Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1917-07-12

educator to introduce the news
paper into the schoolroom as a
regular feature OF school work.
He is a regular paid subscriber
to just 120 daily and weekly
newspapers, and be would be a
subscriber to just that many
more were he able to- afford it.
1t was 25 years ago that Prof
Lynch made the reading and dis
cussing OF. newspaper articles a
part of the regular curriculum
of his school. In those days a
newspaper ip many rural com mu'
mites was still more of a luxury
than necessary, and he found
that not only pupils but parents
were woefully ignorant of cur
rent events. Today most any
Ozark editor who is a pioneer in
the community where he dis
seminates the news will tell you
that he owes many a dollar on
subscriptions to the work OF
Prof. Lynch in educating pupils
wherever he has taught to the
idea that no home, however ham
BILE, can afford to tgo without at
least one newspaper.
One hour on Friday mornin g
of each week was set aside by
Prof. Lynch fornewspaper read
ing in the schooiroom. In those
days he was not a subscriber to
so many papers as he is now,
but he Was able to obtain enough
by gathering up the latest news
papers among friends who had
read and discarded them. When
ever possible, no twopupils We're
given copies OF, the same publ
cation Each.pupil was request
ed to select one article and read
it carefully. The choice was
left to the pupil. After few
minutes all would be told to lay
aside their newspapers. Then
would come the question:
What is the greatest topic of
the day?"
Hands would go up and one by
one the paps4ss would arise and
discuss the mosts important
article they had found Frequent
ly there would be disputes among
the boys and girls as to what
the greatest topic of the day
was, Prof. Lynch never inter
fered in these friendly exchanges
of ideas, because he saw they
were learning to debate, to give
expression to thought by their
own initiative. He was getting
exactly the results he was striv'
ing for.
Often a pupil would be attract
ed by an account of a dog fight
in the village street, ,JohnSmith s
sick horse or some. other trivial
item. They would be told imme-
diately their selections were poor.
They we're made to reread their
papers and if they still persisted
that they could find nothing
more interesting the papers were
passed on to some pupil in low
err grade, often with the result
that he or she would find some
thing that brought embarrass
ment to those who had been CIV
en- the papers first. These pupils
we're soon as keen observers as
the others, and began finding the
worth while things.
Then Prof. Lynch would ask if
anyone had found aAgem.
Make every day the best
day." one would say. He would
be told to write it at the top OF
the blackboard. Soon the pupils
were able to memorize it almost
as snon as the boy or girl had
finished writing it behre them.
The top of the blackboard would
be covered with them and they
would be allowed to remain till
the following Friday, when the
newly discovered gems would
take their place.
A calesthenic drill, with each
pupil holding his newspaper in
the right hand, always concluded
this study hour, giving the pupil
physical and mental rest before
going on with the other work oI
the school day. While the news