Wichita eagle., 1888-10-28
CITY TEACHERS IN COUNCIL

The third regular monthly meeting of
the city teachers convened at the high
school yesterday at a. m. Every mem
Der of the entire force-eighty-four teach
ers were present This is showing Of
which any city may well be proud, not
alone of the whole number employed but
especially to their uniform attendance at
this meeting.
OF late considerable attention from
teachers in other places has been drawn 10
our city schools and several encomiums
passed upon our teachers This results,
doubtless, in large measure from the har-
mony and interest with which all work.
Persistent, consistent effort in every line
indicated by the superintendent has been
the uniform rule of the teachers. The or
der of the day and the aim of all seem TO
be the greatest good of the schools Per
sonal interests seem subordinated to the
welfare of the pupils
The superintendent announces that the
impression is abroad that the city viii
furnish the Southwestern Teachers asso-
citation with 100 teachers. That impress
sion is derived from the well known inter
terest Of Wichita teachers in such meet
ings. Subscriptions were also taken for
the Western School Journal This paper
is read, it IS believed, by every teacher Of
the city.
After several announcements by the su-
perintendent pertaining TO the work OF the
schools, Mr.. Burns, a member Of the city
examining board, was introduced He
spoke at length upon the subject OF The
Essentials of a Good School"
In the introduction he spoke of the de-
STABILITY and necessity of personal &C
quaintance on the part of examiners with
candidates for examination. Test ques-
lions fall short of determining the
ability of teachers. He preferred
personal visitation of schools or personal
conversation with teachers. He con-
demned slavish following of foreign
methods. Thought Quincy methods might
do for Quincy schools, Cook county meth
DDS for Cook county schools, but Wichita
must have Wichita methods. Wichita
both as municipality and as an educa-
tional system is in a formative sta te.
Hence the superintendent work must be
largely in the line of organization. Thought
that school boards should be composed of
active educational workers that they
might better understand the lines and
essentials of proper examination.
In his treatment of the subject of ''The
Common SCHOOL, he discussed three heads
o. Physical surroundings % Laws of
the school 81 Teacher. He treated the
first two as largely in the power OF the
board, as for Instance the location of
building, seating, heating, light, ventila-
~ ar
The laws of the school are of prime i'm
portance in developing the child in all
directions. All should understand the
organic relations of the several branches
of study All should understand the ele-
ments of useful action. Every act is an
act of knowing, feeling and willing. All
these are present in some degree in every
action, though one may overshadow the
others. All acts of the divine mind are
the same in kind as those of the human
mind. they differ only in degree. Every
visible act is but the objective expression
of thought, hence from the observation of
pupils acts one should learn to detect
the prompting thought and correct the
course of the stream at its very source.
He spoke also upon the conscious and
unconscious infuendes of the true teacher,
of the proper agencies in promoting reci-
tation, of the ever-increasing necessity on
the part of teachers of careful and special
preparation for their work, of the demand
for instructors fully awake to the past and
present trend Of educational thought, and
Of the value of the power of rich illustra-
ton III teaching. He closed by recon-
mending some books of special interest and
value to teachers.
Supt Chichester followed in a short illus
tration of the three elements found in all
conscious action, and concluded by an
nouucing thai parts of the subjects dis
cussed would be treated in detail at some
future meeting.