Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-12-04
NEXT MEETING IS
At SHEPHERDSTOWN
Potomac Valley Round Table Con
eludes MS Meeting at Frost
burg on Saturday.

ond days session of the Round Table
met in the auditorium at the Frost
burg State Normal School building
Saturday morning. The conference
opened with the singing of America
with Prof. J. w. Stayman, OF Keyser,
w Va, as pianoist. Moderator Pat
ton invoked Gods blessing upon the
deliberations of the conference.
Principal ID. H. Dodd, of Martins
burg, spoke very interestingly on An
Ideal School"
Principal Dodd gave very inter-
esting account of the first school he
had attended. This school was locat-
ed along a much travelled turnpike.
was small one-room building with
very little furniture, the teacher a
lady, who was tollgate keeper, post.
mistress, storekeeper and school
teacher and tried to keep each bust
ness up to the standard. He was glad
that the school mistress was true
teacher and was able to give the pu-
pills under her charge some good in
struction.
He then pictured another school in
which the physical conditions We're
coed, but the teacher was not an ideal
by any means.
Then an ideal school was talked
about: Ideal physical conditions, and
ideal teacher. The qualifications of
the teacher enter into the ideal con-
ditions very largely. The teacher
should have broad and deep knowl-
edge in order to lead the pupils to
higher things in life.
The teacher should be person of
culture and refinement. He should
cultivate the elements of personal
magnetism should cultivate the graces
and virtues of character and shun the
vices.
He should be a good specimen OF
physical manhood and endeavor to
lead his pupils into the same condi-
ton. He must know how to teach and
govern his school. This Is more pos
sible if the teacher is a reader OF good
professional literature and the best
books on teaching. He must study
methods.
Principal Dodd's paper was very
helpful and provoked considerable dis
cussion on the part of the teachers
present.
Principal of Shepherdstown State
| Normal school, Thomas G.. Miller, of
Shepherdstown, was the next speaker.
HIS topic, "a Course of Study for
District Schools" was practica | in
every particular.
He outlined the needs of the world
at the present for socially efficient
citizens in every line of industrial and
social and professional endeayor. The
schools are the means that shall sup
ply this demand. 1t is necessary that
| the schools should be so equipped as
to supply this demand in as econom-
| ical manner as possible.
He praised the schools OF Maryland
and West Virginia for the beginnings
of progress already made and urged
| that these beginnings be improved up
on and that progress be more rapid
and definite.
Such a practical address as Prof.
Miller's was provoked lively dis
cussion in which goodly number of
teachers took active part.
Principal Reginald II. Ridgeiy, Of
Frostburg State Normal school, was
the next speaker and opened up a
very lively discussion on the question,
How May We Secure Attention.
Principal Ridgely says there are three
kinds of pupils those who see too
little-the dreamers; those who see
too much-the Eighty student, and,
those who see the right and only the
right things-the good student. His
talk was practical and was directed
more to the discussion of the first and
second of these three classes. The
discussion was entered into by the
teachers present
The conference adjourned at 1910
for neon intermission to meet again at
1870 o'clock.
Afternoon Session.
The afternoon session on Saturday
was called to order about 100. The
teachers san, "The Old Oaken Buck.
ct" after which the concluding paper
of the morning session was discussed.
The first paper to be discussed was
one on "Penmanship." written by
Principal Charles Ritchey. of Pied
mont. and read by Prof. ID. c. Harper
of the same town.
This paper was both theoretical and
practical and the discussion that fol-
lowed was lively and interesting
Miss Cora e. Seymour, special
teacher OF music in the Keyser,
schools read an excellent paper on
Music in the Public Schools
Prof. Ira Culp, of Pekin, this coun-
ty, discussed the subject and sang a
selection in exposition of his own
work along the same lin in school