Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-11-03
Many Phases of Educational
Work Brought Up for
Discussion.
TWO CLUBS HOLD MEETINGS
Afternoon Devoted { o Depart
mental Programs, with Con-
ferences at School Build
ings and Church.

come out from under the yoke of fixed
/ custom with which Vermont educat ors
! have so long been saddled characterized
all the sesslons of the second day Of tho
flst annual convention OF the Vermont
| state Teachers association. II became
/ more apparent than ever before Ut tho
meetings. OF this body that tho organization
stands for the advanced ideals In the art Of
teaching which are being advocated the
world over In this nge by prominent edu-
/ Gators.
The second days session opened Fri
day morning at nine o'clock In the Sap
,lst Church. At the opening hour tho
! edi.ice was packed and msny stood during
/ the early part Of the exercises.
| The Rev. +. u. PENNEY. pastor Of the
church. conducted the devotional exer-
cises and music was furnished by the
/ hoys' choir from St. Pauls Church. under
the direction Of Organist Guy n. Hull.
THE FEELINGS IN EDUCATION.
! Three OF the principal lectures Of the
convention were delivered at the morning
session The first speaker, Miss Mar
garet Slnttery, well known lecturer who
! needed no Introduction. was received
with warm applause 1t is always a
| pleasure to listen to Miss Slsttery. She
invariably has something original as we'll
! rs instructive to offer her hearers and
her lecture yesterday morning was no ex-
/ ception to this rule. The subject Of her
address was The Place of the Feelings
/ in Education"
The speakers message TO the VISIT
ing teachers was in substance that
/ teaching In pat of
parting to youth so many rules from
a book, regardless Of the character Of
the boy or girl who Is trying to learn
those rules. The great forces Of the
child's nature, said Miss Slattery. must
be touched. The, stream Of feelings
in the child, including the emotional
and physical must be discovered and
thon walled in by careful training on
the part Of the teacher. This maxcs
The great man and the noble woman.
Miss Slattery touched upon tho mys-
FERROUS ways In which our knowledge
OF things comes, She spoke OF the
different meaning that the same word
might have to different minds. II is
the importance of the word concepts
given the child that rests with the
teacher In fact this means the Who'll.
Of education.
! The speaker told the teachers that
they must be able to see the good ma
tcrial in boy or girl. to stir thoir
desires. in order TO get results E,v-
cry boy and girl intends. to be good.
/ r ne speaker said she had never yet
found a child that really intended to
he bad. The deepest fountains that
awaken desire. she said must be
touched in order to fnd the best in
children.
It is not the child that is always
proper. that always does the right
thing at the right time that needs at
tention. II is the child that needs 10
have his good qualities, his desires
discovered that is the real test Of thu
teacher and of the educational sys-
tens of to-day.
Seemingly bad boys, said Miss Slattery.
may be made to care by being interested
or by being suddenly told that they are
worth something In the world.
| The educators of to-day are tied. avered
| the speaker, in a thousand ways There
are the ironclad programs that must he
followed the unsympathetic person who
wants to see results regardless Of the
means. employed; the mothers who be-
| lieve that Johnnie can do no wrong.
and in many other ways.
| Finally, the speaker urged her listeners
| to look more to tho cultivation Of the in
| dividual desires OF the children in their
| charge. Well balanced teaching. she said.
was not accomplished until tho teacher
| enters upon her duties with determine
| ton to work with her heart as well as
| with her head
SYSTEM AND INDIVIDUALITY
An address that followed original lines
and one that was thoroughly appreciated
by tho teachers was that delivered by
Superintendent r. f., spaudins OF New
| ton. Mass. who took for his subject "Sys-
tenn and Individuality" Tho talk by Mr..
Spauldns was given IN the form OF an
| imaginary visit through one OF our mod
! ern schools Of to-day. Its main purport
was to show that much Of the educa-
| tional system Of to-day Ii hampered by
ironclad regulations; too many classes
and in many instances. poor teachers. VIC
tins OF the methods Of the present day.
The speaker drew n mental picture OF
| the interior OF modern school where
| everything moves in cut and dried fash
| lon regardless of how the pupils survive
or fall by the wayside in their studies.
Mr.. Spaulding pictured one OF those APP
| preaching examination periods through
| which everyone has passed. The over
| worked teacher who has labored 10 mi
part enough OF the subject TO enable the
| members OF the class to get through the
nervous strain OF the examination ana the
utter despair when nearly all In the class
fail. Then the whole subject must be
gone over again. second examination
Is held and perhaps a few pass. the re-
suit, not OF a better understanding OF the
subject, but OF better preparation Tor the
examination.
The speaker scored the system OF pass
Ing pupils along to a higher grade after
they have spent the required time In the
lower classes. regardless OF whether or
not they have improved.
Who is responsible. asked the speaker
for the men and women, who 40 out into
the world handicapped by habits OF fall
ure' The mechanical courses OF study
and the machine-made program, claimed
the speaker. are responsible.
The speaker drew attention to he sys-
tenn OF paying teachers by schedule re-
gardless of their ability, Many Of the
poorest teachers, he said. were receiving
n maximum salary Whine some OF the
most efficient ';ere only receiving a pit
tsnos.