But with the kindliest sympathies, That Teacher's heart was rife; How could He, from the famished crowd, 3. List, now! He teaches "many things," Who scatters seed in vain, Of the single grain of mustard seed, 4. Teacher! Behold a quenchless light, By which our work is tried. 5. Our pupils, are they slow to learn? And justice blend with truth, THE BEST WAY.-It was the habit of Dr. Arnold, a most honored and successful English teacher, to treat his scholars as gentlemen and reasonable beings; making them respect themselves by the respect he showed them. Lying to the teachers he made a great moral offence, and always placed implicit confidence in a boy's assertion; then if a falsehood was discovered, it was punished severely. There grew up in consequence a general feeling that it was a shame to tell him a lie, as he always believed it. Leigh Hunt, it is stated, first put into verse the following BEAUTIFUL PARABLE. "Abou Ben Adem, (may his tribe increase,) And showed the names whom love of God had blest, ANCIENT RECORDS. "IN obedience to a warrant from the honored court holden at Charlestown, dated the 30th December, 1679, which court was adjourned till the last Wednesday in March, which is the 31st day, 1680," certain statistics were furnished, at that time, by the towns of Old Middlesex County, among which were those concerning their "schools, both Grammar and English." These last we transcribe from a few of the town reports, hoping they will interest our fellow teachers, as indicating the state of education among our fathers nearly "two hundred years ago." Will not our teachers examine the ancient records, in their places of labor or travel, and gather up facts concerning schools and teachers of former days for publication? It seems to us that such facts have a utility in them. They are the elements of the history of education in our country, which has never yet been soberly and fairly written, while it should be understood first of all as underlying all our other history. Our public schools have ever been New England's boast, distinguishing her history from that of all other lands, the foundation of all her greatness. Let us, schoolmasters, be gathering and preserving the now fragmentary materials, and some of us may some day embody them in some historic volume worthy of the great theme. BILLERICA. "As for schools, we have no Grammar schools. Ensign Joseph Tompson is appointed to teach those to write and to read that come to him to learn; and several women that are schooldames." 66 CAMBRIDGE. 30. 1. 1680. Our Latin schoolmaster is Mr. Elijah Corlitt; his scholars are in number, nine at present. 30. 1. 1680. For English our schooldame is Goodwife Healy; at present but nine scholars. 30. 1. 1680. Edward Hall, English schoolmaster; at present but three scholars." CHARLESTOWNE. "Schools, one Grammar; Mr. Samuel Phipps keeps it; number of scholars, 53; besides English schools kept by several women." CHELMSFORD. "That we have no Grammar school, but several schooldames for English, and Mr. John Fiske for writing." CONCORD. "As for schools, we have in every quarter of our town both men and women that teach to read and write English, when parents can spare their children or others to go unto them. As for Grammar scholars we have none, except some of honored Mr. Peter Bulkley's, and some of reverend Mr. Estbrookes' whom he himself educates.' Resident Editors' Cable. GEORGE ALLEN, Jr.,... Boston. RESIDENT EDITORS. .......... Dedham. ELBRIDGE SMITH, Cambridge. NORFOLK CO. TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION. The next meeting of this Association will be held in Quincy on Thursday and Friday, the 22d and 23d of December. Lectures will be delivered by H. Willey, Esq., Principal of the Braintree High School, Elbridge Smith, Esq., of Cambridge, and Rev. Jeremiah Chaplin, of Dedham. The following subjects will be discussed, viz.: "The means of keeping pupils occupied during school hours;" and "Mental Arithmetic. D. B. HAGAR, President. INSTITUTE AT NANTUCKET. At the close of the late meeting of the Institute at Nantucket, the following resolutions were offered, the first five by Mr. Augustus Morse, Principal of the High School in that town, and the latter by Mr. F. N. Blake, Principal of the High School at Edgartown, on which remarks were made by several gentlemen, all referring to the Institute and the generosity and hospitality of our citizens in the highest terms of approbation. RESOLUTIONS. The members of the Teachers' Institute, held in Nantucket by the Secretary of the Board of Education of this Commonwealth, on the 2d, 3d, 4th and 5th days of August, 1853, having diligently attended the several courses of lectures which have been delivered, deem it eminently proper to make the following expression of their sentiments. Resolved, 1st. That the profoundest thanks of the Teachers assembled here and of the citizens of this town, are due to the distinguished gentleman to whose official instrumentality they are indebted for the extraordinary intellectual advantages and pleasures afforded them during the sessions of the Institute. Resolved, That while we consider the former Secretary of the Board of Education entitled to the honorable appellation of Author of the improved Common School system of Massachusetts, we regard his successor in office as not less worthy of public confidence and respect. Resolved, That the exercises of this and similar Institutes are admirably fitted to form in the mind of every attentive listener a perfect ideal of the art of teaching, and that in affording to the Teachers of Common Schools throughout this State the opportunity of hearing the lectures of the accomplished Professors who have addressed us on this occasion, and becoming familiar with their modes of instruction, the Board of Education and their able Secretary are giving the best proof that they have a right conception of their official duties, and are employing the most effective measures for promoting the interests of the great cause committed to their trust. Resolved, That when the votaries of science, men of genius, learning and renown, come hither from other lands and identify themselves with the cause of popular education in this republic, they add new lustre to their own names, while they help to inspire the Teacher of children and youth with respect for his vocation, and stimulate him to constant improvement, and to increased fidelity in his duties. Resolved, That yielding to this potent influence, we will strive henceforth to furnish examples of high excellence in the instruction of our own pupils, and by this and all other practicable means endeavor to carry on to perfection that plan of wise and comprehensive benevolence which has for its end the widest diffusion of knowledge and the universal advancement of human happiness. Resolved, That we most cordially thank the generous, intelligent, and excellent citizens of Nantucket for the hospitable and fraternal spirit in which they have welcomed the members of the present Institute to the entertainments of their homes, and for the courtesy and aid extended to the Faculty of Instruction during all its sessions. These resolutions were unanimously passed, after which Dr. Sears made some excellent closing remarks, in which he referred to the general interest manifested, and said that he could not feel that he was on an island, but still in the good old Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He spoke of the progress of the present age, attributing it to the general dissemination of knowledge, which is intimately connected with our common school system, now so rapidly improving in every portion of the State. The Institute then closed its short but interesting session with an appearance of the highest satisfaction, not only among its members, pupils and instructors, but on the part of the citizens present. INTEREST, DISCOUNT, EQUATION OF PAYMENTS, &c.; WITH NUMEROUS PROBLEMS FOR SOLUTION. BY DANA P. COL BURN. THIS is the title of an excellent little Hand-book for teachers, and for advanced classes in arithmetic. The beauty of the work consists in its adaptation to the wants and circumstances of business men. It contains, what no work on arithmetic has professed to give, the ready and expeditious methods of computing interest which the best accountants are constantly using; equation of payments and of accounts is presented in such a manner that the youth who studied the subject from this work, may fit himself for enter in the counting room with entire confidence in his ability to meet all questions which may come before him. Most of our modern arithmetics present a great improvement, in this department, over the old ones; but none of them explain this somewhat intricate subject of equating accounts so satisfactorily, nor offer so good a supply of examples as the work of Mr. Colburn. The remarks in section 10 on computing time, are worthy the especial attention of teachers. We can recommend it in the full confidence that it will give entire satisfaction, knowing, too, that it supplies a great deficiency. We would present the author's excellent reasons for omitting the answers. "As a general thing, answers to the problems are not inserted. They are omitted for the following and other reasons. 1. They are unnecessary, since every example admits of rigid proof. 2. They are never given in the problems of real life. 3. A learner should become practically acquainted with those tests which alone he can apply when acting for himself; for then it will be as important for him to be sure of the truth of his results as it will be to obtain them. 4. The proof will often make an operation appear plain and simple which would otherwise have seemed obscure and complicated. 5. The proof often furnishes as valuable an arithmetical exercise as did the original solution. 6. The necessity of verifying his work for himself will lead the pupil to be more careful and accurate in performing it." It is a work of ninety pages, 8vo, and is published by B. B. Mussey & Co., 29 Cornhill, Boston. MIDDLESEX IS AWAKE. THE Teachers of Middlesex County, present at the late annual meeting of the "State Teachers' Association" in Boston, held on the 22d of Nov., 1853, in an Ante-Room of the "Lowel Institute," an "Informal Meeting." |