Year: 1864

The designs of those wise and good men
through whose influence our State Legisla.
ture was Induced to incorporate District
Institutes into our common school system,
was the improvent of teachers and through
them of the scholars. It was believed, and
there were many and good reasons tor be.
Heving SO, that the time employed by
teachers in mutual instruction, both in
method of teaching and in common school
and other branches, would be of more ad.
vantage or profit to their schools, than if
spent in their respective schoolrooms Ac
eordlngly the school mo1th was fixed at
twenty days, aud the remaining two days,
which formerly ly belonged to the school
month, were given to the teachers for mu.
tual improvement. This belief however,
rested upon the presumption that teachers
were really interested in their work-were
really desirous OF improving themselves
and of becoming still better qualified for
the responsible duties of their calling and
1t must be admitted that wherever such is
the case-wherever teachers have the spirit
of the true teacher and work for higher
object than simply to obtain a few dol
lars and cents-the bene6cent results Of
such meetings attest the wisdom of those
who have the honor of being the authors
OF them.


But it is exceedingly unfortunate-it is
indeed painful-to think that teachers, not
all but many, are SO very ungrateful as to
be willing to enjoy the privileges conferred
by the State, without caring in the least to
give anything in return for them.


Those who represent the interests of
Pennsylvania, believed that by taking two
days of the school month from the State
and giving them to the teachers for mutu-
al Improvement, they would thereby pro,
mote the educational interests of the State
to such an extent as to make it decided
gain for it Teachers however, it seems,
are indisposed to do their part in carrying
out the designs of the law. They are per.
fectly willing. and sometimes even feel
grateful to the State for shortening the
school term and affording them such ex-
celleut opportunities for having good
time" but while they are enjoying their
" good time" they ought to remember that
the public has a claim upon them Tor SER
vices on chat day, and unless they are will
ling to render the services, they ought at
least to be sufficiently manly to forfeit the
dollar. In my opinion, it was not the de.
sign of the law for each school district to
pay from ten to twenty dollars for the pur-
pose OF getting upa social party for teachers.


Ladies and gentlemen, the time has
come for plain talk on this subject. The
action of school boards which have passed,
and others which have thought of passing,
resolutions requiring their teachers to teach
twenty-five days for month and dispens
ing with institutes, is significant.


While the propriety of such action is to
be questioned, it is nevertheless indicative
Of the popular feeling and sentiment in re-
gard to those meetings, as conducted by
teachers at present. 1t is this that has
aroused me and caused me to feel and
write as do. Unless teachers show dis
position to improve in this respect, not so
much in the way of attending these meet
ings, for the difficulty is no longer in that,
but in thoroughly preparing the lessons as
signed them, cannot expect these privileges
to be continued.


The only way this failure of duty on the
part of teachers can be explained, without
attaching a great deal of diseredit to them,
is that they are thoughtless, and somehow
persuade themselves that if they only meet
they satisfy the requirements of the law,
regardless of the manner in which their
time is spent. This is wrong, teachers.
The public has right to demand your
time to be properly employed.


Teachers ought to be brought to realize
the fact that the institute can live and
prosper only in the affections of the teach
er. If they meet, simply because they
must or lose the dollar, the institute is a
dead thing and might as well be ''laid out"
and buried forever Happily, however,
there are still few who love it and with
glad hearts welcome its coming In the
affections OF these, it continues to breathe,
In most places, and drags along a feeble ex-
istence


1t remains with you, teachers, to say
whether 1t shall continue to breathe-to
breathe family or 10 breathe vigorously
to wither and die, or to grow and prosper.