Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-12-19

The first session of the Wilmington
Teachers Institute opened Ihtr sdny at
o'clock In the High School auditorium,
under very auspcious circumstances. The
attendance was large. After the call to order
BY Superintendent Twitmyer the audience
sang THE Lord Is My Shepherd" Devo-
tiOnnl exercises were conducted by the Rev.
Frederick W. Dickens lie wis. who read from
the Scriptures and offered prayer Tho audi
cnce then sang Let the Blessed Sunshine
In"
Superintendent Twitn,yer said that the
best speakers had been engaged TO inspire
the tparHers in their work aud hs begged
tier close attention. Prof, Charles H.AlheIt,
state Normal School, Bloomsbury. Pa, was
then introduced to speak on Education and
Unfolding" lie snid;
Tin becoming Convinced that the mean
ing OF education Is changed since the days
OF Locke. Education Is n problem. One of
our deepest thinkers considers that there is
nothing il herpdity but all depends on en-
rlronment, cut do not agree with hin.
child beLinR to 20 TO school before 1t is
horn. DIR. HOLMES said 200 years before.
Children come with many years of sin and
wrong behind them. Education means, in
its higher sense, first oil all in the child. an
llertness of mind. II stands as corner
etune in all school work, ne>t comes skill.
I'm not concerned about where we come
from but where we're going, and that Is the
the child to an onion; First the luver of in
tluenre of the parepts, then brothers and
sisters, the street inference, the Sunday
hOOl influence, then the public school in
RNence and the mary more myers of various
kinds Take the boy out of tic layers and
you have nothing left. Education must pro-
duca in hoy or girl condition of growing
and not growth.
" Edutation IA an unfolding must create
condition of maturing rather than an ac-
ftfNNt az tIs lz.N
schcolroom sins is impatieLce; there's often
too much help given in the desire to have
the puril gain knowledge quickly. Tho
fruit tres proves its life, it has tnken on
condition OF maturity. Everything that
comes into chld's life edueates him for
good or evil. He vetihes in his life what is
taught in the school room. Education must
appeal always 10 the rational side OF spiritual
lie. Whatever IS taught the child must be
50 taught that the act of acquiring 1t will do
more for the child than the thing he is
taught"
Superintendent Twitmyer, in introducing
fOr. W. W. Sletson, Stnte Superintendent
Of Public Instruction, Augusta, Me-, said
that he WINS the Horace Mann of Maine.
Mir. Stetsun sad
lin Maine we hold that to teach we'll more
must result through what one is than through
what one tells. | will spenk of the kind of
culture that will make the arrogance of
knowledge humble In our State we have
worn two words threadbare, inspire and
instruct. Instruct means to build on, in
Fpre II cans TO breathe in and the gr6atesE
thing the teacher docs Is TO breathe into the
child the breath of life. The literary side of
tencher's training is important; they
should know what words mean in their fine,
close, delicate meaning. You can't change
the words of Shakespeare, he had the gift of
perceiying their meanings more than any
one who ever lived. We need a diligent and
persistent study of English words. Think
how far they have come down to us through
the ages. Give the children, a chance to
know these words and then one can under
stand the works OF a master. We need the
ability ~ pull out the pith of what we read.
Zone doesn't need to and can't read all
the books that have been written. Daniel
Webster read Edmund Burke CHsar's Com
mentaries, Shakespeare and the Hible, but
he read them in tie way of a master. Read
but few books, hut read the bucks That ap-
.penl to you. serve you. II you like the world
as 1t Is, read the areat realist, Geotlrey
Chaucer; If you prefer idealistc scenes and
people, read Spencer; il you like humanity
held to view on the stnge, read Shakespeare !;
u you like Inauguration, read Milton and
Hunyan; IT you like grace md Fiction, read
Pope, Addison and Steele; II you like inter
rretus OF nature, read Burns, Wordsworth,
Bryant and Longfellow. These great poe ts
have voiced the sentiments of the world. IL
DE Quincy lived now he would add to his
divisions Of literature the literature OF power
and the literature of knowledge, third che
literature of amusement. Fiction is dnnR0r-
Gus ground. for myself like the metaphysics
OF George Eliot and Nathaniel Hawthorne
Among essayists select two, Plato and
Emerson as the two lights in that circle, and
one other Walter Savage Sander, who had a
Greek hend on English shoulders. Let us
read for ideas more than facts, and above
all let us read, "
recess of 10 minutes was taken, and thcr
Miss lola x. Challant sang solo, LAS
hight Was Dreaming" Miss Frances u,
Young, teacher of pedagogy in the Whining
ton Training School spoke on Motives.
She said:
"lhe question of motives is n most i'm
portant one. Children come into the school
room with corresponding differences II
mental and moral conditions. Snur Il
action IL absolutely necessary. The CUES
lion of the earnest tencheT is how to az pea
TO the child. A knowledge of child Iaturt
Is necessary. The genesis of progress in TIN
individual corresponds 10 tho genesis o
progress IN the race. Man was hrst salts
ted with the comfort OF his animal naturl
and development to present conditinns wa
SLOW. The child comes into the srhoolroon
largely a'seltsh animal. The teacher mus
take the child as she finds him and wal
patiently for results. Heredity and environ
ment are forces to be especially considered
Contending forces war within the chi q
Many poor children in the large cities ar
compelled 10 help provide for the tamil
ana it Is not to DO expected thHt these chill
uren will be in normal condition eithe
phl sicaily, mentally or morally.
"Chiltren will present characteristic
similar to those of their ancestors. i b
yhild's self.ac,t7ity is an unconscious stri =
ing OF his mind for better staie. In
craving must be satisfied Or mental deca
results. he gradual fleeing OF man iron
thongs of ignorance and thu tenching q
sef-activity and control will bring abou
the golden age. Children are eager to Sc
and do and ask questions. Hence thel
activity must be directed to see the pnrpos
il life and the necessity for effort ON hi
part. Let his training assist in his mentt
and moral uplift When teucheI makes
child feel that he has ability, he has hiI
0n the road to success. The right prld
nust be developed in him. The perform
nnce of school routine makes the child le
the dependence OF others on him. Enterin
the school is an entirely new experience
He must respect the rights of others,
grows more thoughtful and mutually helpful
4 Remember that the child is undeyelOpet
surround him with conditions to mai
possible the birth of higher motives.
The audience then sang Onward Marcl
ing, " and superintendent Twitmyer intrI
duced DIR. Lightner Witiuer, professor
yana, WHO talked on Imagination ar
Chlldren's Lie" He said: 1.-The ne
psychology is the old psychology in Il ne
aspect. After images are due to imagin
ton the ability to have after images is
necessary requisite in education and
4 necessary in the training in arithmetic al
Smelling. Imagination is necessary Ia trail
81 ing the memory. There are abnormal chi
= dren who lack ability to hold on o sens
= tions. Imagination cannot be acquired,
is n gift endowed Mt birth you eau noC ri
child Imagination hut you can limit