Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-08-05


begin what constitute mastery of a
word; how is this acquired.
AFTERNOON.
Prof Kimler lectured upon the
subject of arithmetic, and handled it
i'll very interesting manner. In the
comparison Of the old with the new
system he said to the old system pre-
supposes a child to be born reader
"for he must learn to read if he learns
at although spelling, for it was,
spell, spell, spell spell in the morn
ing spell in the evening spell in
any position, lying, sitting, 'Sneelin2,
or asleep; but spell, spell, spell ~
He amused the teachers by giving a
little personal experience with spell
ers; he had worn out 5ospelling books
himself in his efforts at learning to
read, for he had torn each succeeding
leaf out and always had to have new
book when review time came. Compar-
ing this old method with the new, and
the old spoilers with the new readers,
he wondered how the boy of long ago
ever learned to read at all, and it was
his candid opinion that he never would
have learned, had it not been for the
liberal use of the birch which had
been generously applied to his own
back every day-by the teacher.
With a sly roguish twinkle creeping
from the corners of his eyes, he ridi-
culed the method used to teach the
points, by initiating the boys atti-
tude and facial contortions SO perfect
ly that even the quietest had to laugh.
He explained clearly and forcibly
how to begin with words, then senten-
ces, then the transition from oral to
written work. How much should be
accomplished i'll the six months of
the first term at school was COM
mented upon and discussed. ~ begin
ner should never leave a word until he
can recognize it readily by sight, and
can pronounce it correctly.
In teaching any lesson, to make it
successful, the teacher must get down
from his high perch and stand upon
the plane of his pupil, Let him feel
your system, your regard, your love.
Let it be your one medicine to admin
lister. Like the old woman who knew
but one medicinal plant, but used it
for all complaints and made herself
famous by administering it as a cure
all for every disease, so would / recon-
mend your interest and love to be Civ
en- to your pupils as cure-all which
will be most effective with many chill
dren.' The County Superintendent
here gave some interesting and use
full suggestions. All agreed that two
or three new words were sufficient for
one lesson for beginners that every
fifth lesson should be a review that
the combined method, word, sentence,
and phonic, is the best that there
is a considerable gap to bridge over be
tween the first and second readers a
series of supplementary readers of the
same grade would be wonderful
help that in the absence Of these, a
work called d" Word List" should be
placed in the hands of every pupil
EX-County Superintendent d. H.
Dodd here arose and described the
new McGuffy Chart, and urged the
teachers to make every effort in their
power to influence the boards of edu-
cation to secure one for each school.
Organization of Country Schools
was handled in a mastery way by
Prof Foulk and the momentous ques-
tons answered, viz:
What shall l do the first day in
school?
/ What is the best method of CLASH
ication2
What shall do with pupils coming
in late?
Shall l announce set of rules
He emphasized, do not criticise
the work of your predecessor? Donot
have a cast-iron set of rules-make
them, the fewer, the better.
BE a model i'll bearing and use only
correct language before your pupils.
AS soon as possible learn your pu-
pill names, it will lessen embarrass-
ment and disorder. Do not be bonn
bastic and domineering in your man,
ner, for such a course arouses the
antagonistic feeling in pupils, that is
sure to cause future trouble.
| A lecture on School Management by
Prof. Kimler was announced he in a
playful way began:
BE it known unto all men that | dc
not intend to lecture, but to talk upor
this important subject. It's the rocl
upon which many a proud ship ha,
been wrecked. l candidly believ,
that nine-tenths of all the trouble an(
failures in our school work ar,
brought about by inability TO govern
We bring our own disaster upon oul
own heads simply by neglecting t
study, each boy and girl Composing
the school separately and individual