The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-08-29

TEACHERS. ].
INSTITUTE \ )
Avery Interesting Second Days SEES
sion-Prof. McMurray's Talk on +
United States History.
THE PsYcHoLOGY OF HABIT
As Revealed in an Entertaining Lee
ture by Prof. Bryan-The
Matter Of Memory.

The Wheeling Teachers Institute
opened yesterday with singing, Scat
y.ter Sunshine led by Miss Lucy Robin
son, Instructor OF music in tho Wheel
ling schools, with Miss Lizzie Blckerton,.
assistant grammar teacher Of Richie
school. J at the piano. The song was
sung with q iSill by all the teachers.
Professor McMurray gave aslesson on
4 United States history, us he announced
yesterday. he would do. He had a
class Of, fifth grade boys and girls from
Center school, His lesson was the story
of George Rogers Clark. Questioning
! the pupils as he related the story, u.s.
ling the board he drew a birds eyesview
! OF the Ohio valley at the time OF the
opening OF the story. and drew from the
/ children the historical sketch OF the
capture of the british forts or their at
tempted capture. II. E
y Second, his trip to Virginia.
Third. gathering of his army.
Fourth, capture OF Kaskaskia. E
The entire lesson was full; OF interest
and all felt that they were being treat
B ed to the actual work Of the school
room.
+ After a short recess the roll was call
ed, nearlysevery teacher answering MS
the names were called. Prof. :McMur-
ray took a few minutes to the applica-
tion OF the lesson given to the children,
using the teachers as class with
which to do It.
what are some OF the things that
occur to your minds. to be gained by
history stories given to children before
they use the book?' he asked. Is
Il. They must be presented with alb
Holute Sclearness and simplicity. The
old saying is true that 1t takes a great
man tosprcsent matters clearly and
simply. It Is aot an easy mat.er.to use
language that will be SO Transparent
!, that the meaning shall be clearly seen
in It.
2. Each point must be complete.
With these two points the lesson
closed for the present. To-day 1t Will
be continued.
Professor Bryan followed In a very
interesting talk on the psychology OF
habit. This was n continuation OF yes,
4 terday's talk. Habit has its roots Just
where suggestion has its roads, |. G., in
b-consclousness. There are three
forms of movement, viz. passive. &C.
7 tive and secondary passive. He gave
interesting examples TO Illustrate each.
There arc also three forms OF atten-
tom which correspond to the move-
! ments, viz. passive attention. /. C.,
when we attend to a thing or listen TO
a thing in spite OF ourselves, as In
sharp lightning followed by the loud
clap OF thunder. +:
.: Active attention when we force
ourselves to pay attention to things we
have no liking for; make ourselves to
do what we are not naturally Inclined
to do. 1t takes the most active kind OF
active attention. This may lead; It will
lead to secondary passive attention.
When all the nets and movements OF
our bodies and our minds are made
without any thought they become hab-
itual, and hence habits. They are salt
ed down. MS It were. in ourselves. They
become part Of ourselves: we have
them as 1t were. and hence habit. All
these things that make up our habito
have their origin in our 'sub-conscious-
ness, or our sub-conscIous selves. We
follow and follow the many suggestions
that have their origin in the same
place until they become habits.
The sum total Of your reactions In
life tells what you are. Your habits
determine your reactions and as our
habits are, 30 are We. The only hope
for progress Is this: that the things
you do with the top OF your head to-
g day be sailed down so that you can
use the top Of your head tomorrow for
something else. This applies TO bad
habits, as well as to good ones. We
often say when man forms a bad
habit and knows Il. Il is strange that