Middletown transcript., 1898-12-03
rwENrY.reUnrH INSTITUTE.

CLOCK. Oupb. WluAEu 6mltn calieu tut
meeting to order and announced the open
ing hymn, Come Thou Almighty King
Invocation was offered by Rev. F. H.
Moore, D. D.. pastor of the Forest Presby.
terian church. Rev. I. L. Wood, Ph. D.,
pastor of the M. E. Church, extended on
behalf of the citizens of Middletown most
cordial welcome 10 the superintendent and
the teachers. Mr.. Norris Wilkinson, OF
Delaware City, made fitting response.
The program of the day was then taken
up. DR.. o, T. Corson, Ex-State Superinten-
dent of Ohio, was introduced and after a
few pleasant remarks, began his talk on
School Sentiment which was both interest
ing TO the teacher and suggestive of helpful
thought in his or her work of training
young minds. He said there is a vast diff
ference between Theory aud teaching,
nobodycan tell anybody else just how to do
anything. He dwelt on public sentiment
in the community; where there is good
public sentiment things are necessarily bet
ter for it demands it. As we have public
sentiment back of law, SO we must have
school sentiment back of the school. The
sentiment of the school, the thought and
feeling of the scholars. help the teachers to
do work with the scholar and the success
of the school depends upon this interest A
great help towards the development of this
sentiment is to perform conscientious duty.
to live with the children, play on the
school grounds with them, if necessary, do
all you can to train their morals. Prompt
ness and punctuality should be strictly ad-
hered 10 in order to preserve this sentiment;
related an instances of one school where
punctuality was the ruling sentiment and
the scholars were desirous of keeping their
high rank for being on time; the
teacher noticed commotion on the play
ground The boys showed fight; upon investi-
cation il was found they wee Furnishing
boy who had been tardy and so broke their
record. 1t shows the interest manifested
By scholars. In o o,der TO make promptness
a ruling sentiment the teachers should be
on time, should study the home life of the
child in order 10 be help 10 it. DR.. Corson
gave illustrations proving be force of this.
Prof. George e. Little, of Washington, D.
c., followed with talk on Hints on Rapid
Blackboard Sketchihg," in which he
showed how proficient one may become in
free-hand d awing by practice. He seemed
10 transform tbe simplest objects into pic
lures. As the universal language is the
pictorial. the way 10 resch children in so
MANY anches of school wo k can be done
in this manner. It is such help in leach
ing the study of nature. His talk was in
struciive, entertaining and at many times
amusing. To appreciate them fully one
must see him and hear him. 1t is impossi-
BILE 10 reproduce his numerous sketches
which added SO much 10 the good things
said.
Afer shot recess The audience sang
Scattering ecious Seed" DR.. Corson
then resumed his talk on 'School Senti-
ment," saying many instructive things,
among them wa, ned the teacher against
speech making 10 the scholars, saying save
your speech for Congress where they ave
used 10 listening TO nothing, childrea are
not Remember your own childhood a1d
think of the qualifications the teacher pos
sessed whom you respected; Try to acquire
them you self. The sentiment of the
school must be good in order 10 be welt
governed; maihtain order in the school
room by good hard wo.k, the good, old.
fashioned Kind; Try 10 have it performed
cheerfully. There is no easy way 10 learn
ing and the teacher should not tey to find
it; anything that is worth learning is worth
wotking foa; child does not enjoy the
game which is easy. No place is happy
place that is an easy place. Another senti-
ment of the school-roon is order, not in
the sense of conduct but of neatness and
having place for eVeryt hing and when it
should be everything in that place. 1t
should begin with the eachers desk, pe.-
sonal appearance, etc., children soon imi-
tate aud will usually follow The example
set them. Self-control was brought up as
another lu'ing sentiment. He said many
people fail in life because they never do the
right thing in the right way or at the right
time. Psychology is all right 10 its place,
but we do not need 10 go 10 books for it all
together, one can study it in child, and
with the book and child he must exercise
good common sense. Have sentiment in
favor of trulhfulhess; child is honest by
nature, but of,en from fear he is led 10
deceive, not meaning 10 do SO at fist. A
tsache. should st"ive 10 be strictly truthful
and in this way help 10 develop the good
morals ia the child; ispays 10 be truthful.
Another jmpor. ant nth he suggested, do
not invade upon the sac. ed rights of child
rem, nor encourage them 10 fell tales.
Strive in eVe.y way TO develop a healthy
sentiment of right against wrong.
Prof. Little's next talk was Application
of Fo'm and Study 10 Plants and Animals
He began by illustrations on the board
showing how one thing may be brought out
of another in drawing. One of his produc-
tions was cat which he represented as being
kind and gentle; accompanying it was q
mouse emblematic of envy and malice show.
ing this that when kindness and love enier
envy and malice flee away. He told what
a wonderful help The use Of pictures and
drawings are ia teaching dumb children
Hegaye many practical suggestions which
would help 10 make impressions on the
child which could not be done in any other
way.
The mid-afternoon recess las:edoa few
minutes and afser another song. Dr. Corson
continued his talk. He said one is often
judged more by what be does not say THAI
by what he does say. The doctors principal
theme in this last talk was Tact il the
School-room. He gave some quotations
which are worth repeating:
Tact can afford 10 sic still and smile while
genius and talent are quarreling.
''Talent is something tacs is everything"
"Talent knows what to do but tact knows
how to do it,,
He said tact was not The SIKH sense but
exceeding useful at all times and under all