Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1912-01-18
SUPT. GARNER
DISCUSSES CONDITIONS
In Supplementary Report to the
State Board Of Education, the
Conditions, Progress and Needs
Of the County School System are
Considered
DIR. NJ. Bates Stephens,
Superintendent of Public
Instruction.
Annanolis. Nd.

annual report of the Public Schools
of Anne Arundel county for the
scholastic year of 1910-19ll. In SO
doing / wish 10 say that l believe a
substantial progress in these schools
has been made in many ways, but eS-
pecially in the very decided increase
in professional spirit shown by quite
number of our teachers. This is
manifested in the fact that twenty
seven of them, largely at their own
expense, were willing to spend six
weeks Of their last vacation in attend
ing summer schools. Their work at
these schools was mapped out for
them by the supervising officers along
such lines as were indicated by class
room needs. | am happy to be able to
say that they took heartily to the
work, as shown by their credit cards,
and returned full of enthusiasm on
account of the wider experience There
by gained. 1t is expected that their
enthusiasm will awaken in others of
our teaching corps n desire for pro-
fessional improvement and that at
tending a summer school will come to
be a prominent feature of our year
ly work.
1t was intended to have a number
of teachers meetings or one-day
local institutes during the year, but
owing to extremely Indictment weather
and the consequent bad condition of
the roads through the whole winter
we could have one only, which was
held in the spring Certain con-
venient centers are designated as
places for these meetings, a director
is chosen for each from among the
older teachers, and the work to be
covered is made known to the teach
ers by circular letters several weeks
beforehand. At the last OF these
meetings chapters from "Dinsmore s
Teaching a District School" for rural
teachers and chapters from "Seeley S
New School Management" for city
teachers formed a basis Of discussion
at the morning session. The after
noon session was devoted to type les
sons in certain arithmetical problems
which had been assigned for the pur-
pose. All teachers are required TO
take part in the work, and it is be-
lieved that the personal pride of each
one to do her best in the presence of
her colleagues exerts wholesome in
fuence for good.
The custom of allowing teachers TO
take day off occasionally for obser-
walton in other schools has been en-
couraged, because it is thought that
it will be productive of much good
to the individual who seeks the
privilege. The schools TO be visited
are designated by the Superintendent
or by the supervisor with the concur
renee of the Superintendent.
In the first week in September we
held what is believed to be one of the
most successful, because one of the
admittedly most helpful, Institutes to
our teachers we have had in recent
years. Being convinced by experience
of the past that the lecture system
is Of very little practical value to the
great majority of teachers, simply be-
| cause we learn how to do things, not
by being told how to do them, but
rather by seeing them done and doing
them, we concluded not to have any
| lectures, but to confne ourselves t
such work as ispractieed in our best
schools.
Those teachers who had attended {
summer school were not required K
be present, except on the last day
| The others were divided into thre,
section, which went to the various in
structors in turn, so that all received
the same instruction. The work wa
planned to cover the primary AM
grammar grades. The instructor
were selected from those of our Owl
teachers who had shown in thei
classrooms special aptness III tn
studies to be presented, and the.
were directed to give type lessons o
| the kind and duration necessitated b,
| the limitations and conditions of tn
| ordinary one-room school. The teach
els served as pupils TO the instructor
| and were called on to recite as such
Thus the work was shown in its mos
practical phase. 1t was admitted o
| all hands by those most competent I
Judge that the plans and method
pursued were eminently successfr
and satisfying to the persons mos
nearly commemorative teachers them
| selves.
| We tried this year for the first tim
the experiment of attempting to II
terest the pupils of our rural school,
| in agriculture and allied subjects. A
elementary book was put into the
hands to be used as a reader. 1t W.
not expected that they would sho
more than a languid interest, bI
much to my surprise, wherever Il
teacher presented the subject IN
attractive manner, both the girls ar
boys became enthusiastic, and lor
before the end Of the year had d
voured the whole book, although on
the first half was assigned for Il