Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1862-08-20
Conccruzug our schools.
PREscoTT, Aug. 20, 1862.

SO good, and so appropriate 10 our own
locality. in view of the approaching an
nual School District Meetings, that l
have made a /" scissoring ;" of ii, changed
the geographical names, and now send
it to you with n request for its publication;
The writer of this article has, for some
years past, been connected with our COM
mon schools, and now proposes to ask the
attention of the city of Prescott to a few
facts which he deems important.
Your schools are to commence soon,
and a great deal depends upon you
whether you have better ones than you
ever had before or not. You must lave
n comfortable, convenient house, and, OF
course, you must employ teachers of the
right stamp.
Now great deal has been written
about the necessity of having good teach
ers. Everybody who writes upon the
subject says: We must have good
teachers and upon almost every page
OF our School Reports we find this to be
The burden of the song: t" Good teach
ers--good teachers-good teachers."--
Now if good teachers are good, first
rate teachers are first rate. Any school
boy will prove to you that what might be
called good teacher " is a Mirdrate
teacher, by simply quoting the paradigm
-" good, better, BEST" But first rate
teachers ask frst-rate prices; and if you
want schools that are right, you must be
willing to pay. A teacher who works
L" cheap " is generally q cheap teacher as
far rs ability is concerned, but dear one
rs far as money is concerned. A five
months school Of the right kind is better
than an eight months school of the third
rate.
Tie fact is, we have too many lazy
drones who go by the name of teachers
"a disgrace to the profession and an in
jury to those who are unfortunate enough
to be under their charge. No inconsider-
ate portion of our teachers, so called,
work, because they can't get living any
other way, and not because they love the
work and have been by nature and cult
walton fitted and prepared for it. Does
man or woman teach for pay alone ?
Shame on such a onel Does he or she
teach simply to brush up their own
knowledge' Out upon such Teaching
is or should be as much profession as
medicine OF law, and is really moro i'm
portant; for, as has been well said,
Teaching is the mother of profession,
without whose sustenance neither law,
nor medicine, nor divinity could live;
without whose instructions they never
go alone"
1t was said by one who has long been
connected with our schools: The
question is not how much man knows,
but how well he can tell what he knows"
To this last quotation the writer wishes
to enter demur. A person may know
enough, and furthermore, may be able
to tell incorrect manner all that he knows,
aud as much more rs he pleases, and
still be very poor teacher. Does teach
ING consist in telling what one knows?
By ho means! And here we come to
the proper answer. A true teacher is
one who elucates. The worl educate
is from e, from, aud ducO, to lead; to
bring forth; to unfold, and not to pump
en-.
\ true teacher, then, must understand
the laws of development OF mind-mind
the image OF God. lie must lie meta
physician; he must be Christian; he
must have an adequate conception of the
work, he must have love for it. What
work, it is for men to be engaged in !
As one has said, it is chisseing for
eteruity-ehisselling upon the immortal
mind; and shall a bungler be employed |?
But is there not work for parents? In
the first place children must be sent to
school regularly. There is an advantage
in being at school epery day, and in
season. Surprising you have the best
teacher that can be procured; can he
teach your children when they are at
home! Is he responsible for the fact
that Your children do not understand q
tbeorem to which he has never had suit
able opportunity of giving an explanation |?
Will YOU blame him for this other fact,
that because your children lost the expla-
nation of yesterday they cannot under
the one Of to-day9
If a lamp be suspended from the cell,
inc by chain, one of which is not strong
en,,,nI IN hold tba iaup oo,,o.