The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-04-17
THY GANNAT HEE IA F!E2TA
Pretty School Ma'ams Who
Cannot Get Out
THE TEACHERS INSTITUTE
Requirement for Admission to the Uni.
versity Discussed
Decided Objection to Being Shut Up During
the Gorgeous Proceedings Of
Carnival Time

The second session Of the county teach.
ers' institute began at 8 a. m. yesterday.
The institute was divided into four sec
tions which worked in different rooms at
the normal school. In each section the
teachers were lectured upon various
phases of school work. After each lecture
q general discussion of each subject was
INDUCED in.
In the afternoon all the teachers who
were not bold enough to play truant as
sembled in the large hall to hear lectures
on general school work.
The most interesting and vigorous, as
we'll as the most iconoclastic, address be-
fore the institute so far was that of Pro-
essor Meredith of Azusa. He spoke be-
fore section three on the subject of read
ing, and took occasion to say. among
other things. that the browning absurdlty
of our public school work is the way we
teach reading, or rather the way we do
not teach it.
Our pupils are lamentable failures as
readers; the exercises at any church So
cial, literary lyceum or school exhibition
amply prove this.
r. but our teachers make no pretensions to
reading; not one in fifty will undertake
to read to an audience, and where we do
have good reader, here or there. he is
such in spite of our training and not by
virtue of it.
The prevalent methods of teaching
reading results i'll giving pupils read
: ing voice. and a speaking voice.
! There is no utility in teaching oral
reading. There is not one person in q
thousand who makes an eocutionist, and
no person reads aloud as an evolutionary
exercise one page where he reads silently
thousand; this makes silent reading
reading for the getting at the thoughts
million tim eS as important as oral read
Mr.. Meredith illustrated the ordinary
method of conducting a reading exercis e.,
and showed that it brought no add ed
power to the pupil. Not even as a pro-
nouncing exercise is it Of any utility as
few teachers are careful enough in their
pronunciation of their own words in their
own CONVEX sations. Ideas should be given.
2 The acquisition of ideas is the main
8 thing. To do this he would throw away
the school readers and adopting the indi-
,idual method keep each pupil supplied
with reading matter. In this way bright
pupils could do all the work their natures
permit and dull ones could advance as
they were able. A list of books for out
side reading was given for the sixth,
seventh and eighth years in school.
No great reform can come in reading
until the present methods are abolished,
and the heart, the soul of the pupil is ed
d ucated to feel instead of the tongue to
initiate. Educate the young person to
feel and his vocal expression viii take
care of itself.
In the fourth section Professor Irving
Stringham spoke on the teaching of
mathematics. The discussion became in
teresting and several teachers illustrated
their statements on the blackboard.
Professor j. N. Summers insisted that
it is indispensable to give very careful
preparation to the work of the early
school years. All lower grade work
should be very exact and should lead to
higher work.
In section one Mr.. P. M. Fisher adj
dressed the teachers. He advised very lit
tie number work during the first half of
the first year. The use of objects is over
done. He entered protest against num-
Der work as busy work.
The discussion was on the amount of
4. work to be given in the first two years
and methods of presenting it. .,sl9
Mrs. Lulu M. Wollcott, Mrs. Kate Brod-
beck and Miss Ada G. Cleveland spoke In
: favor of the work laid down in the ex-
listing course of study. Miss Anna
Shields spoke against the teaching of
numbers during the first two years of the
child's school life.
Section four organized with Professor
e Graham of Pasadena in the chair, Mr..
, Meredith of Citrus high school vice presi-
: dent, and Miss Jennie r. White secretary.
The attention of the section was first
given to the requirements for admission
to the state university. Mr.. Meredith,
Z the first speaker, said he would leave the
discussion of the requirements for the
state university to Professors Slate and
Stringham of the university. who were
present, and would speak Of the require
MAJ re a mi sSi on IN 10 h inh cnh
He spoke of the fact that the instruction
/. in grammar from the text books now in
use is not calculated to fit pupils for the
study of Latin and Greek. Pupils need
technical grammar if they are going to
take up the study of other languages.
Mr.. Meredith also called attention to the
fact that more pure arithmetic should be
taught. Mr.. Summers of Glendora spoke
in favor of algebra and mental arithmetic
in the schools. Mr.. Hafford followed in
the same line. Mr.. Pentland, Mr. Brown
of Downey and others also spoke on the
subject.
Professors Slate and Stringham spoke
briefly upon the requirements of admis-
sion to the university, Professor String
ham taking occasion to show the interde-
spendence and correlation between all
parts of our school system from the pri
mary school to the university.
In each section the teachers were in
formed that all were expected to be pres
ent at every sesso'. Neither La Fiesta
nor anything else was to interfere with
the institute. AS a natural consequence
the crowd that climbed the hill to the
normal school. in plain sigh5 of the great
procession and elaborate preparations for
merry-making was red faced and angry.
The roll was called and many were too
far away to answer. Many who did
answer quietly slipped out by the side
doors and went down to the mer1y-mak-
ing. where they should have been all the
afternoon. The music of the bands the
rumbling noises of the floats and the
shouts of the jewellers in the streets were
too trying to the nerves of the
schoolma' ans and schoolmasters.
Professor Morgan of Spadra asked if the
institute could not have a couple of hours
off. to be made up at anothr time. The
superintendent promptly said, 'lt cannot
be done, )" and the teachers settled down
, into an apathetic condition that was to
be expected OF pent-up Americans with
in hearing of the Fiesta
Mr.. Fisher spoke on the subject of
School Government and Management
with regard to the action of the state leg
islature in amending the state school
laws. He gave several incidents that led
to the revision of the laws. He also spoke
of the many duties required of the super
intendents and of the hardsnips that fell
to the lot of the superintendent in visit
ing small and out of the way districts.
He also advised the superintendent to
use tact and suavity in dealing with the
trustees. By Interesting the trustees in