The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1907-03-21
Teachers MEETING.
Mr.. Holden Tells Of the Many Good
Things He Heard.

our graded school last Saturday.
To be brief, let me say | don't know
when | have been more Impressed
than | was with the sound, hard
sense shown in the exercises, by this
body Of instructors. | couldn't but
feel what a pity the public could not
hear the papers read, and also the
suggestions by Prof. Wilson. 1t
suggested line in Gray's Elegy
about the FLOWERS born to blush
unseen" etc. | want to repeat what
| have often said, there is not a bet
ter school in North Carolina of its
grade than this one. There are
others that far surpass it in equip
ment, but in teaching ability none.
Prof. Wilson and the board Of di-
rectors are not governed by person
alities in the selection Of teachers,
but by fitness. And the result is a
body that can't be surpassed. The
Superintendent is big souled, broad
shouldered man, full of his work
to the brim, and in love with every
body and every thing good. And in
my stay of nearly four years in the
town | have not heard a single criti-
cism of him that | recall either by
child or parent or anybody else.
The right man and the right place
have joined hands for once. There
is opposition here to the school, but
this is not based on the merits of
the school. And | believe it's only
matter of time when the last think
ing man in the place will rally to the
school and make any sacrifice for
its support. The greatest thing in
Scotland Neck, except its churches, is
its graded school. 1t is a privilege
we have not all yet appreciated to
live under the expense Of a small
town and have the school facilities
of the large city. One man told the
writer yesterday he paid about six
dollars tax and got back over one
hundred in tuition. What other in
vestment declares such a dividend,
and who can caculate the per cent.
when the advantage given this
man children is counted in? The
benefits of this school can never be
calculated in this world. The motto
of the school is "Christ the Great
Teacher and this is the personal
motto of the individual members of
the faculty. And these hard-worked,
and poorly paid servants of the
public are never too tired to go out
to the churches and instruct classes
on the Sabbath. A school after the
only correct idea, where the whole
man grows prOpOrtionately.
But | forgot. | started to tell
about the teachers meeting. And
| don't know how to do this better
than to quote some of the things |
heard there. The first paper was by
Miss Mamie Leach. Subject, In
huence of Teacher Over Child.
And among many other good things
in her paper | culled these: '"The
primary object Of education is to
prepare for life. The teacher i'm
presses the child most by what she
is. Through her influence she reach
es more homes than any human be-
ing. Mothers and teachers rule and
always will. Some little urchin may
speak your influence to millions. "
These are the thoughts but not the
exact words Of the author.
Next was by Miss Minnie Dunn.
Subject, Discipline in School. She
said: Self government is the
first requisite in the control of
others. Be self possessed. Be ma
tural, and self reliant. Make but
few rules, if any. Trust your pupils.
Character is made by trust. Have a
time for every thing, and every
thing in it's time
Miss Anna Clark. Subject, Teach
ing History. History tends to de-
velop moral nature. A knowledge
of great lives leads one to aspire to
greatness. The child tries to imi-
tate the heroes of whom he reads.
1t also makes patriotism. But our
patriotism needs to be purified. No
true patriotism praises America at
the expense of another nation.
Dates are mental fixtures on which
to hang events. The events are to
be emphasized.
Miss Mary H. Smith. Managing
and Instructing Children in Primary
Grades. ''The day on which child
enters school is one of the most i'm
pertant days in his life. New in
fluences he has never known enter
his life. Reading is thought getting,
and learning to read is learning to
get something from books. A child
must see what he does. No place
where bread cast upon the waters
yields such returns" Miss Mary
explained the advantage of learning
to read before learning the alphabet,
and almost convinced this scribe that
this is not putting the cart before
the horse, as he had always thought.
He will take some lessons later.
Miss Alice c.. Terrell. Grammar;
How to Teach 1t. knowledge is
power. Child should take up this
study as soon as able to understand
and should continue it's study at least
four years. Diagraming may be
used to advantage with discretion