The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-05-06
COUNTY TEACHERS
ASSOCIATION n
BEST MEETING OF THE SCHOOL
YEAR HELD AT EAST SOUND
summary of Topics Discussed-views
of Teachers Concerning Present
Series of Text Books-Interesting
Talk on Music by Miss Sweeney.

The teachers of San Juan county
held their last meeting of the year at
East Sound April % and 20. AS had
been hoped, it proved to be the most
profitable one of the series. The
county superintendent, Mrs. G. B.
Buxton, and the following named
teachers were present: Louise Wake
field, Florence Allyn, II. E. Loop,
Bessie Boyer, Belle Williams, Evelyn
Nichols, Elizabeth Henderson, Grace
Philip, Caring Peterson, June Oak
ley, E. B. Hill, F. F. Joubert, Grace
Sharp, Christine Clauson and Nellie
Sweeney.
The evening session was well at
tended by the people Of East Sound.
Miss Williams and her pupils enter
tanned the audience with songs and a
recitation. Little fve-year-old Err
mine Warren sang ''Birdie" in strong,
clear tones. Rev. Mr.. Warren then
addressed the teachers, taking for
his subject "God in Education Ed
ucation consists, not of knowledge
only, but knowledge and wisdom
ssTrue wisdom cometh from above. y
God is its author. 1t is He who for
mulated the so-called laws of nature
The teacher who keeps close to God
| will be wise. If the teacher ap-
proaches his task in the spirit of
Christ, be will see in the child, not a
means of earning a livelihood, but
San immortal soul with sanity posi-
bilities."
At the close of the address the
teachers literally contributed to the
"Question Box" When these ques-
tions were read, the individual teach
ers freely expressed their opinions
and debated fearlessly with those
who differed from them. The most
/
prolonged discussion arose over the
Youestion, 'sShould technical grammar
begin in the sixth or the seventh
grader" It may be of interest to
note here that the. new Outline
Course of Study, prepared by State
Superintendent Bryan, and just re-
ceived by the teachers of San Juan
county, places grammar in the
seventh and eighth grades only.
Consideration of the last questions
had to be limited to give time for the
next subject on the program: what
features should our new series OF
text books contain?' Prin. f. r.
Joubert, of the Friday Harbor
schools, asked the teachers to give
written answers to questions read by
him. These answers, when tabulated
and reported to the association
the next morning, revealed the fol-
lowing: The majority Of the teachers
wanted the new words of each lesson
| in the readers marked diacritically,
and also the words in the speller.
Nearly all wanted semi-vertical copy
books. In answer to the question,
ssWhat books of the present series
do YOU want retained?" of the fifteen
teachers present, four would retain
the grammar, two the arithmetic,
one the primary arithmetic, one the
| first two readers, one the hygiene.
Five answered ssnone " A prolonged
debate was started by the question,
sShould arithmetics contain the an
swers?" Mr.. Loop and others stout
| " maintained the negative. When,
finally, division was called, the
vote stood seven to eight. Mr.. Jou-
lbert gave the vote ludicrous turn
by asking, bluntly5, ''Do your pupils,
as a matter of fac, have, in some
way, access to answers? Raise
hands. . Every teacher but one
raised the hand.
It.being now IL o'clock, the teach
Iers adjourned to the East Sound
house, where they were entertained
/ with music and served with refresh
ments.
/ The session Saturday morning was
lopened with talk by Miss Hender-
son On School Decoration. She
Recommended the exhibition and
study Of copies Of the masterpieces
liz art. Miss Sweeney followed with