Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-08-29
IDEAS OF TEACHING.
SECOND DAY OF INSTITUTE AT THE
HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING
PRACTICAL TALKS WERE GIVEN
BY Professors McMurray and Bryan.
Remarks Treated of the PsychoI-
ogy of Habits and Memory and
the Close Relation Between Geog-
raphy and History-Other Fea-
lures of the Session.


High School building yesterday was
lal gely attended and exceedingly inter
esting. Professors McMurray and Bry-
an addressed the assemblage both in
the morning and afternoon and very
clearly explained various methods Of
teaching by which the most fruitful
results may be realized. The pro-
gramme was interspersed by several
vocal and instrumental selections and
each recess was devoted to social en-
joyment.
The morning session began with the
song, Scatter Sunshine" led by Miss
Lucy Robinson, the instructress of mu-
sic in the public schools, while Miss
Lizzie Bickerton, assistant grammar
| teacher of Richie school rendered the
piano accompaniment Prof. McMur-
ray then gave an interesting lesson in
U. S. History. He had a class of fifth
grade boys and girls from Central
| school and his lesson was a story of
| George Rogers Clark questioning the
| pupils He drew on the blackboard a
| binds eye view of the Chic valley and
| elected from the children a historical
| sketch of the capture or attempted
| capture of the British fOrts his trip to
Virginia, the gathering of his army,
and the capture of Kaskasia. At the
conclusion OF Prof. McMurray's talk,
actual work necessary in a school room,
there was a recess OF few moments.
| Then came another song, after which
nearly every teacher responded to the
roll call. Prof. McMurray next took up
the lesson given to the children and ap-
piled it with the teachers as a class.
What are some of the things, he ques-
toned, that occur to your minds to be
gained by historical stories presented
to the children before they use the
book? They should be presented with
CIearness end Simplicity.
He thought the old saying true, that it
takes great man to present these mat
ters most excessively. 1t was not easy
to use language that would be so trans
parent that the meaning should be
quickly and clearly seen in it.
Another talk was given by Prof.
Bryan, who spoke upon the psychology
of habit. His views upon this tcplc
were relative to his remarks OF the day
previous. Habit and suggestion, he
thought, had their roots in the same
locality that is in Inconsistencies,
There were three forms, namely: pas
sive, active and secondary passive
After giving examples illustrating each
he said that there were also three forms
Of attention, corresponding to the
movements, namely: passive attention,
when we attend or listen to a thing in
spite Of ourselves, as in sharp light
ming followed by loud peal of thun-
der, active attention, when we force
ourselves to give attention to things We
do not like; force ourselves to do what
we feel inclined to turn away from.
This would lead to secondary passive
attention. When the acts and move
ments of our bodies and our minds
were made without the least thought
they would become habitual and thus
originated habits. All these habitual
things had their origin in our suD-cCn-
seriousness. or our sub-consCious selves.
We follow and follow, he continued.
the many suggestions that Originated
in the same place and So they become
habits. Habits determined reactions,
and as our habits were, SO were we.
The sailing down'of things done by the
top of the head to-day so that the top
of the head might be used tomorrow
was the
Only Hope for Progress.
and was applicable to bad habits as
we'll as good ones. 1t should not be
thought singular that a man often
forms bad habit and knows it, and
yet does not quit it, remarked Prof.
Bryan, and | think it would be rather
strange if he did quit it. Should this
be true in bad habits, then it would
be the same in good ones, and what
bulwark against evil are good hab-
it's, so it follows. In conclusion, the
speaker pointed out the Importance of
forming good habits that the spiritual
fibre may be clean, This, he thought,
was far above the knowledge gained
from hooks, and hoped that the purity
of the childrens lives would be kept
we'll in mind.
The afternoon session was opened
with the song My Old Kentucky
Home, Good Night" Prof. McMurray
who spoke first, took up the subject
The River Rhine and in connection
with it advanced several very helpful
ideas in teaching. He gave a glowing
description OF the beautiful stream
and the picturesque country through
which 1t passes, referring especially
to four or five of the more interesting
cities in this part Of the old country.
He pointed cut the cities of Cologne
anG Strassburg as being famous for
their cathedrals, and also described
The architecture Af rbnca pdfraac or@