The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-29
IMMACULATE HEART
TEACHERS INSTITUTE
Corps OF Instructors Has Never Been
ExceIled in Scranton.
SOME LECTURES OF RARE MERIT
Mrs. ID. Ellen Burke's Knowledge of
Literature and NJ Method of Teaching
Are n Revelation--A on PER-
spective Drawing by Miss Monahan.
Mothers of Pupils of st. Cecilia's
Academy Invited This Afternoon.

Mothers of Pupils of st. Cecilia's
Academy Invited This Afternoon.
The institute of the Sisters of the I'M
maculate Heart at st. Thomas college
differs from the regulation idea of a
teachers institute in every respect.
The sombre robed Sisters with their
quiet earnest faces beneath the shad-
ow of the yelled linen present a picture
far at variance from that usually seen
when bright hued hats and gay attire.
moving figures and restless, smiling
eyes and lips make up kaleidoscope of
color.
The instructors at the Sisters insti-
tute have never been excelled at any
educational gathering in this city.
Mrs. b. Ellen Burke, of New York, is
perhaps the most pleasing woman
speaker in her line of work heard on
Scranton stage up to this date. She
has beautiful voice and her knowledge
of literature and method of teaching it
to even very little children is a revel-
alton. All public school teachers in the
city should be present this afternoon
to hear her address.
Yesterday mornings session opened
with prayer and music. Rev. Father
Coffey gave instructive advice regard
ing the preparation of children for the
reception of the Sacraments.
Mrs. Burke then continued the sub
ject of literature She advocated teach
ing literature in language lessons. The
greatest writer's of the ages and their
rarest thoughts may thus become IA
miliar to the children. She disapprov-
ed of dialect selections for early read
ing. The idea of thought-getting is the
principal one, but the beauty and
truth therein expressed should be con-
sidered. The value of Longfellow and
Whittier as foundations of the chill
dren's literary knowledge was empha-
sized. st. Nicholas and it's brilliant
editor, May Mapes Dodge, were recon-
mended.
A class of boys and girls from st.
Cecilia's was then brought in and Mrs.
Burke gave an excellent object lesson.
PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION.
In the afternoon Mrs. Burke gave
many practical instructions of the pos
sbilities of giving the children knowl-
edge of choice lectures in their reading
lessons. First of all, the teacher should
so impress her pupils as to gain their
confidence They will then know that
she will not ask them to do anything
beyond their powers. She recited a
stanza of Whittiers Barefoot Boy"
and afterward one of Helen Hunt Jack
sons september" closing with the
lines:
And the asters by the brookside
Make asters in the brook"
Showing by judicious questioning re-
garding autumnal changes in nature
that the children may be led to give
their own thought in almost the exact
wording of the poet. Her intonation
and enunciation in reading and recit-
ing are most charming.
In one respect she disapproved of
the free book system now prevailing
in many states, because the child is apt
to love the book he owns. She ad-
vised the use of many books for read
ing lessons. The taste for literature
cannot be developed with only one
book.
Many children leave school at the
age of II years. The question as to
what he should know in literature then
would be difficult for most teachers to
answer. She affirmed that he should
be acquainted with the writer's of our
country, and those of his own language
together with the great writer's of the
world. There are not so many, twenty
five perhaps. From these four may be
selected besides the Bible. They are
Shapespeare, Dante, HomeIl Virgil.
She thought that some knowledge of
the writer's of Canada and Mexico
should also be gained, while the child
should know how to receive benefit
from the cyclopedias.
There is a great movement at the
present day to teach of the myths of
ages without taking the trouble to dis
tinguish between myth, fable, legend
or tradition. A knowledge of myths
are necessary to a correct understand
ing of most writer's. Dante, Shakes
peare, Tennyson, Longfellow and the
poets in general make such a study
useful, but it is best not to go to ex-
tremes in the matter, as it affords
much room for alarm. A recent publi-
cation announced is Myths of the
Bible" 1t is we'll not to begin too
early with the myth instruction.
SOME Ol(lS1 ADNlC
Among the terse bits of advice Mrs.
Burke gave in closing We're these:
Don't begin with the author in your
teaching.
Don't allow the children to correct each
other, unless you wish to create a race of
wasps.
Have the children read to each other.
not to the teacher.
Ask them what beautiful thought they
noticed, and what pleased them most in
| the stanza or paragraph.
Miss Manahan, who is a very at
| tractive young woman, gave valuable
| and interesting address on "Perspect-
i've Drawing" illustrating her subject
| by capital blackboard sketches.
This afternoon the teachers of the
| public schools are invited to be present
at o'clock when Mrs. Burke will de-
| liver an illustrated address on THE
Picture in the Schoolroom." Mothers
| of the pupils at st, Cecilia'S are also