the
Lisbon school alumni. Lisbon has al
ways been liberal in it's school ap-
not only for the villages.
but even in the remoter districts the
school buildings are kept in thorough
repair. A handsome High School build
ing has been erected within few years. |