The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1902-12-25
ADDRESS TO TEACHERS.
Jackson, Miss, Dec. 6, 1902.

The people OF the State are show
: ing an unparalleled interest in the
public schools The increase of two
!, hundred and fifty thousand dollars in
the annual State appropl iation, the To-
! cal tax levied in large number of
counties, the increased number of sep
! arate school districts that have been
; recently established, the large number
: of chartered schools organized in the
last few months slow that the people
s realize more than ever that the train
!. ing of their children is the one neces-
s sary basis for the welfare and prosper
. ity of the State and are demanding
that their schools be made better and
! stronger.
While an increase in revenue is an
essential factor in making our schools
: better, yet increased salaries, longer
term, and better equipment, of them
selves, will not give the desired re-
$ suits. Upon the teaches more than
, any other agency depends the success
5 of the school. If the teachers are not
! doing better work than they have been
) doing, the increased support given,
will, in a measure, be lost.
The people have taken an advanced |
step, and it is the duty Of the teachers
to meet this encouragement by giving |
more earnest attention to every detaIl
of their work. If the teachers will
only respond III the proper spirit gnd
, show that the money has been wisely |
) expended the people Will show even
greater appreciation of their work
ed appropriations as a gratuity, the
people will be less inclined to vote lib
! ra1 support for the schools IN tn fu-
, ture.
) The kind of work a person does
! shows the estimate which that person
) puts on his life. A person who feels
the full responsibility of life. and
wants to 1ealize as much as possible
out of his existence. will do his very
best in whatever situation he may be
s placed, it matters not how humble the
. position or small the salary received.
5 Ii is law of our being that we be-
! come as we do. A teacher is unworthy
: Of his position, it matters not how
humble or exalted it may be, if he
holds it for the financial consideration
$ only. No one is forced to teach school,
and if the salary is small, and the
s surroundings not suitable for good
Oft hox
tarily the obligations of a teacher, it
! is his sacred duty to render as eff
: cient service as if he received most
liberal salary, and worked under the
most favorable conditions.
5 Your responsibility to the State,
and to the parents who have commit
s ted the training cf t1ieir children to
. lyou, should inspire y u to put forth
lyour best efforts. Eternity alone will
! reveal the n.mber of children whose
) lives have been dwarfed or deformed
because Of the inefficiency of their
teachers.
81 I would suggest the following
among the many ways in which you
s may increase your influence and use
! fulness:
81 1. By making better preparation
! for the work in the school room.
2. In organizing the patrons for
united effort in repairing school
; houses, providing shool Libraries, bay
ing Of furniture, improving the
grounds, etc.
s 8. In clutivating public sentiment
. in favor of longer term and better
$ schools. The teacher is usually the
! only one in the neighborhood who
) gives material portion Of his time
to the study of school questions, and
; to obtaining school informtion. The
$ people should, year by year, have
higher ideals of school work, and it
s will be through the teachers that
they will get most of their ideas OH
) these questions.
! 4. By contributing something to
: the profession to which you belong,
each teacher should work out as much
as possible, and contribute his ac-
! quirements to colleagues. Reading
courses, county associations, and the
8 like, can be made agents of great pow
. er. Not to mix up with your fell
lows is to die professionally. One
! who participates i'll the benefits of q
: profession to which he belongs, with
out contributing everything to it, is
: parasite. j
$ 5. Leading tea chers should be ed
! ucational missionaries. Their infu-
ence should 60 beyond the limits OF
! their own districts. In almost every
s county there are neighborhoods so stu
! ated that it would be an easy matter to
) organize schools of higher curriculum,
i Ao. lnkk lo1riQc