The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-17
TEACHERS FORM
AN ASSOCIATION
TO HOLD FIVE MEETINGS EACH
SCHOOL YEAR
Mrs. Buxton President, and Miss
Sweeney, Secretary-Summary of
Papers and Discussions at the Re
cent Meeting.

Papers and Discussions at the Re
cent Meeting.
The teachers meeting held here
December 9 was a decided success
All teachers present express them.
selves as highly gratified with both
the pleasure and help derived from
it. Mrs. Buxton, county superin
tendent, and the following named
teachers were present: From Lopez
island, Miss Allyn and Miss Wake.
field; from Orcas, Mr.. Loop, Miss
Boyer, Miss Williams and Mrs. Nc
Lachlan; from San Juan, Mr.. Hill,
Mr.. Joubert, Miss Boyce, Miss Swee.
ney, Miss Sharp, Miss Clauson and
Miss Henderson. Mrs. Buxton stated
that most of those who were absent
were unavoidably detained.
Afternoon Meeting
The Afternoon meeting was called
to order at $3.50, and the program
began with motion song by pupils
of the primary department of the
Friday Harbor school. Miss Wake.
field followed with a paper on pa.
rents meetings. She and Miss Allyn
had held several, and all were salts
factory. The plan was to choose
some appropriate, general topic and
assign sub-topics to different parents
for discussion. Most of the parents at
tended the meetings, evinced a great
deal of interest and took part freely.
These meetings removed misunder-
standings and furnished the teacher
information that was very helpful tC
the proper management of the pupil.
The children were not allowed to at
tend. The discussion of Miss Wake.
fields paper revealed the following
None of the other teachers had tried
these parents meetings; they should
be profitable to all concerned, yet il
was conceded that the conditions in
some districts might be such as tc
make them fruitless or even harm.
full,
The next subject ''The Teacher
Professional Reading" assigned te
H. E. Loop, principal of the East
Sound school, was discussed first by
Miss Allyn, who insisted that the
teacher should maintain high stand
ard of culture, and named number
of books in general literature with
which the teacher should be familiar
Mr.. Joubert, principal of the Friday
Harbor school, applying the topic tc
strictly professional reading, stated
that he believed most benefit would
be derived by reading whatever
would give the teacher broad view
of the subjects he must teach, his
tory, for instance; and, aside from
that class of literature, he believed
he had derived most benefit, not from
works on psychology, but from the
current professional literature that
paye useful hints and methods anc
pointed out the teachers many faults
For instance, how can a teacher un
conscious of the bad habit of repeat
ing a pupils answer, break off if she
is not made conscious of it by pro
fessional reading.
The teachers considered next the
advisability Of holding future meet
ings and organizing into an associa'
ton. A happy solution of the ques.
ton was reached by some ones final
ly suggesting that the total cost ol
transportation to meeting should
be shared equally by all the teachers
present. The suggestion met with
hearty approval and seemed to re-
move the only obstacle to the organ
ization of San Juan county teach.
ers' association. Messrs. Loop and
Hill were appointed to prepare and
submit at the evening meeting SET
of regulations as a basis for organic
alton. A recess was then taken, al
$40, for supper.
Evening Session
On coming to order at 7:3O the
teachers listened to two songs by
Miss Sweeney's pupils. The effort
was admirable. The children sang
with expression, made good tones
and their .enunciation was clear.
The report of Messrs. Loop and