The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-12-08
HAPPY TEACHERS.
Tbs Forty-Arst Animal Ias.itzts One Of i.e
Nest Interesting Ever Heia.
ABLE CORPS OF INSTRUCTORS Pa-szSr.
GOOD WORK ACCOMPLISHED.

: Most Interesting Ever Hela.
ABLE CORPS OF INSTRUCTORS P3-SZSr.
GOOD WORK ACCOMPLISHED.
} The 4lst Annua. Session Of the somer-
) set County Teachers Institute has come
and gone; 800 out Of total Of s15 teachers
employed in the public schools of the
county were present throug ghout the week,
and it IS safe 20 add that each and every
one of them returned to their school
rooms on Monday morning encouraged
and better prepared to discharge the i'm
portant duties entrusted TO them.
The corps of instructors was fully as
able as any that have preceded them,
and one or two of the corps. perhaps, sue
eeeded in accomplishing more effective
work than any OF the talented gentlemen
who have appeared before Somerset
Counly Institutes in years past.
II is pleasant - notice in passing the
educational growth that hzs taken place
in this county during The past twenty
years and the annually increasing enthu
siasm. The number of teachers present
az last weeks institute who have made
teaching profession and who have been
continuously in the ranks for period Of
fifteen years could be counted on the fin
gers OF ono hand; while on the other
hand those present who have taught six
! or more terms ard who propose to make
teaching their life work, could be num-
bered by fiflies. The improvement in the
qualifications and attainments of the
teachers, when cOntrasted with those Of a
quarter OF d century ago, is rs marked as
is the improvement in the character of
the Institute. Twenty-Five years ago,
even fifteen years ago, the Institute de-
voted as much as two full days of its time
to discussing such trivial and aimloss
questions as whether or not the frescoed
/ figure Of blind justice on the wall Of the
| Courtroom poises the scales in the proper
/ hand. Ambitious young teachers deliv-
cred themselves with the eloquence of
native Demosthenes, and it required all
Of the parliamentary skill Of the County
| superintendent to cut of the fruitless but
animated debate.
To-day gentlemen who have risen 10
the top round of the ladder in the differ
ent branches of learning, gentlemen who
have made teaching their life's work and
| not stepping-stone to something more
remuaerative, gentlemen who are ac-
| knowledged masters in the science of
/ pedagogy, appear before the Institutes
and impart the result of their study and
research to the assembled teachers clear
| ly and concisely, with the sole view 10
helping them with their work and to bet
ter prepare them to instruct the boys and
| girls of the country who are about to en-
ter upon the duties of citizenship.
It is, therefore, not to be wondered at
! that the court room last week was crowd
ed at every session, not alone by teachers,
but by the most intelligent people OF SOM
erset and other parts of the county, ladies
and gentlemen, many OF whom have
passed their fiflieth milestone. all anx-
ious to driak in the words Of wisdom and
encouragement that fell from the lips Of
such eminent and cultured instructors as
Safe Superintendent Schse'Ter, DR..
R6Ends, Prof Deat-iek ana rrf. Par
sOns- All present of receptive nindz
could not fail to have been enlightened
and helped TO better discharge their du-
ties hereafter.
The evening entertainments, which |
have been a feature Of the Institutes for
the past eighteen or twenty years, are in
strumental in bringing before the teach
ers aud the local public the best intellect |
that can be procured in literary aud mu-
steal attainments. No more profitable |
time could be devoted to preparing teach
srs for their work than that given 10
lectures by Joseph Cook, DR.. Willis,
Russell Conwell, DR.. Leland, all of whom,
with fifty other distinguished Americans !
who might be mentioned, have appeared |
before the Somerset County Teachers
Institute.
1t can not fail to be gratifying to the |
people Of the county who have marked |
the educational growth that has been rap
idly taking place to feel that the Teach
ers' Institute is no longer regarded as |
holiday week 10y majority of the young |
ladies and gentlemen who are employed |
in the schools, bat that Institute is annu
ally looked forward to with the keenest |
interest as a time When they can have the |
teachers who have watched and studied |
the unfolding and deyelopement Of the
child mind in all of its phases and who |
come prepared to instruct them as to the |
best methods Of nurturing and expand.
ing it.
Those of the teachers who had been as |
signed places on the program came pre-
pared TO perform their duty TO the best Of |
their ability, and Gll of their efforts show |
that they had given the subjects assign
ed b them conscientious study and |
thought.
The people Of Somerset county have |
reason to be proud Of their public school |
teachers.
It is not possible at this time to give
more than the trend OF thought develop |
ed by the various instructors:
Superintendent sCAaeFsr.
When State Superintendent Schaeffer |
appeared before the Institute Wednesday |
morning, he was greeted with a round OF |
applause. lie expressed his pleasure at |
again meeting with the Somerset county
teachers, and declared that in no other |
county in the Commonwealth is a greater |
interest manifested in Teachers Insti- |
tutes Two thoughts he elaborated. that |
there is a science of pedagogy, imperfect |
though it be, related TO aud preceded by, |
a. is the ease with all sciences, the art TO
which il Is most intimately related, in |
this case the art of teaching. Il explains |
how and why good instructors have piled |
valuable the art upon which il is based. |
The other thought " Is more Of declara- |
tion-Education Pays; it was proved by |
the statistics Of Massachusetts, where the |
average school life is seven years, and |
the average wage of workers - cents, as !
compared with the rest of the country |
with an average term of fuur years and |
an average wage Of 40 cents. Every year |
the difference of wages is 250,0)0. 900 in |
Massachusetts favor-2j times the annual |
cost of education in that State. Since the |
English parliament passed the education |
act of 1870, the population has increased |
one-third, criminals have decreased one
third, and many baildings formerly used |
as prisons are now used for other purpOs- |
e. He said the best school law ever |
placed upon our statute books is that |
vesting in local hDOl boards the power |
to levy taxes for as much money As is |