The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-08-21
How Teachers Should Spend the
Recess.

The following paper was read be-
fore the Putnam County Teachers In
stitute in Palatka last week by Miss
Mamie E. Davis, one Of the popular
teachers of the county and principal
u the school at Johnson:
MIR. Chairman, Fellow Teachers and
Friends:
How the teachers should spend the
recess time, is of a great deal more
importance, than some seem to think.
a teachers responsibility is not les
sened any whatever by the recess pc
riod, true her mind may relax from
the studies and duties Of the school
room, but she still has the supervls-
ion of her pupils, and really this IS
the most important supervision for
one of the most common charges
against the public schools is that
there is danger of contamination.
1t is a serious charge, and one to
which we should give great heed:
Look at it as we may, there is real
uanger, where so many children are
thrown together that the better and
more sensitive children will suffer by
contact with others at recess.
Is it too much, under such circum-
stances, that the parents of such chill
dren ask, nay demand, from us all the
protection that we can give?
. To add to the teachers burden of
care, which is already great, seems
almost unreasonable; but knowing as
much as we do of the bad influence
which some of our pupils may exert
Atl /
would we not prefer that our children
should have no education if, in get
ting that education, he must be eX-
posed to the degrading influence of
vicious companions?
But it must not be forgotten that
while we are protecting the inno-
cent and good, we are at the. same
time, correcting the habits of the bad.
The longer you keep boy from
the use of bad words the less likely
will he be to form the habit of using
them. These are the principle rea-
sons why teacher should be out upon
/ the play gnound, or if kept in by work
in the school room which we most I'M
fortunately are sometimes, we should
keep our pupils within sight and hear
/ ing. :.
If the teacher has the interest IN
her pupils she should have, she Will
most willingly spend her time out upon
the play ground with them, and as
the pupils need exercise and relaXa-
ton from study, out in the open air
so does the teacher, and if possible she
should be on the play grounds at all
times during the recess period, mot
necessarily taking part in their games
but acting as their true and sympa'
thizing friend showing an interest II
all games that are not injurious tc
the pupils, and even sometimes sug'
gesting new games to them and try
inc to create an interest in the emil
dren. in their games, try to make
them so interesting that they may bt
diverted from those emotions which
are injurious, such as envy, vanity
anger and hatred and those emotions
stimulated such as love of the beau
tifuI, reverence. pity, respect, sympa
thv and love of home companions ant
study.
II is true that the influence of thu
teacher is greater than that OF an!
one else. except the father and moth
err, so she should at all times set
sincere and bTameIess example. :,
Some teachers think they SHOULD
NOT be REQUIRED to look after her pu
nils at recess, but to spend the TIM
to suit their fancy, but this is no
tine for this is the time that the pu
nils need the most vigilant care, 10
Hhev arc more closely associated to
H., o,d +biS ic the most characte