The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-06-15
TEACHERS INSTITUTE.

| The Territorial Superintendent of Publ,
Instruction has issued an excellent circula
to County Superintendents and teachers, set
ting forth the fact that the late amendmen
TO the Montana School Law makes IL obliga
tory on County Superintendents to hold, and
the teachers "to attend an annual institute In
every county, and TO participate in the exer
cises thereof
The circular also sets forth the purposes
and professed benefits" of such gathering
OF educators, such as: supplying to some
extent the lack of training or normal schools
for teachers; to produce some unity Of me
thods In teaching; to excite sympathy and Co
operation; to enable the public, who attend
these meetings TO see whether certificates
have been properly bestowed, and the oppor
tunity TO vindicate the wisdom and justice OF
the superintendent and trustees; to extend
the acquaintance Of the teachers and the
people. The work to be done should be prac.
tical, and the County Superintendent should
assign topics for treatment to the
teachers in attendance, invite citizens to
deliver addresses on educational
topics, make the evening sessions attractive
and interesting TO the public" and run the
machine generally.
These are sensible plans and suggestions,
and very timely, but there is another side TO
the subject 1t is one thing to say what ought
to be done in efforts TO educate teachers, and
improve their methods, and another thing to
do IL successfully by institutes held once a
year In each county. The "professed bene-
fits," and "some unity in methods" are very
careful terms in which to express the value
of teachers Institutes, compared with the ex-
perience and testimony of those who have
been active and earnest in them for years.
"You can lead horse to water, but you
cannot make him drink" A County Super
intendent can call a Teachers Institute and
"assign TOPICS" but he cannot compel diff
dent and inexperienced teachers to present
them, and yet the same teachers may be very
successful in the school room.
These institutes do not furnish sufficient
opportunity to decide whether the certifi-
Gates have been properly bestowed" or
whether the trustees have been wise in their
employment Of teachers.
A teacher may have obtained first grade
certificate, making an average of oper cent.
in a written examination on the seven
branches required to be taught, and have CIV
en- almost universal satisfaction to the pa
irons of given school for two or three terms
and proved himself competent teacher and
yet not able, through constitutional tImidity,
10 do himself justice in n class exercise, in a
statement of methods, or in an essay at an in
stitute-and this is true of a majo1ty-one
hos n. tha Iin In ti Ia
in almost any of our graded schools TO see
that this is true. The way to determine the
carefulness or justice OF the County Superin-
tendent's examination, or a teachers real
qualifications, or the wisdom of his employ
ers, the trustees, is to visit the school fire.
qaently and see the teachers work with his
own classes.
As to the methods to be learned from one
another in this way, County Superinten-
dent, who is worth having, and none other
need be elected, can, by early and faithful
visitation of each school taught in his county
give the teachers more instruction In the
theory and practice Of teaching, in one day,
and be surer of his suggestions being acted
upon, than can be secured by three Teachers
Institutes in one year.
In such counties as Lewis and Clarke and
Silver Bow, with large graded schools for
ninemonths, at the county seat,i is compare
lively easy TO find a sufficient number of
experienced teachers accustomed to institute
work, who can participate. and good speak
ers among so many professional men, as are
located at these centers, to give addresses, to
hold large and interesting Teachers Insti-
tute. But in such counties as Deer Lodge
Missoula and others, with many Of the
schools fifty and sixty miles from the county
seat, and never more than ten schools in ses-
sion at the same time, it is almost impossible
to hold a successful and profitable Institute
of three days duration.
The expense to most teachers, equal to half
a months salary, bad roads and severe wealth
er are difficulties that could be met and en-
dured, and we do not estimate the loss to
school districts Of weeks services Of the
teachers rs incommensurate with the "pro-
fessed benefits" of an Institute, but better
no institute at all than poor one in compli-
ance with law.