The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-05-09
IOWA TEACHERSMEET
Interesting Account Of Northwestern
Teachers Association. &

Account of Northwestern
Teachers Association.
AT HOSPITABLE ALTOONA.
supt. H. v. Failor Writes About 1t for the
Benefit of the Review Readers. N.
Spencer Elected President.
The Northwestern Iowa Teachers'
Association at Algona, May As, was
decided success in point of interest and
The sectional programs
were especially good, Prof. Van Ness
reading an instructive paper at the
Rural School Section on the subject.
means of Professional improvements"
in which he rightly denounced the or
binary correspondence school as being
superficial and inefficient.
The hospitality of Algcna was mani
fest in her splendid provision for the
six hundred pedagogues In attendance
"the noble six hundred'' Gov. Shaw
happily termed them. Algona has ex-
cellent schools, largely the result Of
Supt. Spencer's careful supervision;two
fine school buildings, one of ten rooms
and the other four rooms; and fine
high school building in process of con-
struction, The Speer number work
there was pronounced by Prof. Hise,
formerly superintendent of schools at
Council Bluffs. las good as any in
America"
Thursday evening Gov. Shaw made
short address, sententious and practical,
not the common stereotyped lecture
usually given. Gov. Shaw's heart and
mind are in the closest sympathy with
education and there is probably no man
in Iowa to-day who devotes so much
time to addresses on educational sub
jects; and the teachers of Iowa appre-
clate his common-sense suggestions.
He emphasized the importanceo of teach
ing concentration; a child who knows
one thing we'll will experience no diff
Guilty in finding his place in the world.
There's demand for such people great
er than the supply and always will be.
Make the pupil a mill mot warehouse;
make him to know the difference be-
tween dead fact, and a living truth.
Prof. COlgrove, of the State Normal
School, followed with an inspiring pa
per on Teachers and Work. = Aim
less work is a contradiction of terms.
Effective teaching implies right aim.
What is your aim in teaching? Are
your pupils turning out we'll? Some
teachers instead of beginning simply,
begin with lnfinity and go right on.
The what and why demand attention
as we'll as the how. Unpsychological
teaching is not teaching. The teacher
at work, like the chemist, is a liberator,
creator, a re-creator; he sets men free
from themselves, their environments. y,
Miss Phillips, supervisor OF kinder
gartens in Des Moines, emphasized the
Importance of kindergarten training on
all the future school life of the child.
but with especial reference to arithme-
tic. The kindergarten educates the
senses of the child; he learns size, rela-
ton, form, color; becomes acquainted
with the triangle square. cube, cylinder.
sphere, and other mathematical forms.
Quoting DR.. Harris, U. s. Commission
er of Education. and firm believer in
the kindergarten for all children, she
said, "Kindergartens are exposed to two
dangers: LIST, too much sentimentality.
End, making a primary school out of
it, A kindergarten should be a kim
dergarten, not anything else; and as
soon as it becomes anything else it
loses its special mission, the right train.
ing of heart and senses.
| Assistant Supt. Lewis. of the CHICAGO
schools, added much to the interest of
the occasion. Speaking of the value of
Mothers Meetings" he made the crit
icism that the duties of society too Of
ten demand the mothers absence from
the home when school closes, the time
above all times when she should be
there to receive her boy or girl. He
pleaded for greater sacrifice of time and
social pleasure to the interest of chill
dren. He places the school above the
state, church, or home in it's influence
on the character and lives of the chill
dren. Men and women of character are
in demand now as never before, because
the Importance of the teachers profes.
sien is more fully realized.
To enumerate the good things at such
meeting is impossible; to transmit
the practical suggestion received, to
rel inspire those absent is difficult. To
obtain the benefit of such a gathering.
one must be in attendance. The RE-
VIEW will publish Prof. Van Ness
paper in next Fridays issue.
PROHIBITION CONVENTION.
Tue Prohibition County Convention
met at 2 p. m. Saturday at the court
house Mr.. IL HI. Menagh was elected
chairman and Chas. Larson of Charter
Oak Cacrotorv Soya,, 5o1,c.,4..