The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-10-25

the one hundred and Fifty common school
teachers of Lee county. Iowa, met at
Denmark on the 18th inst. for conference
and improvement. The weather was beau
tiful, the town lay like Luxurious edition
of New England Sleepy Hollow, bound
in autumn coloring; the citizen. were gen.
erous az the ieeming fruitage OF their
soil, the young teachers we're gay and hap
py, the old ones wise as Mentors and all
things conspired to render it pleasant
time.
The institute opened on the evening OF
the l7lh by the President H. X. Edison.
taking the chair and an election of Sec
retarv pro ten. Mr.. t. L. james. The
President made some forciDls remarks
u pom the object and benefits of the meet
Il ing, and then announced the subject OF
discussion for the evening-viz "The
element of success in teacher which |
was followed by adjournment to the next
morning to meet at 9o'clock. 10 this
session the President ordered the reading
of the constitution and bylaws. appoint
ed the committees aud had the teachers en-
roll their rames then the discussion from
the previous evening was resumed, and
was followed BY adjournment to Il
JPN.
In the afternoon Mr.. Piper. conductor
of the Institute was introduced and made
some appropriate remarks on the objec,
of Institutes. The afternoon discussion
was on the necessity OF "A profession al
course Of Reading" Mr.. kirsel, OF
Davenport, pointed out the errors result
ing from neelecting the study of teachiug
rs a eciencr. the sad disregard shown to
our State Educational Journals, there be
ing seven thousand teachers and but
, four hundred sui scribers 10 them, &c.
After ably showing up the subject, he was
followed by others until time for music
and adjournment. The institute decided
that DO one should be permitted to speak
longer than ten minutes until all the po-
lemics had expressed themselves, And a
7 resolution, was adopted TO continue the
sessions from TO IL A. NJ. and from ]
to Al, and 65 to 81 p III. The first even
ing lecture WIS delivered by Mr.. Klssel,
t of Davenport, 1t was very eloquent and
wide in it's range of thought. He Ioiat-
ed out The Influence oil teachers OF all
ages, upon civilization and culture. No
ses, Plato, Socrates, Quintiliers. even the
Divine Son Teacher, Montague the rise oil
normal schools and popular schools were
given as the grand levers OF God IN ele
waiting the masses to purity and freedom;
after some other eloquent generalization,
he spike of woman as deihed by American
chivalry as the tutelary genius of freedom
The deep fountains of love and religion
are the renewing sources Of life to her
; she drinks from the inspiring freshness
Il of the natural world that love f the beau
IL tiful which is reflected from our schoo
h rooms in artistic culture; art and scienc,
wait upon her as landmarks In her hol,
vocation; truth is her mirror, aud will
'e patience and tenderness she clasps hu
CT manity as she finds it, and bears it to {
higher plane of social, moral, religion.
. and political being. As true teacher
= she preserves her habit of study, aud re
~ search and literature, science and poetry
Ell pour their riches into her mind to as>is
her in her noble works OF f,rming thu
n plastic mind and developing its imnorts
T. energies. America is doing for the worlC
> by her popular education what France i
re for physics, Germany for metaphysics anc
Eogla6d for practical science. These arr
but few of the ideas he advanced will
energy and enthusiasm.
lg A fine forcible lecture on "Character'
a was delivered by Rev. Mr.. Thatcher.
The meDbers of the Institute were de
" lighted one evening by sparkling bit o
!. Shskspearian biography, accompanied b,
a fine rendering of choice selections.
The last lecture was on "Theory anc
1t Practice of Teaching" by Prof Piper. il
!. which the dulest teacher could not fail t,
mark the road TO success in his profes
n sion.
d The Institute was entertained by ex
1t ceilent music from time to time, and b,
tne discussions, rich in experience O
good teachers on snch themes as "Lsbors
:, and Duties of Teaching" chalmers ane
. Morals" 'Is the se!l-reporting system
g. founded on correct principles % "a Pro
se fessional Course Of Reading" as Com
pusory Education Advisable in GU
State?" dc.
trt The various Grammer and Arithme til
classes were admirably conducted by Prof.
Piper.
IN Miss Gould. most accomplished teach
n. er, gave class lessons in Intuitye In
k structioD. Notwithstanding primary 10
g. struction receives great aid from this styl
:. of teaching, grave objections exist agains
~ the system. Itallows au undue inluenc,
oy Of one mind over the class and reduces
is the human intellect to mere receptive
an machine. The constant repetition is in
,,o sutferable and will not suit the class O
mind called American. 1t is only nes
i's in its methodical precision as it is eviden
that Eve must have used it outside tn
a gates Of Paradise, in teaching Cain, Able
ba and Shem, especially as she had no books
!. at that early day in education.
10 The Institute was said to be the bes
T. yet held in Lee county, and no doub
was pleasant and entertaining, but ,hi
question arises-does the advantage
he counterbalsuce the suspension Of all th
IN common schools. in the county, the grea
us expense to the State and the general 10
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