Amador ledger., 1901-02-08
A Progressive Move.

Year after year the teachers of ANA
dor county have met in annual session
and spent few days in comparing ex-
periences and gaining Information from
educators imported for the purpose of
enlightening the teachers upon the
latest educational developments and
giving their personal opinions on ques-
tions under discussion. 1t has generally
been the custom to have one leading
educator present for this purpose, and
his lectures and suggestions have al
ways constituted the leading feature
of the session.
The teachers have always been in
spired to better school-room work. by
these gatherings, and the patrons
throughout the county have become
cognizant of the fact that their children
have gained rev ideas and renewed
enthusiasm in their work in proportion
to the success their teacher expert
enced while cleaning from the lectures
and suggestions of the instructors of
the institute.
In the case of large majority of the
young people of our mountain counties,
the only sources of information on
topics not of a local nature, are the
papers and books they are able to read
and their daily converse with those
who have seen and experienced things
of interest to the peculiarly inquisitive
mind of Young America.
AS the district school teachar is the
one person of each neighborhood who
is most expected to satisfy the youthful
craving for knowledge not found in
books" it is meant that the teacher
should be prepared for the task of i'm
parting this Information, and it is plain
that to attain this preparation it is very
necessary that the teacher must see for
herself what she would make interest
ing to the pupil.
The above thoughts were recalled to
the writer upon reading of the novel,
yet absolutely practical plan of County
Superintendent Gordon to convene the
Amador county teachers institute in
the immediate vicinity, and, in fact,
within the classic walls of the greatest
university west of the Mississippi.
Having visited the University and
consulted the president and ablest
professors and secured their endorse
ment and promise of hearty assistance
during the session, the Superintendent
consulted his teachers and found them
almost unanimously in favor of the
scheme. This hearty endorsement by
the teachers bespeaks their anxiety to
prepare themselves for better work in
their profession and is in itself COM
pliment to their progressiveness.
The plan includes lectures by such
men as President Wheeler, DIR. Elmer
E. Brown, and others of highest educa-
tional authority; visits to the best
grammar schools of the State, where
the practical methods given in the
lectures may be seen in actual use; a
day spent in seeing the objects of in
terest of an educational nature to be
found in the Metropolis all that
can be included in the time allotted for
the session that may be valuable enough
to be added to the teachers storehouse
the door of which shall be open to
every child with whom she may after
ward come in contact.
Such is the plan by which every
teacher of Amador county may secure
a rare intellectual treat, and come back
better prepared than ever before to
Teach the young ideas how to shoot. :"
Arrangements have been made with
railroad and hotels, so that the entire
trip will cost but trihe more than the
usual county institute.
There are some who may object to
''taking money out OF the county, I"
and oppose the scheme on that ground
But when one considers that the entire
cost of the trip will not exceed what is
sent out annually to maintain one pupil
forced to leave the county in order to
find higher instruction, the insignif-
canoe of such objection will become ap-
parent, for Amador county sends out
from S., 600 to $40, 900 annually to give
about ten per cent of her grammar
graduates an education that a much
smaller sum would give to all at home.
If any find it convenient to object on
such grounds, they should make able
crusaders on the question of higher
education at home. A. D. VANCE.
Meeting of Directors.