Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-07-10
COMMUNICATED.
OF WHAT USE ARE TEACHERS INsTI-
TUTES?

OF WHAT USE ARE TEACHERS INsTI-
TUTEs?
Mr.. EDITOR The following ex-
tract from a late number OF the Par
kersburg Journal gives fair descrip-
ton of most teachers institutes in this
State:
''Of the two hundred or more teachers at
tending the institute how many took an ac-
tive interest in the exercises, and how many
got any real benefit out OF them: Attend n
session and you will md that some OF the
teachers look bored immeasurably; some are
reading. some are writing, some are talking
and few are listening 10 the instructors.
They are there because they are obliged 10
be. They attend rather as a matter OF form
than anything else, and great many teach
ers got excused after attending day or two.
There is abundant room for reform in the
manner OF conducting teachers institutes"
What is the cause of this indiffer
ence? There must be some reason for
it. 1t would be we'll TO open a discus
sion Of the subject by calling for the
experience of faithful and observing
teachers in the work of institutes, and
as start in that direction, | will offer
the following remarks:
l. The institutes are a heavy tax
upon teachers, and they look for some
return for their outlay of money and
time. To attend an institute five days
and the examination following, costs
yearly every teacher not living in the
town where it is held. not less than
ten dollars.
>. The subjects discussed by the in
structors are either those worn thread
bare by the daily work OF every eX
perienced teacher, or those outside OF
his school work and for which he has
no use and hence takes no interest.
Thus he becomes listless and devotes
his time TO reading or to reviewing
textbooks for his coming eXamina-
ton.
3. Most of the teachers that now at
tend Institutes are those that have
just begun teaching or will begin soon,
and they tlatter themselves that they
will learn at the institutes how to
teach without much labor and gather
information not TO be found in the
textbooks. In this they find them
selves mistaken and are discouraged
by hearing discussions of subjects of
which they know nothing and which
will never come up in the primary
schools. Hence, they become not
only listless but also Disguised with
institute work. In institutes, as now
conducted, the instructor does nearly
all the talking. His talks take the
form Of lectures and the methods OF
instruction brought out in them are
better adapted to colleges, high
schools and normal schools than TO
primary schools. In fact, the methods
cannot be used at all In primary
schools and the subject matter dis
cussed does not belong to the prima-
~ course. Is it any wonder that the
teachers in attendance become mat
tentive and restless? Many of the lee
lures on Psychology given day after
day before the Institutes are "a intel
ligible and interesting TO the teachers
as talk in the ancient Hebrew Ian
guage would be.
The teachers know that they are at
heavy expense in attending Institutes
and they want something in return,
either improvement in methods ordl-
narily used in our schools or better
knowledge Of the branches to be
taught. They get neither Of these as
the institutes are now conducted.
Even the officers of the institute
show no interest in its proceedings.
The conductor talks on some thoughts
that he has gathered during the year
or repeats some old lectures that he
has given year after year at other in
stitutes. The county superintendent
with his board of examiners retires TO
hunt up and prepare questions FOR the
examination to be held the next week,
and the institute is walked up by a
song or two interspersed with few
anecdotes. The teachers have no
practice in lecturing and make no
preparation for talks at the insti-
tute,' as they have been informed
that some one has been appointed to
do that.
A look at the programme for the in
stitute is enough TO discourage any
teacher, even the bravest that desires
to do good work There is work
enough mapped out for five DAYS to
keep teachers employed whole
month.
Something must be done TO win
back the teachers to institute work
and to encourage them in it, or else
the holding OF State institutes must
be abandoned. They are now tax
and burden upon teachers without
any remuneration. | could suggest
several remedies, but fOrbear.
OLD TEACHER.