The Republican journal., 1906-10-11
THE TEACHERS CONVENTION.
Meeting of the Waldo County Teachers
Association in Frankfort.

Meeting of the Waldo County Teachers
Association in Frankfort.
The fall meeting of the Waldo County
Teachers Association convened at Frank
fort, Friday, Oct. 8, 1906 There was a
large attendance and much interest was
manifested. The meeting was called to
order by the president, Supt. Fl. W. Files of
Frankfort, and Rev. j. ". Mcneil offered
prayer. A class of children from the Frank
fort schools sang very pleasing selection.
The first paper was given by Principal F.
c. Small of Searsport. His subject, "SchOOl
Government" was handled in Il very inter-
esting manner. Teachers should guard
carefully against making rules that cannot
be enforced. Bad habits. like diseases, are
contagious and little faults should be dealt
with at once to save future trouble. The
whispering habit robs pupils of time, dis
turbs and interferes with the working of the
school. Pupils should not be allowed to re-
port on their own conduct, as it tends to dis
honesty. The teacher should be mild with
the pupils and strive to create an interest
in school work. Teach honesty and win the
comes easy. Music is an elevating influence
in the schoolroom.
Principal W. S. Adams of Belfast gave an
interesting address on "Better Instruction
in English Grammar" A great many errors
made by pupils are due more to careless
ness than to actual ignorance. To be able
to write correctly and conesely IN English
Sc, hot ou ctri,- Moro
time should be devoted to the leading of
pupils to write clear, concise and forcible
English, than to the study Of technical
grammar. Composition work is excellent,
but all such work must be corrected and re-
written to be of any value to the pupil.
Teachers should constantly correct faults
in the spoken language of their pupils.
Technical grammar is of more value If
taken late in the school course and is used
to advantage in High school work in con-
nection with the study of Latin
State Supt. W. W. Stetson, discussed the
same subject at length. Every section of
the country has its own peculiarities of
speech and pronunciation. Have pupils
study words. If we would make progress
we must make study of the words of
which our language is composed. A pupil
should hear nothing but correct and care
full language in the schoolroom. The tone
and manner of the teacher and her form Of
expression has much influence over the
children.
Miss Caroline W. Field of Belfast
spoke of defective hearing in connection
with language teaching. Teachers should
be careful to enunciate clearly. Individual
work is a necessity in the teaching OF
language. President Files, and Principal
A. D. Hayes, of Belfast. spoke briefly on
the same subject.
Principal A. F. Richardson, of Castine
Normal School, gave an interesting talk on
1.-The Recitation" Much preparation on
the part of both teacher and pupil is
necessity. All good sermons are planned
and prepared and recitations should be
likewise. Favorable conditions are also
necessity. Among others, fresh air, COM
Portable rooms, order, not too loud talk
and nothing outside to disturb the mind of
the pupil. Pupils should be led to think
and formulate their own rules.
After brief business session the meet
ing adjourned until afternoon.
During the noon hour an excellent din
ner was served in the church vestry for the
visiting teachers.
At the afternoon session Supt. A. j.
Knowlton of Belfast gave an interesting
and instructive paper on "Applied Physi-
ology."
Miss LenaC Cleveland OF Camden gave prac-
tical talk on cart Instruction in the Public
Schools She described the various steps
in the teaching of drawing, color work, ETC.,
in the different grades and showed excel
lent specimens of such work done by pupils
in the Camden schools.
Supt. Payson Smith of Auburn spoke on
"Some Phases of School Work" He
described typical country school and told
his remedy for the various ills to be found
there. His talk was interesting and practi-
cal.
An interesting paper on practical Work
in Arithmetic and Book Keeping" was read
by Leroy Woods of Brooks.
State Supt. W. w. Stetson spoke enter
tainingly on "The Study Period" The
recitation is being overdone and the study
period largely done away with. The Ba-
tavia system, which restores the study
period, is a restoration of the old fashioned
Maine school at its best.
Supt Ellery Bowden of Winterport gave
an interesting statement of what The School
Improvement League has accomplished in
WinterpOrt.
Four brief but very interesting lectures
constituted the evening entertainment.
Principal A. F. Richardson of Castine
Normal school contrasted the situation in
Maine schools today with that OF former
years and gave some interesting statistics.
Supt. Payson Smith of Auburn spoke on
the School Improvement League and des-
cribed the Batavia System.
State Supt. W. W. StetSon spoke briefly
on the same subject.
Supt. Frank Fl. Damon of Hampden, as
sisted by Principal James Brooks Of Hamp-
den Academy, gave an Illustrated lecture
on the same subject. His pictures showed
the condition of the school buildings in the
rural communities of our country. He also
described the beauty and value of school
gardens.
A brief business session was held and the