Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

against these little sins, we cannot do more than scratch the surface of the child's consciousness. Our only hope is to add to this consciousness a positive better element, which shall ally itself with the imagination, the most potent of our auxiliaries, and with the aesthetic capacity, too generally ignored and permitted to run sadly to waste. When these are cultivated, the language-sense too is cultivated, and out of this grow all desirable qualities of spoken speech.

I have never yet observed that much grammatical drill has any other than a repressive influence upon facility in composition-writing. There is a way of linguistic education in which the task of writing a composition shall not be made to appear the chief bugbear of a pupil's work. The written expression of thought usually will be found to lie outside of his linguistic sense; at the beginning this does not reach to it. If there be given him no other tentacles wherewith to feel his way in this strange land than such as Grammar supplies, then is his journey dreary indeed. The writing becomes purely formal, i. e., worse than useless. Who does not pity the youthful composer, blindly groping about, pen in hand, for something to say? Can we not alter all this? Can we not bring our pupils up to composition-writing on the other side, so that he shall be in a manner led by his theme, instead of having to roll it laboriously before him, a dead, inert mass? There is a tentative way, beginning very low and therefore capable of going very high, by which the pupil shall be brought to desire to write his thought. But the beginning must be with the thought. The teacher must be sure that it exists, and in an energetic manner, as a germ if possible of other collateral kindred thoughts, in the pupil's mind, before he sets him the task of writing about his theme.

Much intelligent, interested reading should precede all attempts at original writing. The language-sense will thus be already allured up to the heights which it must command before it can become an unconscious guide to the pen.

RESIGNATION.-A deaf and dumb child was questioned if she knew why she was born thus. The tears rapidly filled the eyes of the afflicted child, but in a moment or two she dashed them away, and, with a sweet smile playing upon her thoughtful countenance, wrote upon her little siate: "Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight."

THE RHODE ISLAND INSTITUTE OF INSTRUCTION.

The twenty-sixth annual meeting of the above association was held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, January 26th, 27th, and 28th. The work of the first day was, so far as we know, an entirely new feature in the history of such gatherings, and we have heard no opinion but of commendation concerning the introduction of the same. The day has been termed "Visitation Day," and was devoted to the presentation, in the several city schools opened for the purpose, of the more prominent school studies, giving, so far as practicable, the methods of study, instruction, and recitation pursued in them, and showing some of the results of the same.

The teachers and pupils of the open schools assembled as usual. The teachers from abroad and of the city schools which were closed, guided by the printed programme, visited such schools as they desired most to see, or as exhibited the branches in which they were specially interested. Prominent among the exercises brought forward, were history, arithmetic, and concert-writing by count, at the Thayer Street Grammar School,- arithmetic, language, and geography, at the Federal Street Grammar School,-map-drawing, language and reading, at the Elm Street Grammar School,—and reading, history, and composition, at Bridgham School, and fine .musical exercises in all the schools, conducted by the efficient Principal of the Musical Department, Mr. B. W. Hood. By an accidental omission in the programme, the High School and the intermediate and primary schools which were open, were not announced as being so, consequently received few, if any, visitors; but the grammar schools were visited by a numerous representation of teachers and school officers from all parts of the State, showing an interest on their part which will bear rich fruits in their schools and communities, in thus buffeting one of the hardest snow storms of the season, to learn of the practical working of the Providence schools.

The above novel and successful feature of Teachers' Institutes, which, we believe, was the suggestion of Rev. Daniel Leach, Superintendent of the Public Schools of Providence, is regarded as a decided improvement upon the quite common practice of exhibiting the

attainments of selected pupils in presence of crowded assemblies in public halls.

On Thursday evening, Professor J. L. Diman, of Brown University, delivered a lecture before the Institute, in Roger Williams Hall, on "Poetry in Education." The driving storm prevented a large attendance, but those who were present listened to a very interesting, instructive, and scholarly production, giving an account of the origin, growth, and workings of the famous English schools, of which Rugby and Eaton may be taken as the type. These schools were of various origin, although most of them had a charitable foundation. The lecturer represented that their educational efficiency lay in their building up character and developing refinement of taste and manners, rather than in the conveyance of book knowledge. The traditions that cluster round these schools, concerning the many eminent men educated there, led the boys to regard them with a kind of poetic reverence. Everything about these schools tends to make men of the boys. The beautiful architecture and all the surroundings mingle poetry with the dry prose of school life,-this fact explaining the request of some who were educated there to be buried in the old school grounds. The lecturer thought that if a large share of our half-starving universities would cease to attempt university teaching, and assume a work within their reach, by imitating these English schools, thus bringing the scholars under poetic influences, it would be the greatest step which higher education has taken in America.

At the close of the lecture, Professor Hibbard, of Wesleyan University, gave some readings, which received hearty applause from the audience. We regarded his recitation of Poe's "Bells,' the finest rendering of that poem which it has been our fortune to hear.

The session of Friday morning was held in the same place as above, and was opened by devotional exercises, led by Rev. Edgar F. Clarke, of Providence.

The address of welcome, by Mayor Doyle, was a most cordial greeting. In the course of his remarks he ranked the teacher's proprofession above all others in importance, and predicted much good to the city and State as the result of this convention.

The response of the President, Mr. A. J. Manchester, was the

happy reply of a live teacher, in which he placed himself and the body of teachers in behalf of whom he spoke, on the broad platform of a free and liberal education for the masses, compulsory if need be; and he spoke emphatically for the immediate establishment of a State Normal and Training School, as the surest means of elevating the standard of public instruction.

After the announcement of certain business committees by the President, the topic of "Causes of Failure in Discipline," was presented and ably discussed by Rev. Daniel Leach, Superintendent of the Public Schools of Providence. His large experience with teachers and schools gave weight to his words. He regarded selfcontrol on the part of the teachers as one of the first requisites. Another important requisite is, that there should be apparently little government in the school room. At present there are too many rules; the fewer there are the better, both for teachers and scholars. It is one of the greatest mistakes to suppose that pupils can be restrained or improved by appealing to their fears. Another very important thing is the manner of the teacher in the school room. teacher's demeanor should be courteous and affable. No child should be discouraged. The teacher should be ready to take every child by the hand and lead it onward in the path of knowledge. When teachers take a pleasure in their work, and, with smiling faces and good nature, enter their school rooms, they will diffuse around them a love on the part of the scholars which will win them to their studies.

A

O. H. Kile, A. M., of the High School, Westerly, was next introduced, and addressed the audience upon the same subject, "discipline." He did not believe in the adoption of arbitrary rules for the government of schools, or the adoption exclusively of any one or two particular systems. Mr. Kyle's address presented many practical suggestions, and received the merited applause of the audi

ence.

The last exercise of the morning session consisted of singing from one hundred pupils from Thayer Street School, under the direction of Mr. B. W. Hood, The exercise illustrated the method of instruction pursued in the public schools of Boston, in the use of the "National Musical Charts," and was heartily applauded by the audience.

The singing of two or three songs was done in a most charming manner, and reflected great credit on their instructor.

The lecture of Professor George I. Chase, of Brown University, was one of the most interesting and instructive addresses that we ever heard in a teachers' institute. It was scientific yet beautifully simple, and highly important for the consideration of teachers. He showed hygiene, as it relates to the duties of the teacher, in the care of himself and his pupils, to be a branch of knowledge demanding his most careful study and attention. His lecture abounded with practical suggestions concerning the preservation of health, and was, at the same time, a model of lucid, straightforward explanation.

The lecture was followed by the reading of a humorous extract from David Copperfield, by Professor M. T. Brown, of Tuft's College. This was done in an inimitable style, and served as a pleasant relaxation from the soberer duties of the day.

The reading was followed by a paper read by F. W. Tilton, Esq., of Newport, on the " Elements of Success and Causes of Failure in Teaching." Mr. Tilton enumerated as among the most prominent causes of failure, want of preparation, lack of sympathy, and lack of the progressive element in teachers. He is the true and successful teacher whose mind assimilates to his calling, and who enters with zeal into the development of youth into men and women.

The reading of Mr. Tilton's paper was followed by the introduction of Hon. Joseph White, of Massachusetts, Secretary of the Board of Education of that State, and the worthy successor, in that office, of Horace Mann, Barnas Sears, and George S. Boutwell. When Mr. White speaks, we soon are made to feel that we are listening to representative words from that good old State, which stands at the head of the educational ranks in this country. Mr. White's remarks were upon the same topic as Mr. Tilton's paper. His ideal of a true teacher was that of a successful business man with certain higher qualifications superadded. We understood him to mean, that business tact was needed for the general management of the school; and aptness to teach, high moral character, and a genial presence, were necessary qualifications to do the work of developing the man and the woman in children. Life's purposes should always be-borne

« AnteriorContinuar »