The age-herald., 1900-09-16
FIRST MEETING
 OF THE TEACHERS
Listen to Wise Words From Su-
 perintendent Phillips
SCHOOLS OPEN TOMORROW
And Yesterday Superintendent Phillips Made the Assignments of the Teachers, Whom He Instructed
 Eloquently and Practically

Birmingham public schools open tomor- row!
 The first meeting of the teachers of the public schools was held at the High School building yesterday morning.
 It was a full meeting, all but two of the teachers responding to the call of the roll.
 Dr. Phillips delivered the introductory lecture to the teachers touching upon some important phases of educational work He emphasized three essential elements of successful school work.
 Study, or the preparation of work by the pupil. The child must be taught how to study. This should be emphasized as the teachers greatest work. It is not enough to arouse hunger and thirst for knowledge so that the child makes life a burden at home, but the school must train him in power to acquire for himself. Socrates asked questions the streets of Athens until the lives of the people became a burden to them, and they condemed him to death. Many children today are con demmed to an intellectual and moral death for the same reason.
 The second point to be emphasized by the
 
 ferent meanings in different stages of their development. The word recitation has an entirely different meaning today from that given to it fifty years ago. Then it meant simply recitation of facts memorized. Today 1t includes in addition the compari- son of the views of each member of the class with that of all the others; a feel Ing of unity which is necessary to all in- eyff
 has an audience, and in turn becomes a part of the audience of another He must give to each the respectful attention he desires for himself. The recitation is not merely the retailing of the facts of the text book. it is the united effort of all, in vestigating, comparing and establishing facts in their search for truth
 The third element of modern school work consists in the adjustment of all the pro- cesses of the school, so that they shall be in the highest sense educative. Even the marching in and out of the school must nave It's educative value; the rules of the schools must be considered in their effects upon the character of the child, not for the convenience of the school
 The importance of continued growth in the teacher was also emphasized Long ex- perience in the schoolroom is of advantage only when the teacher is growing and de- veloping. The teacher must be large enough Intellectually and broad enough in sympa- thy to take to her heart each one of the diverse elements in her class
 The teacher whose experience has served to stagnate her intellect and crystalize her affections Is incapable of that Small and empty is the life of that teacher who can- not take into her own life the lives of oth- CTS, whose sympathies are too narrow to embrace every child committed to her charge. The two clements of a successful teacher are constant development of intel lectual and spiritual capacity and power to so adjust all the processes of the school so that they shall develop the intellectual and moral fiber of the child as an individual and in his relation to the social whole of which he must form part.
 President Ullman of the Board of Educa- ton was present, and delivered an inspir- ing address to the teachers
 After giving some instructions relating to the details of the work for the opening of the schools, pr. Phillips made the assign ment of teachers as follows: High School-J. B. Cunningham princi pal; Willie M. Allen, English; B. A. Allen mathematics; H. R. Thornton, history Samuel Adams, Latin; Floribel Brown, sci