Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-08-05
TEACHERS INSTITUTE.
An Occasion That Was Interesting and
Instructive.

The normal institute of county teach
ers held in this city for the past two
weeks closed yesterday after a very in
teresting and profitable session. Prof.
]. A. Wood, the instructor, said that he
had taught in larger institutes, but
never taught in one more interesting, as
all in attendance took a lively interest,
and each and all responded SO heartily
when called upon.
Quite a number of visitors dropped in
from time to time. A few days ago s.
E. Lankard called, and before leaving
made an address to the teachers,
which was much appreciated.
Tuesday Professor Hewett, of the
New Mexico Normal University at Las
Vegas, addressed the institute in the
forenoon, taking as his subject, What
Is Teaching?" He answered the ques-
ton under three heads, as follows:
First, teaching is causing the child to
grow both physically and mentally.
Second, it is causing the child to do. He
said many people take a course in school
or college, but never learn to do for
themselves or for any one else. Third,
teaching is causing the pupil to live, in
| the true and high sense of the term.
The lecture was full of good thoughts,
and was listened to with great interest.
Jacob Weltmer, the president of the
| Santa Fe board of education, being
present, was called upon, and responded
with a neat little speech very appropri-
ate to the occasion. Mr.. Berger also re-
| sponded to a call from the chairman,
with quite an enthusiastic address, in
which he complimented Professor Hew-
EFT upon his address, and the work OF
the institute in general, and said that
he believed that Santa Fe was waking
up and taking on a new life in the edu-
~cational line.
In the afternoon President Hewett
again addressed the institute, taking
for his subject, 1.-The Importance OF
Moral Teaching in Our Public Schools
He said that he is well satisfied with
the methods of intellectual teaching
generally; hat he thought in the mair
teachers are doing good work In arith-
metic, grammar, geography, etc., bu1
there is great need of more effective
teaching in the line of morals, for the
more the pupil knows intellectually who
is devoid of moral character the worse
it is for the individual.
He suggested as an aid to teaching
morals that school boards make the
school house grounds neat, attractive
and tasty; that the school furniture b.
attractive and suitable to the children
He thought that the teachers could d.
much to help children morally by hav
ing the best of literature as supplement
airy reading for the pupils, and by hav
ing nice pictures on the wall to arous
the sense of the beautiful in the child
He was Of the opinion that children
would not be apt to have wicked or vii
thoughts while engaged in reading goo
literature or while surrounded by beau
tiful works of art.
Superintendent F. F. Pine visited tn
institute yesterday afternoon and as
sisted Professor Wood in making GU
the certificates of attendance and grad
ing the teachers in their work.
Before adjourning the institute, at tn
solicitation of the other members, Mrs
Fletcher, in a few well-chosen words
expressed to Professor Wood the hig'
appreciation of the teachers for his in
struction and methods of teaching dur
ing the term of the institute, ASSURING
him that they had been much intereste
and benefited.