The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1886-10-01
Shall Hartford Have a Teachers Insti
tute This Year?

Every profession has its own especial fea-
lures which are not known to the general
public. Those calling themselves born ply
sicians the world calls quacks. Those who
attempt to preach the gospel without having
properly prepared themselves, as frequently
many fatal bunders made by those who at
tempt TO teach, without having first learned
the art.
A ''born teacher" will not any more be
good one, without practical instruction on
the subject than born mechanic will be
good one without having served his time of
apprenticeship.
Recognizing this the State of Maryland is
sufficiently anxious for suitable instructors
of her youth to spend large sum of money
annually to support State institution de-
signed especially to educate public instruc-
tors. But knowing that many would be I'M
able to avail themselves of this generous of
fer, she has provided in her public school
law that the teachers of each county shall be
annually called together, and for Il week shall
go to Sch00t-not for the same purpose as their
pupils do, but to learn how to impart the
knowledge they have given evidence of at
the teachers examination.
1t has been the custom of the Hartford
School Board to call its teachers together at
the first of the year, and execute the law to
the best of their ability. Able instructors,
including the State Superintendent, have
been called to their assistance, and have will
lingly responded; while the Examiner and
older teachers have given their young asso-
ciates the benefit Of their years of experience
This has not been a blessing to the young
teachers alone; many of the more experience
ed have given up their old methods for better
ones; all have acknowledged that they came
TO learn and have never failed to do so.
There the Examiner has seen in week what
teachers will probably need his especial at
tention during the year instead of having to
find them one by one while visiting the
schools; there the school law has been read
and explained to those heretofore ignorant
of Its provisions; there the rulings of the
Board and their desires with regard to the
work OF the coming year have been made
known to all there teachers have become &C.
quainted with their associates, and in MANY
cases made friends on whom they have freely
called during the following year for assist
ance and advice about their work, and at
the end of the week the corps of teachers
nave gone to their work enthused with zeal
to place themselves in the front rank of good
teachers and do faithfully and we'll the years
work which they have undertaken.
But for three years in succession there has
been no Teachers Institute held. Whynot?
Is it because they have not proved a success
in the past ? or because the present teachers
"a large majority of whom never have seen
inside of a training schooD need no instruc-
tion9 or because the teachers do not desire
ity or because it is deemed better by frequent
official visits to give each teacher in his own
schoolroom the instruction he seems to need?
or are the schools getting along so well that
no one could ask for any better work 7 or is
the law too indefinite on the subject or, in
word, does the Board think it is for the best
interests of free education that no Institute
should be held
They may be in possession of facts of which
the public are ignorant, which have very
properly Influenced them to give up this time
honored institution but if so, it seems un-
fortunate that go many of these gatherings
should have been held before, which have
suddenly become useless or undesirable.
We do not claim to be able to solve the
problem, but as conservators of the best in
terests of Hartford county, we regret to see,
without any apparent cause, the doing-away
with custom heretofore considered so wise
and trust that if there are to be no more
Teachers Institutes in the county that the
clause of the school law providing for them
may be repealed by the next Legislature
since nothing is so destructive of respect for
law as to know that lis provisions arc not
all enforced. ....
We think the desire of the public is that
the question may be set at rest by an early
order of the School Board for Teachers
Institute