The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-05-23
WAYNE COUNTY TEACHERS
ASSOCIATION
Interesting Report of Sessions Held
May and 10 at Pleasant Mt.

May o and 10 at Pleasant Mt.
The nineteenth session of the
Wayne County Teachers association
was held at Pleasant Mt. May 9th and
10th. The meeting was one of much
educational value and the teachers
were pleased with the excellent pro-
gram prepared by the committee.
Friday evening the session was
held in the High school building.
Vocal solos by Miss Helen Tiffany
and Miss Marguerite Kennedy and
piano solo by Mr.. John Hintermister
were greatly appreciated.
Prof. r. I. Davies, vice-principal
of the Honesdale public schools and
the efficient president of the Wayne
County Teachers Association, intro
duced the lecturer, DR.. j. George
Becht, secretary of the state board
of education. DR.. Becht spoke on
Educational Work" The eloquent
and intelligent manner in which he
spoke shows that he has a broad
conception of educational work. He
inspired the teachers with a feeling
of responsibility to their profession.
The prevailing theme was the true
aim of the public schools and how it
can best be attained. More intelli-
gence is demanded now than thirty
years ago. The ideal man and wom-
an with all the powers of mind, body
and soul properly developed in the
home and school should be the great
end for which we labor This mod
ern age is pressing it's needs and vo-
cational education must meet the de-
mands Of the present time. The
wants of modern education have
made necessary an infinite range of
studies. No admonition is more nee
essary to parents than this-Do not
be in hurry to take your children
from school. By ambitious hurry
ing and crowding the children are
crippled and dwarfed. Let the work
of educating the child be gradual,
sure and steady. DR.. Becht urged
upon the citizens the great necessity
for more general interest in the
public school system. The care of
the schools is the first and chief duty
of the government.
Saturday morning at $3.50 the
meeting was called to order. The
teachers were brimming over with
enthusiasm and expressing them
selves as highly pleased with DR..
Becht's address.
cises were conducted by Rev. Hunt
er. Recitations by Miss Gertrude
Maher and William O'Hara greatly
pleased the teachers. Miss Gertrude
Stone read an excellent paper on
Primary Arithmetic" We should
have no written solutions during
the first two years. Use object in
teaching numbers. Drill on the
multiplication tables. Use no text
book until the third year. Aim at
accuracy and rapidity.
Supt. Koehler called upon Miss
Jennie Lee, the able and energetic
primary teacher of the Honesdale
schools to discuss primary arithme-
tic. Miss Lee fully explained how
she teaches numbers by means of
rulers and papers. Miss Lee insists
that there should be plenty of black
boards for primary pupils. Upon
preparing this program it was
thought we'll to obtain in brief pa
pers the views of about twelve rep
resentative teachers of the county
concerning the teaching of Lam
guage and Grammar. Supt J. ].
Koehler very ably conducted these
minute discussions as follows:
1. Are our common school ex-
aminations satisfactory in general?
In testing the pupils ability in Ian
guage and grammar? Prof. J. II.
Kennedy discussed this subject.
The common school examinations are
giving satisfaction when they raise
the standard for entrance to high
school Many of the pupils are al
lowed to take the examinations when
they are too young and their minds
are not properly developed. The
general sentiment among the teach
ers is not to let pupils take the COM
mon school examinations until they
are old enough.
2. If successful pupils in these ex-
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