Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-29
Kennebec County Teachers Meeting.

ISOLATION met in the Gardiner High
School building. Friday forenoon and
afternoon. Nearly $50 teachers were in
| attendance and the meeting was con-
sidered by all to be one of the most in
teresting and instructive ever held.
Most of the teachers arrived on the
1918 train and Immediately left for the
High school where the meeting was
called to order at 1890
Rev. Elliot B. Barber gave an infor-
NAL address of welcome that showed
| very well how welcome were the peda-
| gogues of Kennebec county. A pleas
ant response was made by President A.,
S. Lane of Waterville.
| Principal John Nelson then read
paper on Athletics in the Schools
! He said that education was of three
fold aspect, intellectual, moral
and physical. In the formation
of full rounded man all three of thess
qualities are essential.
Athletics have features pertaining 10
| intellectual. moral and physical web
being. They have physiological basis.
The brain is not occupied wholly with
phases of knowing but certain portions
of the brain are occupied with physical
movements.
In the latter part of his discourse he
emphasized the need of clearness and
fairness in school contests. He gave a
series of rules that ought to be adopted
by all fitting schools. He advocated
that every school plays on it's team only
men who We're attending that school
and We're in good standing. He
thought that the athletics of the school
ought to be under the direct supervis-
ion of the teachers and that they ought
to accompany the teams on all their
excursions.
Miss Myrtle r. Barker of Gardiner
gave an interesting paper On GLASS
Exercise in Reading, Grade l."
Principal ]. W. Chadwick of Gardi-
ner, gave an informal talk on Cate
chising in Arithmetic He thought
that the teachers in this study ought to
use more practical methods. He sug-
gested that they instruct their pupils
in measuring the school room and in
finding how many bricks were needed
to lay the sidewalk in front of the
school building. His paper was very
instructive and impressed all with the
idea that one of the most difficult
studies could be made interesting 70
the pupil.
Mrs. Anna Sargent Hunt of Angus
ia, was the next speaker and her paper
OH Scientific Temperance instruction
in our Schools" was highly appreci
ated. She impressed all with the ne
cessity of temperance teaching in the
public schools. She gave the history
history of the different methods that
had been used to bring about this,
study and advocated the use of black
boards. She thought that when COM
bined with other studies it would be
more interesting to the pupil. She re-
ferred in a most Gathering manner to
the good work done by Principal
Graves in Augusta, remarking that an
influence had been brought to bear
under his direction to drive out the
cigarette in the community.
Miss Margaret A. Koch of the CO.
burn Classical institute gave an ad-
dress. without notes, on The Place
speaker referred to the new methods
of teaching elocution against the older
methods. She spoke of the necessity
of having the body and voice so train
ed as to emphasize the thought rather
than oppose it. She spoke of the i'm
ing the school.
Principal c. +. Cook of Augusta, read
an interesting report of the last meet
ing at Washington, of the National
Education Association.
Miss Stella Barton of Augusta took as
her subject, Mature Work in the Lower
Grades, Results Rather than Methods -
She advocated that the teacher should
teach the pupils what they desire to
learn. She thought it was of no benefit
to teach about a dog when the pupil
wished to learn about a squirrel She
said that it was an interesting and i'll
structive feature to combine drawing and
| language lessons with these studies of
nature.
The Influence of the Home in the
School, was the subject of Principal S. l.
Graves of Augusta. He said in part:
The home elements are the first essen
tials of the well-regulated school, and
when we use the word home we mean
home in the fullest sense. If the homes
, of the community are to be made better.
If the next generation is to be better than
this, there are certain fundamentals that
must be established and made general in
the school room. The true function of
the public school is not to teach facts
but to formulate ideas and incite desire
in the heart and mind of the individual
stimulate activities. Home elements in
the school mean harmony between teacher
and pupils, and between teacher and
teacher Harmony in action results in
progress. The soil of the true educational
field is happiness Cheerfulness, patience.
justice-these are the school room trinity.
the underlying unity of which is love-
In the evening, the address on His
tory by Principal w. J. Corthell of the
Gorham Normal school was very inter-
esting. After the address, which was
given in the vestry of the Congregation
church, an informal reception was given
and very pleasant evening was enjoyed
by all.
1t is thought that the next meeting of
the association will be at Augusta.