The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-08-31
PEDAGOGNES IN SESSION

The annual meeting of the Hawaiian
Teachers Association Is being held to-
day at the Honolulu High School, the
exercises lasting throughout the day,
luncheon being served at the noon
hour by the ladies of the Y w. c. A,
The meeting opened this morning at
ten o'clock, nearly hundred teachers
of public and private schools, and chose
generally interested in educational mat
ters being present. The arranged pro-
gram was prefaced by prayer by the
Rev. Alexander Macintosh followed by
the singing of Whittiers Teachers
hymn.
The meeting was then addressed Oy
Superintendent OF Public instruction
Alatau Il. Atkinson, who spoke as fol-
lows:
Ladies and Gentlemen fellow teach
ers ana friends, l was asked on behalf
of the Teachers Association of Hawaii
to make an address to this meeting and
regret that l was compelled to refuse
| the invitation, not having time in which
I to prepare it. There is so much work
| developing on the Superintendent and
other educational officials at this time
of the year that none of US has many
spare moments.
| l shall therefore ask you to bear with
me while l make a few remarks. This
| society as l understand it is one of
| mutual self help. You not only meet
here once a year but meet once month
| in other parts of the islands. To these
meetings you bring and interchange
your best thoughts, course of pro-
| cedure of the very greatest value.
| | can remember years ago when there
! was very little exchange of thought be-
| tween the teachers, no unity, where now
we have the results not only of this
| meeting but of the more frequent ones
| in the other islands and also among
the districts each with its reading class.
\ Perhaps there is no class of people
better qualified for mutual thought ele-
| vation than teachers. The very nature
o ftheir daily duty is that of constant
| ly elevating, raising up the minds of the
children under their charge step by
step. You not only exercise this in
1 fiuence for good among the children who
come to you but it permeates through
them to their homes. You may see few
results of this spreading abroad of
your labors. 1t may seem uphill work
but the results undoubtedly do exist.
: l was speaking lately to teacher from
the Kula district in Maui where the
population is largely composed of
, ignorant Portuguese and he told me
that the teaching impaired to the chill
dren gradually but surely spread from
them to the parents. Always spread
; and no not expect too great results.
In speaking of the reading chosen by
; and studied the ensuing year, Mr.. At
l knson deplored the fact that to him the
work taken up seemed to be narrow
He read an extract from the speech OF
Dean James Russell before a summer
3 school of teachers. in which they were
: severely criticised for being narrow
and not being fitted to teach the sub
! jects that they did. through lack of tho
rough familiarity with them. DR.. Rus
: sell traced this condition of affairs ia
! the difference in surroundings allotted
| the teacher, in comparison with the
, constant sharpening of wits compelled
, by the lawyers and other professions
while l do not entirely agree with
= this speech" said Mr.. Atkinson in con-
clusion. 81 should advise broadening
I out, you cannot know too much. ReaC
: proper literature. Choose works or
I science and do not confine your study
to the mere assimilation of book know
ledge. In botany for example, take III
field work. The smallest grass plot will
afford a dozen plants that your chill
Z dren do not know. Start class on orr
D ginal research. The secret of Hugl
Miller's great knowledge lay in the fac
that he went to the insect. to the plan
or the animal. in addition to his mer
book work. l hope you will take vi
e work along these lines knowing that
y you do your pupils will surely emulat
q your efforts"
3 The program already published vii
continue over into this afternoon. tn
p exercises closing with general discus
e tlon.