French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1916-08-17
by Miss Kate Shipp, Fassifern school,
, in Raleigh News & O~bserver.)

- A@NSS AAN SA4PpR II ~ 0SAOOAe
in Raleigh News & Observer.)
! 1t has been my privilege to visit
many schools. l have seer some of the
Lest in the East and South and several
IN the West. It was part of my bust
ness. when connected with the Teach
ers' College of Cambridge University
to study the working of the schools of
Great Britain, and l was unusually
fortunate in having introductions to
the heads of many institutions. l
learned much from all of them; but
my ideal school exists in no foreign
country, nor is it situated in any of
cur own great cities. It closed it's
doors many years ago.. and its last
roll-call was answered by those who
are now middle-aged men and women,
or are resting with their noble teacher
in paradise. It was taught for many
years by the same person, Miss Mary
Wood Alexander, in the little village of
L~incolnton, at that time the home of
many people of culture who valued the
educational advantages offered their
children. The Civil War had bereft
the Alexander family of almost every
thing and it became necessary for the
ladies to take up the burden of it's
support. They were women gifted in
every way. Beautiful in person,
charming in manner. with rare intel
lectual endowment they had been the
the reigning bellies of Charlotte and
the n%eighboring towns. For some
reason, they established themselves in
L~incolnton, and while other members
Of the family went away to seek their
fortunes, Miss Mary Wood started a
small school in the town she had
chosen as her home.
l suppose most teachers have read
Bishop Huntington's little book, "Un-
conscious Tuition" There is nothing
! know so Inspiring. l think the ideE
it conveys was more fully realized in
the life of Miss Alexander tina in that
Of any n l have ever known. SO far
as l know there is no student ever IN
der her care who does not yet feel this
influence. Hers was altogether lndi-
9idual work. She never took more
children than she could teach herself
and. therefore. needed no assistant.
She was a remarkably we'll educated
as we'll as an intellectual woman, and
she taught all subjects necessary IN
the curriculum of the schools of that
day-in this day, SO far as that Is con-
cerned. She gave music lessons, and
many of her students took high rank
in after years, as musicians. By some
secret method of her own. she insp1r-
ed every one under her care, not only
with the desire to learn, but with a
spirit of honor and a love of truth.
Many of us have tried student govern
ment. with varying success n VIII
many heart aches on accoun Oh our
inability to install he love of honor;
but she had no failures. Nothing was
ever said about talking in school. we
talked if We wished without disturb
ing any one; but when she lett the
to give her music lessons, usually
ionly one or two a day, she simply SAID:
You are on your honor not 20 speah
while l am out" Ther was no monl-
tor nor any n responsible. L re-
member only one occasion Wnen d
child talked during the ap-
sence, and every one was SO horrlneu
she did not attempt 1t again. VI
course this state of things came about
through the influence OF the three oI
fonr Girls of fifteen Or sixteen, who set
the mace in these matters. Ihey hau
learned the lessons, and their uncon-
scious tuition was enough 1ol LIS
Of us who were younger n Wno
crew in time, to be the leaders:
Everything learned was tnorouenly
learned. There was no shamnlIns'
no slipshod method of ADVANCEMENT
no grades. and very few classes WV
learned our lessons in history geOela-
nhy. etc, at home; but we were neEo1
allowed to take away from schooI az
q rithmetic Or algebra. we lealneu CnS
shIue back" spellerb of course "n1
progressed from that to the Scnolal >
Companion" a spelling book Win uen
nitions. 1t was considered d ulssl"GT
in those laws not to know no" 10 spelh
A few wears ago l heard d noleu 80
Gator give a lecture settlng Ioltn nh9
method which he thought orlglndl AM
wonderful. Briefly, it was Inls.
student was to be kept IN d sIaue
longer than he was able 10 duNanoI
himself to a higher. departments
work was necessary, OF course: Il"
child in grade seven could 10y VII
eence. advance himself in arlt1meIlc
to grade eight and could not III ELo
same in Latin, we'll and o NJ
might be in grade six in Engllsn, dICn0
same time. No heavyweight OF a Iel-
low student could keep the class OF us
members back. Each advanced from
section to section as rapidly as his de-
sires or ambitions prompted. That was
Miss Mary Woods method. followed so
ems ago. and with SO much success.
No n was ever in a class in any
ranch of mathematics: The first
thinq in the morning we recited the
lessons learned at home, either in :
classes or alone, as we were able. The
r~ecitations finished, each o his or
her slate and pencil. arithmetic or
algebra and "ciphered" the rest of the
day. Doing all we could alone. we
would go to the teacher for explans~
tions if necessary. When the slate
full, she looked over the work. it