Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-12
COUNTY TEACHERS
CLAD TO ADVANCE
Total of 1870 Instructors Take
Examination for First
Grade Certificate.

certlncatlnS law 10 uecome eheSti'e
July 1. 1914.
Eighty-seven per cent of the teach
e-s in Rock Island county were teach
ing on second grade certificates, which
under the old law, were practically as
good as any other grade of certificate,
and under the new law are still very
good to teach on. The second grade
certificates are not as desirable be-
cause at the end of six years an exam
nation must be taken in the common
branches in order to renew the cef-
tificate. This necessarily does not
need to cause alarm, but teachers are
not more than human and an examin-
alton simply means a little worry I'M
til it is over.
Miss Harris, county superin-
tendent of schools, thought the mat
ter over, in fact dwelt on the subject
until some plan could be devised in
which this t'fficulty could be over
come, and in accordance notices were
posted in all local city papers and
most of the rural papers in the coun-
ty. the notice reading: Teachers who
desire to raise the grade of their GER
| tificate will have an opportunity to do
so on April and a."
This did not bar any one except
| teachers who had not taught one year.
1t was also announced at the division
meetings throughout the county, as
the rural districts are divided into
four divisions, one, two, three and
four, meetings being held in each
place three times during the school
year. AT these meetings the announce
ment was made that outlines would be
given to teachers and in some cases
where the outlines were ready they
were given out to the teachers at the
! time, in other cases teachers desiring
them were to call for them or send
notices to the county superintendent
that outlines were desired. Nothing
more was said and there was no urg-
ing done on the part of the county
superintendent was entirely op-
tional with the teachers. When ex-
animation day dawned 123 city teach
ers availed themselves of the oppor-
tunity and 81 rural teachers. Thus
one can plainly see the interest taken
by the teachers in the work and also
! their desire to show professional
/ spirit. a great many of the rural
teachers who did not take advantage
OF this gave reason such as the follow
ing: six years is all l expect to
teach" Il expect to marry soon," and
| other remarks similar to these
The following outline was put In the
hands OF all teachers desiring it so that
they might brush up or acquaint them
selves with the elementary sciences:
BOTANY.
Botany - Our dependence upon
/ DlantS. Our aninvnapt Of rlaptc
| Seeds - How distributed; name
some carried by each agent
Stems-Uses of stems to men.
! Leaves-Of what use to men; their
shedding and autumnal colors.
| Grafting-Tell of some results of
! this work in the west; Importance of
| forests.
| Flowers-Common to this locality,
wild; where found, time of year, color.
PHYSICS.
1-Physics-Q) Matter; CD Sub
J stance; CD Bodies.
2-Energy-(3) Physical change;
| (D Chemical change; (5) Tempera-
ture; CO. Newton's laws of motion,
force and reaction; ca Mass, weight;
! 90 Force.
| Glasses repellent or
continuous. % Uniform: CD Vari-
able. Impulsive.
ZOOLOGY.
| Lowest animal forms; specimens
usually used; facilities for obtaining
| food.
! Worms - Means of protection;
mode of living.
3-Butterfiies - Where find food;
manner of feeding; kind of food; how
does 1t obtain food: enemies.
! 4-Frogs-Haunts and habits; give
| its development
5-Laws of distribution of animals.
Name species debarred by barriers.
6-Birds-What birds are common
to this locality; tell of habits of one
! ciass-mode of living and nest build
| ing.
The object of the examination was
| not to make IL difficult. An observer
would know that a great many of the
teachers had never taken these sci
ences, and to have them fail would
nave been to cripple the teaching
force, and when there is good
working force, capable of doing the
work even though they may have
lacked training in a few subjects las
TINS does not always mean efficiency
ana ability to execute duties), IL is
always well to boost them-lend them
helping hand where possible, and
mus keep the machinery running
smoothly.
The teachers have expressed them
selves, with very few exceptions, as
having great appreciation for this
opportunity-all being willing to pro-
fessionally advance.
me county superintendent made
pubic these facts so the people may
know that the teachers of Rock Is
iahd county are professional, earnest
ana conscientious workers. ever ready
10 broaden their scholarship SO that
schools may advance in every detail.
Discretion.
A lion that had been i'll asked a