Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1897-08-05


to this study under his direction. His first
topic is Home Geography and he begins
with the wind and the weather, the hills
and the valleys near home, observing hrst
and making afterward with sanoboaId
and pencil. Take your children out and
let them see these things, he says. SO II
any of you people rap at the sehoolroom
door some of these bright days and get no
response remember that they are probably
out on some OF these little excursions and
don't scold but come again some other
day and see what they made when they
got home. From Home Geography he
branches out easily, naturally and most
delightfully."- TO wider and more mature
study.
Miss Leila E. Partridge of Lansdown,
Pa, then took the first of her three peri
DDS on Spelling. She spoke especially OF
the RIGHTEOUSNESS of many methods of
teaching and correcting spelling work
whereby the pupil has so many opportu-
| mites of seeing the wrong form OF the
words used. He should, II possible, never
| see any but the correct spelling great
| harm has been done If he does. The pupil
should be trained never to guess at a word.
The last period Of the morning was occu-
| pied by Supt. Francis A. Bagnall of st.
! Adams. his subject being American His
tory. One fact that he stated is worthy OF
consideration in connection with all
school work as well as in this one branch
/
school at the age OF twelve and only one
/ in twenty ever reach the high school. His
/ tory, therefore, should be taught in some
I form from the very first year OF school, |
otherwise many pupils will get very little.
/ In very practical way,after giving a gen.
eral outline of his subject, be showed how
this can be done even with the beginners. |
At two O'Clock the afternoon session be- |
gan with Mr.. Conant's second talk on
Vermont History. What he said this time
was grouped around the folio wing dates |
1909, 1866, 1880, 1924 and 1901 Beginning |
with the discovery OF Lake Cham plain and /
ending with the French and Indian War,
he explained how, through the changes of
all those years, the way was finally opened 1
for the settlement Of Vermont.
Following this Mr.. Nash gave his second |
talk on Geography in the same practical |
and interesting way as before, this time |
showing the use of the globe in teaching |
the more advanced work OF the fifth year.
IL he could only teach teachers to keep |
their pupils as wide awake as he succeed |
ed in keeping this set of schoolma'ams il |
would be happy day all around.
Miss Partridge took the last period of /
the afternoon, and although she gave ut
terance TO some very revolutionary ideas
on the subject of test work and its correc
ton, nobody seemed shocked, but, on the
contrary, all were evidently well pleased.
Many, no doubt, inwardly resolved to be
rid OF some OF the nonsensical work that
has taken so much precious time in the
past, hoping to put it to some Of the bet
ter uses she suggested.
Wednesday morning after the usual de-
votional exercises MIR. Nash again took up
the study OF Geography, carrying it on
into and through the sixth year when the
Textbook should first be introduced. Let
the pupils have as great variety OF these
as possible. Teach them how to study
from a topical outline and then take your
self out OF the way and let them do it.
Give them great truths in simple form and
do not hurry them IN their work. Do not
worry that the two ends OF your class are
so far apart in ability and attainment. II
nrst and ought to be so.
Miss Partridge. in her third talk on
SPcslug, gave as ner method OF teaching
il Limitation and practice" calling espe-
cial attention again to the seeing and
making OF correct forms only, these to be
repetition should be done by copying,
preferably with pen and ink, to insure less
carelessness as erasure is then impossible.
Much copying OF good literature is also
beneficial, both for the instruction ii fur
Dishes in punctuation and because OF the
familiarity ii gives with the best styles of
expression.
MIR. Bagnall, instructor in American
History, gave as the keynote of interme-
date instruction biography" this taking
the place of the storytelling in primary
work. He called attention 20 the repro
duction OF historical stories as a necessary
part OF this work. They may express
them in any or all OF these ways-by acting
them out, illustrating them by drawing,
by means of moulding or with blocks.
Patriotic songs and poems should be |
taught in each grade-like "America" for
the first, and "Hail Columbia" "Inde-
pendence Bell, ;" "Paul Revere's Ride, 'etc.,
as is best suited to each class farther on
This list of dates he thinks sufficient
1892, 1907, 1909, 1920, 1888, 1855 SO, 1875,
1873, 1850, 1871, 1s12-14, 1s61-65. The pic
ture side OF history should be cultivated,
leading the boys and girls to imagine the
thoughts, feelings and words OF the his
torical characters studied.
An extra half hours session was held
this morning as there was to be no work for
the afternoon and Miss Partridge occu-
pied this with talk on the power of at
tention and concentration. She said that
ability to control the mind came only with
ability to control the body. She combined ,
the two in little exercise in which she
kept the teachers before her quielly look
ing at their thumbs for the space OF three
requesting them at the same time
to think of nothing but their thumts.
How many succeeded in doing the latter
is not known, though it was certainly the
quietest period of any season.
She then gave two or three exercises
from the DOhFu showing now the eye may
be trained to grasp at one glance not
words merely, but sentences and even par {
agraphs.
Supt. l.. p. Nash gave a public address
last evening at the Baptist church. His
subject was Literature and Its Relation
to Life" :
The local teachers will give a reception
at the Red Lion Inn Friday evening to the
visiting teachers.
Sessions begin at $3.50 a. m. and 2 p. m.
The afternoon session is omitted Wednes-
day and Sa urday.
Examiner Prichard-himself an active
and earnest worker-remaIks upon the
high grade of the material at hand and
the evident disposition to make the most
Of the opportunity.
Most of the out. of town teachers are
luartered in private homes and lend much
to our place. More than two
thirds Of the following registry have en-
tered for the full term of twelve dRys:-
Continued on 18th page.)