The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1897-05-28
YOUTHFUL IDEAS
Hi1o Teachers Discuss
Their Development.
Interesting and Valuable Topics
Object Lessons, Nature
Study. Etc.

quarterly meeting on May 21st- The
Program Committee was: Mrs. Nc
Stay, Miss McCord and Miss Hill.
The first number on the program
was tonic sol ia, conducted by G. o.
Smith and class of pupils. Mr..
Smith gave a few important points re-
garding the development of the first |
three steps. One applies with special |
force to children who do not know |
English perfectly. After learning an
exercise by note, train on la before
trying the words. The class promptly |
answered questions put by Mr.. Smith,
and then sang from a number of charts |
carefully prepared for the occasion.
The singing was very sweet. One song |
had never been seen before by the
class.
Mrs E. Richards work was on COB |
ject Lessons" Her subject was,
Clothing Material" She remarked |
that the study of the list of materials
presented on the board-10 or u in
number-might we'll occupy a year. On
the board was an excellent analysis of
work with cotton. After the children
of her class had shown parts of the
plant: also, articles made from cotton,
and had been questioned on the sub
ject, few questions were put to them
] on silk, hemp, fax, wool, fur, leather,
rubber, etc. They had not been pre-
pared for the lesson, Mrs. Richards
int noT Tf1U hninO tn chow how
an uninstructed class should be con-
Quoted They had only a days warn
| ing, but were provided with quite a
| collection of manufactured material
that they were pleased to show.
Miss Agnes Hill gave a very pleasant
little talk on Reading and How to Get
| the Thought" She is an excellent
worker in the primary grades, and con-
| fined her remarks to that department,
telling how to interest little children
| in the first words and sentences by
giving the object and pictures with the
name on the board, and working up
the thing" as we say, in variety of
bright and taking lessons to attract at
tention, awaken thought and encour-
age speech.
Mrs. Townsend took up a bit of re-
view on "Apperception," as it has
been studied by teachers this year in
Rooper's work. She told of the differ
ence between receiving a sensation by
the bodily organs and getting mental
impression. She passed objects aoout
and asked questions to illustrate the
fact that different minds receive diff
ferent mental impressions from the
same object, though the physical senses
perceive nothing different. In this way
| she developed the idea that each per-
| son was speaking from something pre-
| conceived in his mind.
| ''Now." said she: chow apply these
principles to teaching? Children come
TO school already knowing much. Find
out for yourself what the child knows.
Present to him the new fact that ap-
peals to an old one somewhat resem-
bling the new. The power of the mind
called thinking enables the child to
reorganize, to assimilate. With this
kind of teaching, the child becomes
not a dull but a bright and active
learner"
Mr.. Sturgeon, on the "Basis of Lam
| guage Work" thinks it must be nature
study to gain the interest. Admitting
the difficulty of beginning with nom
| English-speaking children, he stlli
| thinks that interest in plant growth,
| simple experiments in physics, etc.,
will give. and will also, develop, as
other issue, the ethical and literary
sides of the mind.
| A child watching the growth Of
plants will reason that the same power
that guides that growth is ruling his
| own development; if he loves dainty
flower. he will by and by appreciate the
| beauty of a poem, like Burns Ito
Mountain Daisy"
Miss Guild, by request, told interest
ing stories of the lively chat poured
forth by the little kindergartners when
she takes them out for talks and nature
study.
The discussion on the School Mu-
scum was opened by Miss Deyo. She
| remarked on the value of making
collection, no matter how simple, as
leading pupils to observe the objects,
to seek them, to seek questions and to
study the history, not only of the OBJ
ject in hand but of its geographical
and other relations.
Miss Deyo spoke of minerals and dis
played some volcanic specimens taken
from a collection already begun in the
Union School.
Miss McCord followed with a few
words about Collection of Woods" It
IS easy u get StCu SpcClilt1S mere 1 liC
children will study the living tree and
different tree forms. They will learn
the uses of forests and the value of
protective laws.
Miss Lyman, on Hawaiian Curios," :"
named a large number of articles that
may be found even yet. In getting
such articles, children become inter
ested in the history of their forefath-
ers. and the customs of ancient times.
If the real relic cannot be obtained,
pictures and models may be. The re-
porter throws in the remark that boys
now learning wood cutting in some
of the schools might be pleased to try
on models not too difficult.
DR.. Wetmore closed the museum talk
with a lecture on Ferns" their classes
and their names demanding for mean