Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-08-30
MD)ND DlYS EXERCISES
Of the Wheeling Teachers Annual
Institute Very Interesting.

SfLVAN1A-A IAhh YIN LIMA w :
ING BY MISS CHAPMAN. OF
CHI CAGO-OTHER FEATURES
OF THE PROGRAMME.
At the appointed hour yesterday
morning, the Teachers Institute was
opened with singing under Prof Ham
mond's direction. Roll call followed,
after which Miss Chapman took up her
work on drawing, continuing her talk
upon the subject of stained glass win
dows, showing the usefulness of the
study as it is now taught. She thinks
that many of our children will become
expert designers. Prospective draw
ing was taken up reviewing some of
last years work that was not clear to
the teachers. Some practical work was
given to the teachers such as drawing
of tables and chairs and the principles
involved were thoroughly explained.
DR.. Gilbert. of Newark, ~ j., was
next introduced. After some prelim-
mary remarks, the Doctor confined
himself to the discussion of the topic,
Importance of Schools and Teachers. !"
He said: Il believe teaching to be the
most important and the most honor
able calling in the world. Indeed the
world at large has come to rely upon
schools and teachers as upon nothing
else. The day has passed when any
body could teach. There was a time
when the district school was reserved
for the young man who had failed up
on the farm or elsewhere, or for the
young woman who was DESTROYS of in
creasing the fund that was to purchase
her trousseau; indeed, there was a
time when the profession of teaching
was regarded as a mere makeshift-a
stepplng-stone to something else.
Happily that time has passed. We are
open to congratulations because we
belong to the great army of teachers.
The work of the teacher is not a
Job; it is mission-a means for the
saving of society. Education makes us
what we are. Education is the sum OF
all the influences that work upon the
human soul. Unconscious education is
more potent than conscious education.
We speak of educating another; no
human being can educate another; he
may only furnish material upon which
another grows. Education is process
by which the soul goes on from one
stage to another. We think we educate
children when we talk to them or give
them books to read. We do not unless
they take into their souls what we give
them. knowledge is a state of mind.
Nothing is learned until it becomes a
part of us. If children do not learn it
is because they cannot assimilate what
is given them.
All progress consists in making low
er elements into something higher. We
educate only when we supply nutriment
to the soul. The two great forces that
work upon the individual are inner
itance and education, but education is
infinitely more important than inner
itance. Much that we call inheritance
comes from association with badly edu-
Gated adults. Every individual soul
can make itself what it determines I'M
der favorable conditions. The soul can
be made or marred by environment.
Education begins at birth and ends
never After children are so far edu-
Gated when they enter the school room
nothing can be done. One gener-
alton does not stand upon the shoulders
of the preceding one, but grows upon
soil furnished by it.
''The whole world-all civilization
is the product of the dead past We
are prone to despise the past; we shou d
not; we are its product Our present
school system is the product of evo1u-
ton and we make it our God and fall
down and worship it. We are some
times forced to believe that the evils
OF our much praised school system
Overbalance the good. Under this pro-
crustean system we succeed in squeez-
Ing the individuality out of the child