Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-26
MANY TEACHERS
HEAR LECTURES;
INSTITUTE IS ON
Two Hundred County Peda-
gogues Enroll for Meeting
at High School.
LIST GROWS RAPIDLY
Unusually Heavy Registration for the
First Dsy-lnstruetors De-
liver First Talks.

The annual institute OF the teachers
nf Rock Island county opened at $50
this morning with an unusually large
number in attendance for the first SEES
sion. A careful estimate placed the
number at 200 The mornings regis
tration does not verify this, for the
reason that all were not able 70 All
out their blanks during the time allot-
ted for that purpose.
DR.. Lotus D. Coffman OF the Eastern
Illinois State normal delivered the
hrst lecture, speaking on the Doctrine
or Interest He said IN part:
we become interested in the things
we attend 10. or direct our attention
TO; and We are interested in as many
different fields as there are different
things 10 which We attend. Some peo-
pie hold to the idea that every person
is born with fixed personality. but
hold that personality can be changed
II Ia no reflection upon any given sub
jet Of study for one person to say he
IS not Interested in It. What that per-
son needs to do is to get busy.
CITES ILLUSTRATIONS.
"A few years ago spent 10 days In
a reformatory school for boys. While
there I was told OF a boy who was
brought TO the institution. and who
had made up his mind that he would
not abide by the rules OF the place.
He was put TO work on a machine. AMI
in order TO be irregular he broke the
machine. The overseer fixed II, and
ne soon broke II again. This was re-
peated a few times when complaint
was made TO the superintendent. who
warned the boy that IL the offense was
repeated wilfully. he would be punish.
ed corporally. II was, and the boy
was dealt with as he had been told
and put into cell for the night. All
night long he walked back and forth.
but the next morning when he went 10
work, there was a change. He did not
break his machine Intentionally again
Soon It was noticed that he was read
ing books fromSthe library, and from
that time until his release two years
later, he gave no trouble.
When the boy was dismissed he
asked TO speak TO the superintendent
He recalled his punishment and subse-
quent Imprisonment in. the cell stat.
ing that during his restless night there
he was debating whether he should be
law-abiding self-supporting citizen
or whether he should be the world :
greatest criminal.
MIND TRANSFORMED.
Towards morning decided upon
the latter said he, but knew that tc
be the worlds greatest criminal.
must be intelligent and have polish.
SET about reading the literature OF the
present writer's. but now want to i'm
tate them. | want TO produce some
thing And today that boy is editoria
writer and book reviewer on one o.
the greatest metropolitan magazine.
In the country. His personality wa.
changed by his attending TO good lit
erature"
MUST DEVOTE INTEREST.
DIR. Coffman gave other illustration.
OF how personalities we're changed By
attending TO some one thing or an
other. "Oftentimes a teacher does no
have any interest in a subject becsus,
Of lack OF familiarity with that sub
Jet. Every subject has personality
and in order to impart that personality
10 class the teacher must acquir,
that personality by attending to tina
subject"
MISS FOX TALKS.
Following the intermission. Mis-
Florence Fox OF the Ethical school o
New York City discussed beginning
reading combining herself 10 a con
sideration Of the methods to be EN-
ployed I'm the FIRST four grades. Sh,
took the position that a combination
OF the two generally recognized meth
DDS, the phonio OF sound and N,
thought was the better plan. and rec
commended the division OF the plal
into three parts--lntroduction OF nev
words 70 give the child vocabulary
the study recitation, to Ak the child
impression Of the word: and. lastly
sight reading AS the lectures advanc
Miss Fox will do blackboard work an
give practical demonstrations OF he
plan
Those who registered during tn
forenoon follow.
Rock lslaud-Abble Burns. James I
Wilcox. Ethel Carter. Fannie Inglii
Mabel Sundehn, Edna NJ Mccarthy
Olive Berger. Abigail Dean. Mario
Handing. Ada Schoessel. Emelie 4
DeSanto. Maude Huesing. Elizabet
Stelch. Gertrude Fitzpatrick. Nellie =
keiierstrass. Minnie Frederick, JUL
NJ, Anderson, Cora l. Eastman, Emil
+. McCurdy. sigma Brodine. Anna I