AUXILIARY AGENCIES.

The common schools of our state are the foundations upon which the entire educational superstructure must be built. The colleges, universities and normal schools depend largely upon these for their very existence. The normal schools and universities are the agencies for training teachers for their work. Among the less conspicuous, but not less important, agencies to the same end, are the teachers' meetings in graded schools, township, district and county associations of teachers, the round table meetings, and state associations. All of these act as leveling and equalizing forces. They give new inspiration for the work. They serve to adjust, to weave together for practice the theories learned at school.

The graded school that does not have its teachers' meetings to compare notes, unify the work, consult with each other as to methods and the solution of administrative problems, as well as to broaden their own horizon, falls short of its full duty.

The

The various teachers' associations serve similar purposes. less formal these are made, the fewer essays read and the more free discussions had, the more profitable the meetings. An unfortunate difficulty experienced at such meetings is to get teachers of rural schools, especially women teachers, to take part, give their experience and express their views. The views of these teachers are often the very ones most wanted and most needed. The teachers in graded schools are much more mutually helpful. Let those in the country schools do for each other what those in the towns do, and not only must the work be improved, but some of the burden and monotony will be lifted.

The round table meetings throughout the state are potent factors in strengthening the teaching force of the state, representing and forming the drift of educational thought of the day. In them a greater freedom of discussion exists than in most other educational gatherings. A very common fault of such gatherings, however, is a tendency to drift away from the question at hand into irrelevant

discussions, and to omit formulating conclusions reached for the education of public sentiment. The Woman's Round Table has taken a prominent place in educational work. Besides the annual meeting which is one of the features of the State Teachers' Association, additional meetings have been held in each congressional district, where problems from woman's standpoint have been dis

cussed.

At the head of this line of educational meetings comes the gathering of the State Teachers' Association, once a year. All educators are welcome. Its membership embraces teachers in every department of school work, both public and private.

The general association discusses the broader and higher questions of education and educational policy, without dealing with the details of school room management. It is divided into sections which hold meetings and round tables of their own at hours when the general association is not in session, for the discussion of questions most interesting the respective classes of teachers. The Educational Council, composed of members elected by the different sections, formulates the conclusions on educational questions to be promulgated as the consensus of opinion of Iowa schoolmen.

Aside from the value of the formal discussions, these gatherings are beneficial in that they beget a feeling of fraternity, a spirit of broader mutual charity, and lift the participants into a different atmosphere, out of the narrow channel into which the disciples of any calling are prone to fall.

The

program for 1893 is given below:

IOWA STATE TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.

OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION.

President-SUPT. FRANK B. COOPER.

Vice-Presidents-B. P. HOLST, Boone; GEORGE E. MARSHALL, Keokuk;

PROF. J. E. HARLAN, Mt. Vernon.

Secretary-C. F. WOODWARD, Eldora.

Treasurer-D. W. LEWIS, Washington.

Executive Committee-GEO. I. MILLER, Boone, Chairman; PROF. D. S. WRIGHT, Cedar Falls; SUPT. CARRIE BYRNE, Le Mars.

EDUCATIONAL COUNCIL.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27—Y. M. C. A. Auditorium. President-STATE SUPT. J. B. KNOEPFLER, Des Moines.

Secretary-PROF. M. F. AREY, Cedar Falls.

REPORTS AND DISCUSSIONS.

9:00 A. M. Needed School Leglslation. Opening discussion. Report by W. O. Riddell, Chairman Committee.

10:30 A. M. System of Issuing County Certificates. Second discussion. Report by J. L. Buechele, Chairman Committee.

2:00 P. M. How shall we diminish the waste in our present school system in Graded and High School Work. Final consideration. Report by E. N. Coleman, Chairman Commitee.

No more than twenty minutes for each paper. Remainder of the time for discussion.

GENERAL PROGRAM.

Plymouth Congregational Church.
WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 27.

7:30 P. M. Music. Invocation. Music.
Address of Welcome-Hon. Lafayette Young.
Response-President W. M. Beardshear, Ames.

Music.

President's Address-Superintendent Frank B. Cooper.
Music.

Announcements.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28.

9:00 A. M. Music. Devotion. Business.

9:30

THE TEACHER PROBLEM.

1. Paper. (a) The Institutes-J. H. Garber, Pella. Discussion,
J. A. Kleinsorge, Des Moines; I. N. Beard, Osceola.

Paper. (b) State Normal Schools, J. M. DeArmond, Davenport.
Discussion, O. P. Bostwick, Clinton; Eva L. Gregg, Cherokee.

Paper. (c) Other Means and Agencies-A. B. Warner, Harlan. Discussion, L. W. Parish, Cedar Falls; W. D. Wells, Grundy Center. 11:15 2. Paper. The Reaction against Special Teachers-Emma J. Fordyce, Cedar Rapids. Discussion, O. W. Weyer, Keokuk; L. B. Carlisle, Chariton; W. X. Crider, Dunlap.

7:30 Lecture. Contemporary Education Reforms-G. Stanley Hall, Worcester, Mass.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29.

9:00 A. M. Music. Devotion. Business.

9:30 1. Paper. Value of Expert Criticism-H. C. Hollingsworth, Albia. Discussion, G. W. Cowden, Grinnell; W. F. Cramer, Iowa City; H. E. Robbins, Lyons.

10:30 2. Paper. That Alleged New Education and Why We EducateHugh W. Sawyer, Council Bluffs. Discussion, Philo E. Hoadley, Sabula; O. W. Jack, Villisca; P. C. Holdoegel, Rockwell.

2:00 Brick Bat Department. "The Kicker"-Louis Begeman, Corydon; S. S. Townsley, Decorah; J. S. Shoup, Sioux City; G. H. Mullin, Washington; J. F. Riggs, Mt. Pleasant; L. T. Weld, Nevada; H. B. Larrabee, Creston; W. I. Simpson, Sheldon.

3:30 1. Report of the committee, appointed at the last meeting, on "Needed School Legislation."

2. What further work is there for the Association?

Papers limited to twenty minutes. Discussions oral and limited to ten minutes. Sit down when your time has expired and give some other member of the Association a chance to talk.

ROUND TABLES.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27.

WOMEN'S ROUND TABLE-AUDITÓRIUM PLYMOUTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. 9:30 A. M. 1. The Teacher's Duty in regard to the Health of (a) Her Pupils; (b) of Herself-Miss Emma Fordyce, Cedar Rapids; Miss Ida Schell, Ft. Dodge; Miss Amy Boggs, Manchester.

2. What can the teacher do toward pringing the Public to estimate rightly Educational Values?-Miss Lucy Curtis, State Center; Miss E. J. Hindman, Mt. Vernon; Miss Lydia Styles, Marshall

town.

3. Business.

SUPERINTENDENTS' ROUND

TABLE-SHORTHAND

COLLEGE.

ROOM IOWA BUSINESS

2:00 P. M. 1. Where place the weak teacher?

Leader-W. A. DORAN, Monticello.

2. School books on contract plan.

3. Normal Schools.

HIGH SCHOOL ROUND TABLE-PARLOR C, SAVERY.

2:00 P. M. 1. Plans for making high school rhetoricals more effective. Discussion opened by Prin. E. H. Eastman, Council Bluffs.

Leader-PRIN. E. H. WHITE, East Des Moines.

3.00 2. Why not more English in our Course of Study? Discussion opened by Miss Sadie Rice, Boone.

4:00 3. How can our high schools be made more popular with the

Each topic will be open for general discussion.

masses? Discussion opened by C. D. Slinker, West Des Moines.

PRINCIPALS' ROUND TABLE-EXCHANGE ROOM, IOWA BUSINESS COLLEGE.

Leader-MINNIE BEACH, Marshalltown.

2:00 P. M. 1. Personal culture of the teacher.

2. Teachers' Meetings.

GRAMMAR TEACHERS' ROUND TABLE-SHORTHAND ROOM, CAPITAL CITY

COMMERCIAL COLLEGE.

Leader-ELLA STEARNS, Audubon.

2:00 P. M. 1. Interior of the school room. 2. The Parent in the school room.

3. Work of the Teacher.