Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-11-11
TEACHERS INSTITUTE.
SECOND DAY.l
TUESDAY, Nov. 10th

SlulHS.
After the opening, the In
stitute proceeded to the transaction of
the business in hand The minutes OF
the previous meeting were read and
corrected by adding Miss Ada Des
Oranges to the Committe on Music.
Adopted with correction.
On motion, Messrs. III. A. Sake and
II. j. Morgan were added to the Com
mittee on Music.
The following resolution was then
introduced by DR.. Lucky:
Resolved, That the husbands and
wives of teachers, the teachers of pri-
vate schools, the City Board of Educa-
ton and the ministers and editors of
the city and county of Los Angeles be
elected honorary members of the In
stitute.
The resolution was unanimously
adopted.
Mr.. Robt. Furlong of Orange was
appointed Sargeant-at-Arms to receive
and seat visitors.
Mr.. II. B. Warren and Miss T.. Ben
cough We're appointed critics of the
day by the President.
Superintendent Peck then pro-
ceeded to deliver an interest
gress and promising condition of the
public schools throughout the county.
There has been noted increase of at
tendance of the Spanish element. Re
ferring to the La Puente school, he
said:'
AT my last visit there, over forty
pupils were present. Excepting about
half dozen, the children are
Spanish. 1t is scarcely four months
since the third division, third grade,
a heavy class of Spanish, began the
alphabet. They are now nearly ready
to go into the second reader. The
school house, but recently an over
grown building, is too small This
favorable revolution has been Occa-
stoned by an active teacher, supported
and assisted by stirring and intelligent.
trustees. 1t is mistake to suppose
that there is any class i'm this county,
that cannot be reached and elevated
by the schools.
The increase of school children in
this county for the year has been over
one thousand. 1t is believed that our
population is growing faster than that
of any other agricultural county. A
large number of the most desirable
elements in various parts of the East
are looking to Southern California,
and especially to Los Angeles county,
with a view to emigration. A leading
sOlicitude with them is not alone the
quality of our land, but the quality of
our schools. Good land, it's accesso-
ries and a perfect climate they think
of inferior value if the moral and in
tellectual culture of their children is
to be neglected. The Importance of
the school in attracting population is
fully recognized by many of our lead
ing real estate capitalists.
Mrs. E. S. Onstott, of the San Pedro
school, then introduced as subject
for discussion, "The Word-method of
Instrncting young children" She
gave her experience at length in sup
port of the system. She found that
the old method of teaching the A-B-C
first, did not succeed with her pupils.
She adopted the wOrd-method and
found that her pupils improved more
rapidly.
Mr.. Whaling, of La Puente, said
that his school was almost exclusively
made up of Spanish children who
knew little or no English. He had
taken class of 40 pupils who did not
know q letter and in four months they
could read in the Second Reader. He
used the wOrd-method exclusively.
Mr.. S. A. Waldron testified to the
superiority of this method over all
others.
Mr.. Saxon regarded Mr.. Whaling's
success as something extraordinary.
He stated that he did not confine him.
self to teaching his class reading
alone, but had taught them the ele-
ments of geography and grammar
and the rudimen is of arithmetic.
The question was further discussed
by Messrs. Morgan, Lucky, Hender-
son and Miss Hall, and q final vote
being taken on the merits Of the sys
tenn, the result was q majority in fa-
vor of the wOrd-methOd.
The Institute then adjourned for
dinner.
The afternoon session was opened at
| p. NJ. with singing. A discussson
then ensued on the best method of
teaching pupils good manners and
morals. The question was discussed
by Rev. j. Devine M. Whaling, S. A.
Waldron, DR.. Lucky and Superintend-
ent Peck.
On motion, ,all speakers except those
introducing the subject were limited
to five minutes each.
After u short recess, DR.. Lucky de-
livered an address on "School Gov
ernment,n advocating friendly rela-
tions between teachers and pupils and
condemning the artificial, strict form
of decipline often employed. In his
opinion the best governed schools
are the least governed. Give the
pupils plenty to do, arouse their en-
thusiasm and interest them in their
studies and your school will govern
itself. He would make corporal pun
ishment last resort, but
would not like to undertake
to manage a school in which he was
not allowed 10 punish for any offense.
The proposal to bring before the In
stitute class in photography, as fa-
vored by last years resolutions, was
then discussed spiritedly and at some
| length.
Mr.. Saxon then favored the Insti-
| tute with some select readings, includ-
| ing "The Frenchman and the Rats"
| "a Yankee in Love- and "Mrs. Cau-
die on Shirt buttons" The selections
were we'll read and heartily applauded.
The Secretary read communica-
ton from Merrill Lodge No. 209, |. o.
G. r., inviting the members of the In
stitute to attend q social at Good Tenn
plars' Hall Wednesday evening, No
vember 1lth. The invitation was ac-
cepted.
Mr.. Quinn then read the programme
| ;.lN f,NIl lon -