The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-04-17

The seventh, and Superintendent
Howell says what will prove the most
successful annual teachers institute
ever held in the city, was opened yes
terday afternoon in the high school
auditorium and will continue until Fri
day
The first session was attended by all,
or nearly all. of the city teachers. and
a remarkable feature OF the afternoon
was the intense, for that is the only
word that can describe 1t, interest
manifested in the talks.
The session opened with an invoca-
ton by Rev. John p. Moffatt, pastor
OF the Washburn street Presbyterian
church. He was followed by Superin-
tendent of Schools Howell, who, in
the absence Of President 3. T. Jayne,
of the school board. made a few in
formal Introductory remarks. A piano
duet, The Dance Of the Demons" was
next admirably rendered by the Misses
Mary Harris and Ella v. Roney. after
which the first speaker. Miss Ruth Il.
Gould, of New York city, was intro
duced.
Miss Gould Is a tall. handsome bru
nette, who looks as If she might have
posed for some Of Charles Dana Glib
sons girl pictures. She spoke on
school Room Decoration" and made a
most excellent impression on her hear
ers. She has eveidently made most
careful study of this subject and seems
to take a genuine delight in telling
what she knows about 1t.
EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENT.
A child's environment while at school,
she contended, is more important to
its mental development than anything
1t learns in the form of lessons. The
question that confronts every intelli-
gent parent when his or her child
enters school, she said, is, "Will the
environment he is now entering be far
beneath him or will it lift him up?"
1t is our duty as teachers to be able
to answer this question by being able
to lift that child into a higher plane.
After Miss Gould's address, there
was a rose drill given by a dozen
young children, attired in white and
carrying bouquets of roses. They went
through many pretty evolutions, un-
der the direction of Miss Sara A.
Jones, of No. % school, who has been
drilling them for some time past.
A model music lesson was then
given by Miss Clara Niemeyer, of No.
2S school to a class of thirty young
sters from that school. They dis
played the results of careful training
and sang very prettily. Their childish
enthusiasm and eagerness completely
charmed all who saw them.
The next speaker was r. c. Net
calf. Of Boston, who Is the supervisor
of language work in that city, and
recognized as one of the brainiest edu-
Gators of the country. He spoke on
Oral Language Work" The fact
that Mr.. Metcalf is from Boston wasn't
mentioned on the programmes, but
one little expression he used soon af-
ter beginning his talk told the OBJ
serving person he was. This was the
use of the word master" instead of
principal when referring to the prin-
cpal OF a school, Where else but in
Boston, that far-famed center OF cul-
ture is this English word used in that
sense.
EXAMINATION PAPERS.
He said that no examination paper
on any subject whatever should ever
be marked without paying attention
to the kind OF English in which it is
written and correcting that also. The
practice of paying no attention to the
grammatical construction of the an
swers to examinations, he said, was
, one Of the worst things possible for
the child's mental dvelopment.
This mornings session begins
promptly at $50 o'clock. but there
will be q Teachers Round Table" at
9 o'clock, at which Mr.. Metcalf will
answer all questions pertaining to his
line of work. This Is held because he
must leave for Boston today and can
not deliver the other three lectures he
was put down for.