Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-05-10
Communicated
Teachers Institutes.

The Superintendent of Schools has
displayed q scommendable zeal this
Spring, in appointing four Institutes
at suitable points, for the instruction
OF the teacher and the elevation and
Improvement of the schools. No
one will deny that there is great
room for Improvement in nearly all
schools, especially those taught in
remote districts by cheap teachers.
The very object of these gatherings
is TO infuse iuto the minds of the
teachers new ideas, new energy, aud
qualify them better to perform their
work. To this end Mr.. Holford sets
apart week OF his time, and engag-
es tho services of a competent and
thorough agent, whom the board of
regents keeps employed at such
work. The citizens of the village
are solicited, to furnish free enter
tainment to. teachers, and they re-
spond literally. The law says to the
teachers, eco, and derive all the
benefit you can from the training
and advice OF these old members Of
your profession, and your pay shall
continue, as il you were in your
schools" Their own sense of mex
perience and unfitness tells them
that they can give BETTER satisfac-
ton and earn more wages, if they
VIII use every means to improve in
teaching. And the children under
their care, in their weakness and
dependence, seem 10 call on them for
their best and wisest efforts.
Yet how poorly are these training
schools for teachers patronizedl The
wldc-awake, up-and-coming sort of
teachers are always on hand, of
course, but tho other kind, would
that there were no other y are large
~ inclined to keep away. There is,
unfortunately for the schools, quite
q class Of teachers who have sufficient
education To obtain low grade of
certificate, but have no ambition to
rise higher Excelsior" is never
heard from their lips. Perfectly
content with local or partial certifi-
cate, content to 90 on in the old slip
shod way, content to be left far be-
hind and hold the lowest rank, they
too often slight all these free advan-
tages, and keep within their own
narrow circle of Ideas. If district
clerks knew their best interests, these
cheap teachers would find no situa-
tions.
AT the Institute at Boscobel last
week conducted chiefly by Prof.
Graham and Mr.. Holford, there
should have been hundred teachers
present, instead of the scanty num-
Der of forty, including some mere
students. A similar result attended
the Institute in Lancaster last fall.
The same fault prevails elsewhere.
The obstacle that rises in the way of
these well-directed efforts is, that
those who need them most, often
stay away. At Boscobel the interest
OF those present was hard to awaken
at first, but after the second day
every one entered into the work
with pleasure, and at the end of the
fourth day they parted with real
regret that the time had been so
short, and that the work was so far
from finished. The book-agents too
usually gather in like buzzards, and
by their really valuable aid, help to
impart useful hints and advertise
their school-books.
Now we hope that, whenever any
teacher sees notice that there is to
be all Institute in his or her part OF
the county, that teacher will reflect
that there is yet room for improve
ment, and decide to attend. B.