The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-23
NEGRO TEACHERS
 GREATLY BENEFITED
Summer Institute at Tus- kegee Was Pronounced
 Success

Tuskegee, July zz.-tSpeclal)-Ihe last squad of the 245 colored teachers that at
 tended the summer institute at the Tuske-
 gee Normal and Industrial institute,
 Booker T. Washington, principal. left for
 their honre a few days ago, delighted with
 the results of their four weeks hard
 work.
 Dr. V ashington gave out the following statement:
 "You ask me for my opinion concern
 ing the value of the summer institute which has just closed. In an increasing degree we are getting down to business Tn the education of our people. cannot illustrate this in any better way than to quote ;he substance of a letter received
 from a prominent white business man in the town of Tuskegee; T have had one
 of your graduates in my employ as d cook 8 portion of the summer. I have
 never lad such satisfactory cooking. !
 have paid her $5 per week and have saved money by that, for by systematic and intelligent work in my kitchen she has saved more than that amount each week
 on my grocery bill The young woman
 referred to is a graduate of this institu-
 ton
 "Ten or 15 years ago a graduate of any
 negro institution would have thought it
 beneath her to engage in the service of
 cooking That old mistaken idea is fast l passing away.
 | "The thing that impressed me most con- cernng the summer institute was the
 fact that in this institute practically all of the teaching had a definie object in view namely, to teach the teachers how to artIculate' what is done in the school
 room with the needs of the people on the
 farm, in the kitchen, in the orchard. in the shop, in the dining room laundry and ] elsewhere. In a word, the keynote Of
 tke institute was to show the teachers how to articulate school life into every
 day life
 Tn proportion as this policy is pursued
 and in proportion as this is true, colored
 people and white people will see that ev- cry time we educate negro boy or girl
 we make a law-abiding and useful citizen The time has come when education must Hconcern itself with the ordinary affairs of life rather than with the extraordinary things of lfe.'
 | Prof. J. R. E. Lee, director of the academic department, Tuskegee insti- ute and supervisor of the summer in : stitute, said: . with reference 10 our summer school that has just closed. l am glal | to state that in attendance 1t was much above that of last year, run ming to 245. All of the work, we be- leve was done in a most satisfac- tory way, covering wider scope ana having more practical turn. All or the ordinary literary branches were pursued. together with such industries
 as cooking, canning and general agrl- | culture.
 Never before have we seen such
 great interest exhibited by teachers in l prepara ton for industrial work. l At the close of the school 245 cer- tiheates were issued; many of these certificates are to be taken back to the counties and states from which these teachers come evidence of progressive study on the part of the teachers In some cases these certi- ficates become a substitute for attend ance at state institutes. From one state 23 persons came; all of whom were
 on half pay from their board of edu- cation. This half pay was granted from | pay the school to have these teachers attend the summer school here for four weeks These persons all took with them certificates of work done. Each of them Is also required at the Sep tember institute meeting to give a talk on advantages obtained by at- tending Tuskegee institute summer school, Each teacher has already re . | ceived a notice that he will be expected to give this talk.
 ."In addition to the regular summer school there was held here during the
 fourth week what is known as state institute for Alabama teachers, dur ing which time special instruction was given to the 115 Alabama teachers who
 were here in attendance. Instruction was given to all of these teachers in all of the branches which are taught in Alabama including Alabama history, | agriculture and civics. This institute was held under the direction of the
 department of education advised by
 the state superintendent, MT. H. J. Will linglem.
 II do not hesitate to say that during the history of my work as teacher, covering now nearly 30 years, l have never seen teachers more eager to get I hold of present day methods of teach and so faithful to every obligation con- nected with assignments at a summer
 school From o'clock in the morning right through the day, each day, every class was filled.
 Tn addition to the regular courses
 there were held the following conferences, all O. which proved attractive to the ma
 jor:y of the teachers and of great value to all.
 ''I. Conference of principals of schools who were here in attendance. '2. Conference on methods of correlat- tl, inII ri a '., Conference of Jeanes fund workers.
 A. Conference of all teachers each day on scho ol problems; such problems as or
 ganlzing mothers meetings, school i'm .
 provcrient, lengthenng school term etc
 "5 A conference on methods of doing
 institute work. For this special confer
 ence number of the leading colored principals of the state came together for enc week.
 "6. Another line of work which proved
 attractive was what is known as the
 Home Making Course, conducted by va rious wives of the men who are connected
 with the institute. This course covered
 six special conferences as follows: l.
 Home kitchen. ?. Family relations 3.
 Reading in the family. 4. Making home 'eautiful ,. Economic home buying. 6.
 Praetlca. religion in the home.
 "purjng the last week there were held
 practice and exhibition exercises in the following manner: series of meals were nrepareC by persons in the cooking classes and served by members of that class,
 wh,le 4 member of the class acted as hos tess and invited five other persons to din- ner The waitresses were members of the | cooking class. These meals were eaten by these persons in large exhibition hall 1 with all of the teachers present to observe
 every action of the persons engaged :;
 tbo;r recention by the hostess before the