The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-06-02
What is tlse ReasNa.

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"Wel Agsie, how do you like your now
teacher?' inquired Mrs. Lowell Of her
daughter as she returned from school.
MOT bit. | believe he's going to be as
cross as can be-" said tho important miss.
"Why my dear ?" asked the Mother.
why for several reasons" replied the
daughter. In the reading class today ha
made me road one verse over and over three
o., four times. had notion to tell him to
read it himself il he wanted it read any
better. and then he looked So cross at ma
when asked Cora Day to lend me her
pencil, hav'nt recovered my good feelings
yet He even told us this ev ening that ha
couldn't hav communications in school, Of
any kind, as if we large girls would whisper
when it wasn't necessary. told Cora I'd
whisper just as much as pleased. Mrs.
Weston entered and the subject dropped.
Daring her stay the subject of schools
was introduced. "IIow does Aggie ike
her nav teacher" said Mrs. w. "She ID
very much dissatisfied" replied Mrs. Il.
81 see he is not going to be liked at all. A
teacher must possess the power Of making
his pupils like him, or he will never sue.
ceed Il heard no complaint from our
children" said Mrs. w. "Anna particularly,
IS pleased with him., She thinks he isl tho
most energetic. thorough teacher and dis.
.ciplinarian we have ever had" Mrs. L
was displeased to hear her daughters judg.
ment set at nau.ht and changed the sub.
ject as soon as possible. t.s 45fa
This is . sample Of what our teachers
have to contend with when first opening
school. A large majority of those who
patronize our public schools complain of
their inefficieney. the children do not le arn
the t>achers are not liked. and evry thing
goes wrong You ask what is the tropblet
The almost universal answer il, O, tho
teachers the teachers! Some are Aboli-
tionis's, some cnpperheals;either too severe
in government or too lenient. Some whip
the children for disobedience which is assin
others do not and are therefore Of no &C.
count. Some lack in scholarship others
have not the ability to make our Susan or
our John understand figures at all At all
and are. in word altogether what they
should not be. g z5 "a egsse vEa
That our public schools are not what
they should be. no one who is acquainted
with them thinks Of dispuung. But the
blame is not always placed where It belongs.
II teachers were all angels [as many parents
thi"k they ought to bel our schools would be
little better than they now are until they
have decent and comfortable school houses;
but teachers ave not angels, neither are the
parents and moreover the later, are subject
in all cases to ipperfsctiops As well IS the
former.
Manv teachers fail for want of that encour-
agement from parents which they need 1t
the opening of their schools, and in Justice
should have. The children start to school
with ideas fully formed, as to what the teach.
er should be. and what he is. and If the "ta.
BILE talk" that morning favored the teacher
well-ifo'herwise, tha. teacher will have
tronh,e more or less.
Give the child the impression before ne
sees his teacher. that he will be his friend and
love to instruct hi,n If he makes himself
worthy. and he viii be almost sure to find
him al! that he desired But let the "a.
rents be suspe citing and the children viii
find plenty of faults which with different
impressions would never have been no
ticed.
The teacher is not faultless to be sure
perfection, certainly no one claims. If be
i'bors faithfully for the good Of your
children, it is your duty to encourage h,m
all in your favor. Ifyou think your cha.
dren are not safe, morally, mentally and
physically. under his care, then the sooner
you take them from the school the better
both for teacher and pupils.
Children are not taugnt at bone, self con-
troll obedience to superiors, and "thats
WHATS the matter LuLu.
Sunny Place. May 11th 1854.