Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-13
OUR MAIL POUCH.
Criticism of the R.o.n. I,.t,tu

CRITICISM OF the Recent Institute.
To the Editor of The Dispatch:
Another annual session of the Allegheny
County Teachers Institute has come and
gone. There were so many Measurements
and unmerited eulogies made concerning
the work done In the Institute and those
who did it, that feel constrained to name
some of them. One report says 1.-THE idea
of dividing the teachers into classes origin
ated with Prot. Hamilton" This is not cor
rect. Your "Mail Pouch" Aue ust %, 1891,
contained a communication which made
that suggestion. But while the attempt to
classify teachers this year was made, owing
to its management the best results we're not
realized There were four classes, A, B., C,
D, to be instructed in different rooms at the
same time. Glass d, was for teachers of
ungraded schools. This class occupied the
large audience room. At certain periods
the teachers indtscrimfnately, were di-
rected to retire to classrooms A, B, B and c,
and the overflow to return to room D. The
retiring and overflow returning, especially
the latter, disturbed the harmony or order
OF room d. Principals. grammar, inter-
mediate, primary and mixed school teachers
rushed for the room of their choice, and If
too late to get In had to return to room d.
Those who remained in room D did not re-
ceive the instruction given in the other
rooms at all, though the teachers of the un-
graded schools teach every branch taught in
teachers of room d.
On the first day the teachers paid rs cents
each for O. card which was numbered, hence
each teacher was numbered. The Superin-
tendent could. have assigned from ] to
It's to room A, from It's to $50 to room B, from
$50 to 525 to room &, from 525 to 700 to room d
for the first assignment. They could then
have been moved from room to room till
each teacher could have heard all in each
room.
1t would have been better however to as
sign a certain number OF teachers TO n par
ticular room permanently, except for the
general exercises. and dill ect the instructors
be said that the instructor of room COW
cred more ground on the same subject by
staying there, for he did not have the same
teachers before him each time, owing to the
haphaZard securing of seats But. supposing
he had the same teachers each time, to the
exclusion of all others, was that doing JUS
tice to the others?
In my letter to THE DISPATCH, August 10,
1891, not only asked that the teachers be
divided and assigned TO different rooms but
1 urged that, if one school building would
buildings as was needed. The High
School building would nave served the
end had more rooms been used.
But do these Institute lectures develop the
most fitting subjects and prepare the listen
ers for doing better work in the schoolroom?
Are the discussions OF our school laws, the
elaboration of "iads" with their treatment
as compared with that OF measels, the
eulogzing of great educational men and
the haranguing on kindred topics the fittest
subjects to prepare teachers for the school
room? If so, then our late Institute was a
success. Certainly the teachers had a social
Outing" The teachers meet once a year
for relaxation; it doesn't cost them much,
only IS cents for card, the amount paid for
boarding, car tare and time OF course the
time should not be considered, rs they have
nothing else to do and they receive S2 per
day for attending.
The resolutions submitted at the close of
the Institute pratsing everybody, especially
an interested ew-you tickle me and Pll
tickle you-were passed unanimously. You
would have been spotted as crank to op-
pose them, and you know that the thought
ful weigh them for what they are worth.
An after-resolution was submitted by the
State Superintendent. limiting the gran ting
OF provisional certificates" to one person
for three successive years only, the teacher
to be examined each year, and at the end of
which time said teacher must either secure
"pro essional certificaten or drop out of
the profession.
One half or more of the teachers now hold
provisional certificates" When this was
placed before the convention, nine tenths
of the teachers were terror-stricken.s This
vote OF the teachers of Allegheny county
would be used by the "few" as a lever next
winter to influence the Legislature to enact
this resolution into a law, thus cutting out
some OF the best teachers In the county.
PITTsBURG, Sept. 10. TEACHER.