The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1904-01-21
Are Teaching.

The fourth meeting of the Rankin
County Teachers association met Sat-
urday, January 16, according to ap.
pointment.
Although the weather in the fore
noon was somewhat inclement. yet
the session was very important one
and the different portions of the coun.
ty was represented by real intellect
ual and progressive body of teachers.
The recitation by little Miss Mary
White, vi Grade pupil of the Bran :
don Graded school, was we'll received
by all present. Her subject matter
was closely connected with school
work-being on the evils of drink.
After this the subjec of Consolidation
OF Schools was briefly discussed by j.
j. Dawsey. The one point stressed
more than any other was that longer
schools and fewer schools is the most
practical solution Of the rural school
problem. Where there are small
schools, small salaries, and grading
and short terms poor teaching is a
very natural consequence, even if
good teaching talent be employed. No
teacher, however earnest, can teach
eight grades in a country school with
any success-he is not an instructor
but merely lesson hearer. In such q
school the pupil will not learn any
moro than he would at home if his
parents would see that he did the same
study. Consolidation of schools, if
the state had to furnish transfer for
the more distant, would greatly in
crease the efficiency of our rural
schools. If more than half the
schools sites in Mississippi were done
away with and the others centrally
located with good buildings and prop
er school apparatus the question Of
small schools, poor grading, low sal !.
aries, and bad teaching would soon be
a thing Of history in Mississippi.
| Then the exceedingly interesting
lquestion "How to Prevent Whisper
ing. was taken up by Supt. S. R.
Myers. All the teachers were little
restive to know Mr.. Myers remedy
Some very much doubted his present
ing successful method; others some
what familiar with the plan did not
Mr.. Myers said Have each pupil
keep record and report at roll-call
the number of times he had Whispered
during the day. Watch closely and
keep record yourself until no pupil
would try to make false report and
in few days all whispering would be
stopped" He observed further that
it requires presistency and patience
with small children and. new schools
where great laxity in this regard has
been praoticed. Good many questions
were asked by the different teachers
but most Of them were answered very
satisfactorily. Mr.. Hurst asked if
perfect quiet in the school room is
best. To which Mr.. Myers replied
that working noise and whispering
noise are different Eand that he did
not suppress the busy hum of faithful
work, but that he could not teach
without his non whispering rule.
AS some of the speakers on for
debate were sick and not present the
question of Compulsory Education
was postponed till next meeting.
At this point motion was made
and carried to do away with the usual
order of the day and go into consider
alton of the constitution and bylaws.
Prof. Hurst read the document in full
and then the association called for
re-reading by sections in which or der
it was adopted.
No election of officers was held, it
being thought better to do this at the
February meeting
With the many wise provisions in
the new constitution prepared by
Messrs. Hurst, Covington and Scott
all the teachers seemed much encour-
aged with the future of the associa
tion At no time have been disheart-
ened during the five months l have
been acting as president and now with
the hope of good live new set of Off
GERS every teacher in the county may
safely expect to reap increasing bene-
fits from each meeting
J. J. DAWSEY.
WHERE THEY ARE TEACHING.
| Following is list of the white
schools in Rankin county together
with the teachers.
Antioch L. Covington,
Andrew Chapel Robbins,
| Armistead-Lucy Robinson,
Brier Hill--E. J.. Scott, Florence
Hurst,
Brandon-J: ]. DaWsey, May Had
don, Florence Young,
Rntha1-G1ndvc StuhhlafiaId