The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-28

sufficiently recognized To reconcile
the grade with the individual-that IS
the problem. The assumption upon
which most of our courses are based,
that the same ground must be gone
over by all the pupils in the same time
with the same degree of thoroughness,
is the bane of our public schools today
Miss Nellie Allen of Fitchburg was
the chairman of the grammar section,
which met in Horticultural hall, quite
filling the hall Prof. John L. Riley of
Oxford opened the program, whose
subject was Discipline" Prof. Riley
was followed with close attention. He
thought that teachers should know
each pupil individually, and should
take into account the breakfast each
had been likely to have before coming
to school, whether the child were sutft-
GENTLY clothed, or had too much cloth
ing on and such details. He said he
did not believe that the power to whip
should be taken from teachers, for
there were sometimes children who
were maliciously naughty. Those pu-
pills who determined to. make trouble
should be whipped, but he would have
them whipped justly, on the hands,
and not abuse the pupil. Prof. Riley
said he was in favor Of very mild dis
cipline for all but the perversely trou-1
had cured lad at the truant school in
Westboro from swearing by gentle
talking to and by the use of a pebble
which the boy was advised to carry in
hand
Miss Margaret NJ. Slattery of Fitch
burg made deep impression in her
address on The ideal relation between
pupil and teacher" The two points in
sisted on were the friendship of pupil
and teacher, and the leadership of the
leader. She advised the discipline of
self government, and told how in her
school room she kept book called her
book of friendship. When the new
scholars came to her she asked all who
wanted to be her friend to write their
names in it, thereby establishing
friendly relations with them for the
rest of the year. The teacher ought
also to be leader, like the captain to
an army.
The last speaker in this section was
Principal j. Chauncey Lyford Of the
Winslow street school, who spoke on
History" He compared the old and
new methods of teaching 1.-THE fash
ionable, pictorial, impressionisticI
method with what he called the cumu-
lative, and said that the two must be
co-ordinated. He urged greater char
pupil, for the teachers do not know
very much, and they have the pupils
at a serious disadvantage at best. The
teacher is so accustomed to asking his
own questions in his own way and
never being questioned himself, that he
grows hard and uncharitable
Mr.. Rice emphasized the necessity of
knowing perfectly the songs sung,
spoke of some of the common songs,
nd j1111ctpntnd
method of teaching a song.
The last speaker in this section was
Miss Flora E. Kendall of Fitchburg
who read a paper on Literature in the
primary schools" Miss Kendall said
that what literature meant to the
teacher would determine the value of
her teaching of the subject, and that
unless the pupil was introduced to lit
erature as a little child, grave diff
culties would have to be encountered
later. Education must open the soul,
that the imprisoned splendor might
burst forth, and it is the teachers duty
to recognize in the child the capacity
for enjoying beauty in literature. More
important than methods and devices, is
the teacher She should be a good
story teller and oral reader, that the
pupils may unconsciously absorb from
her diction, noble thoughts and a vo
cabulary STANDARD selections that
will stimulate and appeal to the child,
should be memorized. The teacher,
whether of little children or of young
men and women, can have no higher
ideal she said, than to feed the soul
and furnish food for its nourishment
Let her not be afraid to tell her pu-
pills Bible stories. This need clash with
no ones religious belief, Tell the
beautiful Bible stories. We want them
in Internationally fear to tell them?
In closing, she explained a system of
story telling in vogue in Fitchburg
schools, by which stories accompany
the grades each teacher telling the
stories that go with her grade, but not
those of the grades more advanced than
hers.