Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-09-01

GRANME.
AT the usual hour yesterday morning
the institute was opened with deyotlonal
singing. The roll was called by MISS
Reppetto, after which a familiar
Round" was proposed by Prof. Ham
mond, who has conducted the music Oh
the institute All joined in the singing
most heartily, under Mr.. Hammond's
leadership.
DIR. Gilbert was the first speaker OF
the morning. He spoke at some length
upon matters of gradations promotion
and classification, saying; In scnools
where we have large numbers OF chill
dren of various ages and abilities,
there must be some system of grading.
However out of this necessity nave
grown many evils, and teachers and
school authorities should resort to every
means to alleviate these evils. During
the first five years of child's lie, MS
development is marvellous, because ne
is free and is left to natural methods.
But often on entrance into the scnooi
his development seems to stop, because
of the artificial methods brought to bear
upon him. Learning, like everything
else, to be well done must be done Win
interest. When eagerly seeking an end,
you attain it, but no one can force you
to it. The measure of value in teaching
is the amount of interest aroused IN the
learner, not in the teacher.
"How can you measure the devel-
opment of the child?' Can it be meas
ured in per cent? No; it is impossi-
BILE to measure mental things by the
mme means that you would measure
material things. The whole system OF
marking has moral bearing. 1t In
wolves two things: rewards and pun
ishment, making prigs of the bright
pupils and discouraging dull ones, and
II substitutes false ends for real ones.
In the race for per cent, scholarship IS
frequently sacrificed for marks IL Is
an immoral thing to work for second
ary aims. Investigation is the spirit
of the true school, and the best instruc-
ton comes from an interplay OF MIND
between child and teacher. which IS
checked by the marking system. NO
child is going to display his ignorance
by INQUIRIES that will cause him to lose
marks. He will rather be silent, leav-
ing the teacher in darkness as to his
needs"
Concerning the matter of promotion,
il was advised that teachers do away
with per cents entirely and let the pro-
motion be based upon judgment OF the
principal and teacher. A valuable sug-
gestion was made concerning pupils
who are not fitted to their grades. 1t
was thought very discouraging thing
for boys and girls whom circumstances
have kept back to be classed with chill
dren much younger than themselves.
These matters being of particular Inter
est to the teachers, this talk was re-
garded as one of the most helpful.
Prof Moss talked upon the Herbar-
tian System of Pedagogy. Herbart, a
contemporary of Pesrtalozzi, was strong
both in theory and practice; a philoso-
pher like Kant; a pedagogue like Pes
talozzi He considered at some length
what he would call Steps Of Failure. !"
IA lack of interest. ia lack of
attention. III.-Much repetition. ".
Poor thinking. unavailable
knowledge. The true teacher will go
after the uninterested pupils, the inter-
ested ones will take care of themselves.
Each step is the natural outcome of the
preceding one. What is the remedy?
First we must determine what is the
end of education. 1t is not knowledge
of any kind, but is character. The end
determines the means, and the teacher
must work for results. That will be
seen in the life of the child.
Superintendent Anderson made some
announcements with regard to Fair
s------------------------