The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-11-16
COUNTY TEACHERS MEETING.
Chairman

| The second meeting of the Sedgwick
| County Teachers association for the cur
rent year met at 1870 D. IN. yesterday at
the Lewis academy. Notwithstanding
the weather inconvenience quite large
audience was in attendance.
The meeting was called to order by the
president, Prof Pence. The secretary be-
| ing absent, R. w. Craig was unanimously
| elected secretary pro tenn.
! President Pence, after some remarks.
introduced president elect, Prof. V. L.
Alexander, of Valley Center, who delv-
cred quite an able inaugural address, from
which the following extracts are taken:
The great Agazazi said, when l die
write upon my tomb the word teacher, as
l know of no greater eulogy. Grand
| old Agazazi, how we honor his memory,
not.alone because he was a teacher of SUI
perior merit, nor that he was an intellect
ual giant almost unsurpassed, but also
because he had stability and love for his
profession"
The spirit of this great teacher, which
honored no labor more than his own pro-
fession, that believed in nothing more
fully than in its dignity and high calling,
and which found no greater happiness
than in the performance of his teachers
duties is worthy of the emulation of every
member of the profession"
81 believe the teacher who has no love
for his profession, no pride in the fact that
he is a teacher, but who rather feels the
burden of it's ignobleness will honor the
profession more by being out of it. Please
do not understand me to say Iwould teach
merely for the pleasure of teaching, but
that would not teach without finding
pleasure in it.
After all know one Of the chief delights
is at the end of the month to draw that
princely salary which will enable HIM to
live royalty upon the charity of his friends.
Teachers are to be congratulated that
their work stands so favorable a compari
son with other occupations. Do you think
it higher than standing behind the gro
GERS counter, sitting on the bookkeeper's
chair, moving weeds in the garden. quar-
reling over legal points in some court of
law to gain the release of some dishonest
client, dosing the ague patient with pills
and quinine, feeding cattle, or starving to
death on some country newspaper? Me-
thinks that there is no one who has a bet /
ter right to look the world squarely in the
face than the teacher. 1t is bad taste to /
examine the thorns when there are so /
many roses near by.
In this land of g., 0OO 900 sovereigns who /
has better right to become prince than .
the teacher? Let US contest the right be- .
fore willingly surrendering the palm of .
superiority. Clouds may sometimes lower .
and results materialize slowly, but the .
bow of promise is always overhead. If the (
IL .,
a trust committed into the hands of the |
teachers and preachers. Then let us faint
not and weary in well doing, but make IA
general movement all along the line upon
the forces against which we are arrayed,
that will admit of nothing but an ''uncon-
ditional surrender" Let us throw in our
leaven, and we will certainly leave our inn
press upon the condition of affairs in the
life that will be if we continue mindful of
the divine injunction: ASK, and We shall
receive. Seek, and We shall find. Knock,
and it shall be opened unto you"
The first subject on the program was a
paper, shall the Bible be read in the
Public Schools?" by Mr.. A n Whiteside
This paper dealt in an able manner with
question which has lately been agitating
the educational world to a considerable
extent. Many new ideas were advanced
and quite lively discussion followed in
which Messers Casner, Weyneth, and
others took part. The general sentiment
of the teachers seemed to be that the Bible
should be read in the schools, although
there were many good arguments
against it
Following Mr. Whiteside, Mr.. Chritton
read paper entitled Devices in teaching
spelling" which was very instructive as
well as entertaining. Some of the points
given were as follows: Make spelling
fascinating study by pleasant variety in
stead of killing all interest by following
mOnotonously in the footsteps Of teachers
of fifty years ago. Before trying any de-
vice study three things, viz: First. The
advancement of the class. Second, What
will be the effect Of devices used? Third.
Consider the state of mind of the pupil: as
a device might have an entirely different
effect under different circumstances One
device given was to give a radical word
and allow pupils TO form as many words
as possible from the radical Another was
to allow prefixes and suffixes TO be used in
the same way. The exercise may be varied
by sending part OF the class 10 the board
anu letting Ileu NlAtc n isl Vi NDIle huu
then allowing them TO correct each others
work In primary work very successful
method ST to have the children bring lists
OF words TO the class on their states. One
day making list Of all the animals of
which they eau think and the next max
ing list Of all the names they can call 70
mind, etc.
A general discussion followed in which
some very original ideas as 20 teaching
spelling were suggested but the principal
thought advanced seemed 10 be that
variety is the spice Of life in the spelling
class"
The author Of the paper. How 70 teach
arithmetic in the primary grades not
being present the subject was thrown open
for general discussion and the discussion
that followed showed an originality Of
ideas that spoke well for the enterprise OF
the teachers of Sedgwick county.
The next subject was an account of the
Nationalal Teachers association held Al St
Paul. by Professor H :. McMichael Of /.
Wichita
Professor Michael gave a very enter $
tanning account Of the tTip 70 - Paul.
describing the scenery and the events thai
occurred during the journey he also