Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-01-01
COLORED TEACHERS
Institute at the LeMOyHe SchOOI-PrOf.
Tyler's Paper on the Proven
ton Of Hardness.
Paper by Miss L. A. Parmelee On the
Maintenance of the Health
of Pupils.

y Yesterday the attendance at the Shelby
, county Teachers Institute was large. The
discussions were spirited, and the younger
teachers spoke with unusual freedom and in
{ terest After devotional exercises, led by the
I Rev. B. 4. lines, and the reading of minutes
! OF the previous meeting, f. O. Tyler read a
; paper upon "Modes of Preventing Tardi-
{ ness" He laid much stress upon teacher Z
example in promptness. This point was well
sustained by others in the discussion that
followed.
In the absence of D. E. johnson, appointed
to lead the question OF interesting dull schol-
ars,volunteers presented several new thoughts,
as also in the debate upon teaching geogra-
a Miss L. A. Parmelee, of the lie Moyne H.
, stitute, read the following paper on 'The
, Duty of Teachers as to the Health of Pu-
!, pills."
= Mr. PREsIDENr-It would be idle to dis
: cuss the value of health, for everyone be-
lieves, or processes to believe, that soundness
of body is necessary to secure steadiness and
strength of mind, and that success in any
departing Mt of life is attained but rarely,
if ever, by any except the possessor OF
good health. That a teacher owes some
$ thing to his pupils in this particular is also
an accepted fact, needing no more proof
> of these discussions is not so much TO adj
vance new ideas to quicken into activity
j that which is already known. Business men
ere spurred TO new efforts by competition
with others IN their own line. The teacher,
in the isolation of his school-room, lacks the
healthy stimulus and friction OF opposition
and emulation. The more need, then, of
spirited discussions in these monthly gather
ings. This paper can present 10 new
thoughts, and only seeks to place old truths
in fresh light One of highlands foremost
, writers in a late work asks: "Why should
there not be opened in every great town in
these realms a public school of health?
Why should not people be taught something
about the tissues of the body, their structure
and uses, the circulation of the blood,
respiration, chemical changes in the air re-
spired, amount breathed, digestion, nature
of food, absorption, secretion, structure of
the nervous system-in fact, be taught some
thing of how their own bodies are made
and how they work. Teaching of this
kind ought to be, and will in some more civ
ilizad age and country be held necessary
element in the school course OF every child,
just necessary as reading, writing and
arithmetic, for it is, after all, the most neces-
sary branch of that technical education of
which we hear so much just now, namely,
the technic, or art, of keeping oneself alive
and WELL" Whatever may be true OF Eng
land, in America the study of physiology
holds prominent place in our best schools,
and the growing tendency is to regard It, as
Kingsley says it should be, "the most neces-
ssry" of all branches. Strangely enough,
here in Shelby county, in the shadow of a
city which has drawn to itself the notice of
the world through disobedience to the
| simplest natural laws, candidates for position
in schools are carefully examined as to their
knowledge OF the geology OF their Stat9, bat
| never asked a question as to the
laws of their own being. The rising
! tide OF the interest in these vital
| matters of education will soon reach western
| Tennessee, and We must be prepared for it,
| lest we be swept from our moorings and wiser
teachers be found to fill our empty chairs.
| Failure to meet this duty arises not so much
from ignorance as thoughtlessness, but
thoughtlessness is as reprehensible pre-
meditated malice, and viii accomplish as
much mischief. Manifestly, a teacher should
understand the value of healthy habitations,
of personal cleanliness, of pure air and
| water, of various kinds of clothing and ply
steal exercise, of a free and equal develop
ment of brain power, without undue over
| strain in any one direction. 1t is for the
| teachers personal advantage, if he have 10
| higher motive, to know these things, for of
two classes OF young people otherwise evenly
matched, the one that occupies well-venti-
| lated room, has gymnastic or ealisthenic ex.
ercises between Rotations and is encouraged
to play athletic games on the
grounds at recess, will furnish the
| quicker, more accurate and earnest scholars.
A great educator once said that "poor
house-keeper was not fit for teacher"
While his remarks applied primarily to the
| neatness and order of the school-room, it |
also applied to the arrangement of school |
! furnishings with reference TO the health and |
comfort of students. How often one hears |
the expression 81 would as soon lose my life |
as my eyes" Yet many scholars always sit |
facing the light from windows that are not |
protected by shutters or curtains. In Ger |
many, in England and in the United States |
physicians are becoming alarmed at the |
rapid increase of nearsightedness and other |
diseases OF the eye caused by attending |
school. One OF the first things to attract my
attention when l came South was the re-
markable acuteness of vision and hearing
common to the colored people. If education
Is going to dull those powers, then it has
failed of one of its objects. What is the
meaning of health but Wilderness? |
And what is the use of educa-
ton but to train every faculty of body
and mind for its judicious and proper
exercise in the economy of life? Order and
quiet in a school-room are certainly to be
desired, but not if attained at the expense of
the health of single little child Better
some occasional noise than that nerves and
muscles be overtaxed in the effort TO kesp /
perfectly still. Better little confusion and
disorder caused by going to the fire to dry
wet feet and garments than that the seeds of
consumption, debility, diphtheria or Group
should be sown for bitter reaping by-and-
by. When an English admiral was tried by
court-martial for losing a ship in rescuipg
one of his men, his reply was, 81 would sooner
sacrifice all the ships in her Majesty's feet
than loose single man of the British navy"
Brave answer of a true mani And the true
teacher Will sacrifice portion OF the much
priced order of his room, and the coveted
praise of good government, for saving the
health, perhaps the lives of his little men
and little women. Much of the annoyance
springing from the chewing of gum and
the surreptitious munchiDg of apples,
nuts and cakes behind desks would
be spared the conscientious teacher who
pointed out to his scholars the great injury
to health from the habits of eating at i'm
proper hours and of chewing either gum or
tobacco. Improper positions, such as stoop-
ing over desk, sitting with shoulders awry,
lounsing in a seat, or any other habit inim-
corrected. Furthermore, ! hold that all
duty has not been fulfilled when the arrange
ments of the school-room and the habits of
pupils while within its walls are faultless
The State educates its children that they may
become good citizens; not in kindness to the
child, but to protect itself from the evils
which will result to law and order from the
lack of training. And the State does not
expect to wait for the results of its care until
the chill tecomes citizen. 1t justly looks
for immediate returns in the increased sta
bility, industry, prudence and health of the
homes as reflex influence of the school.
The faithful teacher will voluntarily offer
such instruction concerning ventilation,
cleanliness OF the person and house
food, and the use of {
simple remedies for common diseases a
as shall have perceptible influence in j
decreasing sickness in the families of the o
The community has a legal
right to demand this aid in advancing its
prosperity. Many valuable lives are lost
every year through ignorance and helpless 8
ness in meeting sudden emergencies and ac-
cidenis from poison, fire, wounds and drown I
ing. Ten minutes each week devoted to these !,
matters would add intellectually to the safety =
and welfare of the families reached. One OF
nv own bestowed friends owes her life to | :
a wise teachers practical lessons upon acct !;
dents, which were remembered as she fell on =
a dark night into the water, and saved her, | a
as by miracle, from watery grave beneath .
the ice of a Northern river. In addition to | :
the civil duty there is moral obligation
School commissioners, boards OF education H
and superintendent are not the only author
ity as TO what shall be taught. They may
demand the three Rs, the reading, writing
and arithmetic but they must not forbid |
othsr instruction. A few years ago there | -
was a conflict in the minds of many good g
citizens as to their obligations toward
the United States government when,
to obey It's laws, compelled dis
obedience against the law written in mems
hearts and reiterated in Scripture. We used n
then to hear great deal about the higher n
law. We, who for six hours day stand to y"
little children in the stead of father and mo- e
Their. must not forget whose voice it was that 4
spoke amid thunders: Thou halt not kill =
and later, "rhese words which mand Il
this day shall be in tiny heart, aud thou shalt .
teach them diligently unto thy children" !,
Young people need 10 understand how | .
this sixth ecmn11ndrncu- rs broken, or kept
by their manner Of dressing, eating, walking
and living. Some over worked teacher may !
say, "But my pupils are not sufficiently adj I