Essay Mrs. R. Sampson. Essay-Miss Jennie Lauderdale. Following the above programme, a Normal Institute was convened at Dyersburg, Tenn., June 15, 1885, and was concluded June 22. The instructors did the work outlined for them on the programme. Of the lecturers appointed, Dr. D. J. Smith performed his part. Of the essayists, much is worthy of being said, for all performed their duties well. In addition to lectures arranged for beforehand, State Superintendent Thomas H. Paine lectured on "The Public School System," Frank M. Smith on "The Old School and the New," A. P. Bourland on "The Language we Speak.” The Kindergarten of Miss Trousdale was of special attraction and profit to every one present. Especial mention should be made of the fact that successful steps were taken to build an elegant and commodious schoolhouse in the city; one night was devoted to a mass-meeting for this purpose. At the close of the meetings, Hon. Tom W. Neal, H. Parks, Jr., and other leading citizens, made strong speeches, indorsing the work, and urging the necessity of the State furthering the efficiency and extension of these Normal Institutes. FACULTY STATE NORMAL INSTITUTE-JACKSON, TENN. Thos. H. Paine, State Superintendent, Nashville, Tenn. Frank M. Smith, Superintendent Jackson Schools, President and Instructor in School Management. N. T. Lupton, LL.D., Vanderbilt University, Professor of Agricultural Chemistry. W. R. Garrett, Montgomery Bell, Teacher of Geography and History. A. P. Bourland, S. W. University, Teacher of English. L. T. M. Canada, S. W. University, Teacher of Arithmetic. Miss Fannie Harper, Jackson Schools, Teacher of Primary and "Quincy" Methods. LECTURERS. Prof. Geo. W. Jarman, LL. D., S. W. University. Prof. George Jones, M. C. F. Institute. Prof. P. H. Eager, Brownsville Female College. ESSAYIST. Miss Nonie Bond, Jackson City Schools. The institute convened at Jackson promptly at the appointed time, and continued for one week. Excepting Prof. L. T. M. Canada, all of the Faculty were present, and performed their assigned work. Prof. Scofield gave a series of profitable talks on Reading. Prof. George Jones, Mr. J. G. Cisco, Dr. N. T. Lupton, Gen. A. W. Campbell, Capt. W. R. Garrett, delivered attractive and instructive lectures. Hon. D. L. Murrell and others commended the work highly in public addresses. Many were the praises expressed in private by those in attendance. ENGLISH TEACHING, BY A. P. BOURLAND, IN THE STATE NORMAL INSTITUTES IN WHICH HE WAS EMPLOYED. Methods. The child's mind must be trained in creating and arranging ideas, which can be done by having it to see first the things of the world around him, and understanding some of the suggestions that emanate from every object that comes from the hands and spirit of God. The teacher of our own tongue, which is simply a congeries of symbols used by our nation as symbols for the things and the thoughts suggested by them, must also pay continuous heed to the training of the articulating organs, so that the child's thoughts may have an easy and effective transmission. The words and sentences of our language will obey no one who does not acquire a practical intimacy with them. How to talk with the tongue is one thing, and how to talk with the pen is another, hence arises a third object for the English teacher. A trinity of powers is to be developed in the child. The nerve cells constituting the yellow layer on the outside of the cerebrum; the larynx, vocal chords, and tongue; the muscles of the arm, must be exercised sufficiently to produce easy, pleasurable action in thought-getting, thought-making and thoughtexpressing. The fact that immense stores of educating power lie in our literature, the greatest ever produced, is never to be lost sight of; but the teacher must develop the mind into a love that will enable him to be easily conversant with Chaucer, Shakspere, Milton, Keats, Hawthorne and Scott. HOW TO ACCOMPLISH, IN A MEASURE, THE FIRST AIM. Prepare a course of objects to be looked at and into, to be talked about, and written of. Begin with the child's toys and pets, such as the doll, ball, wagon, top, cat and dog. The child must have something that will arouse its thinking powers. "This must be an object of interest, partly understood therefore, partly new, familiar, but unknown. The inside of common things is intensely interesting to the curious child." Objects about the school-room and in the yard, articles of clothing, fruits, articles in use at home (knife, fork, spoons, etc.) When an object is presented, to be sure, the aim is to get the child to talk, and when this is gained, the talking should be developed into an organized growth, so that the child will be led to the discovery of more things about this object, as well as to the observing of others. Make him an investigator, you make him a thinker, hence the way to easy, forcible expression is not difficult. From Mrs. Knox's admirable work on "Language Lessons," we quote the following plan for the lessons the first year: 1. The name of the object. Drill on the pronunciation of the name. 2. How many have seen any other or others like this? Where? A question which will elicit in answer the name (if not too difficult) of more than one. 3. What people have them for, or do with them, or of what use they are? 4. Color; very large or small; like or unlike others which they have seen; why others did not look like this? 5. Questions which elicit in answer the words of the lesson upon which they need to be drilled. 6. A simple home task to cultivate perception and comparison; as, if the lesson has been about a chair, to look at the chair in which baby is rocked to sleep, or the chair in which the little brother or sister sits at table, and tell about it to-mor row. These conversational lessons, brief, and in pure English, can be made of the greatest potency in causing the child to develop the powers of perceiving, comparing, classing and reasoning. They should continue throughout the entire course of seven or eight years. From the child-world we pass to the boy and girlworld, with its objects fraught with the deepest interest, such as bugs, plants, the more common animals, and the simple process of plant and animal life. Then into the man and womanworld we go, and become students of those realities that have educated man from his childhood in the remote past, and that will continue to be of power in calling forth the pure and high in the soul until the body sinks back to earth. Keep up a systematic looking into the objects of nature, the conscious beings as well as the unconscious phenomena of nature. What funds of rich material in the rain-showers, snow-falls, ice-formings, frost-crystalizings, sky and cloud-appearings! The intelligent and live teacher will ever be on the alert seeking out and disposing this material, which will give a strong action to the mind, which in turn will find strong words to put into strong sentences. Unity with variety is the underlying principle which will insure success. We can not close our remarks upon these "observation lessons," "object lessons," "conversation lessons," more appropriately than by quoting from Herbert Spencer's masterly article on "True Method of Object Lessons," in which he says: "To tell a child this, and to show it the other, is not to teach it how to observe, but to make it a mere recipient of another's observations; a proceeding which weakens rather than strengthens its powers of self-instruction-which deprives it of the pleasures resulting from successful activity— which presents this all-attractive knowledge under the aspect of formal tuition-and which thus generates that indifference, and even disgust, with which these object lessons are not unfrequently regarded." It was insisted that the country teachers had the most ample facilities for the successful collection of the materials for objectwork, and that the need for developing such series of lessons was great. Devices and practical work were presented, so that much interest was aroused that is likely to take some of the workers out of the old word-methods, shadow-dealing and maneuvering processes. PICTURES. Another valuable means of stimulating the mind to perceive, compare, reason and imagine, indeed, are these! The pictures are found in the readers, and can be collected from illustrated papers, magazines, etc. Those cut from papers should be pasted upon nice card-board, so that they can be passed among the children. Encourage them to make collections of these as well as collections of objects. They will find intense pleasure in doing something for themselves. This work should be continued throughout the entire public school course. Almost every day will not be too frequent for the lessons. At first merely talk of the names of the objects seen, their number, and their actions. "We will find the picture on page 17. What are the names of these children? What has the little girl asked the boy?" "Now, we will have a talk about the picture on page 45. How many children are here? What are they playing? Where did they put the flag? What can you say about the flag?" Have them to write sentences about the rabbits, about the boys, etc. Such will be effective work for First Reader pupils. Second Reader-Picture, page 35— 2. How do you know he was an honest boy? 3. How was he rewarded? 4. What did he buy? 5. Why did men notice him and give him work? 6. When did he go to school? 7. Why would you call Henry a good boy? Third Reader-Picture, page 30 Write the answers to these questions neatly, and make each sentence complete: |