Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1903-09-01

Teachers Instltute.
Tuesday morning Rev. Or. A. g. Hop
kins conducted the devotional exercises.
Prof. Deahl then discussed in a helpful
the teaching Of arithmetic. Su-
perintendent Cole followed with an ad- /
dress il which he emphasized the ideal |
qualities of the teachers. The feature of
the afternoon session was the address by /
Prof. Deahl on Educational Psychology. i
The lecture was replete with life and
learning and received close attention
from the teachers. Among other things
he said . An ounce of demonstration |
is worth many pounds Of telling. Teach
ing consists very largely in giving the
child the conditions Of learning. The
largest duty-the chief duty-of the tea
cher is to teach the pupils how to study.
Many so-called good teachers do nothing
more than put down the thumb-screws on
their pupils. Such teachers bring so
great pressure to bear npon their pupils
that they will spend many weary hours
in doing what. with proper teaching.
might be done in shorter time and with
less energy" A paper on the Common
Mistakes of the School Room" was read
by Mrs. Margaret Wetzel. who also reci-
ted Our Travelled Parson" to the de-
light of her bearers.
Wednesdays work opened with reli-
gious exercises. conducted by Rev. DR..
A. c. Hopkins. Superintendent Cole
then called for memory gems. Many
teachers responded. Prof. Robert P.
McGarry favored the institute with two
recitations. Geo. M. Beltzhoover. Jr..
made an address explaining the provisions
OF the uniform examination law. Coun-
ty Superintendent Engle called attention
to the necessity for faithful earnest work
at all times. Mr.. Engle's conscientious
performance of duty has won for him the
respect of the teachers. Prof. ]. G
Knutti. principal of Shepherd College.
gave an interesting talk on the new
school laws. In the afternoon some new
ideas in teaching penmanship were pre-
scented by Prof. James Dorsch. of Chica-
go. Prof. Dorsch's lecture was followed
| by Miss Jessie Hoffman. who read an in
teresting paper telling of her visit to the
meeting of the National Educ ational
Association at Boston. A petition was
presented to County Superintendent En-
gle praying that the institute for next
year be held the week preceding the
Morgan's Grove fair.
The first topic on Thursday. after open
ing exercises by Rev. B. F. Ball, was the
question :" What should the County Sup
erintendent do on visiting SCHOOL,
Professors Deahl. Denny. Cole and Sup
erintendent Engle took partsin discussing
it. The Relation of the School to the
Home was the title to carefully pre-
pared paper by Miss Ella Kelsey. of Shep-
herdstown, Miss Laura Strider also read
paper replete with historical facts relat-
ing to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
to be held at ST. Louis next year. Fol-
lowing this was talk on Nature Study
by Mr.. ]. w. Horn, of Hampshire county.
In the afternoon Professor Cole spoke at
some length on Washington's Interest
in the Trans-Allegheny Region" His
remarks were eulogistic OF Washington
foresight in planning to make the section
north and west of the Alleghenies tr1bu-
tary in its trade relations with Virginia
The Erie Canal and the Hudson river
facilities for transportation. he said, early
diverted the commerce of the trans-Alle-
gheny country to New York, thereby
thwarting Washington's plans for attract
ing it toward the shores of the Chesapeake.
A round table discussion under three
topics occupied the remainder of the day.
Prof. Knutti took the first one, "The
Relation of GoodRoad toGoodSchools. y
and gave talk of ten minutes. . The
Consolidation of Schools" was the sec
ond topic, and was discussed by Mrs
Margaret Wetzel. of Millville. who wa.
followed by Prof. Denny in fifteen min
utes' talk on taking the district enumer
alton. He said that it was important tC
have every child and youth of school age
on the enumeration list because upor
the number enumerated depended the
amount of funds to be distributed to thu
county from the State Treasury.
The feature of Fridays work in the in
stitute was the permanent organization
of the District Teachers Reading Cir
cles. Teachers Of Kabletown and Charlie.
Town Districts combined and selected
officers as follows:
| President. 1. Z. Bonham; Secretary
E. M. Chapman; Treasurer. ON. Harris
i Middleway District: President, Mis-.
| Julia Grantham; Secretary, Miss Flofins
Barnes; Treasurer. Miss Florence Shirley
| Shepherdstown: President, c. T.
Smooth; Secretary. Chas. Rhinehart
Treasurer; Miss M. May Hoffman.
Harpers Ferry; President. Edward d,
Turner; Secretary, Miss Elmira Marten;
Treasurer. Mrs. Margaret Wetzel.
The colored teachers organized coun.
ty Reading Circle by electing Philip Jack.
son, President; Alexander Freeman,
Secretary. and Jere Johnson. Treasurer.
The first meeting of the Charles Town
District Circle will be held at the Court
House on the first Saturday after the
close of the first month of school.
RESOLUTIONS.
l. Believing that uniform examinations is
a step in the right direction, still we do not
fully indorse all its features.
That we request the State Superintendent
to instruct the County Superintendent as to