The following named Counties will of the Institute. Mrs. Ira G. Hoitt, hold Teachers' Institutes during the Deputy Superintendent of Public Inmonth of December. Colusa, Nov. 29 and 30, and December 1st and 2d. Tulare, Shasta, Tehama and Butte during the week preceding Christmas. struction, was warmly applauded for a very instructive exercise in language teaching, Ex-State Superintendent Campbell and Superintendent of Public Instruction Hoitt gave able addresses and lectuees. County Superintendent George Goodell, of San Joaquin County, received the unanimous congratulations and thanks of his Teachers upon his management Superintendent Banks, of Yolo county, of the most satisfactory and most suc- held his first County Teachers' Institute cessful Teachers' Institute ever held in November 8th to 11th. All but one that County. Prof. James G. Kennedy teacher in the county was present. was the regular Instructor and handled Much earnestness and enthusiasm preevery subject, which he attempted fear- vailed among the teachers. State Sulessly, thoroughly and successfully. Dr. perintendent Hoitt was in attendance S. P. Crawford, of Stockton, gave a most two days, and was warmly welcomed by able address on Physical Education. the teachers. He took an active part in Mrs. C. W. Dahlmann and Mrs. Mary work of the Institute, and lectured to A. Arnold interested the Institute upon an evening audience, numbering over the subject of Kindergarten work. seven hundred, on the Progress of PopMany of the Teachers of the County took ular Education. It was the unanimous an active part in the work; Ex-State Sup- vote of the teachers that never before erintendent Campbell gave an able ad- had their County Institute been more dress in the afternoon and an evening interesting or useful. Prof. J. C. Gilson lecture, which was well received. State entertained a large eudience one evenSuperintendent Hoitt gave a "General Talk" to the Teachers in which all seemed much interested and during which many questions were asked by the teachers and promptly answered by the Superintendent. He also lectured, one evening, to a large and appreciative audience. Sacramento County Teachers' Institute was held under the direction of County Superintendent Howard, November 9th to 11th. Some of the oldest teachers in the county declare it to have been the most successful and most useful session held in the county for teu years. Professor E. Knowlton was Instructor. Mrs. Purnell, of the Sacramento High School read an excellent paper on "Duties of Teachers in Institute Work," which will be here. after published in the JOURNAL, by vote ing with an Illustrated Lecture on Lon don. Santa Clara County Teachers' Institute it was voted unanimously to be the very was held November 21st, 22d and 23d, tendent Chipman is to be congratulated. best ever held in that county. SuperinHe improves as he grows older, though he was always good. | Our Book Gable. THE NEW PRINCETON REVIEW for Sep tember contains an interesting criticism on "Shelley," by Charles Dudley Warner; "A Scheme for Church Reunion," by George C. Eggleston; "American History in the French Archives, by J. Durand; Recollections of David Friedrich Strauss, by William Nast; "Dean Plumptre's Dante," by Marvin R. Vincent; "The Drama of an Evening," by Grace King, and the usual criticisms, notes, reviews and record. LEND A HAND is a monthly magazine of organized philanthrophy, edited by Edward Everett Hale, D. D. The October number contains an unusual quantity of excellent matter. We note the following titles: "Trades Unions in England," Instructions for Cripples," "The Public Charities of New York," "Homes for Women," "Mr. Tangier's Vacations," by E. E. Hale, "A True Incident," and "Samuel Arapahoe," besides others, in both poetry and prose. 66 THE PACIFIC EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL. Official Organ of the Department of Public Instruction. VOL. II. JANUARY, 1888. No. 6. THE DUTIES OF TEACHERS. In the editorial department of the PACIFIC EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL for August is an article on Teachers' Institutes, calling attention to the fact that the law compels the County Superintendents to hold Institutes, and also to the fact that the last session of the Legislature passed an amendment to the School Law, making it obligatory on the County Superintendent to report to the County Board of Education "the names of all teachers in the county who fail to attend regularly the sessions of the Institute;" and drawing from these facts the inference that the County Institutes have not possessed sufficient interest to secure a general attendance without compulsion. The editor further desired to receive letters from teachers throughout the State, making such suggestions on the subject as might be prompted by their own experience. The editorial referred to suggested the following thoughts, which were read at the Sacramento County Institute held November 9th, 10th and 11th: Without the statement here made, the teachers of Sacramento are well aware that our Institutes have been in the past neither the source of enjoyment or inspiration which could be desired, and which is absolutely necessary to make them a success. When we consider the actual cost of an Institute, including the salaries of the teachers who attend and the expense which those from abroad are forced to incur in coming to Sacramento, it is certainly a great mistake in our Legislature to compel County Superintendents to hold Institutes, and to compel the teachers to attend them, unless there is or may be a corresponding benefit. If California was the only State in the Union in which gatherings of this kind were convened, or if teachers were the only class of workers who meet in association, we might think that our law-makers had made a mistake, and that the Institute should be abolished; but when we are conversant with the fact that associations of teachers are frequent throughout those parts of the United States in which the cause of education takes any rank; and, when we also consider the fact that not teachers alone, but the members of nearly all trades and professions hold both National and District Conventions, deeming the success of their various callings will be enhanced thereby, it seems strange that we should be in the least apathetic about our own local gathering; and that we are so, shows that somewhere there is a fault which should be remedied. It has often been stated that those avenues or vocations in life which are largely filled by women do not take the same dignified rank as those 'followed alone by men. One theory for this, that has been given, is, that women enter any bread winning employment, not as a life work but as a temporary necessity, looking forward to the time when marriage shall place her in an independent position. However this may have been in the past, the conditions of the present do not support the theory, for, it may be supposed that statistics will show that the same or nearly the same state of affairs exists in other localities as is known to exist here, where, as has been facetiously remarked, "Few teachers die, and none resign." If, then, the profession is to be the life work of many or most of those who enter it, it becomes of the greatest moment that they should arm themselves for the conflict with the best weapons, both offensive and defensive, that can be found in the arsenals at their command. Nor will it do to think that sex will form a bulwark behind which one can retire, and therefore be excused from taking any part in the struggle. The time is past when being a woman is an excuse for being behind the times, and in such vocations as are fitted to her talents and physical strength she must be measured by the side of man or retire from the struggle. It has been almost entirely the case that in the few Institutes which it has been my privilege to attend in this State the gentlemen present were allowed or compelled to do all the work, while of the ladies, some engaged in conversation, some did fancy work, a few listened, and nearly all retreated at the earliest opportunity. Is it not a duty, as far as possible, to do something to make the Insti tute a success—to be active rather than passive participants in the work of the daily sessions? It is certainly true that no one who is qualified to teach is incapable of adding in some way to the interest of the occasion. It seems to me that an Institute should be a conference meeting, to which all might come, telling their experiences, comparing methods, asking questions and employing all the various means by which those engaged in the same pursuits strengthen and assist one another. The younger teachers, and especially those teaching in country districts where they have no opportunity of comparing their work with that of others, need the strength and inspiration which might thus be given. They have a right to expect it. It is pleasant to listen to the addresses of these persons from abroad who are employed to attend our Institutes; but the Institutes are not held simply that we may enjoy ourselves, and something besides this is necessary to make their work effective, and that is the hearty co-operation of our own teachers. In reading the account of an Institute held in Marin county in May last, I noticed that of the papers and subjects presented for discussion more than half of them were presented by ladies. Why is this not the case here? Has Marin county all the talent? The proportion of lady teachers in the county is certainly as great as ten to one, while the part taken by the lady teachers in the public work of our Institute is not more than the reciprocal ratios of the same numbers. One thing is certain, the Institute is a fixed fact; it has come to stay, and whether we will or no, so long as we are teachers, we must attend it, and it will be in the future what it has been in the past, just what the teachers choose to make it. The adage says, "One swallow does not make a Summer," neither does one County Superintendent make an Institute. I have often sympathized with this official when I have realized what he was expected to accomplish with so little material upon which he could depend. There is a story related of a minister's dream, which seems very applicable to the case in hand. The clergyman dreamed that he and his congregation were to propel a large vehicle, he pulling in front and they pushing in the rear. For a while things progressed well, but finally the weight grew heavier and heavier until the clergyman could go no further. Going to the rear to investigate, he found that part of the congregation had decamped and the remainder had got into the carriage and gone to sleep. Is not this too largely what we have been doing? And would it not be a part of honesty for us to give our own time and attention just as cheerfully to the work of the Institute as we would to a session of school? In fact have we any right whatever to get an excuse from attending any part of its sessions on any more flimsy pretense than would be accepted at school? The character of the work in which we are engaged should make us conscientious and careful. We are working, not for the present, but for the future; every faithful teacher is setting in motion influences which are perpetual. 'Tis true that we cannot see the end of our work, nor reap a present reward, but we can be certain that the labor of our hands will be established upon us, and that at the great harvest time when the sheaves are gathered, against the name of her who has striven faithfully to perform her duty will be written the sentence, "Sh hath done what she could." The present is a wonderful epoch in the world's history. As the poet says: “We are living, we are dwelling In a grand and awful time, In an age on ages telling To be living is sublime." It is an age in which all forces, both physical and intellectual and immoral are moving forward with an activity never so potential We are a part of the age, and with it must act. The future will germinate from the seeds sown in the "now the work which is done by humble teachers will live long after the grat material structures, by which the builders sought to immortalize the selves, have crumbled into dust. Our work may be like thatft coral builders, or like that of those who lay beneath the witen & foundations of an Eddystone Lighthouse or a Brooklyn Bridge it names may be unknown, but on the foundation that we lay or bailt a superstructure of character that shall shake the world fam the youth which come under our instruction are those which are the future teachers authors statesmen, philosophers and mechms: the world. Let these considerations inspire us to put forth our best fr and to prepare ourselves by every means at our command for the aut werk in which we are engaged, striving each year to be bear! know more and to teach mor surevilly than we did in the 15 1. we do this the end will own the work." We shall then let 8 and the question which we shall ask What the Pinapal Board of Education, Superm but the vastly more important grot of on selves? has dores re fast we shall be hurr Bringing ourselves bert that white may be the opinion of others RSS |