Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-11-12
reaohers, Associations.
70 the Tobacco Lnarohronlcle.l

NtuCllNlS luoL WtChS L iCNA NIlibOlufI-
ed to make an effort to get in a few
remarks.
Now i do not want to be under
stood as being opposed to institutes
and associations. On the contrary, /
have ever been found ready to sns-
wer the bugle. call to duty when it
called to the association.
There is nothing the teachers, di-
rectors and people OF this county
need as much as association in an
earnest effort to arrive at a proper
conception Of what is right with re.
gard to school management, school
discipline and the systematic work.
ings Of the schools.
Who is it that is not benefited by
exchanging honest ideas with
another of the same profession =?
There certainly are very few. Show
me one that cannot be benefited there
by, and will show you one that is
50 inflated with self that they are not
capable of attending to the ordinary
duties Of any avocatiOn in life, much
less to teach children of a free and
enlightened republic.
While / am hear tily in accord
with the institutes and associations,
yet l cannot agree with j. II. b.,
that teacher should be judged by
his or her attendance at the associa-
tions.
We should stop long enough to in
quire what benefits have been offer
ed the teachers of the county to get
them to attend these meetings ?
Have rot those who did attend let
the meetings be failures If SO,
why? Was it that because so few
attended they could not discuss the
subjects? lam reliably informed
that there were about twelve teach
ers present when j. H. B. made Gf |
am not misinfOrmed) a motion to adj
journ sine die, and without the dis
cussion or exchange of ideas that
was mapped out for the days work.
1t seems to me that if only two met
they were enough to exchange ideas,
and thus be benefited. 1t is also
good logic to say if what few that
did attend could not be benefited, no
more need apply.
If, as j. II. b. would have us be.
lieve, few of the good teachers met
and could not derive enough benefit to
continue the meetings, why should
he be so hard on those who failed to
attend what he very strongly i'm
plies, if he does not say so, were
profitless meetings?
He goes on to exonerate our
county superintendent, which seems
hardly fair to critical observer.
He also pays the city teachers a
glowing tribute. "Oh consistency !;
thou art a jeweln l know of a GER
tain country pedagOgue who went
quite distance to be at the next to
the last meeting, and to hear and
to learn of the ways of the wise. But
10 and behold when he came to the
door of the building in which your
association was to meet he found it
securely locked. All! the city teach
ers had 50 far forgotten the assOcia-
ton that they had neglected to have
their house unlocked. Isn't this
deep interest with a vim?
There is a feeling abroad that j. H.
b. should be given to understand
that the normal teachers of the coun.
ty do not like the association of the
adjective "normal' with the adjec-
tive "knoW all" in the manner in
which he has used it. | have been
in the harness quite while, and i
have my first "knOw alp normal
teacher to meet in this county. In
fact a nOrmalite learns by experience
when he first enters a good normal
that he does not know it all. If you
want to find "know ALL" look any.
where else but among the normal
ties. you want good, energetic
teacher, go choose ye one of the nor
malites.
Now let us quit casting slurs, and
come together, all uniting in an
earnest effort to raise our standard
higher and higher.
The teachers of our county are only
to be driven into your meetings by
words OF cheer and encouragement,
and by acts of appre citation and
kindness. First show them that
they are needed and will be benefited
by your meetings, and they will be
sure to attend.
And now, in conclusion, l would
like to ask il it has never occurred to
j. IL. b. mind that our county
superintendent gave our country
teachers an over dose of "grade" last
July, and possibly some have not
fully recovered yet?
AY-ME.