STATE OF I N DIANA The Township Institute I ssued by the STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLI C A I NSTRUCTION 1 9 1 7 - 1 9 1 8 HORACE ELLIS State Superintendent of Public Instruction mm WAYNE mm'rme comm“ com mons i ron su m pm e m am mo 1917 k s Boo s are you r , Within those silent ch ambers treasure li es Preserved from age to age ; more preci ous far Than that a ccumulated store of gold An d ori ent em s W hi ch for a da of need g , y , The ul an hide dee i n an estral t s t s p c ombs . These hoard of tr th o an n s u y u c u lock at Will . ords or W w th. ’ Every difficulty that i s overcome by a pupil s own eflorts tends to develop i n hi m an ambiti on to con r other di i Fe if an ue fficul t es . w o q , y, j ys can be compared with th e ecstati c joy of vi c tory ” Thi nki n and Learni n to ead Shaefier. g g R , ~ D. of D NOV 3 19 17 I NTRODUCTI ON The townshi p institute shoul d be looked upon as a serious business affair . It has been authorized by law and the public treasury has been opened to make certain its existence . Thi s is done in order that the teachers of our state may be made better . Such action is altogether necessary to insure normal progress in educational principles and methods . Even if all the teachers of Indiana had had years of practical experience and were graduates of normal schools , well trai ned in the f principles of their profession, still a plan or institute work, such as we now have , woul d be justified for the sake of presenting to teachers the latest and best thought and plans of the hour and for the sake of keeping i them abreast of the world . Every great and nfluential organization , in whatever field of activity, whether commercial , mi litary, legal, religious or what not , realizes the wisdom insuch a course of action . The townshi p institute is the most convenient center to discuss school organization, use of the c ourse of study, classroom methods , proper relationof school and patrons and other important questions conn ected with th . r e school . It affords a splend1 d opp o tuni ty for hav _ ing some of the strongest teachers present model lesson assignments and for general discussions thereon, a very important part of a program in institute work . Its real purpose is to serve the school and the children in the school by developing the teacher . The duties “ of the institute shoul d not be discharged in a per fun ctor ul y way. Interest and enthusiasm sho d char acteri z e the work. The writer has been present in some institutes when, - like some class room work, the institute became cold ; there was an atmosphere of indifference ; evidence of unpreparedness a nd indi cations of professional par alysis . It is hoped that every institute held during the comi ng year will be characterized by altertness, interest ul and growth . If thi s is not the case much of the fa t will lie wi th the chairman of the institute . What the institute is depends very largely upon the leader . He shoul d be thoroughly prepared upon all the work ; shoul d lead in the general discussions and see to it 3 that the institute does not wander away into specul ative fields that are wholly irrelevant ; that the institute begins promptly on time and closes on time . An incompetent leader is as much responsible for a poor institute as a teacher who conducts a school which seems to be merely one room where pupils work with uniform text-books and pursue one cour se of study instead of a social institution with a definite purpose , where the bond of union is spiritual instead of material ; where ni there is commu ty of aim and unity of spirit , u n mi stakable evidence of an ideal school . If the institute is to be worth while the attendance shoul d be regul ar and puncu tual ; assignment of work should be defini te and reports thereon brief though thorough and to the point . Reports on lesson assignments by readi ng should not be tolerated for it destroys interest , invi tes ‘ ’ di sorder , and fails to develop the teacher s power of n e p ublic addr ess , one of the importa t r sults that shoul d come from the institute work . Three very important books have been selected by the Readi n g Circle Board . They were selected from ' a large list of books on account of thei r peculi ar fitness for the institute work . The State Department has prepared seven suggestive programs b ased upon these books and other important topics sui ted to the work . The subject of health in particul ar has been given ’ consideration throughout the year s work . This has been done for the reason that heretofore sickness and epidemi cs have been the most serious of all obstacles which have checked the progress of the school . It seems to be a common weakness of everyone to be caught and captivated by an idea of vast hygienic and health importance but to rest therewith content and neglect the carrying of the idea into practice . On account of the practice in many instances to theorize at great length and fail to reduce theories to practice , suggestive topics designed to promote thought and discussion upon the subject of health have been out lined for each of the seven institutes . The following is ofiered with the hope that it will be helpful to the teachers and that we shall have a year ’ s work that will be b eneficial in a large degree to the schools of Indi ana . A E LL HOR C E IS . THE LAW ON TOWNSHI P I NSTI TUTES Acts of 19 17 , Page 90 . 2 (H . S . 23 9 . Approved February 8 , 1917) — — To w n s h i p I n s t i t u t e s At t e n d a n c k W a g e s . ' h al l Section 1 . Be i t enacted by t e gener assemb y of I the State of ndi ana , That at least one (1) Satur day in each month during which the public school may be in progress , shall be devoted to township institutes or model schools for the improvement of teachers ; and two (2) Saturdays may be appropriated at the disere tion of the town ship trustee of any township . Such institute shall be presided over by a teacher or other person designated by the township trustee of the township . The townshi p trustee shall specify in a written contract with each teacher, that such teacher shall attend the full session of each institute contem ’ plated herein , and for each day s attendance at such institute each teacher shall receive the same wages as ’ for one day s teachi ng : Provided, That no teacher shall receive such wages unl ess he or she shall attend a full session of such institute and perform the duty or duties assigned : Provi ded , fur ther , That such Saturday teachers ’ institutes may be held in the school cities and school towns at th e discretion of the boardsof education and superintendent of schools of the school cities and school town s un der all conditions set out for above ’ township teachers in stitute . — — NOTE 1 . LICENSE REVOCATION . TOWN — SHIP INSTITUTE FAILURE TO ATTEND . Teachers are required to attend Townshi p Insti u s t te , and for neglect thereof their license may be r evoked . Stone , Superintendent , vs . Fritts , 169 Ind . Page 3 61 . — — 2 . NOTE SCHOOLS LICENSE . REVOCATION — — CHARGES . NEGLECT or DUTY. ' Charges showing that a school teacher refused to hi I n attend the Towns p Institute , or the County stitute, and that he made no daily preparations for ffi -é teachi ng , are su cient to give the County Sup eri n tendent the right to proceed to a hearing, and , in ’ case of revocation, the teacher s remedy is an appeal . Stone , Superinten dent , Fritts , 169 Page 3 61 . TOWNSHI P I NSTI TUTE FI R ST I NSTI TUTE a . m . Openi ng Exercises and Roll Call . — N ote . Teachers shoul d respond to roll call by giving quotations from educators of distinction . a . m . INDIANA YOUNG PE OPLE ’ S READING CIRCLE . 1 . Influence of a book . (give personal examples . ) 2 . Proper selection of books requires (a) Experience . (b) Knowledge of b00 ks . (c) Samples from whi ch to select . ’ 3 . Purpose of Young People s Readi ng Circle . (a) Organization . l i i Note . Book ets explain ng organ zation and character of books selected sent free . Send to the Manager , J . F . Haines , 615 Lemcke Building, Indi anapolis , Ind . (b) Kind of books selected . (c) Distribution of books . “ 1 . 3 Purchased by trustees . 2 . Purchased by teachers and pupils . 3 . f securing money . 4 . ownership by pupils . Ad vantage . (d) Use of the books . 1 General reading . 2 Supplementary readers . 3 . Information . 4 County Superintendents may require a paper, written on some one of the Y . fil 8 P . R . C . books , ed with th grade diploma manuscripts .