The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1884-03-28
SDIsrRIcT INSTITUTE.

Strict will be held in Albany
and 4. By request we
|H1 following from the Albany
the subject:
tject of our legislature in es-
is63fsg institute work was to ad
vance the educational standing of our
teachers, and, through them, the public
schools of the state. It was thought
that the teachers needed more thorough
Z. .l.praEsEatioa in their work, and that the
t 1a tasAl hers associa ton would afford
: them the means Of making this prepa-
ration. This, then, they we're expected
to do, and to take advantage of this
valuable and practical means for self
: improvement, becomes the duty of
every live teacher. This is by no means
a new method for the advancement of
the teachers profession, neither did it
originate in Oregon, but for many
years it has been used as one of the
most potent educational factors in the
New England States, the Middle and
Western states, and we note here the
gratifying results of their establishment
in most of the Southern states where
they have been we'll attended and have
undoubtedly produced good results and
are proving to be an important agency
in the advancement of the schools. The
development of the public school sys-
tenn ill the southern states proves con-
clusively the recupersion possible, not
only in material wealth, but in intel
lectual wealth as well, and we bid the
noble men and women who are labor
ing for the development and upbuilding
of the sunny south Godspeed. While
we are happy in. this development and
progress in our slsoar states, we are
more Immediately concerned ;sSour
own educational advancement as al
state, judicial district and county
Some people are continually looking
abroad for missionary fields of labor
| and heiE-eaglel gaze oftentimes pene-
trttes to the utmost isles of the sea in
search of ignorant humanity, forgetting
in their philanthropic zeal, that there
may be small field near home, and
this brings us again to our subject, the
institute and its purposes. Before in
stitutes and teachers associations came
into vogue, every teacher taught his
own school and confined himself to his
own plans and ideas, as if that might
be (Squers like) the only school in the
world. Perhaps, unless "spelling
bee" or ''cornhusking' CHANGED to
bring them together, he never met his
fellow teacher in the adjacent district,
and when they occasionally did meet,
it was only to exchange surly saluta-
tion and then they Immediately retired
to their respective burrows, where un-
der the seductive influence of corn
cob pipe siesta, they meditated in
peace and quietute upon the hermetical
bachelorism of Mr.. Pickwick.
But again something more than a
mere meeting is intended. There will
be plenty of good solid work for the
teachers to do after they come together
and care should be taken to inform
each teacher of the topic assigned to
him some time before the meeting, in
order to give him an opportunity to
review it. There is no one that does
not prefer the pleasure of success to the
modification consequent upon failure,
and desire to excel should prompt
every teacher to study his part closely,
that he might be able to use if to the
best advantage when the day arrives.
This will cause research on his part,
and his boundaries of knowledge will
be proportionately extended, Subjects
he had entirely neglected will come
before him for examination, while
others that he had passed over lightly
would be more apt to receive the prop
er amount of attention. The point here
is, that teachers should be duly inform
ed of their subjects, and then they
should make thorough preparation.
Again, in teaching, as in architec-
ture, the stronger parts should sustain
the weaker, and the teacher just assum-
ing the responsibilities of his first
school should have some means of avail
ing himself of those who have been