THE

Educational Journal of Virginia.

Vol. XXII.

Richmond, Va., February, 1891.

No. 2.

"

[For the JOURNAL.]

The Association, Again.

BY A COLLEGE PROFESSOR.

Glancing at three recent numbers of a certain New England educational journal our eyes see the announcements of "The Fortieth Annual Meeting of the Michigan Teachers' Association," etc.; "Kansas State Teachers' Association-Twenty-eighth Annual Meeting"; Thirty-seventh Gathering of New Jersey Teachers; Thirty-seventh of Indiana; Eleventh of Maine; Sixth of "Associated Academic Principals of New York." Then there flashes through our minds the remembrances of accounts of 'big meetings" of teachers in Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, not many months ago, and-where's our Virginia Association? States whose names even belonged only in the language of wild Indians when Virginia was a flourishing Commonwealth are announcing the twenty-eighth, thirty-seventh, fortieth "annual meetings" of their teachers! Where's our Association? A faithful, wide awake, capable superintendent in Richmond, two indefatigable public school principals in Portsmouth-in fact, voices all around us say, "Coming, and next summer at that." Well, we will not institute comparisons, for we know all about those broad areas of "public lands for school purposes" in the Northwest, wealthy population of the North, the marvelous. prosperity of the New South, and, alas! all about Virginia's bearing "the brunt of the most awful conflict of arms the world has ever seen." One thing we do know, and that is, that although Virginia was the last of the States of the "New South" to "boom," it is universally agreed that her resources are greater, her industrial future more promising, than any other Southern State even. And, bye the bye, we have heard our fathers say that, back in the sixties, when a great political movement was stirring up the whole county, Virginia was the last to take a certain decided step, but when she took it did she lag behind the others? Just so when our Teachers' Association is organized next summer, although we will be the last set of teachers, perhaps, in the whole country to "associate,"

we want to boom educational matters in general, and public schools in particular, until conservative Virginians appreciate the importance of the teaching profession as a profession, and, maybe, bye and bye, show that appreciation in the providing of better schools, better salaries, better everything. We have but one thing to fight in organizing a teachers' association, and that is the ghost of a former one, which shows its graveclothes every now and then.

The necessity of such organization is too apparent to be more than noticed. The doctors met at Roanoke last summer, the dentists at Old Point, the newspaper men at Richmond, and their fellow trumpeters of Virginia's prodigious capacity for everything great, the real estate men, at Norfolk, an Association for the Advancement of Higher Education at the White Sulphur; and now we teachers want to meet, lay our heads together, and encourage the passage of wisdom and experience from one to the other.

The all-absorbing topic of the day is co-operation-co operation among farmers, laborers, boss painters, master mechanics, professional men, railroad presidents-even among nations, as is instanced by the history of recent financial storm; and not long ago a man came down from The Hub and huddled us all together in one big co-operative establishment, where we must take our Mozart as well as our meat "on shares." Without going to this length, we can conclude that Virginia teachers would do well to organize, and we want every teacher or person interested in education in the State to watch this JOURNAL and the daily papers, find out about the meeting to be held next summer, and do all he or she can to further the cause by talking up the movement, as well as by attending the first meeting of the Association at the close of the present school session.

Language-Reading.

BY R. C. METCALF, SUPERVISOR BOSTON SCHOOLS.

What is it? Do we know what we are trying to do when we undertake to teach children to read? We see a man with his eyes fixed on his newspaper, and he tells us that he is reading. What is he really doing?

We go into a class-room and find a boy standing with a book in his hand and calling the words on the printed page so that we who listen can easily understand all that is said. The teacher says that the boy is reading, and we readily consent to that statement.

But what is the boy really doing?

The man is reading his newspaper silently. The boy is reading' from

his book orally. Both are getting the thoughts expressed on the printed page; but the boy not only gets the thought but he expresses it aloud in the words of the book.

Silent reading is getting or gathering thought from a written or printed page. Oral reading is that and something more. Silent reading is getting thought. Oral reading is getting thought and immediately expressing it aloud in the very words of the book or paper.

Nearly all reading is silent. Very few of us read aloud one minute a day. How important, then, to train children to read silently!

How can it be done?

Suppose the teacher puts an interesting book into the hands of the pupils of her class and requires them to read five minutes silently. Now they close the books and tell the teacher what they have read—not in the words of the book-that would be impossible-but in their own words. During the five minutes of silent reading the pupils had gathered some of the thoughts expressed by the writer. Now they clothe these. thoughts in other words-in their own words. Suppose the pupils receive such training ten minutes per day from the beginning of the second year that they go to school to the end of the grammar school course. What power would be gained by the pupils thus trained! After a few years, put a geography or history into their hands and ask them to read for an hour. How easy the work of the pupil after his course of training in silent reading!

It seems very strange that such training is not universal in the schools. And yet I have not seen a dozen such exercises in five years. I have no doubt, however, that many similar exercises are given.

But the teacher tells us that she has hardly time to do well what is now required. How can she do more! Yes, the teacher is right. She has hardly time to do what is required. If she is to do more, some one must tell her how or when.

Once upon a time, a farmer started for market with a load of wood. The horse was a good one and the load was not over heavy. But the farmer added his own weight to the load and from time to time invited others to ride. Soon the good horse was tired. To make matters worse the wheels began to turn hard upon the axles and to cry out as if in pain. Now and then the bystanders gave the farmer some well-intended and pertinent advice. Why didn't he get off, and so rest the poor, weary horse? Why didn't he grease the wheels? But all this advice was rejected-for whoever heard of a farmer walking to market with a load of wood! And as to greasing the wheels, why, he had no time!

Ill-considered requirements, pet theories to be wrought out in the school-room-demands upon the schools for what the church and the home are responsible-all these add a deal of weight to the grievous load that

the teacher is trying to carry. And then if the wise ones, who know all about it, would only step forward and tell how it should be done-O how it would grease the wheels!

One way of helping all along the line is to give just such training as has been suggested. A few minutes each day now will save a deal of trouble by and by.

It is very pleasant to listen to good oral reading. Macaulay was a wonderful writer, because his choice of words was made with so much skill that words and thoughts seemed to make sweet music together. And so it is with the good oral reader. His voice blends harmoniously with the sentiment expressed. The very feeling of the writer finds interpretation and is delicately transferred to the hearts of the listeners.

A good oral reader must have control over his organs of speech. As well might one expect to become expert in the manipulation of the keys of the piano, without practice, as to use his vocal organs with skill without careful and long continued exercise.

May not the teacher save much time and strength by devoting a few minutes daily to the training of her pupils' voices?

See how carefully the good teacher of music insists upon special drill in the use of voice or fingers. See how carefully the teacher of penmanship trains the muscles of the arm, the hand, and the fingers by means of a hundred exercises for giving grace of movement and skill in execution. How such training "greases the wheels" and makes the labor of the teacher less irksome and more successful!

And why may it not he just as wise for the teacher of oral reading to train the delicate muscles that form the organs of speech? Or why should one expect the "wheels" to turn easily when ordinary care has been denied them? May not the dismal sounds which they give out suggest the remedy that may work their cure?

Finally, let us remember that reading is "getting thought." This being true, the thought side of the reading exercise should be made most. prominent. Demand an expression of thought-but not until the thought first exists in the mind. Without this, expression is simply mechanical. Do not ask the pupil to read aloud what he has not first read silently. Let him, at least, have as fair treatment as we should demand for ourselves if called upon to entertain a company by our reading. So called "sight-reading" for children, is productive of more harm than good. "Sight-spelling," if the term may be used to apply to the attempt at spelling unfamiliar words, is an exercise quite as sensible.

And then, when the reading is finished, ask the pupils to tell the substance of the lesson read. They have gathered thoughts; let them express those thoughts in their own words. This exercise is helpful in several ways.

First. The pupil learns that his reading is a special opportunity given him for learning something. The product of his reading is to be demanded of him.

Secondly. In giving expression to the thoughts he has gleaned in his reading he is learning to use his mother-tongue correctly and with facility. Silent reading and oral reading thus bring to us one goal, viz., a good use of English. How much easier our work would be if our pupils could understand good English, and could use it! How our troubles in geography and history would disappear if the task for the pupils was a smooth and delightful path! Even the pitfalls in arithmetic might be shunned could they be illumined by the light of a good understanding of English. Yes, some forethought and a goodly share of common sense will "grease the wheels" wonderfully. Many teachers are now doing splendid work in the class-room. Many more are anxiously reaching out for better methods. All, so far as my observation extends, welcome even the suggestion of a new idea. With this spirit pervading a corps of teachers, progress is not only possible but probable.-Common School Education.

Professional Improvement.

Several years ago a young man who was graduated from college entered upon teaching, choosing the profession because he deemed it a useful one. He was appointed as second assistant in a school where eleven teachers were employed. At the end of a year the first assistant, or vice-principal, left, and this man took his place. At the end of two years the principal left, but the vice-principal was not his successor. When he inquired the reason the school officer said: "You understand Latin and Greek, and so on, but we don't want our principal to teach them, because the classes are so small; we want a man for principal who is a good manager of boys, and don't care much whether he knows the higher branches or not."

This statement, in other words, told the college graduate that they wanted a man who understood pedagogy—a matter he had ignored. He came with pride in his knowledge of Latin and Greek, and was given small classes that were preparing for college; this is a small interest in the public schools of a town of three thousand inhabitants. The principal must meet the demands of a hundred boys who are preparing to go out into the world to earn their living, and possibly that of their parents. This is an immense interest; the whole town feels it. The classes under his charge are large and representative. To manage them well and satisfy the public, a man needs something besides a knowledge of Latin and Greek; he must be able to educate in the broad sense of the term.