Arizona republican., 1903-12-24
THIRD DAYS WORK
Growing Attendance of the
Teachers Institute
Interest also Increases in the Work.
The Sessions Will Come to an End
Tomorrow.

The teachers of the county institute
met yesterday morning with a larg-
er attendance than has yet been pres
ent. After the call to order by Super
intendent Fulton, the invocation was
offered by Rev. Mr.. Bagley.
In accordance with the vote passed
the afternoon before Miss Lillian
White, a visiting teacher from the
Philippine islands. then gave a short
but interesting talk on the school work
in our new island possessions.
After briefly describing the tip 10
the islands, she told her first days eX-
Derience in the schools. The children,
under the control of a native teacher.
had learned a few English words, but
were accustomed to do all their study
ing aloud. This, with other strange
customs had to be patiently and slowly
overcome by the American teacher, as
the prejudice of the native teachers.
who think they are the principals and
the Americans the assistants, makes
the matter more difficult.
She was the first white person the
natives of the town had seen and the
curiosity with which the natives re-
Garded her was, to say the least, en-
barrassing. When walking in the street
or entering a store the cries of Amer
icana, Americana, would proceed her.
ard the people would come rushing
from the huts and doorways to gaze at
the curious sight. The natives were en-
tirely friendly and chivalr0as, howev
er. as would be shown by the fact that
they would spread banana leaves over
the muddy SPOTS for her to pass.
The pioneer work, she says. has all
been completed, but there is still am
pie field for those seeking novelty and
adventure in teaching.
The next speaker was Professor J.
w Todd, who kept his audience inter-
ested for nearly an hour with the sub
ject of Elementary Science. He spoke
first Of the importance of the power
of observation cultivated by the study
of humorous stories especially of the
man who chased himself around the
blocl- and finally caught up with his
coat tails while all the trouble might
have been avoided if he had observed
that it was himself he was chasing. He
further illustrated the same point by
en- experiment participated in by all
present, in which those who were not
careful observers We're rewarded by a
taste of delicious ca solution of sal
ammoniac. He then continued with a
series of simple experiments, calculated
to show what the teacher with limited
facilities in the country school might
do in the way of demonstration of some
of the most easily understood princi-
pies OF chemistry. beginning with the
three divisions Of chemicals into acids,
alkaNes and salts, he showed by a. cou-
ole of pretty experiments, how the first
two may be distinguished, and explain
ed the application to the study of phys
iolc@y. Then taking the subject of
axygen and oscillation. he showed the
exidiZation of several compounds in an
q atmosphere of pure oxygen. The most
of these was to see an ord
mary watch spring, after being heated
by burning sulphur. burn with much
the appearance of a piece OF firecrack-
er. The high temperature, he explained
to oXidize iron, was the rea-
son that the iron in the red corpuscles
Of the blood prevented the tissues of
the BODY from themselves being oxi-
died or burned. In connection with
this he contradicted the common fall !
5cy that the exercise Of the body pro-
duces heat, explaining that on the con-
I y
to produce energy. This heat is pro
duced by Oscillation and also by other |
chemical reactions that take place in
the body
The floor was then given to Miss Oh |
i've NJ Wilkins, the special drawing !
teacher of the Phoenix schools. The |
excellent drawings adjoining the walls |
Of the halls and class rooms revealed |
the fact that her methods produce very
admirable results. She began by stat
ing the aims of drawing to be the cul- |
tivatlon of the power Of observation !
and of the power of approaching works |
of art. The children should be led to |
recognize the works of different artists, !
such as Gibson. 1t is the duty of the |
teacher. she said, to do this and it can |
be done by all teachers. whether able |
themselves to draw or not The work |
of drawing can and should be correlat- |
ed with almost all the other studies, |
especially with language and history.
She then gave brief outline of the |
work to he presented consisting Of three
general divisions, drawing from nature |
drawing from pictures, especially the 1
historic forms, as the Ionic, Doric, etc, |
and third. construction by the pupils |
If original designs. To illustrate the
presentation of the work she gave a !
lesson to a class of teachers from the
Phoenix schools, as she does every two |
weeks, mapping out the work that they |
should give their classes in the follow
ing two weeks. Following this they took |
a brief lesson in sketching from a copy |
and one in color, copying from group
Of vegetables.
The work. though rapid, was well ex-
acuted throughout and gave many ideas
to the observer of the methods which
will doubtless be OF use to them in their
several schools.
Following Miss wilkins work recess
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