The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-16
Home And SCHOOL.
Mr.. Lang Discusses Their Re-
lation to Each Other at the
Teachers Institute.

The afternoon session OF the Teachers
Institute, held yesterday In School No. o,
was opeIted with a lecture by Mi. Ossiafl
Fl. Lafg, editor Of the School 5olrnaIS
and of Educational Foundations
He declared that schools have higher
duties to perform that merely to transmit
knowledge to children. They must Gull
tiyate the love OF home and country and
a healthy patriotism. The lack Of public
spirit is in a great rneasur the fault of
thes schools. Among the opportunities for
drawing nearer fb the child's heart and
to win hts love and respect, he mentioned
the recess. He advised talks with the
children to draw out their little troubles
and get acquainted with their interests.
The children, he said. enjoy talking with
he teachers rs they would with their
parents. There Is no fear of losing the
respect of THE pupils if the teacher keeps
outside of THE limits OF o~hildishness.
In another talk latter in the afternoon
Mr.. Lang showed how important it is that
parents should have a living interest in
the schools; NOT only must the school con-
tinually count the educational influences
ct the homes, bat the teaehefs also eNYe
81 to Their pupils to impress apoi Ehe par
ents the feeling OF their DUTY as educa-
tors. Parents are too APP to believe tina
their educational responsibility ends the
moment they put a child to school. Mr..
Lang believed that teachers could vastly
increase their usefulness by visiting the
parents Of their pupls. Parents asso-
Citations might be formed with success.
The plan which he urged with special em-
phasis was that the school should be made
the culture centre of the district in which
1T Is located. There should be free read
ing rooms, lectures and concerts. He said
he was surprised that a frugal people al
lowed the schools to be closed the greater
part of the year after Investing millions
of dollars in them. BY magmifying the inn
portance of the schools in the eyes OF the
people education Will gain a great deal.
Mr.. I. F. Hall gave two zalks on
Topography" In them he said
Geography is a very broad subject,
torily in such a short time. I shall only
AVE time to call attention to certain
principles which govern good teaching IN
the study, and to illustrate the points
made by as many practical applications
as possible Good teaching on this sub
ject more than any other must have an
objective teaching altogether. but always
that which has an objective basis. There
are two reasons why this is necessary.
Geography more h any other study
has to do with things, real objects. 1t is
also especially a study Of relations. Good
method of procedure. Here, as nowhere
else. we must needs go from the simple
to the complex, from the known to the
unknown by educative processes"
Mr.. Hall then considered the subject
from a different point of view by asking
three questions: Where shall we begin,
how shall we proceed and what methods
shall we use? In answer to the first
question, he said:-"Begin with a land
ape In answer to the second, "Study
sevral landscapes in detail and combine
them as soon as possible by leading your
pupils to study as carefully as possible a
brook basin. After the brook basins will
the life of man on each continent. Mr..
Hall defined geography as the study of
the surface of the earth as the home of
man,
Mr.. Hall advised the teachers to adapt
any course they might follow to the
nedes and requirements of the communi-
ties which they served. In closing he
said
Train the pupils In the study of books.
Teach them how to get facts from the
printed page"
Mr.. A. ". Edison was down on the
programme for two speeches, but because
OF the %lateness of the hour he omitted the
the teachers. He said he wished to
give them two thoughts to carry away.
First help the children to enjoy life,
then help them to help others and be a
benefit to others.
Miss Y9unglove sang and Miss Julia
Superintendent of Schools. declared the
institute adjourned.