Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-10-22
GREATEST
CROWD IN
HISTORY
RECORD NUMBER OF TEACH
ERs ENROLLED FOR
STATE ASSOCIATION
MEETING.
HANDLING CROWDS WELL
Departmental Meetings and Gen
eral Sessions Fill First
F.. Day.
HANDLING CROWDS WELL

h'JiS Sii Y pCopiS III lJioHuulS Sh
righ1 now, than have ever Deen here
before. The teachers of North Da-
kota are here, ard the twenty eighth
annual meeting is underway. One
thousand teachers had been expected.
but at ten o'c'~~'- last night the en-
rollmenr4 had passed the 400 mark.
'''s enrolment will be greatly in
creased before the convention comes
to close on Friday.
With tho attendance so far exceed
ing expectations, President Conklin
and Secretary Young Of the CONNER
cial Club have been hard pushed to Sc
cure sleeping accommodations for all
of the visitors, and they have had
day and night job on their hands.
Every hotel and restaurant in Bis
marck was crowded yesterday, some
of the cafes servir~ --'"~'- every min.
ute of the day and keeping it up until
late last night. These 1,400 teachers
of the state, added to the thousands
of other people here for the exposi-
ton, have given the city such num-
bers of guests that the proper enter
,sainment If thnm will ;lbe a remark
able proof OF the citys qualities as q
convention headquarters.
General Association.
The general session was opened py
prayer. lead by Bruce A. Jackson
after which a song was given 10y the
girls and a song by the boys OF the
Fifth and Sixth grades OF the BIS
marck schools
Hon. E. A. Williams welcomed the
visiting teachers in his own lnlmlta-
(ole fashion, and was suitably answer.
ed by Miss NJ. Beatrice Johnstone u
Grand Forks. The presidents ad'
dress was given by c.. L. Travis, wee
president of the lMayville State NOT
NAL school. Mr. Travis said in part:
"The N. D. F. A. as such has done
but little toward the making OF a state
course of study. 1t has contributed
practically nothing toward the present
efficient course. Can it not do more!
Some years ago as president of the De.
partment of Higher and Professional
Education. proposed to the Depart
ment of Secondary Education that we
hold a Joint meeting and discuss some
general theme with view to ascertain
ing whether the schools were then pre-
senting the best possible course OF study
70 the first eight grades. The meeting
was planned and the discussion result
ed in the appointment OF the committee
of Seven which committee reported TO
this association for some two or three
years. Its reports are, I believe, a val
liable Contribution to the North Dakota
literature on education. At the same
time I doubt if the association and the
teaching force in the state have given
these reports the attention which they
merit and question whether they have
been as great factor in determining
the subject matter to be presented IN the
grades mentioned as such reports
should be. The work of that commit
tee should be followed by that OF max.
ing syllibi of the several common school
subjects in the light of the present
needs of the pupil It is not enough to
give the teacher an outline and text
and ask her to organize the subject.
She has not the time, and since she IS
usually beginner at teaching, she mas
not the mastery of the subject necessary
for such organizing. She cannot gather
original material except to limited ex-
tent. This organizing should be done
for the beginner and much Of the sup
Elementary subject matter should be
given her in form ready for immediate
use. Committees from this association
could well make. such organizations and
collect such, subject matter. recon-
,nent the re-establisfing of some COM
mittee such as the Committee of Seven.
"In connection with the above
would suggest that we have tried long
enough to make all pupils and all con.
ditions fit the same course of study and
the same subject matter. It is high
time that we prepare course OF study
for the one and the two room schools
distinct from that prepared for the
schools having teacher in each grade.
Teachers Better.
AS an association we have been act
i've in the matter of legislation concern
ing the certification of teachers, and the
present laws have been, think, prac-
tically determined by committees from
the N. D. E. A. or by its individual
members. And much progress is be-
ing made. The teachers desiring pro-
fessional certificates have to meet q
Continued on page I.