Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1858-01-01
LYMAN GELPIN,
Probate Judge, Sandusky Co., o.
A Few words 10 school Directors and OH
ers Whom IL may Concern.
BY q. Q. "

1ho "elIdTe ol common SCHOOLS is, or
should be the nearest object to the political
heart of every citizen. In every school il
will be found, in proportion to tho time
which child spends undor any teacher, that
'as is the teacher so is the scholar" and
this morally as we'll as intellectualy.-
Indeed, whether the parent bo conscious of
1t or not, tho influence oxerted by the teach
er for good or i'll, affects, in some degree,
the parent, for it affects tho whole district.
How important, then, that the school teach
er be chosen with great circumspcction.-
How important, then, that school house
be shut up rather than be placed in charge
of "quack.' Our law makers have ap-
precated this Importance in their wise pro-
visions for the appointment of teachers
School directors alone cannot appoint; nor
can school examiners alone; both must con-
cur to place teacher in charge of school.
Now school directors have not, by virtue
of their office, either time or opportunity to
compare the teachers in the market with
each other; but school examiners have op-
portunity, for they are paid to do it, and
must sign their names that what they GER
tify to in a Teachers Certificate is the
TRUTH.
Since the organization of the Sandusky
County Board, on Sept. 10, 1857, about
fifty-six applicants have been refused and
about sixty-six applicants have since that
time been commissioned to teach in this
county. OF the number Of refused appli-
cants, some have presented themselves twice,
some thrice, and three or four have had the
perseverance to apply four times, though
they have not in each case wrought "a pa
per" 1t did occur to us that an examiner
might be useful for something besides TAX
ing the county money. Yes, it struck us
that he was expected sometimes to say no,
and to mean it, no matter whom the refused
applicant might number among his rela-
tions; no matter how many enemies the
refused might stir up against us. Where
is the use in appointing examiners if they
must say yes to every one?
! School teaching is science and an art.
The best scholar NAV be no teacher, while
it is pretty certain that man cannot teach
what he docs not know.
! Blacksmthing, carpentry, tailoring, Jew
elry, &C., can be prosecuted only by those
who have served an apprenticeship to the
business, in each case. But school teaching
is business far moro occult and difficult
J than any other profession 1t is but Just
beginning to be understood. Tho ancients
understood teaching, no doubt, but in its ap-
plication to the masses it is not yet two
hundred years old, and in most countries
scarcely fifty.
) But what school director would call a
school teacher TO pronounce whether his
horse were rightly shod or not, or plav
actor to prescribe medicine for his sick wife !
Yet some say school teacher should not
be school examiner. If the saloon keep
ers were to be empowered by law to say
who should be lawyers, what learned Judge.
we might expect! If the law were to give
to spInstcrs the power of appointing minis
ters of the Gospel what dear darling doe
tors of divinity VIC should have.
The examiners in this county have evi
. IDENTIFY heretofore let matters run down
whether they avoided making enemies O
not is another question; and before cduca
u tional interests can become elevated, schoo
directors must expect trouble in finding ou
o and securing good teachers.
y But say some, "Our schools are gooc
J enough for u.s." "My daughter can teacl
# our school," says another. "Your STANDARD
9 is too high" says third; "My nephew ha
y taught our school three winters and give1
" satisfaction" To such we beg to say, on
C standard is not yet exhibited. We have re
e fused only those who blundered in the sim
is plest matters. Now will you, for the SAX
E of keeping the paltry wages in tho famiI
Z or in the district, keep out from your school
81 strange teachersl Remember your son
l. and daughters must move off some day.
of Don't teach them sin and in," but give ther
K a good teacher once in while, strang
"a though he may be.
Is There arc now many teaching in tn
70 county to whom we say, work. The tin
VI is coming when our ranks will number Il
brightest intelects of our race. The tin
ii is coming when the PEOPLE will raise Il
RS standard of a teachers qualifications. 1t wi
to be something like this: lst. The teach,
MT must know what he processes to teach 2
en- The teacher must be able TO present, in Il
he best manner discovered, what he knows
OF Sd. The teacher must be able to watch IL
be operations of the child's mind to a gre,
extent and to anticipate and remove obst
lr' cles there. Can you do thisl If so 70
b. are teacher.
,h --.--,.----
II, Boston, Dec. "a.