The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-05-13
WAYNE COUNTY
TEACHERS ASS n
THE TEACHERS HAD A VERY En-
JoYABLE TINE AT HAMLIN.

The twentieth regular meeting OF
the Wayne County Teachers Asso-
citation was held at Hamlin April
29th and 30th. On account of the
weather only about half of the usual
number of teachers were present,
although the meeting was one of
great educational value and very in
teresting.
The people of Hamlin made it
very pleasant for the teachers
through their kind hospitality and
patronizing the meetings. The Lad
les Aid served an excellent dinner.
Although there was a continual
down-pour of rain Friday night
there were many who braved the
storm to hear an excellent lecture,
THE Home and the School" Rev.
Boyce, pastor of the NJ. Il. church.
conducted the devotional exercises;
the Hamlin choir gave selection
and then the lectures. Prof Oden
c. Gortner, of Mansfield State Nor
NAL, was introduced. The lecture
was a heart to heart talk to the
teachers and parents, showing the
duties of each to the school. The
local Institutes have taken the place
of the old-fashioned spelling schools
and debating societies, and should
be well attended. Some teachers
find small excuses to keep them at
home. especially if they are on the
program.
They ought to be ashamed if they
are not interested and are not teach
ers in deed and in truth. The
teacher greatly influences the child's
! life Some of the finest lessons in
| character building are learned while
| the child is at home with it's mother,
| and since the earliest influences are
J sometimes the strongest the first
few days of a childs life mean much
! to the child.
Whenever home and school work
cooperate best results occur. There
is much depending on starting a
child in school and regularity of at
! tendance. The teacher is generally
responsible for the children not in
school More interest should be dis
played and a cooperation with the
home, and interesting the children
will remedy the case.
One out of eighty children who
start school reach High school, and
one of five who enter High school
graduates. The trouble lies with the
parent and the lack of interest be-
tween teachers and pupil.
The home and school should CO.
operate in morals and manners.
Teachers do not realize their bad
habits. We are judged by conduct
and conduct is three-fourth of life,
so wrong conduct results in wrong.
In Philadelphia, teaching of NOR
ais has been added to the school
course, and it is an excellent idea.
An effort should be made to guide
the children out of school. The
street is no place for them, nor the
sensational picture shows for wrong
ideas lead to wrong ideals.
Obedience is the one great lesson
that must be well learned. Each
child is a problem and the best re-
suits are obtained when the human
nature is understood. Be friend to
the boy and girl, have heart full
of love and sympathy, don't deny
them opportunities. You are re-
sponsible to an extent for their fu-
lures. You have the opportunity
to touch their lives and the impress
sion is for life and eternity. OuI
work is not done for this life but for
ages to come. Prof. Gortner closed
his lecture with a very fitting poem
/
MORNING SESSION.
Saturday at 9:15 the meeting was
called to order and Prof. Gortner LED
the devotional exercises.
The first talk on the program was
given by William r. Watkins. Hi:
subject was Geography, and he wa:
well prepared to discuss the subject
Geography needs continual applica
tion and the power of observing anC
tracing developments must be thor
oughly learned. Teach essentia
facts, industrial development rather
than boundaries. Teach geography
that means dollars and cents to th'
pupils. A child at thirteen years o
age can easily memorize, so the rou
tine of the text book is faulty. Chill
dren are getting through school OIL
memory rather than reasoning work
Teaching without a cause deadens tn,
desire and destroys the faculty
Tracing railroads, studying thei
benefit to the country, and the in
dustrial development is a good wa.
of teaching Geography. The con
versational method is preferred.
1t is the duty of each teacher t,
leave a written statement of th'
work covered each year.
Florence Boyce read a well pre-
> pared paper on Disadvantages O
the Ungraded School," Some of tn
disadvantages are. lack of system
and work without system cripple
power; uniform grading, which sep
arates order from chaos; frequen
; change of teachers, which change
the order and prevents child's pro
I Tho child from Uaar n van