The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-08-29
EDUCATIONAL.
Editors h,tenigencer:
SCHOOL House, TRIADELPHIA,
Anpnst 22 P, NJ, 1867,

SCHOOL HOUSE, IRIADELPHlA,
August %, P. NJ, 1867.
In accordance with notices from the
County Superintendent, the following
teachers met in convention: Misses
Ruth Orr, Mary Buchanan, Dema
Thornburg, Ellen Warren, Amelia
Bade, Lizzie Milligan, Emma Vance,
Sarah Giles, Mary f. Norman, Aggie
r. Morgan, Addie Oldham, Messrs. j.
Burrows, j. H. Maxwell, j. c. Max
we'll, ]. d. Whitman, J. a. Jordan, j.
T. Tuthill, and Superiutendents Han
cher of Ohio. and Lorain OF Marshal
counties. After some Introductory re-
marks by Messrs. Hancher, LOrain and
others, the teachers present agreed to
form themselves into a society for the
purpose of Improvement in their pro-
fession, to be called the Ohio County
Teachers Association. The Associa-
ton was then organized by the election
of. w. Hancher as President, and j.
L. Tuthill as Secretary. The question
was then introduced, "Ought corporal
schools?n After some discussion on
this subject the Association arranged a
I'progra of exercises for Friday.
The State Superintendent prof. w. X.
White) arrived in the train at P. NJ,
and upon his introduction to the Asso-
ciation, by the President, made some
remarks upon "the modes of teaching
Geography" The Association then ad-
journed to meet at TX p. NJ.
At the appointed hour the State Su-
| perintendent was introduced to the
audience by the President, and gave n
very interesting lecture on 1.-The true
teacher" of which the following is the
| substance
Ladies' and Gentlemen 1T is our
usage at Institutes to have the course
of lectures on the evenings of the days
on which teachers are drilled on the
theory and practice OF teuching. These
| lectures are intended to be direct appeals
| to the practical common sense of the
audience. l am afraid that there is an
idea abroad that these lectures are in
tended exclusively for teachers. The
topic have chosen is empbatically IA
subject of great public interest-'The
true teRcher'-not as Il homily or ser
| mon addressed to teachers, but what
tho people require in II teacher. The
time has come when great revolution
| is abont TO take place. expect that in
ten years time we shall have better
! teachers than we ever had, and that the
| present teachers will not be able to
| keep their places unless they study
| to improve themselves in the art
of teaching, and keep up with
the progress of the age. 1t is expected
that the man who desires to become
shoemaker shall be prepared for his
work by an apprenticeship. If you
were going to have your horse shod,
you would inquire who in the neigh
! borhood was the most competent, and
| you would take him to the very best
| blacksmith you could find. Does the
person who is to put knowledge into
| your children's heads require less cul-
| ture and preparation, than the one who
! is TO clothe their feet? Would You be
less particular in the choice Of the per-
son who is to instruct your children's
minds, than in the selection of him who
| is to shoe your horse? What interest
| have the people in the questiOn-The
true teacher ?-just as Huch rs you
have in-The true minister? In an
swering that question, | may raise the
standard so high that some of these
teachers may be discouraged. The very
| fact that we have code of school-lawS
| should convince us that the people eN-
pect progress, and that If we do not in
tend to keep up with the spirit of the
! times, the sooner we seek some other
Rvocation, the better. Some lnbOreTs
were once working in quarry, and
! they came upon rough, unslght-
| ly block of stone. \ sculptor
| saw IL and asked the laborers TO bring
/ it 10 his studio. They inquired of him
what he wanted with that rough block?
I see an angel in it, he replied. The
block was carried TO the artists room.
/ The rough surface was hewed off. The
marble breHthed beneath the chisel of
the sculptor. His vision WAS renliZed;
out of the rough block he brought forth
an angel. This is the view in which
every teacher should regard every
| scholar that comes into his school. |
| shall look upon that scholar as II three
| fold being, out of whom shall make
| something. l detect i'll him the image
of his Maker, and must go to work to
| trace out what law God has impaired to
the human soul, by obeying which /
| can produce the best effects. The
teacher, by being a good exemplar of
| what is right, may lead the scholar in
| the path of rectitude. Let us look at
the love of what is grand and great. Is
not the boy made better by knowing
the wonderful obedience OF Washing
ton? When he was going as midship-
man on board British man-of-wRr he
| heard his mother say, II wish George
would not go on that ship" He
Immediately sent the servant to
bring his trunk back. viii not
child learn from this what true Obedi
dience is? Do not the puges of history
| TEEN with noble instances which will
benefit the children? Are we to ignore
these laws as teachers? The teacher
should recognize in the little child one
that has mind-an intellectual charac.
| ter. That little child has love OF
knowledge. How many teachers in
| West Virginia have read any work
on mental philosophy? At the first in
| PRODUCTION TO the school-room a scholar
sometimes gets hatred to the school,
simply because the first face he meets
has a scowl upon it. II 1 kept Il Jail
l would not meet the criminals with
such a scowl as that with which some
teachers meet the children. If the
teacher comes down TO the child with
urbHnity OF manner, the scholar feels
that he can trust that teacher. l haYe
seen man big enough 10 whip any one
in the district, going TO commence his
| school. and carrying n dozen long gads
or rods tied together in a bundle. How
contemplate! The teacher should en-
deavor to encourage that love of knowl-
\ edge which is inherent in children. If
you do not let il have its legitimate di-
rection it will seek after some other
method of qualification. 1t will degen-
crate into curiosity-a love OF kuoRl-
profitable for young woman to know
how many important cities in
Pennsylvania, than than to know how
many dresses a hne lady has? When
the child wants to know certain thing,
don't put the extinguisher on his mind.
There are two motives by which the
child is led to grow in kuowledge-the
law of growth and the law OF develop
ment. We never learn anything so
we'll As when we have to reproduce 1t.
What is the value of an idea that lies
dormant in my brHin2 Every grain of
corn must produce Iifty fold. Repro
1 duce what you learn. Our normal
schools are intended TO teach teachers
how to evolve thought as we'll as to i'm
part it. The child is creature that
has body as well as mind and soul.
The body requires good wholesome air,
of which it is often partially deprived.