Amador ledger., 1901-02-15
TEACHERS INSTITUTE OF AMADOR
PROF. GEO. A. GORDON SPEAKS
OF ITS IMPORTANCE.
The Benefit to the Teachers.-The Insti-
tute May Be Held at the State
University This Year.

The law requires that the teachers
of each county in California shall be
convened at least once each year for
the purpose of holding teachers
institute.
That the schools have derived very
great benefit as result of these insti-
tutes, is beyond question. ''As is the
teacher so is the school," has often
been uttered. This being true, by the
teachers being made more proficient
in their ability to impart information,
the school will receive direct benefit.
A teachers institute is success just
in proportion to the opportunities that
it affords a teacher to better fit herself
for the discharge of her duties in the
school room.
1t is not supposed that the only time
that the teacher should devote to self
improvement, will be during her at
tendance upon the Institute. Go to the
highest institution of learning, as we'll
as to the lowest, and you will find that
the professor obtains leave of absence
in order that he may go to some other
educational institution for the purpose
of gaining broader information whereby
he may keep abreast of the progress in
educational lines. The farmer, the
mechanic, the doctor, the lawyer, has
this to do if he may be considered pro-
gressive. 1t is essential to success in
any calling whatsoever.
The teacher OF the elementary school
is greatly encouraged through the
beneicence of the law makers in that
they have provided that the teacher
is entitled to her salary during the time
that she is in attendance at the insti-
tute. The salary, undoubtedly, is in
tended as reimbursement to the
teacher for the expense that she has
had to meet during the time that she
was in attendance.
For this benefcence the teacher
ought to endeavor earnestly to CLEAN
every benefit to be derived from OPP
portunities that the institute affords.
The law provides that $4,000 may
be taken from the school fund of the
county and that so per cent may be
taken from the Teachers Institute and
Library Fund to defray the expenses
OF the Institute. If the institute is held
at the State University, at least $500. 90
of this money will be saved to Amador
County. Therefore, there will be less
money to be raised by taxation, hence,
a lower tax rate.
Could any thing better be done to
bring Amador County to the attention
of the inside world than the holding of
the Institute at the University of Cali
fornia would do?
1t is business principle that money
invested SHOULD yield profit and that
the greater the profit the better the
investment. With this principle in
mind and with a determination to strive
to bring ABOUT the greatest advance
ment in the schools of Amador County
that it may be possible to bring about,
there has for months been considered
the plan of holding the teachers insti-
tute at the State University under the
management of DR.. Elmer E. Brown
who is at the head of the department
of pedagogy of said University. |
The teachers of the county, being
most vitality interested, were the first
to be consulted. Each teacher was
talked to individually in regard to the
plan of holding the institute at the
State University, With the result that
every teacher favored holding it there.
State Superintendent, Thos. J. Kirk,
was next seen and his hearty endorse
ment of the plan was obtained.
Then the University people were ap-
preached to ascertain whether or not
they would favor us and were assured
by them that every effort would be
exerted to make the institute one of as
direct and of as great benefit to the
schools of Amador County as would be
in their power to make it.
Before arriving at final determine
tion to call the teachers to convene at
the State University, a communication
has been addressed to the trustees of
the various school districts of the
county asking them to sanction the
plan. Comrnplete returns are daily ex-
pected. Up to this writing, thirty five
different Boards of Trustees have re-
ported favorably-a few are yet to be
heard from. GEO. A. GORDON,
Supt. Amador Co. Schools.