A very interesting meeting of the International Sabbath-school Association was held on Sunday afternoon. At this meeting the following-named persons were elected officers of the association for the coming year: President, C.H. Jones; Vice-President, W.C. White; Secretary and Treasurer, Winnie E. Loughborough; Executive Committee, C.H. Jones, W.C. White, E.J. Waggoner, F.E. Belden, E.W. Farnsworth, Winnie Loughborough, R.S. Owen. At a subsequent meeting, the constitution was changed so as to make unnecessary the election of a Publishing Committee, and to allow of the election of a corresponding secretary.
Mrs. Jesse F. Waggoner gave an interesting talk upon the subject of "Teachers and Teaching," the following synopsis of which may be as interesting and profitable to the readers of the Signs as the talk was to those who listened: A teacher, [she said,] is one who causes another to know something that he did not know before. A Sabbath-school teacher is one who causes another to know the way to Heaven; and the successful teacher will also cause others to walk in that way. But in order to do that, the teacher must himself be walking in the way to Heaven.
She suggested that some might be discouraged because of their imperfections, but said that we need not be discouraged. She said that while crossing the Sierras recently, she had noticed flumes for conducting water for mining and irrigating purposes. In many places these flumes were so imperfect that they leaked badly, and she wondered how any of the water ever reached the destination, but concluded that it was because it flowed so swiftly over the bad places.
The application was this: though imperfect, if we receive the waters of divine truth fresh from the Fountain-head, and are constantly conveying them to others so that the stream does not become stagnant, we may by the blessing of God accomplish much good notwithstanding our imperfections. We must be constantly receiving supplies from the Fountain-head. We sometimes notice the hills when they are all dead and dry and there is scarcely a green spot to be seen anywhere, and again we see lawns that are constantly green; the former have not received a supply of moisture; the latter have water every day. Just so if we teachers would be green and fresh we must be watered by divine grace daily.
Perhaps the most interesting facts presented were those upon the model teacher. The successful artist studies his model, so the successful teacher must study Christ, for He is the model Teacher. He was in love with His work, and so the successful Sabbath-school teacher must be in love with his work. Christ studied his scholars and knew all about them, and so we must study our scholars and learn all we can of their disposition and surroundings. All must not be treated alike. What would be good for one would spoil another, and if we would be successful we must adapt ourselves to each child and use illustrations which each will understand.
Christ always had something important to say. The way for us to have something important to say is to read, study, think, and PRAY. Anciently the sacrifice had to be prepared before God would accept it, and so we must be prepared if we would have divine help and sustenance.
Christ always gained the attention of His scholars; we, too, must follow our Model in this. To do this, we must be prompt, quiet, and reverent. The teacher should get close to his scholars, and make them feel that he is not afraid of them.
Christ was careful to make himself understood. Just so the successful teacher must make himself understood. The teacher should crack the nuts at home, and bring only the kernels to Sabbath-school. Do not use big words, and do not use any words that the children do not understand. Sometimes very simple words have to be explained to children; for instance, a child who has always lived in the city may not know anything about wells, springs, and woods, while the country child knows nothing about those things that are familiar to those in the city.
It was also suggested that care be exercised in asking questions. Questions should be plain and definite, and yet not leading. For instance, the question,
"What was David?" would admit of a dozen correct answers, and yet no one of them be the one that the teacher had in mind and wishes to draw out, while the question,
"Was David a good man or a bad man?" Admits of but one answer, and yet requires the child to exercise some thought.
Christ made use of all helps in His reach. He used illustrations and gave object lessons. The world is full of objects that may be used as illustrations. In every lesson have a point, stick to your point, and make your point.--Signs of the Times, December 1, 1887.
E.J. Waggoner