Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-02-20
THE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION
Gloucester County Teachers Hear a
Variety of Topics Discussed

of teachers. as last Saturdays session of
their Association in the Court House, and
quite representative Of Boards Of Educas
tion After the opening formalities, Prof
H. C. Dixon, Supervising Principal Of
Woodbury. schools, discussed the topic,
''The Troublesome Pupil the Teachers
Opportunity"
The purpose OF the school, considered
negatively, be said, was TO prevent crime,
the downward tendency-the natural tend
ence OF human nature is to moral decline.
| If the public school fails then there is the
parental school, the reform school and the
penisentary. A further purpose is the
promotion Of virtue and the social well
fare.
The purpose Of the state is q selfish one
self preservation, training the youth in
good citizenship, civic duties and obliga-
ment Of character Ask twenty parents
What is their object in educating their
children and the answers will not vary
greatly some viii say to gain intelligence,
others the development Of power, Others Of
culture. The purpose of all is the chiid's
greatest good, and those who haye given
she subjees she greatest thought will
answer, the developments of character.
Our effort az teachers, then, must be the
developments OF character the promotion Of
virtue.
The teacher must have knowledge
/ OF the subjects to be taught and related
subjects, she must also have knowledge OF
the pupil.
Who is the troublesome pupil The ore
we think Of most is the -breaker-the
one who persists in doing what we do not
want him to do. We haye always had
him and always will.
The thing to do with him is TO look on
him as a problem that must be solved.
Our schools would not amount to much
without him. We sometimes think if we
could expeI him it would be the best thing
to do, but when that happens we feel like
hanging our heads in shame. When we
expel a pupil we acknowledge we are not
equal TO our problems
Let as look on this problem as our op-
portunity. To do this requires good deal
Of character on your part. Some teachers
neglect to study the problem-go at the
pupil with the tongue, and the pupil re-
sents that.
( Some look on children as being all
alike-like so many sticks of wood put into
machine, and all come out alike.
Some like to be domineering, "Do things
because / said it We can dominate a
situation il we do it well, but suppose we
have made mistake.
Some will stick to it right or wrong.
Right there you lose power, and ought to.
The thing to do is to apologize. You won's
lose, you will gain. You will find no better
place to.get up than where you fell down.
| Get the law of love in your heart, be
agreeable, tractable, diplomatic. Ii is
worth while also TO be honest with the pupil
in manner, word and speech. Look for the
best there is in the boy-there is good
there. Don't magnify his faults. Pursue
this course diligently and his better quail
titles will appear and others melt AWAY.
To gain boys confidence in this way is
to do him service, and you will rise in
your profession in proportion as You make
the Troublesome pupil your Opportunity.
| Misses Rose Straston and Tiliie Kuhnle,
sang duet with Miss Lydia GranieId at
the piano.
/ Mr.. T. D. Senser of the State Departments
read some extracts from an educational
publication, and then Mr.. Dodd, super
visor of Manual Training in the Trenton
schools read very Instructive paper on
Manual Training in the schools The
speaker insisted that the Introduction OF
Manual Training did not imply learning
trades in the public schools, but it made
| the child more efficient and more com-
pesens TO take up the practical duties Of
| life.
THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
Mr.. ]. NJ Grim, Of Kuszsown Normal
School made verY praeslcal address on
Sense Training.
/ Afser referring TO the great increase in
school attendance over twenty years ago,
and the immense sums Of money annually
expended for education, be asserted thasI
| the teachers are the proper trussess Of this
great fund. If the teacher is deficient theI
whole system is sounding brass. The
teacher must have knowledge. and knowi-
edge Of the child IS MOST important. At
certain age il is absolutely necessary that
child haye sense trainipg. TO fail 80
give them chance to develop through she