| Show on waders leary DELIVERED BY PROF E A WILSON before the U C T A on the ath of june though perhaps a trite expression it is nevertheless a true one that the profession of teaching is one of the most important among mankind it has been beautifully baid ache hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world but I 1 think the hand that wields the crayon may justly share this honor true the mother leads the little one from the cradle to the school but here the teacher takes hold of this bundle of possibilities and does more than any one else to develop its powers no influences are so potent in shaping the character of the child as those of the mother and the teacher A dis of the work of the former would be foreign to our subject with the teacher only have we to deal at this time he or he who would assume the role of teacher must needs be nearly an angel the teacher must infuso ahn life into his school he must omit the light for it ho is the pillar of lire in the wilderness he must look up from the little vale and narrow field of his pupils toward the mountain top ho must know what lies far above and beyond and take the little ones gently by the hand and be able to lead them safely on he must be possessed of an inexhaustible store of general information must in fact be a living encyclopedia yes the teacher should be nearly an angel with the ethical side of this subject I 1 do not now have to deal suffice it to say that the teacher must be imbued with deep moral end if you please religious convictions not that any particular dogmas or tenets should be taught in oar district schools but there is a common ground of broad humanity and christianity upon which we can all stand and out of this ground rows a variety of moral principles that all agree upon to the end that he may acquire this ponderous store of the teachers must read the best works on that are of use to the human family no specific works will now be mentioned further on a few will be named the good judgment of the teacher will be the guide this caution however is given be careful not to get into grooves this is a common fault in study no less than in teaching ono subject is naturally more interesting than another and wo are too likely to confer upon it more attention and time than those that are less attractive but we must consider the great country we have to explore in this general reading and not linger too long on the oasis for there are many deserts and wildernesses wilder nesses and mountains to traverse many persons have wasted their lives in following some favorite phantom never considering the uselessness or impracticability of the subject but only knowing it was fascinating to them so we must avoid this rock do not draw tho inference that we should not be thorough in what we read but that we must ride hobbies or run into specialties this applies to topics of general information As to those that come up in the curriculum the teacher must be a specialist in each of them it is presumed that before assuming the duties of a teacher ho has prepared himself specially on the subjects of reading spelling arithmetic language or grammar geography writing drawing physiology and hygiene and all those studies embraced in the school course still ho needs at hand several books of reference I 1 shall assume that each teacher as a matter of course will have a full set of the text books used in all the grades or authorized by law to be used there and that he is perfectly familiar with their contents no live teacher can afford to do less than this for this reason those will not bo mentioned in suggesting reference books on reading and elocution the national and Apple tons series of readers are excellent while hamilto and Com stocks elocutions are among the best works I 1 am acquainted quain ted with on that subject each of these treats the subject from a different standpoint and while a teacher could not consistently follow all of them he will from them get an allaround all around view of the subject teaching must be by example this is true generally but never more so than in reading and elocution if you would train the voice the hand the limb the body you must be able to lead the way gracefully and forcibly hence the teacher needs a preparation which can be obtained from some such works as above mentioned in no branch perhaps has there been greater advancement in recent years than in spelling this is true both as to the methods of teaching this subject and the manner of treating it in text books what a leap from the time honored pioneer blue back to the carefully graded book of the present day what a transformation from the training many of us received in our earlier days to the method now employed as exhibited to you here a few weeks ago we need then some work abreast of the times and in harmony with these methods Swin tons speller is a valuable work on this subject hendersons test words is tract on spelling opens up the way on the proper basis and in accordance with the ideas of the new education in penmanship systematic practice ind imitation are the great factors of progress there are but and rules but these should ba strictly observed tho found in the copybooks themselves are very suggestive still there are manuals such as gaskets Gas keUs and Michaels which are indispensable to the teacher gas keirs copy plates about twenty in number are also beautiful models on the subject of language 01 grammar there has been almost a complete reversal of former methods the idea that the pupil aca crammed with orthography etymology syntax and prosody as taught by pinneo and others that he must be able to parse any word and dissect and analyze any sentence before be should begin the practice of language has been overthrown and I 1 am not sure the other extreme has not been reached in some cases i e that practice alone without regard to set principles is sufficient to make good speakers and writers there is a happy medium for us I 1 believe that in this as in all other branches of education practice should follow close upon the heels of principle in fact in some cases it should precede and illustrate it you will pardon me for thus diverging from thu theme before us but I 1 feel that a brief mention of present methods may not be altogether out of place in determining the needs of the teacher library for teachers of lower grades in language I 1 know of nothing better than language and composition by maxwell in his higher works is considered abreast of the times while dark for diagrams stands unexcelled Wheat lys rhetoric as a logical philosophical treatise of this subject stands high aeed and kelloggs as a text book and boyds for its systematic method of presenting the subject are strongly recommended by some of our teachers is a dejl known work on rhetoric and may be assigned a place in the first rank Apple tons are preem pre em ineptly superior to anything I 1 have used or examined on that subject in the elementary work object teach mg la made the basic principle it is illustrated throughout and contains special and directions it is just the book for primary teachers tho higher work carries out the practical idea of the elementary and so clearly and so logically illustrates the principle and rules that it is delightful probably there la a greater dearth of text books on geography for the lower grades than most other branches I 1 do nob call to mind adv work adapted for use in grades below the fourth header therefore the teacher will have to content himself with drawing from his general storehouse and applying what he sees around him lor classes below the grade mentioned for higher grades Guz Swin tons cornelas Corn elPs and parkers methods of geography are to bo recommended as reference books physiology and hygiene are at last made requisites of a common school course the teacher must have at hand some books of reference among the many works on this subject history ofa mouthful of bread by joan mace and blakes sound bodies for boys and girls and smiths physiology and hygiene are excellent works butlers cutlers Cut lers anatomy physiology and hygiene is a learned and scientific treatise of the subject for physical culture dio lewis new gymnastics may be mentioned as a work that has made its author famous and is commended in strong terms by those who have used it branching off a little but detill within the scope of physical education may be named carbons Par bons songs a very useful and attractive book lor primary teachers being illustrated throughout and containing daiy pretty little songs and exerciser drawing is chiefly an art proficiency fici ency in which depends to a great extent on practice and imitation like penmanship the teacher wants handy by as great variety of models as possible he should not confine himself to one or two authors that is BO far as material is concerned he may of course and should follow tho system adopted by law but he should amplify this with copies from innumerable sources elzry teacher should make himself especially familiar with political and domestic economy for he will find that each of his dupile will have to meet these questions as they advance in life on these questions bang the prosperity of nations and individuals if L mclaughlins ins political economy is a standard work and henry george on the same subject is enthusiastic at least and may be studied with profit on english literature reed and kelloggs works stand high while history of english literature is a logical and philosophical treatise of that subject doity masters by wm swinton is a more than excellent book it gives a portrait characterization and the best production with comments and criticisms ot doity best authors in our language loke and jevons works on logic have an excellent standing the former being quoted everywhere as authority and the latter recommended as a text book it is difficult to make a selection on history our literature is full of his torlea I 1 venture to name a few for use in the school dickens Dic kons childs history of england is the best I 1 have examined for that country Macau lays is more elaborate and learned and should be found in the teachers library andersons universal history and peter parleys universal history are good works the former excelling in quotations the latter in narrative the country is so full of histories of thou S none will be named school songs nd music next claims our attention merry melodies tha national school singer the song vaye and jepsonn Jep sons music readers in three volumes are all praised by the teachers the last mentioned being warmly recommended for object teaching sheldona sheldons Shel dons object lessons is considered one of the best it tells how as well as being full of subject matter the schoolteacher school teacher of the nineteenth century also contains excellent directions for object teaching dr Fr ickes ethical virtues and masons morals and manners are said by principal bees of spanish fork to be finger posts directing the aspirations of the soul to a higher nobler ideal primer of politeness and grows good morals and beatle manners are books well worthy our attention ioa natural history ought to find a home in every school not only as an end but as a means of awakening the powers of observation and self instruction st here aro a few works that seem to me unexcelled in their line cecils natural history Johon notts natural history readers 1 book of cats and dogs and other friends i 2 friends in feathers and furs 3 i neighbors with wings aad aias 4 borne curious flyers creepers and swimmers 5 neighbors with claws and hoofs glimpses of the animal world and balmages Tal mages first book of nature Y acme ta the consideration of strictly educational works works on teaching first principles we want a foundation to oni whole w a grave for teachers to begin with method principles are what they need they are broad rivers flowing toward the ocean of education methods are crafts upon them within the river banks there is much ccora for exercise methods may be varied as the craft may be turned from side to side the teacher is not compelled to go in any particular current he may float here and there and from side to side but he cannot get beyond the shore iche try it he is sure to be stranded employ the method that will best meet the educational want first among works on principles of pedagogies gies are paynes lectures on the science and art of education it has been well said of it teachers who are beeking to know the principles of education will find them clearly set forth in this volume and it must be remembered that principles aro the basis on which all methods must be founded colonel parker caysi 1 I uso gaynos lectures in my professional training blasg as a text book and consider it one of the invaluable books for teachers bains education is a very logical and scientific treatise ot education and will repay the teacher for perusing it elements of pedagogy by white is a beautiful little manual for teachers herbert spencers education is one of the most profound and stirring of all books on education when the teacher is prepared farj deep and arduous thought let him study spencer Johon notts principles and practice is a volume that will bo of practical service to the teacher treating the in a practical manner images theory and practice is one of the best of all books for teachers and one cannot read it without being infused with the true spirit of teaching it should be read over and over aaen an emin ant educator has said he will stand as the symbol of natural teaching to the end of time probably no educational work published in recent years has created such unbounded enthusiasm as parkers on teaching As an exponent of the new education this work is invaluable the author col F W parker was the famous superintendent of tho quincy schools and stands today to day as some one has remarked the lion of education in the united states twenty thousand copies of this work were sold the first two years of its publication kellogg says there is more value to the practical teacher la them than in any other published coming next to works on methods of teaching the most delightful book I 1 have read is quincy methods by miss partridge it is an exemplification of parkers talks it is a series of pen pictures from the quincy schools giving verbatim reports of class exercises witnessed there it is bound to inspire the reader and quicken the thought swetts methods of teaching is a work of practical value besides treating on general principles of education 16 gives condensed direction for teaching common school essentials quoting copiously from many of the greatest educators As a handy reference book I 1 know of no work to equal it baldvins baldwins Bald wins school management treats especially of the practical side of education giving information on some topics thail have not seen mentioned in any other work prof bees says it tells how to become educational artists by means of well defined principles illustrations lust rations and results views on the three fold nature of education 1 e moral intellectual tel manual or head heart and hand is a work a teacher can hardly afford to be without kelloggs school management by A M kellog editor of the journal is a small work overflowing with practical suggestions for the school for young teachers who generally find government the most har rassmi and difficult of all school work this is hie book it be in every teachers library Wicker shams methods of instruction contains a classification aion and logical arrangement that is rarely found in any work all our teachers who have read it arc it good Mae sors principles and methods it is to be regretted that we have no book bearing this title for prof K G maeyers Mae sers lectures to his normal classes are filled with golden thoughts of fact and wisdom each teacher of the county school should hayo his diagram of education and as full |
