The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1904-08-04
TEACHERS in SESSION
Opening Of the Mahaska County
Normal Institute.

Mahaska county requires two nun.
dred and thirty teachers TO I'LL all OF
tne positions in it's separate districts,
country and city. The law requires
that those who fill these positions
shall be specially qualified for the
place, and that evidence OF competen-
CIV shall be given. The state goes
farther than that So important q
thing is the education of the children
that the state or the county provides
means by which those desiring 20
teach may acquire the necessary de-
gree Of proficiency in the art OF teach
ing and where they may themselves
learn that which they would impart
to others. n-
About three hundred persons in Ma
haska, during one term or another OF
the year, are engaged in teaching pu-
nils of one or another grade. TIE
majority of these teachers are now
gathered together at the annual coun-
ty Normal or Institute where they
have a review of the elementary
branches and where they learn how
to teach. The Importance OF the
| Normal Institute can scarcely be ex-
aggerated. 1t is a most potent factor
| in our educational system and the
| better we make the Normal, the bet
| ter boys and girls will be the heritage
| of the state.
Mahaska county Normal opened on
Monday morning with about an aver
age attendance in the several diVis-
IONS County Superintendent J. F.
Dodds has spared no pains in his
preparations for this annual conven-
ton of the teachers, and the best of
talent has been secured. The work
that must be accomplished by the in
stitute is to be crowded into two busy
weeks and the school will close Fri
| day, August -. The institute is
held this year at Penn college, where
the accommodations are perfect.
Work begins at $3.50 o'clock and
closes at 2:35 in the afternoon. Chap
ell exercises are programmed for $40
to $40. This is the hour for special
entertainments of the Normal and for
any features that are to be intro
duced. 1t is the hour when visitors
come from the city and when the spe>
cial talks and lectures are given.
The list of instructors this year is
the strongest that has ever been
brought together in the county, and
the work Monday started off with all
present excepting j. E. Cameron who
had lecture date to fill Monday ev-
ening. He came today and is now in
charge of the work in his care.
| VIM. Radebaugh bat charge of the
-a ! -in-- histasv didaetins ,"nsAfsssa
chology.
A. H. Bigelow, who last year, ser
cured such excellent results, is again
at the head of the classes in arithme-
tic and geography.
L. c. Rusmisel is new instructor
and has penmanship and drawing.
Mrs. A. P. Tucker, who has acnievd
wonderful success in her depart.
ments, is at the head of physical cuI-
ture, reading and literature. h5
" The classes in music are in most
| competent hands in the person of
Prof. L. F. Burnett, of Penn college
]. E. Cameron has the divisions in
nature study, and the manner in
which he handles this department
make it one Of the most interesting
branches to be taken up by the insti-
tute and productive of the best re-
suits.
Miss Maude Summers, whose work
has given satisfaction here before, has
the classes in methods and language.
The enrolment is a bit tardy for
some reason and many who will be in
attendance did not enroll on the first
| day. The attendance will be about
the average, but not so great as in
some previous years. There are not
so many present from other counties.
| Mahaska county is known to have one
OF the very best normals in the state,
and this fact attracts quite a number
from outside. County Superintend-
ent j. p. Dodds and his able assistant
Mrs. Dodds, are in charge of the in
| stltute and are most successful in
| their direction of the affairs OF the
school. Mr.. Dodds has been doing
great work at the head OF the coun-
tvs educational affairs, and no place
is this fact more patent than in the
county normal. He is setting a high
mark here and is building a lasting
monument to himself in the standard
of work accomplished