The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1915-11-23
Teachers, INSTITUTE

Boyce, stationer. ad
Teachers Institute.
The Burlington County Teachers In
stitute closed on Wednesday after a three
days meeting. the results Of which were
satisfactory to those who
were employed to give the teachers in
struction, but the question whether any
real benefit was derived was not settled
All of the scholars in the
county were delighted at having three
days vacation, with two more to follow
this week, owing to Thanksgiving, but
the teachers were quite divided, some
voting the affair of great interest and
the others declaring it to be
tiresome, useless and expensive, many
being Obliged to come from their homes
at distance and pay their board while
here.
Speaking on experiences in school
management, assistant commissioner
of education John Enright said that he
would place pupils on their honor when
circumstances would permit and let
them work out their own salvation in
naming amends for misdeeds. He
does not believe that ordinary condi-
tons call for the iron hand to make
the proper kind of correction.
8 T. D. Sensor, secretary of the state
board of examiners, spoke on summer
schools, which furnish the foundation
for the subject that is nearest his
heart. He said that there is necessity
for teacher training in order to pre-
vent spelling of the material found
in every public school room. 1t is his
idea that the teachers owe to them
selves the kind of tonic furnished by
the summer schools, as they are apt to
go backward if they do not take some
steps forward. He believes in parent
teacher associations and thinks they
will do much good in solving problems
arising between pupils and educators.
If his plans can be carried out he will
have at Ocean City summer school
where practice teaching will actually
be done, and he hopes that members
of parent-teacher associations will be
there to observe the work and suggest
any improvements that might come to
their minds.
DIR. George D. Strayer, of the teach
ers' college, Columbia University, had
some important information about
types of teaching. He said that the
most valuable sort of knowledge is the
kind developed by broad problems that
require thinking on the part of the
pupils. He considers it the duty of
every teacher to go over the lessons
and point out the object of study; the
child will then know what it is expect
ed to reach and when the study is over
it will be properly prepared for its
work The best way to study and get
results, he said, is to have the sense of
the subject before the memorizing
stage is reached; the child will get it
easier and better and the teachers
work will be simplifed. The teacher
must not stand in the way of her pu-
pills, as the biggest teacher is the one
who knows when to get out of a child's
road.
DIR. Calvin N. Kendall, commissioner
of education, would make every teach
er have an aim or purpose in teaching.
Very often, through teachers neg
lect, children will not do what they
should do. Pupils, and sometimes
teachers, will have lazy minds, and a
lazy mind is so vacant that it does no
thinking. Too often teachers aim at
nothing and hit it.
A plea for stimulation of the in
dividuality of the child was made by
DR.. j. ]. Savitz, superintendent of
schools at Westfeld. He said that in
dividuality should not be suppressed.
Much depends upon the attitude of the
teacher toward the child in determin-
ing whether their school work is a
success. Teachers should be quite as
much interested in the child as in its
studies, and at no time should the real
child in school life be turned aside.
q. E. Scott, assistant commissioner
in charge of elementary schools, told
the teachers that they should interest
themselves in the fundamentals on
which child life and study are based.
They should look to the play as well
as the mental activities.
John C. Stone, of the state normal
school at Montclair, talked about num-
Der work and said that he approved
he method of teaching arithmetic by
object lessons. He went so far as to
'ay that the arithmetics that made the
present day mathematicians should
'e relegated to the rear or the waste
Otis M. Hall, of the Kansas State
agricultural College, gave two inter
sting lectures on Wednesday on the
onsolidation of rural schools. Both
we're illustrated and his whole pre-
entation made big impression. In
resenting his views on this subject,
e said that better results will be OBJ
aimed all along the line through
of country educational |
FORK. Expense, time and effort will
e saved and the children will get the
enefts of the improved system.
A. B. Meredith, assistant commits
Toner of education in charge of sec
ndary schools, insisted on having the
sachers study the mental activities of
child and in that way better prepare
for the physiological side
{ their vocation. A child will always
ecome more interested if it can see
lie object of its study and the teach
: should know how such object is to
: explained to have the child's mental
'ndition properly applied. 1t is nee
'sry to send child on certain path
it is to acquire the right kind of
nowledge.
Miss Lillian M. Kreiner, of the
ate normal school at Newark, spoke
l elementary compositions and said
lat it is always desirable to take
lmiliar subjects; the children will
len come closer to giving skillful APP
ication of the kind that will be pleas
g. She conveyed the thought that
lildren must be looked upon as some
ing more than machines to grind out
hat may have been improperly pour
into them in the raw state.
On Tuesday and Wednesday sec
onal meetings were held and through
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