The Opelousas courier., 1895-11-23
The Opelousas Summer Normal.
Louisiana School Review, Monroe.

and in eievating the profession OF teach
ing, the great interest manifested ty
both teachers ana the people" in the
Normal held DIT Opelousas from JuUe II
to July IL, the hearty and unsolicited
expression OF nearly all the TEACHERS to
the effect, ave shall return to our
schools better able to lead the children to
higher living" would dispel the fogy
idea that a should not attempt to
teach until he is sure that he is incapa-
bic of successfully following any other
profession.
OpelOusas is one OF the most beauti-
full aud interesting little cities in the
State; situated in the richest OF the fine
lands OF st. Landry, it is supported by
the best crops that Louisiana produces.
La the city, there is seen everv where
the result Of thrift and culture. The
homes are attractive and the streets are
neat and shaded 10y gigantic oaks that
make a walk or Il drive over the city
delightful. AS to til" people, ali that
have ever come In contact with the
Creoits of South Louisiana can trs-
tify to their generous hospitality. They
make strangers feel perfectly ut home
by extending every possible conrttsy.
The people of Optl"usas ave wiit4e
awake on the public school question.
They believe that the children should
be educated, and that public ~scIs,oI>
should be built up to IL degree of pro
ticiency offering every child in the land
a good, solid education. Those peo-
pie are proud of their High School
which owes it's existence to the untiring
efforts of the Opelousas ladies.
The ladies thought it is not wise to
seEd boys and girls several hundred
miles from home at great expense to
pursue q sesepdary education, and with
interchangeable zeal they bnilt a $500
house, a model for comfort and con-
venience, and made the men vote money
for the support of the High School.
The Summer Normal was held in the
High School building, the directors
generously giving the faculty and the
teachers access to all maps, library, lab.
oratory, etc.. that could be of advantage
in their work.
From the moment that Prof. Cham
bers stood before the school and held
up the beauties and necessity of good
schools and good teachers, there was q
spirit of interest and determination
permeating the whole school which
said: "We are here for business" and
the Developments qf each succeeding
day verified this fact. There were en-
rolled about 112 teachers, the most of
whom were ladies' the girls seem fully
to realize that the boys are too Door to
get married, they have 'quit foolineo
with them, and instead have enlisted in
the noble work for which they are so
fifty adapted.
The rain poureT down almost every
day, but this did Got prevent a full at
tendance at the Kormal-the teachers
came and they worked.
One marked feature of the school was
its practicability; the professors not
only lectured as to how tt teach, but
they treated the assembled teachers as
pupils and put the methods into actual
practice. This gave the theory and at
the same time enabled each teacher to
the methods a part of his OVID
school work.
This Normal also demonstrated a
fact that teachers have not ALWAYS OBJ
served-that a teacher must carefully
prepare for his work.
Those who followed Mr.. Chambers
through a lecture on United States his
tory, Mr.. Harris on Physiology, or Mr..
Ferguson IN arithmetic Cor any other
in the coulse) could not but he
impressed with the truthfulness of the
old maxim "One does we'll that which
he best understands" How true the
of Mr.. Caldwell to the teachers
Just before the "goodbyes" were said,
never give a lesson without taking
your note book and pencil and prepar- {
ing something to give." {
The Normal workers met with much /,
encouragement that was no doubt an j
preciated and elected their best efforts. {
Some Of the best citizens in the city G
in almost daily attendance and !
GENEROUSLY approved the work done. /
IE3 visitors were especially loud in I
heir praises Of the model school pre- I
sided over by Misses Laura Tauzin and y
Carver, both graduates of the S
Louisiana State Normal School. G
Mr.. b. c. Caldwell, the State Insti- 6
ute conductor, was with the workers :
bout two weeks. His cultured man f
lers, impressive and instructive lessons n
md brilliant lectures did much to en- =
instruct and increase the edu- 4
ational sentiment. The lecturers said
that the teachers who at
ended the Opelousas Normal were the v
and best workers they had y
yer met; the conductor said their note q !
OOks were models for neatness and at !,
sntion !; they got the gist of every al
hing. 81
Nor is the social feature of this Nor Il
lal to be overlooked from the OPEN ~ ~
lg there was perfect harmony and is
God feeling among the faculty and bt
sachers, and to add to the beauty of b.
his spirit, the ladies of the town We'd
it'll each other in their efforts to en- d
'rtain. Supt. Lafargue said that this
q characteristic common to Louisiana
II
"The Princess Bonnie" a delightful B
,era, under the management of Prof. al
has. Grant Shaffer, was most enter co
ininly rendered complimentary to the gr
ormal faculty and the parish superin- ar
The sweet strains waited II
rough the audience by the Princess ha
Miss DOremns, of Iberia. will DO
er be remembered with feelings of AN
and gratitude.
At last the good bye tears are shed
d the Normal is closed. g.
The lecturers leave saying that they ~
emit a delightful month, and the teach "a
J declare that they will return to their ~.
l0ols imbued with zeal and insnira. uu.
q for their work. iei
The UpelOusas Normal clearly proved =
It the schools must be improved nv
ting into them better teacllers-
cheers whose worth will add to the ~
nifty and improvement of the pr0- ext,
sion. Give us more Summer Nor II
is. chrt
20. 1896. H. HIT. u" r
Mai
descriptions filed at all hours AT excs
1nknnfa druUcfnrn farn. rcfr, D.:I1.,. ii