The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-24
WILKES-BARRE.
THE COUNTY INSTITUTE.
The Third Days Sessions Are We'll
Attended -Intcres st ing Talks.

The Third Days Sessions Are Well
Attended-Intcrestin Talks.
Another big audience assembled yes
terday in the Grand Ito hear the third
days session OF the institute. Rev.
DR.. L. L. Sprague, of the Wyoming
seminary. opened the days session
with prayer, and then made a short
address to the teachers. He said that
there are some things which pay. II
we blot out education we should re-
turn to barbarism, in less than half n
century. There was never such an op-
portunity as at present for teachers To
thoroughly fit themselves for their
great work. There is nothing too
good for successful teacher. The
salary is not large, but money is not
everything. The success of good
teacher Is his own monument.
Hon. Andrew S. Draper was the first
speaker, and he talked on Training
the Teaching Forces" He asked the
question: "What is n profession"'
Everybody is called a professor, from
the state superintendent down to the
corn doctor on the street. There used
to be three fessions-,medicine, d.
vinity. law, but the number has been
enlarged and now comes within the
meaning of the term professor, that of
teaching. A professional employment
Is one which requires trained brain
power upon any particular matter.
The man who simply copies Is not
pursuing a profession. The work of
teaching will be professional employ
ment when the teacher studies the
child. and determines what ought to be
done to lead that child's mind out 10
attain proper results. The profession
of teaching is also undergoing revision
and incompetent teachers are being
discharged. He spoke of the number
of applicants for positions as teachers.
and said there are almost as many
teachers as pupils. He referred to the
young men who enter the profession
for the purpose of using II as a step
ping stone to something else, and COM
plimented those who had selected II as
a life time work. Those who are strong
ly equipped for the work, ne said, are
we'll paid. DR.. Draper does not ap-
prove of the theory that because teach
ers Five In the county, they should be
employed there. Teachers are plenti-
ful. and 1t is the duty of the people 70
employ the most competent, regardless
of where they live. In referring to
the system of examination pursued In
selecting teachers, he said It Is wofully
garded as a license by school boards,
but it is more. An examination, he
said, ought to be public. and the ques-
tons should be prepared by a central
board No one person Is competent to
examine papers and determine who
should have certificates and who
should not. The examination at the
best Is but poor contrivance. Teach
ers should be trained in a Normal
school. he said, but doubtless many Of
the teachers justly disagree with him.
He held that all teachers should he
trained in the Normal schools. and his
talk throughout was directed almost
exclusively towards this end.
Miss Agnes McMullen. of Columbia.
spoke for the first time yesterday and
held that the thing most needful Is
professional spirit. This Is especially
necessary in the primary schools. VIII
the normal school remake the teacher
In the main sense, no. for teacher Is
born, not made. Training will do
much, but not everything Results are
attained by hard work. hile some
teachers are at a dance. the theater
or other places of amusement, the sue
cessful teacher is hard at work The
genius of hard work is what succeeds.
Apply to your work the same principle
the physicians and the lawyers apply
to theirs, that Is, perslstency. Coming
to her subject she said there should be
a distinction between synthcsis and
analysis. There's a Limitation to the
capacity of the chlld's mind and teach
ers should appreciate this fact. Some
of the prominent educators of the day
are responsible for the poor reading OF
children. They have inculcated wrong
ideas into the minds of teachers. Pol
lard reading trains the child into per-
feet independence Of the teacher. She
intimated that every teacher should be
familiar with the first sixty pages of
the unabridged dictionary and particu-
larly with the rules OF pronunciation
and those of syllabication. She advo-
Gated the use of the dictionary on all
occasions. and asserts chat Mrs. Pol
lard had done more for the youth of
the country than any other person.
Dr. Phillips, of West Chester, made
his first appearance yesterday morning
and spoke on the subject of arithmetic
He Is a strong advocate of practical
work on the part OF pupils and urged
the teachers To induce the children TO
do the work instead Of depending upon
the teachers. He referred to notes,
drafts, stocks. counterfeit money etc.
and emphasized the necessity for a
careful explanation of each upon the
part of the teacher. Money orders.
registered letters, etc, were suggested
to the teachers as proper objects for
explanation in the school room.