Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-10-24
Of the Teachers Convention
Crowded With Interest.
Grammar and Rual Schools Subject Of
Forenoon Sessions.
Fine Addresses a Feature Of the Whole
Days Program.

fore. There is no registry, from which
the exact numbers can be obtained,
because in former years the numbers
have been so small that a registry was
not desirable. A few of the numbers,
however, can be given. There are 80
teachers from Bangor, about as many
from Portland, SO from Waterville and
from Brunswick, all the teachers from
Augusta, Hallowell and Gardiner, 80
from Lisbon, II each from Sanford and
Pennington, and 10 from Gorham.
There was considerable difficulty ex-
perienced in getting the forenoon ses-
sons started. The department of
grammar schools was to meet in the
Library, but the room was inadequate.
so the Hall of Representatives was
taken, while the department of rural
schools took the Judiciary room.
The session of the rural schools was
dent Payson Smith of Rumford Falls,
the pfeSluellt Ol Tie uepGI liliCHl. "a
round table discussion of rural schools
problems was opened by a series of 10
minute papers. Supt. A. A. Head OF
Bar HarhOr, had the first paper, on
parental Cooperation" He said that
during the last five years the home and
the school had arrived at better I'M
derstanding, but understanding must
be supplemented by cooperation, if
the best results We're to be obtained,
not only cooperation of teachers and
Pupils, but of parents, teachers and
pupils. With this, there could hardly
be limit to the high and noble inf1u-
ence of the school. He outlined the pur-
poses which teachers should keep in
nina. First to make the purpose of the
school understood. Second to make
the parents realize the Importance of
training at home. Third to make the
parents cooperate for punctuality in
attendance. Fourth to make the par
cnts realize the Importance of keeping
up their own intellectual life.
The next paper was by Miss ATdclle
Tozier of Pressure Isle, on 1.-The Prob
lem of Supervision" The first problem
was that of union schools, in which I'M
willing parents found the most difficult
factor to handle. A second was to keep
the schools property graded, when
parents would keep taking their chill
iren out of school to work at home,
and other Interruptions We're so fire.
quent. Other problems Were caused
by limited means at the disposal of the
superintendent, and still others by
inefficient teachers.
Supt. II. r. Williams of Dover, dis
cussed THE Problem of the Crowded
Program" He thought there was an
advantage in having a full program,
and that there was a tendency to re-
duce the number of classes in the rural
school to that of the city school. The
city school gives too much assistance
10 the pupil, the rural school fosters in
dependence and should not recede from
it.
The first solution of the problem of
the crowded program is course of
study definite and to the point. If we
have no other let us take our State
course and dig out one for ourselves.
We are trying to do too many things.
We should begin with few and do
tiicHi titciooShiS' liz litio ttSiN i'oSu
dividing the school into groups. and
hear classes simultaneously, thus saw
ing tine.
Teachers object to putting different
classes together. Tact might overcome
this difficulty.
THE Problem Of the Small School
was discussed by Lillian I. Lincoln of
Farmington. She spoke in a very
humorous vein and gave some excellent
ideas. She stated that the small school
gave the teacher the best possible op-
portunity to work with individuals,
and described various means of inter-
esting children. One means was to get
the children interested in the life of the
birds, flowers and animals out of doors,
and let them learn more by observation
than from text books
Another thing is that teachers ought
to give them physical exercises, but
not just after recess. The great object
was to keep the pupils so busy that
there would be no time for mischief.
The older pupils should have more
reading. less from the Fifth Reader,
and more from books. She advocated
art lessons and a real interest i'm
geography, rs life, rate and world
study, rather than of prin ed questions.
Somewhere she would want talk on
every interesting subject often. Would
get into all the life of the children
and find out their lines of greatest
power, and try to make the school a
home.
superintendent Myron Z. Bennett,
sanford, spoke on the Problem of the
'feacher He wondered what schools
would look like if all the good ideas Were /
carried out. One of the requisites was
better teachers. He made it point in
MS own town to have as good teach
ers IN rural schools as in the city |
schools He was attempting this by |
paying Normal teachers 81 more than
othef teachers. He emphasized the i'm
portance of reading. He advocated
common sense instead of elocution.
another help was school library,
iid II there was none, to use the sam |