The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-01-03
pEDAGoGUEs At PETERSBURG
est. Petersburg Independent. Jan. p
Wednesday Afternoon

/ the association was opened by an ad
dress by Mrs. Edith Hunter on Plural
! School Problems" The fact of SO
many inexperienced teachers holding
| positions in the country schools was
| Gwelt upon by Mrs. Hunter. who sug
gested that these INEXPERIENCED teach
ers be placed in the lower grade OF the
! city schools and under the supervision
| Of experienced teachers and only ex-
! perienced ones should hold positions
| in the country schools.
| Mrs. Hunter also SPOKE of the gen.
eral difficulty of all country teachers
| who encounter a great lack of appre-
| citation Of the Importance and need of
| an education on the part of so many
| PEOPLE in the country. so many parents
thinking that their children could get
| along without an education. as they
| had managed to live without one. 1t
is hard to arouse a desire for and an
appreciation for an education among
many. The great need of plenty of
| textbooks and libraries in the rural
schools was also forcibiy brought out.
The subject was then ably discussed
by Mr.. Compton, superintendent of
Lake county, who spoke of the great
difficulty Of the county superintendent
in supervising the schools efficiently
| on account Of the greater part of their
time bein gtaken up by office work,
and suggested that the superintendent
be furnished a permanent secretary.
Mr.. Compton also suggested that when
the time was insufficient for visiting
all the schools that the superintend-
ent have the experienced teachers
supervise their own schools, while the
superintendent visited the schools with
inexperienced teachers. He also dwelt
on the great difficulty of grading the
pupils. saying that. in a small measure
this had been solved by transporting
the pupils to a centrally located school
and combining the classes. He de-
piored the lack of literature in the
country schools. He said that with
better supervision and better qualified
teachers would come better country
school houses and libraries.
The next address was by Miss Sara
McCreary, of Ocala, on Latin in the
High School" This was a most in
structive talk, clearly defining the i'm
portant position of Latin in the high
school, it being the foundation of all
Languages, and a knowledge Of Latin
making easier the study Of other Ian
guages. The advantages of this study
to the student were shown, the study
OF Latin teaching closer observation
and developing the reasoning powers
of the student, and giving them a cul-
ture and intellectual polish that no
other study would.
Many good suggestions were made
as to the best methods of teaching
Latin, and every student should have
a four-year course Of Latin.
Wednesday Evening
An immense audience assembled at
the auditorium to listen to the exer-
cises Of the fourth session Of the State
Teachers Convention.
President w. D. earn, Of Ocala. then
introduced the speaker of the evening,
DR.. Lincoln Hulley, president of Stet-
son University, who delivered an ad-
dress on Eugene Field,
DR.. HUXLEY caught his hearers with,
Il wish you all happy new year."
a happy sentiment, which was re-
sponded to with appreciative applause.
He at once plunged headfirst into his
| subject, with such grace and zest. that
| the interest and delight Of his audience
never a moment wavered, but every
new turn Of thought or expression Of
sentiment provoked almost continuous
applause. The speaker began by CIV
| ing a historical sketch of the birth,
| boyhood and collegiate life of Eugene
| Field, which showed however good a
| heart the boy may have had he would
not have been selected for a prize
! Sunday school scholar. Among other
| vicissitudes of life, his grandmother
had designed Eugene for the ministry,
but owing tQysdme lapses in his boy
hood career that didn't track we'll with
the CLOTH" she gave up the idea as
bad job. A subsequent indescretion
of squandering a little matter of fifty
or sixty thousand dollars, in a year or
| two. futher disqualified Field for min
isterial honors. His waggish wit was
expressed when from college he wrote.
'in college his health was very poor:
| and so was the health Of the college,"
1 MI