Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-09-29

examiners has been entirely within the
iimNs Of toe law
wish briefly 10 touch upon the topic
that is m 1st important in q i school econ
omy, namely, the teacher. The teach
tr is. the center Of the school. he is the lie
Il ir. the living fountain wherce flows all
its inspiration. The scierce of teaching
may be acquired bv study from books, as
the science Of arithmetic. or tie science of
grammar: but the art Of teaching can be
aequirf only BY practice but a practitioner
without knowing the science of his prac-
tice, IS a practitioner of a very low order; in
medicine we call him quack;in law. per-
haps a pettifogger. OF a carpenter Of that
sort we say he knows how 10 drive nails
and saw boards, he is not builder for he
has no science, nobody of knowledge, TO
enable him with his material to create
building. knowledge then must have
practice TO make it real, to apply it in any
useful way. Practice again without knowl-
edge is in the dark, is blind, stumbles up
on its ends, if perchance it reaches them
at al. Practice without knowledge may
do incalcuiable harm as every one knows
IS the case in medicine. Science and art
must go together knowledge and prac-
tice, principle and its application will
complement each other. Knowing the
principle, the law, makes the art the more
skllllul, the more delicate, the more tact
full and on the other hand the practice
reacts on the knowledge or science and
makes it clearer, broader, and more full of
meaning.
SO We see that knowledge and practice
grow together, knowledge becoming deep
er with practice and practice becoming
more sklilful in the light of knowledge.
The practitioner along these lines is a grow
ing one, he becomes constantly more valu-
able to himself and 10 society and is what
thinking people call progressive. Such
teacher is progressive, growing teach
er and feels at the end of each year that
he has done better and more sufficient
work than the previous year. Others NAV
not be able to see it in outward tangible
results. Others of his coworkers NAV be
able to see livery clearly although he may
not. Ii teacher is student OF the mind
and OF the subjects he teaches (otherwse
he should not be teacher he will under
stand them better at the close of each
succeeding year. If his class at the end of
this year is not better prepared for the
next years work than the last one, one
reason may be that the class was behind,
in mental attainment. the preceding one
when he received it. In that case if he has
brought them up to the preceding one
he has done better work than before. An
other reason may be that the class was
not mentally as capable as the preceding
one. In that C S il he has brought them
up to the preceding one he has most GER
tainly done better work than before.
There is still third reason that may be
assigned. The mind unfolds, grows ac-
cording to natures fixed laws. The
chlld's capabilities at the end of each year
of its growth are in general fixed by the
laws of its development and man by no
device of his can force them beyond
without grave danger. Granting that the
course of study in its arrangements con-
forms to this development, the teacher
can still feel that he has done better work
with this class than with the preceding
one in that he has applied the principles
of education with more skill than before
and has produced a greater degree of in
terest and greater love for their work on
the part of his pupils, and this is more
vital evidence of superior work than any
mere outstripping of any textbook limit
whatever.
| am happy to say that our teachers are
growing teachers, they are progressive
teachers; and in the light of what have
just said, must differ from that one of
our number who has expressed too hum
BILE opinion of himself in saying that he
has done no better work the past year
than in previous years. He has been a
growing teacher since have known him
and have the faith to believe that he
will continue to grow until his iu huence
shall be limited not even by the state.
can offer no better evidence of growth on
the part of our teachers than the fact that
we have all met together once month
for general school work of a professional
character. One half have met once a
month in the subject of literature, and the
other half, once month in the subject of
history: and the principals have had a
regular monthly meeting. Thus there has
been meeting every week of some part or
all of the teachers. Many of the teachers
led by their interest and love of the work
attended all of these meetings. Only two
limited themselves to the regular monthly
meetings.
And now, gentlemen wish to thank
you for the hearty cooperation you have
given us in all our work. When this
board was organized the prophets of evil
had many harsh things to say; bit am
glad to say that none of these predictions
have come true, for you nave noby stood
by the school, have done what you believed
to be for their best interests and that too
with unselfsh devotion to the greatest
good of the children.
spectfully submitted,
c. H. COLE,
Supt. CITY Schools.