Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-02-17
EBENSBTRG, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY Il, 1854.

er schools. For one of the worst difficulties in
the higher schools arises from the bad teaching in
| the Common School 1t has been the habit to
! complain of this as great grievance but would
4 it not be better and wiser to step forward in a
! manly way to correct this evil The Teachers
/ Institute opens the widest door for the accom-
1 plishment of this object and it is hoped that
! many of the finished scholars and accomplished
Professors in our numerous Colleges, and the
Principals of our flourishing Academies and Sem
| inaries will accept the invitation, and come up
to this noble work. II .-l -t-af -.tEIl-.
/ The method Of conducting the Exercises.
! !. This must meet the wants of the Common
] Schoofs eachor- It Is he that needs Institutes
This fact must never be lost sight of. He wants
to know how to use his Textbooks in such way
! as to cffectually impart elementary instruction.
4 The careful Investigation of this subject will in
jure no Teacher of any grade. Let every thing be
| planned for this. a -4#a -.-.-.- s.r
! 2. The session should not continue longer, pro-
baby, than two weeks. They usually last about
one week and convene once in the fall and once
in the spring. The organization should be in the
arc good forms on the los and 233 PIP. of the
Pennsylvania School Journal, Vol. 1. Proceed
at once TO business. s7
| 3. The subjects for the daily instruction should
be those taught in the Common Schools, and no
others, for the first session. If the subjects
multiplied, the good effects of the Institutes will
be diminished. 1t is sometimes better to take
but two subjects for the week. The even
ing lectures may introduce the higher studies.
4. Let the Instructors draw up a programme
| Of exercises for the day and evening. Say at
$50 o'clock, Orthography, 80 minutes after the
lectures, 10 minutes for asking questions 9.l0,
Arithmetic, 30m.-10m. for questions: $50,
Reading, 30m.-10 minutes for questions 1870
Recess, Ism. l0.45, Geography, 30m.-l0m.
for questions ll.25; English Grammar, 3Om.-
interInisson. In ike manner divide the after
noon. One individual may conduct one more
of these exercises as he may feel able, the cir
cumstanccs of the case may require. He should
not attempt it however, if it be avoided,
without some previous preparation. The exact
| divisions of time, fixed upon, must be strictly
| observed, if it is expected to keep up the proper
interest in the lectures. The object ought to be
to enlist every member of the Institute, male or
female, in the daily exercises, personally.
V.
TIE necessity Of immediate and decided action up
this subject.
''We must educate, WE MUST EDUCATE, or we
must perish by our own prosperity" The rising
generation in this great Commonwealth must be
| educated better than they arc now educated in
the schools or they will be untitled for the trust
about to be bequeathcd to them. How can they
be better Teachers Where are the instrumen-
talties at work competent TO prepare better
Teachers for cur ten thousand Common Schools
| We have nothing adequate to the work. TEACH
ERs' INSTITUTES present themselves as an availa-
bic, practical means of doing much for the ac-
! complishment of this work Who can estimate
their value, if they entered into with the pro-
| per spirit Who dares deny their necessity in
order to the well-being and demanded progress
of our noble Public School System Can true
friend of these schools delay, for one hour, to
! take action in the case
| TEACHERS Of Pennsylvania, will you allow a.
mother year to pass before Teachers Institute
is organized in every county in the State tits
| a work peculiarly your own. If it fails to be
| done you viii be held accountable. What coun-
| ty will fail to come up to the work. VIII it be
that one in which the Teachers are true to every
| impulse to manly enterprise, or will it be that
one in which the Teachers arc satisfied with
| their present lot We have now School Jour
nal, ably conducted, in which the passing school
history of the State will be written. Teachers
| can no longer live in corner, each to himself, if
they would. Their doings must come to the
| light Shall the history of your county, fellow
Teacher, be written for your shame Action is
honorable, if it be rightly directed lethargy
and naction in these matters, are no longer ex-
| cusable.
CITIZENS of the keystone State, will you leave
this work to the poor, half-payed Teacher to
tredge along with as he can The work propo-
sed to be done, is work for you and yotr chil-
dren Are you not interested in it Do you
not see the tide of improvement in these things,
| in the East, in the North and in the West, sweep
ing past you7 Even the South challenges you to
an emulation that you must accept or blush at
your own stupidity.
Every sentiment Of patriotism and every pre-
cept of Christianity urge you to second the eff
forts of Teachers to improve themselves and
when they fail to make an effort, to lead them on
by every manly inducement TO engage in so no.
BILE en- enterprise.
WILLIAM TRAVIS,
Chan man of the EreetdiUe Committee.
/ New Castle, Pa, Sept. Z, 1853.
/ We have been requested to publish the above
by number of Teachers of this county the