Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1911-08-24
THE TEACHERS.
Hold Interesting Meeting in Mex
ico-Extracts From Talks
Made and Papers Read.

The Audrain County Teachers
Association held a two days ses-
sion in Mexico last Friday and
Saturday, County Superintendent
J. L. Shobe presiding. Mr.. Shobe
made the opening address. lie
thinks that certain districts in
the county should be consolidated
with adjoining districts. II. II.
Emberson of the rural school de
partment of the Missouri Uni
versity also advocated cOnsolida-
ton of schools and the strengthen
ing and betterment of the rural
schools all along the time.
j. NJ. Barnes of Sturgeon also
made an address, suggesting
many valuable pointers to young
teachers.
Prof. Arthur Lee, superintend-
ent of the Clinton, Mo-, schools.
talked on the subject, Glow to Be
Happy Tho a School Teacher. -
He offered six suggestions: Have
confidence in yourself. Look
ahead and forecast the result Of
any important stand you are
about to take. Be systematic.
Don't worry. Cultivate your
sense of humor. Lastly, love the
children; make yourself as fine
and as effective an instrument as
you can for their sake and you
will have little trouble.
Rev. w. A. Shullenberger ad-
dressed the teachers Saturday
morning. He reminded the teach
ers that their calling is a most
trying one-even more trying
than that of the minister. "You
have unruly boys six days in the
week in their everyday clothes,
while the preacher sees them but
once-on Sundays-in their best
meetin clothes and on their best
Sunday behavior. But be per-
sistent. 1t is persistent excel
lency that counts. When the
stars are handed down from the
other world you may get more Of
them than the ministers, tho l
still have hopes of our profess
sion"
Miss Zola Beal read an inter
esting review of Mr.. F. NJ. Nc
Murry's invaluable book on
How to Study and Teaching
How to Study" The author be-
lieves that lessons should be
thought out by the child, and I'M
derStood, before any memorizing
is done. Too many memory ques-
tiOns are asked by teachers and
those that provoke thought are
omitted. Repetition and mem
Orizing should not he counted the
mother of studies" as has been
the habit of some. 1t starves and
discourages the student. McMur-
rvs is a delightful book-full of
excellent things for the teacher.
Miss Addie Cunningham read
an interesting sketch of Mr.
Briggs Reading in the Public
School" " By reading you can
associate with the very best men
and women of all the past. The
teachers duty is not done when
she has taught the reading lesson
at school. She should attempt tC
direct the private reading anC
substitute the really helpful (not
uninteresting boOks) for the
harmful ones. Mr.. Briggs dis
euSses fully the methods OF
starting the child in reading. He
must be taught to avoid the sing
song style. Let him get good eX
preston, clear enunciation anC
pronunciation-and be taught Il
grasp the thought and the spiri
and feeling of the author. Mis-!
Cunningham showed that Read
, ing in the Public School" is ;
/ most important text.
George COakley had the mos
popular subject of anybody
9 Agriculture in Countr,
Schools, His concluding para
graph was: "The time was whel
I the requirements for an education
q were so much English, so man
n years of Latin, a certain amour
of Mathematics, etc, but now W
have just found out that ma
t can be educated and just kno'