The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-02-28
N.E.A. MEET ENDS;
DELEGATES LEAVE
CITY BY HUNDRED
Virginians Figure Largely In
Important Discussions of
Closing Day--"The Keynote
Method"

eSatGS, VINO mad attendcu ne Gob'eH-
ton of the u. l.. a. in Richmond dur
ing the week, began early yesterday
and every train took a. few or a num-
Der of those who had bee attending
he sessions away from the city.
BY this morning, but "a very few or
the hundreds who have thronSed the
hotel Hobbies and the convention looms
during the week remain and most or
these will leave by early trains on the
Hampton excursion, some OF them TO
return here, but a great number to
continue their way toward home. The
annual convention of \. T.. A. IN Rich
mond ;s about over. 80 far as the con-
ventionists themselves are concerned.
Their thoughts now turn toward Gin
einnati where the association Will meet
next year. but the meeting has left
it's stamp on the city and the memory
Of il will remain for many "a day.
The usnai number of sessions Of
the convention were scheduled to~
yesterday. but the meetings were If
importance only IL these who were
especially Interested i: the par.icu 3.
lar topics discussed. and as a great
many of the delegates had left she
city. and as the sessions were closed
TO the general public neither of them
was attended by a large audience a
HNfUpst III plEiifttsl4k A'A -
however. spoke along varied lines
and their remarks appeared 10 carry
considerable weight 10 those OF the
educational fraternity who attended.
Two meetings which were prooaoly
the most important from general
viewpoint were those ,Ae} ~a4s-s iae. Mt
tlo8al Council OF Teachers of Eng
iIsh both being acid n no jefferson
hotel auditorium one in he afser-
a M fefhec in sSa
Professor Charles w. Kent and Pro
fessor {. Alpnonso Smith, both OF
the faculty Of the University VI Viz
ginia, were among the speakers who
addressed these meetings
The Keynote Method.
Professor Smith. who spoke during
the evening session, chose as his sub
lect. The keynote Method in Lit
erature." and his remarks expressing
the new viewpoint of teachers in this
eharactcr OF endeavor were followed
closely by the several hundred who
s.,a--sa satA-esa It, ss-stfaitttsa fiE en-
ssaaas5zed she necessity of allowing the
student 10 think for himself. and to
develop ideas OF his own from the
work bNng studied. rather than hav-
ing the ideas of the professor fos-
tered upon him
In part. DT. Smith said: Every
teacher of literature needs TO set him
self like flint against the current doc
trine that literature is q mere pas
time, n mere diversion. "a mere enter
tainrent. AS things now stand almost
the last question pat 10 a pupil is
What does this poem mean as a
whole :" What is tho great underly-
ing thought But the real question
which presents Itself is the keynote.
a method which goes from the center
outward. not from the circumference in
ward. This keynote should he struck
before the pupil reads The poem, Just
as keynotes are struck before the mu-
sic is played. and the deeper question
which is presented the teacher is What
shall / say to the pupil before he has
read, tha SaieEtteHs. ard not 'Aw nar gBarI
say TO him while he Is reading il ar
after he has read it,
DR. Smith continued by dividing all
literature into two classes STORY" and
song He first took up the song or
poem SrtvTsIon and began with the sug-
scsttyr principal which OF human ma
ture which the poem illustrates. IN
this connection DIR, Smith suggcs led
that tic teacher draw on the pupils or
serSation and experience for illustration
and have him tell or write n story of
his own. based on the same principle
AS that OF the poem which &c is study
ing After this he said the poem should
H. taken Lp without more preparation
ara the Iapsi will carry away with
tlm q 81 rmanent thought which viii
grow with his. own experience.
The speaker aInplified his address
with many examples of how the pu-
pills interest could he aroused and
among other things suggested that
II IL were possible. the attempt should
be made 10 have him write story
similar to Robinson Crusoe before
h.a had "A jtn mao al
of Rip Van Wrinkle. laying the time
of the latter between 1890 and 1850.
while railroads. telegraph and srans-
atlantic steamers made their appear
ance. In this connection he suggest
ed that a talk with the pupil relative
to a persons attitude toward his
fellowmen would be very valuable be-
fore taking up the study of the Wis.,
ion o Sir Launfai.
This. in a, way, is striking at the
Keynote said Dir. Smith and the
Same holds true with song literature"
More Attention to English.
Professor Calvin l. Lewis was the
first speaker to address the meeting
as Philander C. ClaXton, United states
Commissioner OF Education was, un-
able to reach the city in time to make
the address as scheduled. Professor
Lewis treated his subject. 'The Ne
elected aspect OF English. fnilS ana
called attention to the need for more
careful study of the mother tongue
He said that the subject was too fire.
quently neglected by students and
by example showed some of the many
mistakes constantly occurring in thet
use of the more ordinary and COM
mon words.
AT the afternoon session DR.. Charles
w. Kent. of the University of Virginia,
addressed the council OF teachers on
the future of the national council, and
predicted that the work OF that tody
would steadily improve and grow to
ever increasing value.
Among other speakers were. Charles
w. Kent. c. G. Certain, birmingham,
Ala; Elizabeth g. Barbour. Louisville.
Ky: James Fleming Hosic, Chicago:
E. II. Kemper McComb, Indianapolis,
Ind: John II. Cox. University of West
Virginia, Morgantown, VIVA.
The meeting was held in the audi
forum Of the Jefferson during the
morning under the commission on the
al secondary education
and featured by several addresses by
men OF note. among them Henry Neu-
mann. New York, N. VI. and James n.
McCurdy. Springfield, Mas