The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1859-04-16
PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS.

trust | shall be pardoned if / suc.
gest that our Primary Schools are suffer
ing from the general impression that the
teachers occupy position less important t
than that OF assistants In the Grammar
Schools. 1t is no disparagenent to the
Primary teachcrs to say, that the Prima.
ry classes are not, rs a whole, taught so
well as the Grammar classes, even after
We had made all due allowance for the in
convenience of crowded rooms. This
would probably still tie true, if the Pri-
mary classes were taught by the Gram
mar teachers.
OF all tho applicants examined by the
committee Of the Board, there are more
who are qualified to teach ia the Gram.
mar departments than there are who are
qualified to teach in the Primary depart.
ments.
To excel as Primary teacher, requires
peculiar natural gifts, and a thorough ac-
qualntance with the first principles of
know ledge, special fondness for young
children, and an abiding consciousness
that there is really no higher department
Of useful labor than that of giving dlrec
tlon to the first efforts of minds that are
opening to an endless existence.
There is no other grade Of schools in
which the personal character of the
teacher is SO directly felt. as in the Pri-
mary. In the Grammar School. lessons
are learned from text books, and very
much Of the pupils proger>s is made
without the direct assistance of the teach.
er. But In the Primary Schools, the
teacher is herself the text book, the iy-
ing oracle; and near y all the impressions
received BY the pupil are direct rcfcc-
ton from her own mind and heart But
a teacher may possess every desirable
mental aud moral endowment, aud yet, if
a position in a Primary School il reg ard
ed as secondary in importance, and SIT
uation in Grammar department is con.
tinuaIly before the mind as an object of
ambition aud desire, it is in vain to cx-
pect the same degree of success that
would be realized if no such distinction
existed.
In the last report Of the Schools of St
Louis, find the following: j" 1t will be
observed by the scale of teachers sala-
ries, that they nre alike in the Primary
and Grammar grades. This wise ar
rangement makes the two grades equally
honorable, ard serves to secure in each
the teachers best qualified for it."
The question is worthy Of the consid-
Grafton of this Eoard whotbor !, ,,,t
ing future appointments Of assistants in
the Grammar and Primary departments.
it may not be desirable to give the Prim-
ary assistants, in all respects, the same
rank as the Grammar assistants.
1t is to be regretted that SO few Of our
Primary teachers receive any special
training before entering upon the pecu-
lar duties of their Office. They are gem
orally well educated but their education
has been conducted without any particu-
lar reference to the positions they are
called to occupy. 1t is seldom that an
examination Of teachers occurs, in which
majority of the applicants are no,
found to be radically deficient in some of
the elementary principles of primary in-
struction. Examples are constantly pre-.
sented. in which candidate, who is re.
quested to give the sounds of tho letters
as they occur in some common word, re.
plies with the utmost composure, tha,
she has never attended to the sounds of
the letters. Many applicants seem Who'll.
IL unconscious that there is any necessa.