The Opelousas courier., 1889-05-25
The state Teachers Institute.

President Boyd, OF the State Normal
School ut Natchitoches, accompanied
by Misses Oswalt and Hughes and Profs.
Smith and Brnmbaugh arrived here on
last Saturday, and the Hon. Joseph A.
Brcanx, State Superintendent of Educa
tiun, reached here Ivy the evening train
on Sunday.
The State Teachers Institute con
vened promptly at O'Clock a. N. on
Monday with quite large attendance
ofteachers present from this and adjoin
ing parishes. The Rev. father J. F.
Raymond opened the exercises with
prayer Laurent Dupre, Esq, Presi-
dent of the Parish School Board, in a
few appropriate remarks introduced
Prof Boyd, who explained the object
of the Institutes and spoke in behaif of
popular education. Prof. NJ. G. Brum
baugh, of Pennsylvania, made an clo-
quent appeal to teachers to take greater
interest in their vocation, improve their
methods, a,d endfavor to be worthy OF
theif high calling. His address com
manaed the profound attention of teach
ers and spectators. Miss Oswalt gave
an excellent lesson in numbers to n pri-
mary class, using objects aud illustra-
/ tions in the combination of numbers.
| Miss HughCu followed in a charming
iEmodel lesson in drawing that greatly
| interested classes and audience.
! Hon. Jos. A. Breaux delivered an
eaFnest address on the necessity OF i'm
proving the public schools, evincing his
efforts to strengthen and elevate public
education throughout the State. Prof.
A. l.. Smith of the Normal School gave
n practical talk Oh arithmetic, and sng
grsted many new ideas to teachers hS
q more practical and comprehensive
method in nsing objects. Miss Hughes
! followed with lesson on history, aud
Prof Brnmbaugh closed the days ses
sion with an illustration of language
teaching
On Tuesday, the second day, there
E.. was increased interest manifested, a
larger audience aud fifty four teachers
/ present Rev. r. s. Isbel of thn Meth
/ odist church offered up the payer.
President Boyd spoke on the subject :
" How To teach language to children
whaWae. language is different from that
of tlmis tlmSt teacher" Miss Oswalt gave les
sons to the second grade in reading aud
numbers; Miss Hughes TO the fourth
grade in drawing and language. These
lessons we're admirably conducted and
excited great interest among pupils and
teachers, showing the normal methods
of instruction to great advantage. Prof
Smith discussed nuNheis and geogra-
ply, illustrating thetlatter by frequent
reference to maps brought from the
Normal School Prof! Brumbaugh gave
many experiments in natural philoso-
ply and proved to teachers that ele'
mentary science can be taught expert
mentally in the public schools with
homemade apparatus at a small cost
This instructive lecture closed the ex-
ercises for the day.
All the other sessions were equally
interesting and largely attended by
teachers, pupils, and citizens; and the
range and scope of educational topic:
and latest improved methods of instrnc
ton were ably cafried on and amplified
by the lecturers, in every detail to en-
tighten teachers as to their dnties.
j These Teachers Institutes will not
only stimulate and qualify teachers foI
O6tI6F anu AiOE0 eIhCICib iiIsti uSeiou
! but should awaken greater attention
among the masses TO educating theil
children, and our legislators to provid-
ing an efficient school fund for ths
T maintenance of our public schools.
Tn January last committee was ap
pointed at meeting of ladies aud citi
zens of Alexandria to procure desks
charts, maps, blackboards, etc, for thu
white public schools of that town. Tha
committee has ine+ published repor
showing that the sim of $54O.55 hat
been raised by fair and rafffes, ant
that the desks, &C., had been pnrchas
ed and placed in the schools, at a tota
, cost of $68l.4 as follows:
100 Double Desks "a chief" at 81 So $3.50. o.
: 10 double backs or desks, g $3.50 66.0
} l2 g fronts or $3.50 600