Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-01-29
TEACHERS TALK.
Regular Monthly Meeting Of the Shelby
County (COl0redJ Teachers In
stitute at the
LeM0yne Normal School - Miss E. d
Kings Paper-Interesting Discus
sions-Large Attendance.

The Shelby County Teachers' Institute
was called to order, Prof. B. K Sampson in
the chair. After the usual preliminary ex-
ercises, Mr.. Alfred Clark introduced the dis
custom of what child should learn during
its first year of school. He thought SPELL
ing, reading, counting and learning to know
figures at sight, were sufficient. Other MEM
bers of the institute urged that child
should also learn to draw simple pictures, to
print, to write, 10 make figures, know the
points of compass and learn the tables OF
addition, and multiplication up to eight.
Miss T. 3. King read paper on School
houses; Their Location, Structure and Ar
rangement," az follows:
"The common school is the poor mans best
friend. Yes, we may say it is his fortune.
Ignorance Is his ruin, placing him in a low
sphere; the school opens the way to better
things and makes the passage easy. The
parent may not be able TO cross the golden
bridge, but his children may pass over from
their state OF poverty and Ignorance to at
tain the prizes of wealth, usefulness, honor
and power among the first and best What
class OF people need schools most? Alas,
we know too well the name OF the race.
You find parents OF the noblest and worth
lest feelings, who are prompted to send their
children to the school6ouse to be educated,
because the parent in his boyhood was
-
forced out early into the hard struggle for
life. With all desires for learning choked
down, he feels that he Is shut
out from the heritage of knowledge
which the worlds great thinkers and ages
of human experience have laid up for us
all. Under these feelings he watches the
growth of the child and hurries him into
school often too soon. He urges him to
study, and takes pride in every step made.
AIfRlf of nn- Sfata laa1x ~ ODD
schoolhouses and excellent teachers, especially
in the cities. The country schools are not so
we'll off, Some districts have good school
houses. We speak from personal OBSERVE
ton when We say that in great many dis
tricts $1,000 has been unwisely expended in
the construction OF schoolhouses. The only
cause which can be assigned was a want Of
knowledge as to what good edifce for this
purpose should be- We will give YOU an
idea Of the kind OF schoolhouse we have in
some rural districts. Often it is located on
some barren, treeless hillside, where the hot
sun of summer pelts down upon it, or where
tbs dust blows into il from one direction or
another; broken windows; swinging, wealth
er-beaten boards, leaky roof log huts with
out furniture; benches without backs, and
often so high that the children, when writ
ing, lay their copy-books upon them while
they kneel upon the floor. 1t Is needless
boards and other necessities. We are glad
to say that in the Fourteenth and Twelfth
civil districts are some very nice school
houses, we'll supplied with maps, black
boards, the newly-patented double desks and
other furniture. Members of the school
board, whose duty it is to provide for schools,
should select pleasant, healthy location, for
the good of teachers and scholars. The
room should be large and have proper yen-
lott no IN
for boys and girls A few trees for shade as
we'll as ornament would add to the comfort
and enjoyment OF the school children. A
church is unfit for a school. The wants of a
teacher should not be overlooked. A we'll
arranged schoolhouse gives the teacher an
advantage for his work. As to arrangement
there should be 1) A desk and seat for each
pupil; (2) Aisles; (3) Teachers platform,
table, etc; az Separate ante-rooms for boys
and girls, to prevent hats, cloaks, baskets
and bundles from crowding seats or desks;
(5) Suitable means of warming the room; (6)
Ventilation is necessary. The condition of the
atmosphere we breathe has great influence
upon the health of the body and the strength,
vigor and activity of the brain. Floor,
walls and furniture should be kept perfectly
clean. Personal cleanliness of the pupil
should be enforced. A room to be healthful
should contain certain amount of air for
school-room is from 65o to 72o. In a room %
feet square 80 pupils will breathe the pure
air it contains in about two hours and
half, and unless there is introduced con-
slant flow of pure air the pupils become
drowsy and laaguid. Too much light while
studying pains the eyes. 1t is necessary for
the school-room to have blinds or window
shades. How large a school-room? That
will depend upon the number of pupils;
nr g in dod 10
a very large number. There is more work
in such school than in graded of 80 or 100
pupils. In district schools the average num-
Der enrolled is So or 80. This number will
need good-sized room, 80 by % feet is fair
size"
Mics Kings paper upon schoolho uses was
followed by very telling speeches. One gen
tleman said his schoolhouse was very good
with the exception of its seats. Directors
seemed to think benches with backs were un.
healthful, but he disagreed with them in that
particular. Several expressed the decided
conviction that churches were unfit for
school purposes. There was suggestion
that teachers were partly to blame for the
poor buildings. If they were more earnest
in urging upon patrons of the school the
necessity of better houses there would be an
improvement.
OF methods OF teaching spelling, writing
seemed to be the fayorite and successful
plan of a majority of teachers. Much stress
was laid upon the need Of making mental
arithmetic more prominent. Many deplored
their inability to find time for it, but adj
mitted its value in making accurate, rapid
calculators, and in stimulating activity and
enthusiasm among dull pupils.
The value Of the institute is shown by the
greater ease and freedom with which inexpe-
rienced teachers enter into the general discus
sions and by the increased interest older
teachers are manifesting in their methods of
work.
The attendance was good, many teachers
having come from various parts OF the county,
more. The meeting can but do great good in
awakening general interest in educational
matters and in keeping teachers alive TO the
value of progressive methods in their work.