WATCH, MOTHER. Mother! watch the little feet, Guide them, mother, while you may. Mother! watch the little hand, Tossing up the fragrant hay. Never dare the question ask, Mother! watch the little tongue, By the happy joyous child. Mother! watch the little heart, Beating soft and warm for you; Keep, O keep that young heart true. Extricating every weed, Sowing good and precious seed; 305 HEAVEN.-Were there a country on earth uniting all that is beautiful in nature, all that is great in virtue, genius and the liberal arts, and numbering among its citizens the most illustrious patriots, poets, philosophers, philanthropists of our age, how eager should we cross the ocean to visit it! And how immeasurably greater is the attraction of Heaven! There live the elder brethren of creation, the sons of the morning, who sang for joy at the creation of our race; there the great and good of all ages and climes; the friends, benefactors, deliverers, ornaments of their race; the patriarch, prophet, apostle and martyr ; the true heroes of public, and still more of private life; the father, mother, wife. child, who, unrecorded by man, have walked before God in the beauty of love and self-sacrificing virtue. There are all who have built up in our hearts the power of goodness and truth, the writers from whose countenances have shed light through our dwellings, and peace and strength through our hearts. There they are gathered together, safe from every storm, and triumphant over every evil, and they say to us, "Come and join us in our everlasting blessedness; come and bear part in our song of praise; share our adoration, friendship, progress and work of love." EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT. TEACHERS' MEETINGS. In many of the Union Schools of our State, nothing has proved more efficient agency in the work of their improvement, than the Teachers' Meetings. We refer not to Institutes, County Associations, or other gatherings of Teachers from different towns. We employ the term to designate the stated meetings of the Teachers of the Union Schools of an individual City or Village. These meetings, in one way or another, are, we believe, held wherever Union Schools have been established in our State, and wherever they have been conducted in the best manner, there the best schools are found. For some months it has been in our mind to address inquiries to the Superintendents of the leading schools in the State, in regard to their mode of conducting these meetings, and for eliciting opinions on the subject, which their observation and experience in the matter may qualify them to give. But, as also on many other questions and points of duty, we have humbly to confess that "we have left undone the things that we ought to have done," and we sit down to write on the subject with little knowledge of the matter beyond what our own personal observation has taught us. We will speak of the Teachers' meetings in Toledo, as they were while we were connected with the schools in that city. We would by no means present them as examples of what such meetings should be. It is very probable that in many other towns they are managed far better. But it may interest some to read what we have to say on the subject. It may afford them some useful hints, and it may provoke some of the many able Superintendents of schools in the State to show a more excellent way, and which we will gladly lay before our readers. OUR MEETINGS WERE "BY AUTHORITY;" that is, the Board of Education required the Teachers in their employment to attend all such meetings as the Superintendent should appoint. Excepting for serious illness, no Teacher was ever excused from attendance. We preferred allowing Teachers to dismiss school for a half day in the week, for attending to other business, than that they should be absent from the Teachers' Meeting. And so inflexible was this requirement, and so controlling was the impressions of the Teachers on this subject, that a case of absence, except for unavoidable reasons, seldom occurred. Nearly all the Teachers greatly preferred to attend, thinking that they could not afford to lose the benefit thus derived. OUR FIRST MEETING FOR EACH TERM was held on the Saturday previous to the commencement of the term,-usually at 3 o'clock P. M. The time and salaries of the Teachers began with that day. This meeting was designed to be introductory to the subsequent meetings of the term. The Superintendent examined the Teachers in regard to their knowledge of the printed "Rules and Regulations" which the Board had prepared for the government of the schools, and explained such points as were of doubtful interpretation. He answered such questions as were asked in regard to general or individual duties, and appointed the future meetings of the term. He introduced the "new" Teachers, and an opportunity was afforded for forming and renewing acquaint ance. OUR REGULAR MEETINGS, after the first, WERE HELD every alternate Saturday morning, commencing at 9 o'clock. We thought that weekly meetings would not be best in our case, for the following reasons. It would leave too little time for attending to matters of individual duty or recreation. Every Teacher needs one whole day as often as once in two weeks, when they can be entirely free from public duties. Again, the exercises at our meetings were of a character to require previous study and preparation, and we judged it better to have one good meeting than two poor ones. We held them on Saturday mornings, rather than on some evening of the week, because a majority of our Teachers were ladies who would not always find it agreeable to go out in the evening; and because most faithful Teachers become too much fatigued by the labors of the day, to engage with interest in exercises which continue from two to three hours. REGULARITY AND ORDER. The High School bell, which weighs 4,305 pounds, and can be distinctly heard in all parts of that widely scattered town, rang at half past eight. Soon the Teachers were all assembled. They left hats, overcoats, bonnets, shawls, overshoes, etc., in the halls, (which were also dressing-rooms,) and a few minutes before nine, took their seats, after a required order. The Superintendent took his seat, and all conversation at once ceased on the first stroke of the large clock, and as the ninth was heard the exercises began. Almost always the Teachers were in their seats in due time, but if one entered after the exercises commenced, the fact received prominent notice in the minutes, kept by the Secretary. This strictness was deemed advisable both for the pleasure and profit of our meetings, and as an example for imitation by Teachers in managing their respective Schools.. EXERCISES. All meetings were commenced with devotional exercises. A brief passage of Scripture was read, two or three verses of some Hymn were sung, and a prayer offered. These exercises seldom occupied more than five minutes. The Secretary then read the proceedings of the previous meeting, and the remaining exercises followed in the prescribed order. Although the exercises were diversified so that there might be a sufficient variety to avoid weariness, still some one subject for each term was made prominent, that we might give it a thorough review. One term we took Mental Arithmetic, another Elocution, another Orthography, another Analysis of Sentences, another something else. The following programmes of exercises will afford an idea of their general character. 1. Devotional Exercises. 2. Reading minutes of the last meeting. 3. Mental Arithmetic,-Stoddard, page-. 4. Essay. The best mode of conducting Spelling Exercises, by Mr. A. 5. Remarks on Essay, in the way of criticism, or otherwise. 6. Recess of 10 minutes. 7. Essay.-What plays are proper for children to practice on their school-grounds; by Miss B-. 8. Remarks, Criticisms etc. 9. Questions for advice by Mr. C. and Missrs D. E. and F. 10. Announcing programme for next meeting, and dismission. We have not the Secretary's book in our possession, but will venture that his record would read about as follows. to say "October 1st, 1854. The Association met as usual. All the members present except Miss G., who was detained by the severe sickness of her brother. The exercises proceeded according to the order previously announced. (Here would follow a brief and, sometimes, a smile-provoking notice of the drift of the Essays.) The following questions were laid on the Superintendent's desk, and replies were rendered: Question. What shall be done when pupils plead previous absence from school as an excuse for failure in recitation? Answer. If the absence was unavoidable, the excuse should be received for the morning recitation, as its preparation would have required preparation the previous day. But if the absence was unnecessary, the lesson should be exacted. Question. How can we best prevent pupils acquiring an unnatural tone in reading? Answer. See that they thoroughly understand what they read, and show them by correct example how to read naturally. Question. In reciting their lessons, is it better for pupils to use their own language, or the words of the author? Answer. Scientific terms, rules and definitions, should ordinarily be given in the precise language of the author; but general descriptions, explanations, etc., might better be given by the pupil in his own language. The Teacher should have a care that the pupil form a habit of correct and dignified expression. Question. How can untruthfulness in pupils be most effectually corrected? Answer. By an appeal to conscience, if one exists; if not, create a conscience, if possible. Severe measures may, however, be resorted to, should moral suasion fail to correct the evil. After a pleasant and profitable session of 24 hours, the Association adjourned. H. I. J., Sec'y." The programme for another meeting might be as follows: 1. Devotional Exercises. 2. Reading minutes of last meeting. 3. Critical exercise in reading. Lesson, Section, McGuffey's Fifth Reader. 4. Essay. The influence of convenient and tasteful school grounds, buildings and furniture, in forming the character of the young, by Miss R- -. 5. Remarks and criticisms. 6. Recess, 10 minutes 7. Exercise in analysis and parsing. 8. An original school anecdote, by each Teacher. 9. Programme for next meeting. It was the object of these meetings to improve our qualifications for teaching and governing schools. We were careful to render them lively and entertaining, as well as instructive; and though whispering and other like improprieties were prohibited, still our meetings were oc. casions of pleasantry, and, sometimes, of amusement. Among the anecdotes read in answer to the demand in No. 8, were these. "MODEL METHOD OF TEACHING MENTAL ARITHMETIC. A Teacher, not long since, while instructing a class in mental Arithmetic, thus solved the following example: If 3 men can do a piece of work in 12 days, how long will it take 4 men to do the same? SOLUTION. If 3 men can do a piece of work in 12 days, 1 man can do it in of 12 days, which is 4 days, and 4 men will do it in 4 times 4 days, which are 16 days." "A CLASSICAL EDUCATION. A Father, while his cheeks glowed with paternal pride, remarked that his little son was getting a classical |