The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-07-28
IN CLOSING HOURS.
Last Day of Hawaiian
Summer School.
Closing Addresses by Professor
Brown and Inspector Gen.
eral Townsend.

The final meeting of the Summer
School took place yesterday afternoon
in the High School building. Nearly
all the members of the school were
present, and they listened with close
attention to the closing addresses OF
Professor Brown and Inspector Gen
eral Townsend
In his final remarks, DR.. Brown
spoke Of the Importance of school work
in Hawaii. There is no fear of the
teachers overestimating this import
ance, but they might overestimate the
difficulties. Sometimes teachers stretch
up to sense of the real Importance of
the work, and after a time fall back
into the old carelessness. The teacher
who would be successful must not only
stretch up, but line up to the import
ance. The prophet Nehemiah being
lem, was opposed by Sanballat. Being
invited to attend a conference on the
matter, Nehemiah replied
81 am doing a great work, so that l
cannot come down. Why should the
work cease whilst I leave it and come
down to you?" The teacher who tries
to live up to the fine art of teaching
will meet temptation to desist He
should send back the answer of Nehe-
miah. Oliver Wendell Holmes says:
Hitch your wagon to a star" This
should be the teachers motto He
should not be satisfied with low aims
DR.. Brown regretted that he had not
been able to pay more attention to the
scientific side of teaching. This is a
subject full of interest. The teacher
needs all that science can give. The
teachers in Hawaii have an opportun>
ity of setting a high standard of teach
ing. They should insist upon high
standard of moral purpose, and a high
standard of skill in the schools. A de-
mand for the fine art of teaching
should be made. When a school
becomes accustomed to a high class
of teaching it will not be satisfied with
a poor class. Let the Summer School
emphasize this fact, and it will then
justify its existence. But what is fine
teaching? We know many people
whom we like, but in whose presence
we can think our lower thoughts; these
are not our teachers in the best sense
of the word. We know others in whose
presence we cannot think our lower
thoughts; these should be our teachers
Every community should cherish the
persons in whose presence the people
think their nOblest thoughts. A teach
er in whose presence the pupils think
their noblest thoughts is the ideal
teacher. If the Summer School has
been the means of forming one such
teacher, it's work has not been in vain. |
The Inspector General followed |
with remarks, summing up what he |
regarded as some of the most import
ant lessons of the session. Thanks |
were DUE" he said, ''to those who had |
given their time and energy to the |
work of teaching. The Summer School |
must not be looked upon as an end,
but as a means. This is a movement
in favor of better teaching in the
school room, and its success can only
be judged by the work we do next
year. We have all received instruction
which will prove useful to us. We may
not realize this now and we may never
realize it. Thoughts will be coming to
is during the coming years, and we
may not be able to trace their origin,
but they may have had their origin in
this session, now at an end. We shall
go forth with enthusiasm, perhaps,
more valuable than any of these les
sons learned. Wherever earnest en-
husiaStic teachers meet, their enthusi-
asm increases. This is not the least
gain from the Summer School Let us
90 forth with an increased apprecia-
ion of the dignity of our work.
mo other class Of workers in this
and is doing more for the future of the
|
o elevate the grade of civilization and
make life really worth living in the
and than the conscientious, earnest
eacher. Let us go forth with the feel
ng of fellowship. We are working to-
sether in a great cause. Let us stand
~ our cO-WOrkerS in neighbOring
schools, and l would have the teach
,rs in each school appreciate the unity
If their work; assistants being loyal
o their principal, whose is the respon-
;ibility for the general plans of their
work; and principals being kindly dis
posed and considerate toward their as
'istants. Pestalozzi said: The first
principles of education are love and
aith,' and in the sense in which he
lsed the term, he was right. Love and
ruth have been the first principles of
,ducation since the world began, and
hey will be so till it ends.
"Pestalozzi, at Stanz, met a band Of
hildren, who were degraded, hard
ned, and made suspicious by the suf-
erings they had endured. The saddest
light on earth is that of a hardened
uspicious child. Pestalozzi was conf
ent, as he has told us that his heart
would change all of this, and it did
hange it. 1t was the love of the teach
r for the children which in time =
aused the love Of the children for the '
aacher to spring forth. I would en-
hasize the Importance Of this love OF
he teacher for the child. If you do
OF feel this in your hearts, stop and
Onslder the condition which you are
l. For centuries past, it has been Gus
1mary to say that the teacher stands
l the place of the parent, but in this q
1untry, above all others with which I F.
N familiar, the teacher exerts a great
: influence upon the future character