The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1903-10-28
Teachers' Imnstitnte.

devotional exercises conducted by the
Rev. NJ. b. Riley, pastor of the NJ. T.,
church, DR.. Andrew j. zimmerman, presi-
dent OF the Central Normal College, DAN
vile, Indiana, was introduced and cor
daily received by the institute. This
was DR.. Kinnamen's second visit to For
est county and tie teachers who listened
to his instruction two years ago were
pleased to welcome him again. The DR..
gave nine addresses to the institute be-
sides an illustrated address Tuesday eve.
ming on the famous Productions of Dore,
Tissot and Hoffman. Five of tho adj
dresses were devoted to what might be
termed personal improvement from an
ethical standpoint" He showed how we
are creatures of environment, and how
the possibilities of suggestion within our
nervous systems are a force for good or
evil. The child does not have the breaks
of reason, judgment and will, but is an
imilator. The teacher may tell a boy
what he ought to do, but if the teachers
own life is not clean and pure TO the
heart, the precept is of little value. Since
temperament is the natural tendency of
the mind or body to act in a certain way,
we ought to build into our characters the
very best OF all the temperaments. We
should then try to catch ont the very
best in ourselves to build and strengthen
the chai acters entrusted TO our care.
Those only are successful teachers who
try to live out the gospel that the most
help to the upbuilding OF character is
not found in the class roo u. 1t is the
example of the teacher in the social and
religious life that will be remembered.
II the types of ideals we teach are of the
purest and best, we may say with David
Starr Jordon, that sit takes but 80 cents
to educate a $1,000 boy" but if the ideals
are imperfect, it will take a $1,000 to edu-
cate a 80 cent boy" There was never a
time when more backbone was needed
in young men and than at the
present time. Five out OF every six go
into the city. While it is true that all
our great mon and women have known
something of country life, yet they have
been trimmed down in the city. Our
ancestors were not all good. Some were
Lung, others should have been. We en-
joy things that are not elevating to char
acter. We have inherited tendencies to-
ward these things and it is most essen
tial that the environment of boys and
girls should be good. Teachers must
have clean hands hat their interest in the
children may be genuine to the core.
They must be thoroughly imbued with
the spirit of growth, culture and the
higher life, in order to conceive high
destinies for their children. And above
all they must be faithful. There was one
teacher who had but II pupils and one of
these a traitor; but He taught so faith
fully and well that His influence has
turned the world us~-side-down.
DR.. Kenneman was happily seconded
in his instruction by DR.. Weir, of the
Clarion State Normal, and by Prof. r. NJ.
McNeal. of Harris burg. DR.. Weir showed
that there is a power within us to assimi-
late and appropriate to ourselves what
we want, and hat this power may be
strengthened indifference how weak it
may be at first. 1t is, therefore, the duty
Of the teacher to so mould and direct the
life within the soul, as to fit it to be
most helpful to the world.
Prof. McNeal showed how the nature
of the teaching process is a spiritual pro-
cess. In all true teaching there is a flow
of life between the teacher and the pupil.
The teacher is not an artisan doing his
work mechanically, but an artist, con-
ceiving a high destiny for The soul and
bringing it out on the canvas OF life. The
teacher has ideals and he follows them,
subordinating the mechanical to the
spiritual. One of the most important
parts of school life is government. The
children ofto-day are acquiring habits of
disobedience. There is a disposition to
do as they please-a tendency to disre-
gard law. There is little or no respect for
authority in the home, and unless prop
erly guarded and controlled, will become
poor citizens, and pests and nuisances in
society. Pupils must be shown the ne
cessity for discipline. They must he
brought to see that things that are not
wrcng become wrong when they infringe
on the rights of others, and, although not
wrong in themselves, must be given up.
The teacher who takes the pains to show
the reasonableness of this has least trou
BILE. We are inclined to have our own
rights, regardless of the rights of others,
but a clear recognition of what one ought
to do leads to self control. Such a spirit
will train our boys and girls into the no.
bility of manhood and womanhood.
On Monday evening Prof. McNeal gave
a lecture entitled "a Character Study"
taking Aaron Burr as his subject. He
showed how Burr, deprived of a mothers
love aud influence at the age of three, al
though he was the son ofa minister and
a grandson of the world renowned iona
than Edwards-his environment was
such as to develop an unholy ambition,
regardless of honor, that caused his name,
at last, to become a stain in the history of
our Republic.
On Wednesday evening, the new and
handsome PrGsbi terrain church was filled
to overlooking with an appreciative au-
dience. who had the pleasure of hearing
tho nnnhn. Nal n, -
Thursday they we're favored with an en-