Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-03-09
EDUCATORS AT
AGENCY MEETING
MEETING IN NEIeHBoRlNG TOWN
SATURDAY WAS A GREAT
SUCCESS.
A VARIED PROGRAM
Pedaeoeues Participated in Exercises
Of the Day With Interest
4 Exhibits were
Good.

Agency, March 7-(Special.) y The
meeting of Wapello county teachers
here Saturday was one of the best
gathering Of peragogues ever held IN
the county. This was the unanimous
opinion of all the hundred or more
teachers who attended. Upon the ar
rival OF the visitors in the city, they
were escorted to the high school build
ing. After registering some time was
spent in inspecting the rooms and ar
ranging the exhibits brought by some
of the teachers. The primary depart
ment seemed to be Of special interest
to most of the visitors since 1t con-
tanned an encampment scene, with a
fort of blocks, surrounded with wall
of stone forming q lake, which was
very graphically represented by means
Of large zinc pan. In the lake was
an island with bridge leading to the
shore and vessels calmly floated upon
it's surface.
To the rear Of the fort lay the en-
campment consisting of tents, flag
etaffs, roads, trees and fences, all of
which were very cleverly executed.
These scenes proved a great help to
the visiting teachers and showed them
the possibilities of sand table work.
Papers Were Helpful.
Thte morning session was according
to the program. Ex-County' Superin-
|tendent Nye of Eddyville and Prof.
Leon Smith Of Batavia read helpful
papers which were greatly appreciated
Miss Life Penden gave highly inter-
esting paper entitled "Facts Concern
ing the Life and Burial of Chief Wa
pello." A paper was read for
Ex-County Superintendent Buchanan
of Fairfield who was unable
to be present in person. Upon ad-
journment all wendell their way to the
town hall where they were served to
delicious dinner pre-. red and served
by the A., H. s. girls. The A. H. S.
boys orchestra also added in no small
degree to the enjoyment of the event
by splendid music. =
After dinner !. delightful pilgrimage
to the grave of Wapello, one half mile
east Of the city, was made by most of
those present
The afternoon session proved to be
even more delightful than the morn
ing session. First one general meet
ing was held in the high school as
sembly room at which paper was
read by Prof. l.. A. Wilson Of Eldon.
He discussed in detail the means and
modes whereby the schools may be
made more practical.
Group Meeting Held.
At the close of this session the meet
ing broke up into three group meet
ings which were held simultaneously
in different rooms throughout the
building and were repeated several
times thus offering all present an op-
portunity of attending each meeting.
Perhaps the most interesting of these
group meetings was the one given
under the auspices Of Miss Gilliland
of the primary department. Her work
was divided into three parts-story
telling, dramatization and actual sand
table work. The work in each case
was enacted by the children of her
department and illustrated forciDly
what wonderful results may be OBJ
tanned with the very young children
when modern primary methods are
used.
Miss McDougall supervisor of draw
ing in the Ottumwa schools gave sug-
gestions for work in her department
which showed unique originality of
method and which was said by many
of the teachers to be the best insight
into the drawing work that they had
ever received. Her talk was Illus
trated throughout by work done in the
Ottumwa schools.
Science Work Was Good
The science work by Superintendent
B. H. Wilson was composed mostly Of
simple scientific demonstrations per-