The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-01-23
PLEA TOR THE CLASSICS
PUPILS MUST LEARN A FEW
VERY THOROUGHLY.
In Preference to Extensive Course
Which as Not Properly Understood.
Meeting of Teachers Association.

The Honolulu Branch of the Terrific !
rial Teachers Association of Hawaii |
held the first meeting of the cen
fury IN the high school last evening
The papers and talks were of general !
interest and the hall was well filled.
Edgar Wood, president of the Normal
school, read the first paper. 1t was en-
titled The Place of Imitation in Edu-
cation Mr. Wood gave the observa-
tons of Preyer and Darwin showing
the value of imitation in education. 1t
was MIR. Woods opinion that ali the
technique of thought expression in lite
nature is acquired by imitation Imita-
ton has place in the teaching of read
ing, but here it is frequently Incorrect
ly used So, in teaching language. The
child must initiate the written form
but he should do this only under the
impulse of thought struggling for ex-
preston. Spelling occupies a place and
should be taught as a part of writing
and not from a spelling book.
IN music as in literature the thought
should precede the learning of the tech
nlque. The great German composer,
Richard Wagner awoke from a long.
and serious illness. filled with the desire
TO talk to the world by means of music.
lie strove but failed because he did not
know the mediums of expression bv
which his thought could be communi-
Gated. These he learned from another
ana was thus able to give to the world
many thoughts, beautifully espresso /.
MI. wood closed by saying that in art
as in music the technique Is bound by
imitation but always under the i'm
pulse of thought
The second number on the program
a paper on THE Vision of Sir Launfal"
was read by 5. p. French, principal of
the Punahou Preparatory school. Mr.
made Of
set forth in Lowells wonderful poem.
lie quoted freely from "The Vision of
SIR L2unfal" and gave to the audience
the most beautiful gems in the poem
MI French handled the subject in an
ape manner, and all who listened to
ms paper felt that it was a literary
treat Mr.. French said that he consid-
eIed TINS poem true American classic
Inc study of such classics he asserted
prepare our boys and girls for life. MIR,
french dWelt particularly on the pre-
paratlon for true citizenship which pu-
pills can get from this poem.
a boys double quartette from the
Kamehameha school sang an excellent
hawaiian selection which was greatly
appreciated by the assembled teachers
M NJ. scott, principal of the Honolulu
HlSh School then opened a discussion
on The Value of Complete Classic
MASTER pieces in the Common Schools"
story by the human race. He began
with the story as told by father to SON
ages before the art of book-making was
understood. THE stories which have
stood the test of time" he said make
up literature"
Pilgrims Progress - "Pobins.~
Crusoe." The Building of the Shin =
and The Chambered Nautilus" were
some of the classics considered best nv
the pupils in one class that Mr.. Scott
mad visited recently. He Drayeth best
VINO loVeth best All things both great
ana small, was a classic quotation
given by Mr. Scott who said that such
gems are highly appreciated by chill
dren. The Golden Apples" which
grew in the garden of Hesperides and
the Great Stone Face" are two classics
which appeal to the best in childhood
Inc poems and stories which are the
survival of the fittest" are the mental
1000 which we should give to our pu-
pills. Pa
MT. Scott said that too MANY scrans
were given to children through books
ana newspapers. Stories as a whole
should be given in order that children
may get the story the continuity, and
the literary inspiration 1T is better
10 avoid scrappiness," said Mr. Scott.
give the children one play from Shake
speare, teaching it thoroughly one Ii
terary masterpiece we'll learned is bet
Ter than hundred merely attempted. :"
Teachers are 'faddists' and thew
don't hold on long enough to ANYTHING
good. They go from one thing to an
other without successfully completing
any one thing. | believe in accepting
new ideas, but I do not believe In ex.
Guiding the good old classics from edu-
cation"
1t is never too late to begin. Cato
learned Greek at eighty years of age,
Darwin devoted forty years of his life
10 acquiring literature. Tyndell's treat
ment of the Gulf Stream is classic. II
is pure literature"
Mr.. Scott was followed by d. c. Little
! temporary principal of the Royal school
VINO took up the first chapter of Nc
Murry's Special Method in Reading"
and discussed it at length. He said
that he did not agree with McMurrv
Tor the reason that the classics sugges-
| ted were much too difficult for the chill
! dren OF Hawaii. Mr.. Little said he was
! not prepared to state just what classics
We're best suited to the children of this
Territory, but The problem would prob
| ABLY be discussed at future meetings OF
| the association.
The meeting closed with an excellent
Hawaiian selection by the Kameha-
meha quartz