Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-12-31

~ vi
things be urged early.
He also spoke of the importance OF
having the teacher the embodiment OF
these things and having in him or her
the kind of citizen that the scholars
were desired to be. Few could esti-
mate the influence the teachers per
sonality had on the scholars. hence il
was Of the utmost Importance that the
| teacher as the example should be so
far as possible what was being taught.
Nj. Berrys address was strong one
and made Il deep impression on those
listening TO it. The. argument was
/ strong and conclusive and the whole
subject finely handled. y.
After the announcements had been
made and some routine business. trans
/ acted. an adjournment was made I'M
| til = O'Clock in the afternoon.
| In the afternoon the teachers were
pretty we'll spread over the building,
/ three departments. with attending ap-
propriate papers being in progress a,
! the same time. The City hall was de-
voted to the grammar school and was
FIN charge of Principal Herbert Poole
of Bar Harbor- The subject up for
, discussion was geography. Map draw
! Ing, geography as supplementary read
/ ing. the true value of commercial
geography. all came in for their share
of attention and discussion.
Down in the aldermen's room on the
first floor was the department of pri-
mary schools. in charge of Elizabeth
Hall of the Normal Training School
of Lewiston. One of the interestin.
things of this department was the dis
cussicn of nature study. by James Otis
Kaler, superintendent of schools in
South Portland. Mr. Kaler's official
subject was The Use and Abuse of
Nature Study in the Common Schools
and he gave his listeners a very in
teresting time while he held the floor
Some of the modern text books and
methods that are being introduced
were numerically scored He stood fori
TIE oldfashioned method where al
piece of granite or a common stone
from the street was made to tell no'
end of useful lessons. He gave as the
underlying principle not to tell the pu-
pills anything that could not be clearly
demonstrated before their very eyes.
His anecdotes and descriptions of some
methods he had known or heard of
were full of ginger andsahe kept his
audience laughing a Cd share. of the
time. s4s*fz
Eut perhaps the moSf Interesting
place of the three during the after
noon was the council room, i'll charge
of Myron +. Bennett Sanford, as sew
ers.l superintendent gathered there
ana under the skillful handling of
State Superintendent Stetson a very
lively and interesting discussion was
kept up for some time. The rural
schools was the principal subject un-
der discussion and as there were all
sorts of opinions to be expressed there
were few dull moments. There We're
superintendents from all over the
State and che from Massachusetts.
Two ladies We're included in the list
of suoerintendents and they came off
with dying colors in their defence of
the woman teacher in general and of
the rural school in particular Anec-
dotes of the old day in the rural school
passed back and forth that were full
of wit and good-natured repartee and
were mixed with those from the ex-
perience of those present as superin-
tendcnts. Things were lively there and
no mistake. and those taking part in
the discussion never had Il better time
in their lives.
The teachers who had no part in
the program of the day nor any special
interest in the subjects under discus
sion went from one room to the other
as their fancy directed. Sometimes it
was one and then another that was
filled. but you could find good ideas
almost anywhere in the building
There'll doubtless be a lot of forgotten
ones kicking around loose in the build
ing some where after the convention
is Ill over. But the teachers certainly
had q good time in exchanging eX-
pciienccs and telling each other of vic
tories and defeats.
All the teachers came together again in
the City hall for the evening session.
There WAS sprinkling of the citizens of
the city who found the addresses very in
teres,ins. There were two of these sche,,
ule1 fo~ the evening and both We're very
fine. The first was This Profession e
Ours. rs 4. j. Dcmarest, superintendent
of public instruction. Hoboken. n. J. The
second was Seven Lamps for the Teach
er's Way by Frank a. HILL secretary
of the State Board Of Education of Mass
achusetts
These addresses made a fitting close for
a successful and delightful day and ali
the teachers will be out bright and early.
Wednesday morning, for the feast of good
things prepared for the'-day.
Tie opening day was certainly very