The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-02-26
BREAKING DOWN
OF THE TEACHERS
From fridays Dairy.

made by DIR. ]. A. Hancock OF tho
Mankato normal school In an adj
dress ON The Conservation oi
Teachers" ut the conference OF su
perintcndents and principals at the
high school, last evening. DIR. Han
cock stated that he knew OF cases
where teachers had been afflicted
with nervous prostration shortly
after starting in nj the teaching of
school. In other eases he knew OF
them breaking down after a few
years. In many cases teachers were
unable again 10 he as well and
strong as they had been. lie was In.
clined to think the ease of their
earlier life had great deal to do
with this. Fathers were often di.
rectly responsible by reason of the
fact that they allowed their daugh-
tiers no responsibilities earlier in
life. and when girl went To the
normal school, and assumed the bur
den of her studies there. and after.
wards. when she became teacher
nervous breakdowy was not in.
frequent on account 'or the sudden
assumption of unwonted responsible.
ties. DR.. Hancock said some method
should be- studied ont to overconG.
in part at least. during the girls
course AT the normal. the bad effects
OF too much ease at home. He also
remarked that superintendents fire.
ha1 IN do NTH
vous break-downs on the part OF
teachers He knew OF one case where
- superintendent had actually brag.
gcd of the great number OF teachers
in his schools who had broken down
and he seemed TO regard this as n
proof of the good work he was do.
ing.
Bell On School Discipline.
How Far School Discipline should
Reflect Community Ideals" was the
subject Of an address by Superin.
frHdnnt II. {. Dell of Luverue He
took The position that the school
should moi follow the ideals Of the
ncighhnrhOOd In which ii was To-
Gated. unless those ideals were fit
for the school TO follow II the ideals
were OF a low character. the school
should seek 10 improve them by It's
influence.
SuperintC ent c. C. Baker of Al
bert Lea toad % the administration
Of the high school farms or plat in
connection with the public school
system Of that city. His descrip-
ton of the methods by which the
pupils were taught the arts of agri.
culture and horticulture was exceed
mEly interesting. Just after his adj.
dress. Robert Hallin. local car
pcnter. i'm the well-known accents
of ireland. said he did not see how
Il poor man who had his living Ia
make on the farm. had time to spend
on snch little garden plats as the
pupils were taught To make I'm the
schools. lie declared that our fore
fathers cleared this country with the
axe and hoe. and little else. anil
gave the present day farm teachers
q country to experiment upon. No
Should Use the Probe.
IT, T.. Wheeler. superintendent of
the schools ut Austin. i'm an address
on The Schools Duty to the Earn
est Student Who is Deficient" stated
that i'm the public schools, too little
time was spent in many cases by
teachers and principals in finding
ont Just why a pupil did not keep
up with the rest lie said school
that made a specially Of such pupils
often found that such pupils were
not really deficient at all, but were
developed in different ways from
the average run of the children. In
such an institution great things were
often accomplished with such chill
dren by those who took time to
discover just where each pupil was
exceptionally weak and where he
was exceptionally strong. The teach.
or should find out the weak side
of pupil and lift on that side
Frequently IL was a loss of time TO
try TO make student learn some
thing for which he had absolutely no
natural aptitude. IT. he should be
taught something i'm its place.
something that he could do,
the time would moi be lost. as he
would thus be fitting himself for
future usefulness To himself and
Others.
4 NJ. L. Jacobsen. superintendent at
Waseca. read paper on the sub
ject. How Motive Adds to Our
School Work. He said the old days
OF the rod. the prize and advance
ment rs inducements to work on the
part of pupils. were rapidly passing
away. and in these days better ways
were found of inducing the pupils
10 work. A childs natural curiosity
and his interest in the doings of his
elders could always be used to great
advantage The school work
should be correlated with life. both
inside and outside OF the school.
Subjects Helping Pupil.
Mr.. Jacobsen was heartily In favor
Of continuing to add To the high
school currfcula subjects that would
help The pupils In after life To do
their work and making their living.
Ito eaid what iiftiaf had haan Mana In