Engraving from "Essay on the Instruction of the Blind" [Essai sur L'Instruction des Aveugles] by Sebastien Guillié, Paris, 1817. The engraving depicts a seated man who is blind, playing a harp.
Engraving from "Essay on the Instruction of the Blind" [Essai sur L'Instruction des Aveugles] by Sebastien Guillié, Paris, 1817. The engraving depicts a seated man who is blind, playing a harp.

The school's director, Guillié, was one of only three teachers for ninety pupils at the Institute. All the teachers were sighted. Under Guillié's system, the brighter pupils instructed other students. Much of the work done by the students was through memorization, as it had been for Louis in Coupvray. The lessons included Greek, Latin, algebra, and French grammar. Students were also taught practical skills designed to help them find work, such as chair caning, making slippers, and basket making.

Louis was an excellent student. Between the ages of 11 and 16, he won prizes in several academic subjects as well as in the cello and piano. Louis' considerable musical talent flourished at the Institute, and he found work as an accomplished organist when he was older.