Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-12-02

articles on school matters viii always be vel
coined.
Teachers should make free use of the
dictionary in teaching correct pronun-
cation, definition derivation and use of
words; formation and use of plurals;
rules for spelling, etc. All these and
much more may be found IN any COM
plete dictionary and pupils should ear
ly DO taught how to use this book for
themselves 80 as to secure the most prac-
tical benefit.
LONG DIVISION.
Every teacher knows that the subject
of long division is one of the most diff
ficult to get pupils to fully understand,
hence any plan which promises success
in this direction is greeted as an aid.
Recently, in a standard teachers jour
nal, we have seen outlined a plan
which, taken all through, is, in our
opinion, the best we remember ever to
have seen. A part of it is the same as
we have practiced for some years. Here
it Is: It being understood that the pu-
pill has fair knowledge of short divis-
ion, the terms with their respective
positions, give direction for the follow
ing steps. LIST, divide; End, multiply;
3rd, subtract; 4th, bring down, which
steps are to be repeated over and over
until the solution is completed except
In cases where the divisor Is not con-
taIned in the dividend, which the teach
or will explain. This answers the pu-
pills complaint, so often heard in the
study of this subject, of Il don't know
what to do next" Now take the divis-
or and have pupil multiply it first by 1,
then by 2, then by 3, by 4, etc, up to 9,
preserving in a convenient place each
product so obtained. Now to meet the
usual great difficulty of finding how
many times the dlvisor will "go" into
each partial dividend, the pupil has on
ly to refer to his list of products previ-
ously obtained and compare them with
the partial dividend into which he is
dividing" the dlvisor. He car
readily see which products in his list
are smaller than his partial dividend
and which are larger and thus, with
little instruction to start him, at once
determine the number of times the di-
visor will go" Suppose it goes four
times, then the product Of four times
the diylsor found in the list) is at once
set under the partial dividend without
the need of multiplying again. Ex-
plain to the pupil that when the figure
"O'' is placed in the quotient, no multi
plication is made and no subtraction
required. If a remainder occurs after
Bringing down the last figure Of the
dividend it is treated IN the usual way.
Some teacher may regard so much null
tiplying in the solution by this plan as
waste Of time, but it is a drill which
will be Of benefit. One of the best
things in favor of this scheme is that
the pupil learns nothing in connection
with it which he must unlearn when he
is further advanced. The plan is sure
ly worth a trial.
THE NEWTON MEETING.
Barber county's representation at the
teachers association at Newton, con-
sisted, 80 far as we know, of only three
persons: The County Supt. and wife
and Miss Elva Blick, of Lake City.
There were in attendance about 800
teachers and superintendent and 1t
was matter of common remark that
they were smooth, healthy and intel
lectual looking crowd. The exercises
were all interesting and most of them
of highly instructive character. A
few extracts are published in this pa
per and others may be expected later.
The people Of Newton showed the
teachers warm hospitality and gen.
erous welcome, and many citizens open
| ed their homes and furnished free en-
tertainment.
This meeting being a union of the
Central and Southwestern Kansas AS
sociations the crowd was larger than
usual, although the plan was voted a
success, especially in bringing together
teachers from the two associations, to
become acquainted, still it was thought
| more profitable for each association to
have its own separate meeting next
year, and accordingly arrangements
were made for the Central to meet at
Hutchinson, and the Southwestern at
Wichita. The principal advantages of
separate meetings are that it allows
more of the members to participate in
the discussions and brings the place of
meeting nearer to many of the teachers.
The exercises began Thursday even
ing and closed Saturday. On our way
back We stopped at Wichita Saturday
night and reached home Sunday
Some of the distinguished persons at
the association were State Supt., G. w.
Winans, President A. R. Taylor, of the
State Normal school; Col. F. w. Park
er and wife, formerly of Quincy Mass;
Supt. Bloss, of the Topeka schools;
John Mcdonald. editor of the Western
School Journal; Mrs. 1. G. De Yelling
representative for the w. C. T. T., of
| Wichita.
State Supt. Wlnans at the associa-
ton, read paper on school govern
ment. He is apparently about As years
old, above the average in hight, rather
heavy set, light complexion, long mus
tache, full face, Roman nose, in gener-
| "a type of the AmerlcanizedGe Germans.
He said that the basis of government
is control. The pupil, as yell as the
teacher, should see the reasonableness
of the government, otherwise it will do
but little good. While the parents au-
thority over the child is given by the
Creator, the teachers authority is Civ
en- BY the statute. The teacher IN tak-