The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-10-01
TEACHERS INSTITUTE.
Held In the High School, L'Anse,
Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday.

The State Institute for teachers OF
Baraga county opened in the High
School room, in L'Anse, Wednesday
morning. Though the weather was
not the best, large number OF
teachers throughout the county were
present. Under the direction of
Mr.. A. Hamlin Smith, OF Lansing,
and Miss Irene Louise Getty, of Kali
kaska, the morning was so spent
that the dreariness of the day was
forgotten.
In his opening address, Mr.. Smith
took for his subject the introduction
of fractions. He illustrated his
method by some very practical work
in this difficult phase OF arithmetic.
His recommendation was for more
practical work. He based his
thoughts upon the central theme,
"All elementary work must be based
upon work with objects.
Miss Getty, in her opening ad-
dress, discussed ''The Aim of the
Teacher, " and in about forty minutes
she outlined the teachers relation
to the formation of character, which
is held to be the chief aim OF all
right teaching. She took up the
relation of the aim of the teacher to
making the world better by making
the child better.
Mr.. Smith then resumed his talk
on arithmetic, and among his sug-
gestions was one for continuity of
work through the grades as an essen
tial to best results.
In the afternoon, Miss Getty first
hour was occupied with a talk on
story telling as basis for language
work and work in nature study.
Nature studies are only useful as
they develop the practical side OF
child life. Miss Getty did more than
to tell the teachers; she showed them
how.
The next hour was occupied by
Mr.. Smith in discussing history
study, beginning with the story side
of history instruction, first, biogra-
ply and the most important dates;
second, community stories.
Mr.. Smith spoke also of the good
results that might be obtained by
the use of pictures or by illustra-
tions. The history work then should
pass to a larger setting, the indi-
viduals pass to groups, from the
particular to the general. In the
next stage the facts give way to dis
cussing the principles upon which
they are based.
For Wednesday evening sort of
social evening had been planned,
but owing to the inclement weather
many of the people were detained at
home. Those who attended listened
to short informal program and
spent very pleasant hour in visit
ing.
On assembling Thursday morning,
Mr.. Smith occupied the first hour in
discussing methods of teaching deci.
mails. He illustrated his subject by
some practical work on the board,
and in this way gave the teachers
some new methods, especially one in
location of the decimal point in divi-
sion of decimals.
In her first talk, Miss Getty took
the story of drop of water and by
means of an outline told the story
as she wouldto a class Of pupils, with
a view of developing from it Ian.
guage lesson. Miss Getty has rare
gift as a story. teller and the exercise
was very interesting.
! While the teachers were copying
the outline an intermission of fifteen
minutes was taken.
History was then taken up, and
for thirty minutes this subject was
discussed, the particular phase being
contemporaneous history, after
which Miss Getty continued the
work OF developing her language
story till the noon hour.
Thursday afternoon session was
very interesting. Miss Getty, in
order to illustrate more fully her
methods, bad brought into the school
six little children. The work which
she covered with these little ones
was marvellous and everyone was In.
tensely interested. The children
seemed to lose themselves, and, in a
very few minutes we're having a
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