Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1915-01-28
SUGGESTIONS ON TEAcH1NG.
Prof. Williams of State University
Gives Teachers Some School
Room Talk.
(statesYille Landmark.l

an address on school room wastes and
how to prevent then, by Prof. L. A.
Williams, professor or school admins
tTation at the State University. This
; was Prof. Williams second address
TO the Iredell teachers, he having
| spoke at a meeting of the association
asst winter, and it was a pleasure to
hear him again. He is an exceedingly
practical man, and having given his
life to teaching he has practical ex-
trerience to back up what he advises
and advocates. He talks to the teach
ers as a fellow teacher.
The first school room waste, and
consequently a waste of school money,
mentioned by Prof. Williams, is the
failure of the teacher to plan her or
his work. The teacher should have
ONE definite aim in view in her work
and should not only plan the days
work, but should plan for the week,
the month and the year. Too many
teachers go along with their work in
a 'happy-go-lucky" way, hoping that
somehow or someway the pupils will
learn something. AS a result the chill
dren become disinterested because
they do not see the aim of their work
and the question of discipline natur-
oily arises. If the teacher will plan
her work and keep the pupils work
ing toward some definite end, there
will not be so much need of discipline.
IF the teacher doesn't know where she
is aiming, the pupil is not to be eZ-
pected to know. Work for the pupils
cannot be properly assigned if it has
not previously been planned by the
teacher. The children's minds must
also be prepared for every days work.
We as teachers must perpare the soil
of our pupils minds before we sow the
seed of Intelligence just as the farmer
prepares his land before he plants
his cotton seed, and to do so we must
ELAN our work.
Discussing the mechanics of the
school room, Prof. Williams showed
that much time, which means money,
IS lost by not having a system of me-
chanics. There should be a set sys-
ten and rule about sharpening pen
ellis, getting drinks of water, etc. The
pupils should understand that they
ere to have their pencils sharpened
Eefore the opening of school and
should also get a drink of water be-
fore the school period begins. There
should also be systems for the distr1-
button of papers, etc., which would
minimize the time taken for these me-
chanical duties. The physical well
fare of the pupils should also be look
cd after in the way of heating, light
ing and v~entilating the school rooms.
School rooms should be arranged in
such a name that all the light would
come from the left to avoid eye
strains.
The third way in which we lose pub
&c time and money in the school room.
continued Prof. Williams, is in our
Questioning of the pupils. Any cues.
Rtion in q regular recitation that does
| not require the pupil to think is not
worth asking. except the questions
known as rapid-fire questions in
arithmetic. Teachers should bear in
p.ind that their work is not SO much
that of teaching geography, arithme-
tic, ETC., as it is making men and wo-
men out of boys and girls, therefore
questions that mean something should
be asked. Too much time is also Of
ten taken by the teacher in explaining
something to n or two pupils during
recitation period, at the expense OF
the entire class. If n child does
not understand, do not hold the entire
class while you talk to the one pupil:
Lave the one pupil remain a few min
utes after school and then do your ey-
planning.
In the fourth place, we waste pub
lilo time and money in poorly dis
ciplined schools. Discipline is not for
correction alone, but is also for the
developing of the children. You can't
discipline by simply talking and scolJ
ing. Do a little more doing and not 50
much talking. Don't try to match
your wit with that of the child, be-
cause he will beat you at your OwT
game. You have your dignity at stake
and he has nothing. And don't dis
rute with a pupils. The big thing in
school discipline is willing out the
little weeds which suggest wrong do
ing. Don't allow paper to accumulate
that might be used by the pupil for
spit balls and don't allow the small
pieces of. chalk to remain where they
can be used as ammunition by the PHI
pills. Remove the possibilities for
wrong doing.
To sum it all I'D in one sentence,
said Prof. Williams, plan a system of
intensive questioning as the AIM in
development. Have the days, weeks,
months and years work planned out
have a system for the mechanical OPP
of the school; have your dues-
tions lead somewhere and let them
mean something; have an aim to
which all your work is striving. and
remember that discipline should mean
both correction and development