The Portland daily press., 1898-12-22


mending it to you.
Miss Alice I. Evans of the Emerson
school, Portland, then under the suplecv
Period Of the Revolution" told how 9 No
would teach a grammar school class 1ne
lessons of that time. In order to MAKE
her ideas clear TO her hearers, Miss Evans
read carefully prepared paper on the
Revolutionary Period and indicated how
she would point out the causes OF the
events. as well as the time and place.
Thus she would show how the French
aud Indians were by removing the wear
of the colonists of the danger of French
invasion fastened the time when they
dared think of armed resistance. So, in
the same way, she would show that the
prompted by the roughs of the town, but
was engineered by mature and thoughtful
men as means of showing that they
would not relinauish the principles for
which they stood, that there should be no
taxation without representation. These
and many other matters Miss Evans
brought to the attention of her hearers,
concluding with one which is timely in
view of recent events. She said that in
the teaching of the history of the Revo-
lutionary period the teacher should inn
press the fact on the minds of the pupils
that the Revolution was not war of the
English people against the Arnericsn, but
government against another, and that as
there were tories in America SO many an
English heart rejoiced when the colonies
secured their freedom.
Miss Mary e. Kilby of the jackson
school, Portland, continued the topic,
speaking on ''the period of development
of the state" and pointing out that the
principles underlying the events of the
country's history should be taught in
connection with them. For instance, the
pupil studying tariff history should be
given clear conception of the difference
between direct and indirect taxation; the
history of wars should include proper
idea of their causes while the old
fashioned description OF battles one of
which reads like every other, should he
omit tted and as to dates, the important
ones should be used as means for group
ing events relating to the same topics.
Next the grammar school section of the
much named society began the considera-
ton of drawing in conneotion with
nature study and Mr.. 81. W. Shaylor,
teacher of writing and drawing in the
Portland schools showed that man may
do two things at the same time and do
them we'll, for Mr.. Shaylor drew pictures
on the black board while he talked wisely
and entertainingly. He told the tsa,hers
that manya boy thought to be Ounce be-
cause of his ignorance in the schOol-room
was in his hours of truancy student Oh
nature. By study of nature in the
school room, Mr.. Shaylor believes that
the truant list may be shortened and If
interest was aroused in the wonders OF
nature many boy and girl might prefer
to stay at home with pencil and water
color rather than to seek amusement in
the streets after niahtfAll. How drawing
aids in nature study, Mr.. Shaylor ex-
planned by showing the ease with which
pupils may be taught to draw leaves and
flowers, his illustrations being supple
mented by the samples exhibited of the
work done in the Portland schools. The
session of the grammar school section
closed with an address on "Grammar in
Grammar Schools" by Robert G. Metcalf,
supervisor of schools. Boston.
During ths session of the grammar
school section. the other divisions were
considering the following programme:
High School Section, Council Chamber,
President, 81. e. Cole, Princip al Bath
High School.
Discipline as Factor In Education
Principal B. q. Harrington, SkoWhegan
High School.
Sight Work in Language Study Princi-
pal G. d. Libby, Lewiston High School.
Professor Fl. l.. Chapman. Bowdoln
College. -,
School Athletics-Principal J. Il. Nell
son. Waterville High School.
Primary and kindergarten Section,
Representatives Hall. President. Ade'
IaIde v. Finch, Principal Normal
Training School, Lewiston w.,
The Kindergarten-Miss Virginia VIII
son vans, Kindergarten, Lewiston.
The Relation Of the Kindergarten to the
Public School-Miss Mary S. Snow,
Superintendcnt Schools, Bangor.
The Spiral Plan OF Teaching Arlthme5lo
Mr.. W. G. Crawford, Sub Master All
ston School, Boston, Mass
Vertical. Writing-Mr. Albert W. Clark,
Melrose, Mass. formerly of the Fitch.
burg State Normal SCHOOL,
UNCLE SOLON'S LOOK AHEAD.
While it may not have possessed the
| value as contribution to pedagogics of
some of the other addresses of the day, it
| is probable that the speech made by
Uncle Solon Chase. the sage of Chase's
Mills will linger in the minds OF the
teachers after many of the other things in
the programme have been forgotten.
Uncle Solon made his speech at the after
noon session, his subject being the schools
of 1875. Hon. James W. Bradbury, who
was to have spoken on the schools OF 1879,
was unable to be present owing to illness.
| The schools of today were discussed by