Los Angeles daily herald., 1873-11-05
COUNTY TEACHERS INSTITUTE.
Second Day.


were present: Messrs. Shroad, Newton,
Kramer, Starke, Los Angeles; Mr..
Brooke, ex-Superintendent of San
Bernardino county, and Mr. Spencer,
of Tuolumne county.
The following additional teachers
were present: r. B. Warren, +. K.
Mcdowell, Jos. Smith, Miss Marquis,
Miss Austin, Miss DesGrange, Miss
Efiie Bogles and Mrs. Rogers.
The critics report was read, and con-
siderable comment and merriment was
had in its amendment.
The Superintendent elect Mr.. Peck,
and Mr.. Brook Of San BernardinO,
We're added to the list of Vice-Presi-
dents.
Mr.. Lucky raised the question
whether teachers were bound of neces-
sity to follow the State course of school
books and grading. If there was no
compulsion, what was the necessity of
the law?
1t was moved that this question be
Mr.. Peck read a paper on school
grading. He thought this was the
most important as well as latest of the
works of the school board. 1t is diff
cult to do at the start; requires labor
and patience, and is discouraging to
the pupil It's history elsewhere has
been carried on successfully.
Everything tending to simplify the
labor OF the teacher, benefits the pupil
and the entire community. 1t will
make the teachers calling more agree
able, more useful, more certain more
professional.
Mr.. Tonner thought in the country
district the grade could not be carried
out. He had tried it, and tried it
earnestly. He had lost five pupils by
his first days attempt, and had, after
fair trial, stopped it. His school
was now ungraded.
Mr.. SAKE said if he had not some
grade law to fall back upon he could
not get along at all. One pupil will
desire one study, others will desire
other studies. His experience might
be exceptional, but this was his ex-
perience.
Mr.. Brook said the State Board Of
Education had adopted the rule that
every school using the Fifth Reader,
should be Il first grade school. He
thought there should be a distinction
between city and country schools. 1t
would be nonsense to have u little
country district graded as first-class
school, simply because one or two
pupils used the Fifth Reader.
Mr.. Peck thought the law was man.
datory upon teachers, and Superin-
tendent. Still an impossible law had
no effect. Teachers generally will find
from experience that grading will be
great help, though there may be in
stances when it will not be necessary
to be strict in carrying out the letter
of the law.
Mr. Henderson thought grading i'm
possible and undesirable in a country
school. When one teacher could teach
one grade, then it is possible grading
would be desirable. Much discretion
ought to be left to the teacher, al
though in purpose and effect the law
is good.
S. Adams thought the remarks just
made We're correct, but an effort
should be made to approach Il graded
system.
Mr. Furlong thought that there was
no use in discussing the law, for it was
a law and must be Obeyed. The ques-
ton is how far is the law binding, and
what are the best methods to carry it
out?
Mr. Tonner thought that they had
right to discuss and protest against
the law, and they would.
BY tacit consent the question was
referred to the Committee on Pro-
gramme.
Miss Anna Casad had an exercise in
wOrd-analysis, sentence-forming and
spelling. For pupils 50 young, they
showed very commendable progress.
AT eleven o'clock there was a class
exercise in arithmetic by Miss Fisk.
a discussion OF both these exercises
took place, and the assembly adjourn
ed until afternoon.
A class of teachers were assigned a
lesson by Miss Howard, and the as
sembly voted to meet to-day at the
Good Templars' Hall.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Miss Howard's geography class was
not a success as recitation, but it did
show an admirable method; yet it ig-
nored what has been an established
fact for years in teaching this branch,
that skeleton maps and map drawing
are essential, and that geography
should never be taught unaccompanied
by history. Considerable merriment
was caused.
Miss Bixby gave a class exercise in
drawing, but an outsider could with
difficulty see what was going on. For
young pupils her methods were simply
superb, as far as could be judged by a
locker on. She showed the good, kind
teacher, full of sympathy for the little
ones. At the close, an example of
coast drawing was given. tE
Butterfield's class in reading now
came on. The text book was the
Fourth Reader, the class from the
Maizeland. The class reflected great
credit on the teacher, who is in this
subject one of the best in the county.
On suggestion of DR.. Lucky, Messrs.
Waldron, Lucky and Morgan, and
Misses Fisk and Howard, We're APP
pointed committee to devise plan
for securing the attendance of pupils
from every district in the county at
the next Teachers Institute, and also
competitive examinations between
them in spelling or some other study.
Adjourned.
The programme for to-day is as fol-
lows:
Nine o'clock-Music in Common
schools, by Mr.. SAKE.
Ten-Corporeal Punishment, by Mr..
Donald.
Eleven-Compulsory Education, by
Mr.. Cummings.
One-Class Exercise in Geography,
by Miss Howard.
Two-Art Education, by Mr.. Hen
derson.
Half-past two-Class Exercise in