Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-08-12

TO be employed and he works accord
ing to his pay. In some places, lower
grade teacher is taken, because his sala-
nv is less, the law requiring the salaries
TO be fixed according TO grade oil certlh-
cate.
This is the reason why the State
Superintendent endeavored to make the
instructions of the Institute as "didac-
tic" as possible, but many failed TO take
advantage of these Institutes, because
attendance on them was not made COM
pulsory.
The programme comprised exercises
upon all the branches taught IN the
primary schools and if the teacher had
attended the Institutes and prepared for
each days work, great good would
have been accomplished and the
teachers would have been greatly i'm
proved both i'm knowledge of the
branches and methods of teaching them.
The institutes attended by the writer
scarcely had half of the teachers in any
county i'm attendance. The conductor
used every effort 10 induce a full at
tendance, showing by comparison OF
old and new methods in branches as
great advantage that teacher, who can
properly teach his classes without beng
Slave to his text books, will have over
the routine teacher. He first gave a
clear and concise lecture upon the meth
cd of teaching each branch, writing a
SYNOPSIS of il on the board for the teach
ers TO COPY for future use, and calling
attention 10 the essentials of the sub
iect. He then required as many OF the
class as would make the effort, to take
the example that he gave ana show how
they would teach them TO their classes,
and how they would have their classes
explain them, calling the teachers at
tention TO any omissions in her lnstruc-
tons and to any serious defect IN her
manner of teaching.
The lessons and topics were assigned
the day previous to the discussion OF
them, and the class informed how they
were expected to study them, so as to
refresh their memery and become inter
ested in the subject and be prepared to
take part in the class drill.
Had all the teachers come up fully to
their duty, the most careless observer
could not ldll 10 Stt lllt lllllhNilSC dN''
vantage to be gained by these institutes,
but only few OF those present could be
induced to make anv effort toward the
object arrived at. Some were so def
cient in knowledge that they were
ashamed to show their ignorance.
Others could do we'll enough If you
would give them book and let them
ask the questions and read the answer
i'm the text; others still could not talk
and explain things, and were content
with what the book said; they could
not simplify the answer OF the text
Hence, every effort was put forth to
make the exercises OF the Institute OF
such Il character as to teach them how
TO do these things and give them prac-
tice in doing il, vet teachers were slow
to take advantage of these instructions
The Institute is the place to discover the
! difference between Ire teachers and
dedd book teachers, and will show the
people that trained teachers, whether
| il he bv Normal Schools, Normal lnsti'
tutes, or by their own efforts aided by
the study of works on Pedagogics and
| bv learning lessons from the mistakes
| and failure of other teachers.
L'INCoNNU.
.luPtI 9. 1879.