Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-02-04
TOWNSHIP INSTITUTES.

Our Township Institutes at Winthrop and
Quasqueton, have opened the winter cam.
paigu with much energy, and Judging by
the interest manifested ly the teachers
present, we may hope for better schools as
a result of these meetings
If well attended aud we'll conducted,
these teachers meetings ought to do good
service in the cause Of education
They should facilitate the introduction
of new and improved methods of teaching;
secure greater uniformity in the eass!6ca-
ton, discipline and general management Of
schools, and DO much toward reducing the
work of teaching t. scientific accuracy.
They should extend the teachers pro-
tessional acquaintance, enlarge his symps-
thes and ire his enthusiasm give the
young the benefit of the older teachers ex.
perieuce - encourage and stimulate all.
They should keep the teacher out of the
ruts of habit and correct somewhat natu-
raj tendency to become opn onated and Pc.
dantic.
If encouraged and attended, as they
should be- by parents and school officers,
we might expect renovation and improve.
ment in the home as well as the school in
the heads and hearts Of parents o. well as
in the enlarged knowledge, practical skill
and enthusiasm of teachers, and lastly, We
might look for more cctsiGerate and liberal
action on tie part Of boards Of directors
and the public generally.
1t were unreasonable perhaps, 10 expect
all these go9i results from these meetings,
bu, tha; many Of them do follow, the i'm
proved condition of our schools fully attest.
| In fact | am acquai ted with no eiucatiou-
! al agency that is more directly and imme-
diately felt in the school-room, than the
Township Institute, and it is much to be re-
GREETED that so small number Of our
| schools can be brought within it's inaueAcs
The difficulty III the way of lis more ex-
| tended usefulness is the tact that those
teachers who most need the benefits OF
these meetings will be least likely to attend.
! The better class of teachers are always
students, never finish their education. ner-
er cease to raise the earnest enquiry, "Whas
is truth p and welcoming light from any
and all sources, gladly avail themselves Of
these opportunities for improvement.
They attend Ihe Institute without a sec
ord invitation. and, what is better. they
are willing to gco,t, and in any capacity
glad TO learn ii they can, happy to teach if
they may. ......
Blu, there is another class, whose limited
attainmentS, want Of interest and mperfect
conception of the teachers duties, render
them wholly unconscious Of defects, give
pleasing assurance Of ability to ''keep
school," and make them sublimelv indifer-
eut to all such little efforts as Township
Institutes. They never show their faces a,
these meetings not they,-c can't spend
time YOU know, besides, 81, is such q bore
all this stuff abou: Primary Arithmetic,
&C."
BY a singular coincidence, it happens
that this class take no Educational Jout nal,
read no Teachers Library, write no articles
for the Teachers Column-nor do they
read it unless they can borrow the paper.
Now. while it is true that tho Institute
loses nothing by their absence, it is quite
possible that their pupils would gain by
their attendance. But how shall we Sc
cure their attendance? Do you answer
that no such persons should be licensed 40
teachers that none but thoroughly compe.
tent earnest, enthusiastic teachers should
Gud employment. Theoretically this argu.
ment should have force, but practically,
such policy would vaca,e many school.
rooms in this county, and public opinion is
hardly ready fer so radical reform. Be.
sides, our county is sparsely settled, many
cf our districts are both numerically and
financially weak, and if the dear people
were educated up to the point Of demand
ing .irstclass schools in every sub-district,
the demand could no, be supplied nor the
service paid for.
Let US then make the most of such mate.
rial rs we have. Let the live teachers
make arrangements for these professional
meetings in ali parts Of the county, and let
boards OF directors require all teachers en-
ployed III their respective townships to al
tend these meetings. The boards have
ample authority to do this, aud should do il.
City boards require their teachers TO meet
for conference and mutua! improvement,
and the requirement is enforced These
meetings are semi-monthly or weekly.
In fact, no intelligent board having
charge Of a graded CT union school would
neglect to institute such regulations, nor re.
tain a teacher who voluntarily absented
himself from these meetings.. Surely our
uagraded country schools as much need
these advantages as The more fortunate
schools in towrs
IL the absenee of any official action on
the part of school boards, let each individ-
ual sub-tireeior interest bimsclt in this
matter. AMI see :hat his teacher, especially
ii y lady, has an opportunity 10 attend
these meetings.
All earnest teachers must feel personal
interest il this work. They must realize
that enlightened sel6shness alone requires
them not only To increase their own eftcen.
cy, bat to DO All they can 10 increase the eft.
tlcieucy of all who are engage in teaching;
tor the popular estimate of our schools, the
sympathy and support they receive from tho
people mast depend upon their ACREAGE, not
indlvuai success. Let us iniuse life into
the laggards or drum them out Of the
ranks. p.