Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-22
IT'S A GOOD SYSTEM
Superintendent Mac Kibbin Be-
lieyes in Systematizing
WORkAT TEACHERS INSTITUTE
Longer Sessions are ImpracticA6le Be
cause the Teachers Cannot Afford
the Additional Expense.

Stuart MaeKiobin, superintendent Of
the Marshall schools, Is = guest st the
New Livingston. Mr.. Mackibbin Is
here for the purpose of conducting the
Kent County Teachers institute, which
Will begin IN the central high school
building At 10 O'Clock this morning.
I've are looking forward 10 a large
attendance" said Mr.. MaeKlbbin last
night. al have been informed by Mr..
Smith, the county secretary, that al
least 200 teachers may be expected,
and that probably more Will come.
All, or nearly ali. of these, of course,
are teachers ia the district schools OF
the county. There Will not be more
than the usual amount of Institute
work done IN the state this year; but
there Is \ prospect of its beng more
effective than usual. Mr.. Fitch, SUI
perlntendent Of public instruction, has
made out a course of study for lnstl-
tute works q twill have a tendency to
produce much more satisfactory work.
The go-as-you-please plan upon which
state institutes have previously been
conducted has resulted in the expendl-
ture OF large amount of energy and
money, and the prod lctIOn or COM
parauyely small amount OF good.
Makes Him Feel Helpless
| have been at the head of different
school systems for several years; but |
never feel so helpless as | do when
am called on to take charge of all in
stitute. You have TO write to the secre-
tary OF the county board and find out
what is wanted of you. 1t is possible
that you may be asked to do the same
work that was done the year before.
The result is that the teachers become
tired of hearing the same old things
year after year and the attendance
drops off. Now, If | am called to take
charge of school, don't have to ask
the secretary of the board of education
what ne wishes taught. The work has
all been mapped out and there IS no
uncertainty about it. That IS what
ought TO be done in regard to institute
work, and is what superintendent
Fitch has made an effort to do this
year. This will be continued and a
systematic course of study finally pro-
duced. 1t will have tendency to im-
measurably increase the effectiveness
of institute work. So far as the two or
three weeks institute Is concerned
cannot say that unqualItiedly favor
it. 1t has several drawbacks, one OF
which is the expense account OF the
teachers that are attending it.
Only $50 a Month.
When many of the country school
teachers in the northern counties re-
ceive only $40 a month and can't get
schools for more than seven or eight
months IN the year, three weeks ses-
sion of an institute makes a serious
drain on the contents of their purses
| Then they always see large amount
of pedagogical literature and teaching
appliances that they want If they are
/ at all ambitious, and the additional ex.
pense is more than they can stand. II
seems to me that instead OF increasing
| the length of the institute the better
way would be to reduce it to such
system that the most thor.
ough and effective work possible
to be accomplished in week would he
done in that time. and the attending
teachers would receive the greatest
possible good at the least possible ex
pense to themselves and to the state
| There 10 feature connected with
holding an institute in Grand Rapids
| that is worth even more thar
the institute itself. That Ii
| the city. If the teacher
would get on these electric cars anc
see the city and its industries it woulC
do them more good than twice the
| amount of work that an institute
usually accomplishes. l would sooner
go through one of be great furniture
warehouses or factories of Grand Rap
ids than see the Detroit exposition
almost said the world g fair"