Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-08-05
TEACHERS INSTITUTE
OF Berkeley County in Session This
Week Teachers in Attendance
An Interesting Session.

4 O.3o O'Clock, ana renamed III SESSION
until yesterday evening.
The Institute was called 70 order by
County Superintendent j. w. Shirley. He
then announced that he had appointed
Messrs. Lee Siler and St. Johns William
son as secretaries and called for an enroll
mcnt Of the teachers. The enrolment Of
the teachers took up almost the entire
morning. session. The enrolment is by
no means small
Before noon one hundred and fifty-five
! teachers. ninety-two ladies and sixty-three
/ gentlemen, were enrolled.
After the enrolment, the instructors Of
the Institute were introduced. They were:
Thomas c. Miller, professor Of pedagogy
at the West Virginia University, and J.
w. Stayman, Of Keyser,
MONDAY AFTERNOON.
The Teachers Institute convened again
in the afternoon at two O'Clock and the
War with Spain, its causes, the principal
! battles, cost and results, was taken up
and disCu ssed at length. The discus
sion was very interesting and gave the
teachers much light on our late conflict.
| After the discussion Of the war, Prof.
Miller gave very interesting talk on
What Should the Teacher Read" The
instructor gave very good and practical
talk on this subject. He gave the names
and publication Of books suitable TO the
wants OF the various grades Of teachers
and they profited much by it.
The institute adjourned at 3.45, with
out finishing the rest Of the afternoons
program. The evening session, which was
on the program, was not held.
TUESDAY MORNING.
The Institute this morning was opened
BY singing and devotional exercises which
were led by Dr. ]. A. Hof helms Prof.
Stayman then gave an address on THE
School Room" He spoke of the school
room in general, its size, the location of
the desks, and all things that help to make
it pleasant.
This address was followed by very
interesting talk by Prof. A. c. Kimler, of
the Shepherdstown State Normal School,
The Prof. took for his subject The
Teacher" He said the teacher should
not only be Intellectually prepared for
school work but also morally; that the
teacher should not only look after the
mental training of the scholar, but also
after that most important thing -charac-
ter. His was perhaps the most interest
ing address he has delivered before the
County Institute. He gave the teachers
good, common-sense talk and they
should profit much by it.
After his address the Institute adjourn
ed until 80 O'Clock. Up to the closing
OF the morning session the institute was
without musical instrument to lead the
singing, so that the singing was not as
lively d soul-stirring as it otherwise
would be. But through the courtesy OF
the Moler Organ Company good instru
ment will be in place at the opening OF
the afternoon session, then will the boys
and girls ring out in full chorus the songs
provided for the occasion.
TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
The Teachers Institute was opened
again this afternoon bg singing, which I
was enivened by the presence of
the organ, furnished by the Moler Organ
Company, of Hagerstown. Prof. Stayman
then took up the subject of arithmetic and
gave a general talk on it. The Professor
gave very good explanation of the value
Of this all important branch and how the
teachers should teach it.
Prof Kimler, Of the Shepherdstown
Normal School, then took the floor and
spoke about the value of the State Normal
Schools. He urged the teachers to inspire
in the scholars a desire for a. higher educa-
ton and to try and get them to attend
the Normal Schools and the State Uni
versity. Professor Kilmer did not speak
only about the school of which he was
principal but about the Normal Schools
in general. He also implored the teachers
to get the pupils to attend our own Uni
versity and Normal School and not those
of other states, which, he said, are no bet
ter. The Professor is always welcomed |
as speaker on such occasions and his |
talk Yesterday afternoon was up to his |
standard.
After the address the teachers were all
given papers and twenty-five words were
given them to spell. The words were
rather catchy and only about five out of
the one hundred and sixty succeeded in
spelling them all correctly.
After the spelling exercises the follow
ing committee on resolutions was ap-
pointed. w. A. Pitzer, J. w. B. Evans,
David Kershner and Josiah w. Gain.
WEDNESDAY MORNING.
The Institute this morning was opened
with singing and devotional exercises con-
Quoted by DR.. !. A. Price. Prof. {. H.
Cole, Superintendent Of the City Public
Schools, was then introduced and gave a
good, practical talk on the study of arith-
metic. The Prof gave his experience as
to how it should be taught, and gave the
teachers some good advice on the sub
iect. A recess was then taken.
After the recess the Institute was again
opened with the singing of The West
Virginia Hills" State Superintendent
Trotter then took the floor and explained
a number of the points of the school law
He answered several questions in regard
to the law and explained howit was work
ing in other parts of the State. Mr.Trot-
ter's talk on the law was quite interesting