The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-01-14
Goufationnl department
4 WORD roR ME orHKR SIDE.

WORD FoR rHE OTHER SIDE.
A writer in he Ba9lA sappssedto b The
editor, euIogi1es an article in the education-
a column Of the Nonporel, written ~ be
supposss BY ss1pracsical educator"
lie says"pracsical educator" sakes very
.ensibls view Of the s1b;sc: Of SEariy and
Regular Attendance At School," and has
read both parents and children, whole
some lesson. So far, excellent.
Bot our friendly monitor Of the Bngie
Immediately throws Of bis assumsd-for We
fea, it was only assumed-suarisy ct naD-
ner, changes bis key note, and forthwith
proceeds to administer ''pracsical educator
and teachers generally, rather severe cas-
.ization in the shape Of "wholesome les
son. His modessy, however, will not per-
mi. him to assume the responsible position Of
ins,ruc.or-hs merely offers "a suggestion
or two relasivs 70 the duties Of seaehers."-
He finds il much easier 10 preach than TO
practice. Now we are ignorant Of the sub
stance Of the article ADORE alluded to, al.
though We remember reading j. a: the time,
and in cur unsophis.ica,ed simplicity,
shouga.i: good and altogether unobjec.ion-
able.
Our friend proceeds in his 'slabor Of
love-" something after this manner 1T
seems 70 as that in order to teach success
sally and correctly, every teacher should be
provided with one Of Wsbs.er's Unabridged
Dictionaries, for we care no. how well edu.
Gated the man may be, still in some cases
he may no. pronounce correctly, and may
not be perfect in orshograpby.
| II we are correct 10 our views
upon this subject, i, follows tina; /. is the
duty Of every teacher to provide himself
with one Of the dictionaries mentioned, and
no person, in our opinion, should be allow
| ell to teach school who is not thus prepared
to teach. Ia ordinary and mechanical pur-
suits, we judge the qualifications Of the man
to do the job, by the tools be uses. II we
20 into joiner's shop, and End an old tool
chest exhibiting low order Of mechanical
| workmanship in its construction-we open
the chest aud find an old set Of tools, part
without handles, and those that are ham
died, bruised, split and battered, and find
none calculated to do work in good style, We
set the owner down as buugler, and would
not employ him 10 do n good job. If We
visit farm, and End there an old fashioned
..Bali Plough" (why do you spell it plough?
Why don't gon get Webster's Cnabridged?)
and Il wooden toothed harrow, without any
Of ths modern inventions for ''stlrring the
soil, We NJ once decide that the man who
tills that farm is not a good farmer, and
would not lie. our farm to him to till with
such tools.
By the same rule Of Judging, il we should
70 into school room and find one Of Per-
rvs or Walkers dictionaries, or rs We are
Informed is the case with one Of the schools
| ia this city, no dictionary OF any kind, we
! would conclude that the person employed
10 teach that school, was not competent
! {sage conclusion wonderful logic y and the
| directors should either furnish him with one
Of Wcbster's Unabridged, compel him to
| furnish one himself, or dispense with his
| scryiscs as teacher.
| We have three schools in this city and we
ara credibly informed that Webster's Una
bridgcd Dictionary-the standard work,
both in this country and in England-is not
to be found in either of them.
| "Further remarks are Unnecessary Now
we disagree slightly wish our musical friend
/ the Bugie wo deem some further remarks
extremely necessary.
| II tbs three schools in this city are desti-
/ tute Of dictionaries, it shows at once that
/ the directors have not complied with their
/ duty. II We are not greatly mistaken, the
/ Board Of Education ut its last session pas
sed m act making II the duty Of school di,
! reefprs to furnish at the expense Of the dis
irio,s, each seacher with copy Of Webster's
Unabridged dictionary. How our liberal
districts have complied with this require
ment, the Bugls has been at some pains to
( Inform us.
| We mus. notice one point in his argument,
which does not seem exactly clear to out
mind.
! lie saws. "if We 20 into a school house
aud find no dictionary Of any kind, We would
| conclude that the person employed to teach
that school was not competent. Query-ii
/ he il not competent to teach ri'hout die
s.onary. will he be competent ,rihlt?
/ II we 30 into school room and do moi
/ find arthmetisaI and algebraic Keys, are We
/ 10 infer that that teacher is incompetent
/ The inference would be just as correct, and
/ vet We should rather conclude it sign OF
,ncoraps.saeg. But if in teaching spelling
and reading, the teacher should be requir'
I ed TO furnish Webster's unabridged, why
not with equal propriety, compel him to
furnish all the books and stationery neees'
sary for shs school? ...
/ Why No, compet him te furnish black
boards. globes. outline maps, and ali the
parapharnalia Of the school rooms Aye,
whv should be not also furnish the school
house, for in many districts in our county
F, they ara entirely gaiI;less Of such modern
int, ,rovemsns.
! These are nil the necessary stools" of the
teacher. \ nd wha, an imposing, unique, and
rsrh,reass ae, saranee he would present, as
he started GU, 70 s.ssach the young idea how
to Shoot armed w.,th his Wcbsser's Uaa-
bY,4yed, bis black .bosr ds, his globes, his
outline maps and bis seaos house, strapped
On his back,
+ Mag we aot reasonably here ti'as the BE-
: c.s may change its position, and |. iase 'ae
blame where it justly helaugsG
+ ouF school teachers already struggle ~
der msnv aaGcultiss as sma. and
badly arranged school honsss, and 10 which
no teacher should be repaired to risk bis