The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-05-04
Dr.. Duncan's Address.

UT. fiUo4SSS.
Following is 4 synopsis OF the address
of DR.. Jos. \. Duncan delivered at the
Teachers Association April %, 1904:
Teaching OF today occupies a higher
jposition than it has ever DONE Teach.
ing and the priestly function were for
merly found in one man, sometimes in.
Guiding that of the medicine man. All
ailments were from evil spirits: the
priests were the conservers of all
knowledge. They only knew reading
and writing. ';Hieroglyphics" meant
priest-writing. Now preachers and
teachers begin to divide and doctors
100. The clergyman is not higher than
the teacher. Nothing is higher. Your
calling is just as holy. We make a
mistake if we regard our own calling
anything less than the highest. All OF
Us are:called to the gospel. The man
behind the counter, or 1T the plough,
or in the shop Or school. all are called
to preach and be workers together to
disseminate truth. The work of the
teacher is great. There are different
methods for teaching. I learned a great
out of school. l had no teachers until
in college, never saw a teacher until
grown. tho born in the heart of city,
Richmond. Va. Vet | say frankly |
never saw teacher till then-only
hearers of lessons. l answered only
what wash the book. 1t was much
like photograph cylinder. We learn
ed isolated facts, b. rate, as the little
child learned the catechism. When
asked "What is the chief end of man."
she replied, ITO glorify God and annoy
him forever" am glad to see we are
getting some teachers-some lmparters
of knowledge. This is the school day.
Only recently a man has given 81, 0O0,-
600 for a school of journalism. y few
years ago any young man, for instance,
could be y. NJ. c. y. secretary, but
now he must have training for this.
Life insurance requires a course OF
study really. At Harvard University
last year there were lectures on lnsu-
rance. This is the day of training as to
schools as never before. Teachers now
must be more than mere gaduates for
best results for themselves or for their
pupils.
Let me say something as to this.
Here is little child to be taught.
Don't make the mistake that the child
is to be taught to read and write.
What? Its own language and how to
communicate this language. All things
can be done for the child and it may
not know anything. In an Institution
| know, where there are loo young Ia
dies not 15-although they come from
public schools grammatlcally.
What is the matter? They read, they
know books, grammar and can write
good compositions, understand subjects
and. principles. They haven't been
taught grammar. Are we teaching
them to speak correctly? We ought to
burn some books. Now don't misunder-
stand me. was brought up in col
lege, afterwards teaching and learning
from other people I love books and
my own library and I love to read and
study. But believe it would be protl-
table to burn some books and do with
out them. How? Here comes child
and YOU ask what did you do this
morning." aod she replies Il amt
done nothing" There is a chance for
your grammar. Get rid of ''ain't done
nothing Two common mistakes here
among us are: II come and 'you was"
Don't say anything about grammar.
Teach how to talk by talking-learn by
doing. | don't care about theories.
Grammar is the crystallization OF Ian
cuaee. It came after language and IS
not the foundation.
Is history the remembering of dates?
This is important oftentlmes but the
great thing is the correlation OF events.
Take the Revolutionary war, the Civil
war, the war Of 1872, the Mexican war
they must be connected. AS a great
statesman once said ''If you have some
States slave States and others free
States. YOU will have trouble" AS tc
how to teach dates, each teacher has an
individual method. ASuccessiul teacher
used this plan for teaching history OF
100 years: a large square in the black
board was divided into ten smaller
squares. The various events-say, po-
litical, religious and literary were put
into these. \ child learns as much by
the eye as by the ear. Most knowledge
is by the eve. Get results by the Oldest
method where the pupil asked the
question instead of the teacher. Sup
pose we should say you ask me ques-
ton about the lesson" There would
be dumbness. Or "did you have any
trouble?:" This was the old method.
To ask "when was the Norman Con-
quest::" and help the pupil answer
':lO66'' is not teaching anything. We
do not take ourselves seriously enough
or appreciate how valuable our work is.
I am tremendously interested in the
public school. want them to do the
best work and save the colleges under
collegiate work You lady teachers
ought to go in body before the legis-
lature and demand to have more than
average ) months school term. Coun-
try boys and girls ought to have as good
chances as others.
1t is very delightful to tell others
their duty Your duty is a great work.
The improvements being made are a
credit to you. The future holds, in
South Carolina, e great deal more than
the past ever dreamed OF.