Gloucester County Democrat., 1908-04-23
TEACHERS ASSOCIATION
MEETS At WOODBURY..
The Court Room FILLED BY Teachers
and Boards of Education.


and Boards OF Education.
The last meeting Of this Association for
the school year l907-'0s was half day
session held in the Court room, this city.
last Saturday from 80 to y 80, and the
program heretofore announced was carried
out to the letter.
After the opening prayer by ReY. ]. Z.
Howard, of this city, Prof Given and the
Bridgeport NJ. E. Choir sang Holy, Holy.
Holy then William H. Dufield, OF the
Woodbury. Board of Education, played a
cornet solo.
Mrs Anna S Bromley, Of the Williams
town schools, read very instructive paper
on Hand Work in the Primary Grades,
and illustrated same by samples OF hand
work done by the pupils Of her room.
The NJ. E Church Quartette was earnest
ly applauded after rendering Come Where
the Lilies Bloom. .
Prof c. j Baxter, State Superintendent,
opened his address by an elucidation Of var
ious laws affecting teachers, and read a pos
ter of Health Rules that will be forwarded
to each school. and said teachers would be
required to keep them in conspicuous
place in the school room.
The theme of his address was Common
Place Things = He declared there was a
great deal of misdiTected effort in teaching.
Most teachers can teach some subjects bet
ter than others, and they are liable to give
these special attention. He urged teachers
to give each subject the attention it demands.
After stating the fact that in New Jersey
the average value Of school houses is $l4, goo
and the figure would soon reach $50, ,000,yet
he said there we're many schools lily adap-
ted to the needs Neither teacher or pupil
can do good work when poisoned with foul
air. He urged the teachers to look after
the children and see that they get pure air.
Among the losses from which schools sufI-
er was j, 900 new teachers every year. The
efficient teacher, he said, was Invaluable,
while there was never coin coined small
enough to pay the inefficient teasher.
He complimented Mrs. Bromley S address
on Manual training, and said the captains
Of industry are urgent that the public
schools train the hand as we'll as The head
and heart.
He said 124, 3s8 New Jersey children left
school in primary grades; $4,000 in gram
mar grades and only Is, $50 entered the high
schools. He believes this number can be
greatly lessened if we make the schools
more efficient, and to the extent thas you
realize how important your work is, TO that
extent you will hold the children and real
izs the satisfaction that comes to the eff
cient teacher.
Supervising Principal Charles J BoYeE,of
the Atlantic City Schools, gave as few Of
the qualities of the strong teacher-cheer-
fuluess, sympathy and patience.
As children have leaders in play, as men
have leaders in affairs, so we must have lead
ers in schools. Leaders must inspire con-
fiience in order to succeed. The teacher
must be the leader in her sphere, and in
spire confidence in her pupils, if she sue
ceed.
The teacher is never too old to teach il she
haye the right spirit; he bad seen teachers
at 20 too old to teach-they are old in spir-
it. Then cultivate the spirit Of cheerful
ness in your work, be urged. Also, culti-
vate a spirit Of sympathy-a feeling for
Others. Inspire your children aud the prob
lem of keeping them in school will be less
serious. A factory inspector told him that
many small boys at work in factories had
told him they had been driven from school.
there was nothing there to interest them.
There is much force in the criticism that
much teachings lacks deiniteness. There
IS world Of difference between a knowing
knowledge of a subject and teaching
knowledge The latter requires thorough
preparation. and without that you viii be
sare to lose your hold on your pupils
Let your criticism be constructive. Be
patient, not sparing OF praise and liberal el
criticism. Good teaching solves the problem
of discipline. Be Just; have your children
feel st the opening Of school that you are
there to live happier, richer life together
and you will have solved the secrets Of she
strong teacher.