The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1866-11-08
For the TiptOn Advertiser

~ Va Aioic ehah oIulilaTy importance TO
the people of our county; and especially
so to all the earnest friends of our COM
mon school system in the county. Claim
ing ourselves to be one of the latter
number, and wishing to render all assis-
lance possible to the present incumbent
in that Office, we venture to submit. i'm
spirit Of kindness, few remarks con-
corning that report. And, first, we ten
der our thanks to Mr.. Rigby for making
report Of his doings, for it conveys the
idea that he Is amenable to somebody for
the manner in which he discharged the
duties Of his Office. Some of his prede-
cessors, If we recollect rightly, never
acknowledged that fact, for they never
made a report, or, if they did, we never
saw 1t, though we watched diligently
for 1t. Next, we are glad to learn that
he visited SO many schools; we wish he
could have visited more, SO that no one
ofthe one hundred and twenty of our
I'd, ~ -,>~-~ :4e- 4e>.,,. .-..Ai,-
advice. But two schools per day was
more than We could reasonably expect
of him, and therefore we charge him of
no derilection in that branch of his
labors. Aa <S& # @ @.a& ,..T 9@4.
We approve, too, of the course he pur-
sued in visiting the schools. It was
proper he should regard the qualifica-
tons Of the several teachers, as they
developed themselves in the practical
workings of the schoolroom, for there
are many, who, on their examination
for teachers testimonials, pass that orde-
al without blemish, and yet they are
as unfit for that position as we are to fill
the place Of the Emperor of France, or
the chair Of the Car of the Russias.
And we claim that the schoolroom is
the only place where these deficiencies
can be detected. True, the expression
of the eye tells much; so does the general
Of the person, the readi-
ness of expression, and the kind of Ian
guage used in making that expression,
all tell much concerning the qualifica-
tions of the would-be teacher and all
this may be made known by an exami-
nation, but it remains for the schoolroom
alone, to develop the power of arranging,
and managing school prop
erly which every one should possess who
engages In the service Of teacher.
And farther still, the schooIroom is the
only place where teachers ability to
impart knowledge can be or Is readily
and fully seen. Teachers should not
only have knowledge themselves of
what they are about 10 teach, but they
should have an aptness to impart that
knowledge to others. Aptness in teach
ing is an Indispensable requisite for a
good and successful teacher SO also,
the ability to govern; and we claim that
the schoolrooin is the only place where
its possession will be the most readily
and fully made known, or the lack of it
the most distinctly seen. Hence we
most heartily approve of Mr.. Ricby's
purpose in visiting his schools, and say
it was necessary that he should have an
ocular demonstration of the Guaifica-
tons of his teachers in order that he may
know that they are dealing faithfully
with their patrons and that the public
funds are not spent for naught.
As for the difficulties he found i'm the
way Of making our schools more effect
i've, and hence more valuable, he has our
deep and heartfelt synpathies. We
know them all; we have long felt them
in our own neighborhood and seen them
in our own township; and have often
felt surprised at the Indifference mani
tested by both parents and children con-
corning matter of such vast import
ance. But so it is. We deeply regret it,
and hope the time is coming when that
indifference will have passed away and
all will be as anxious to secure the edu-
cation of the young as the most misery
now are to cultivate their fields and thus
increase their store of worldly goods.
But there is one thing in that report
we deeply regret-Mr. Rigby, we trust,
will pardon US for our frankness in
speaking,-wc regret his silence con-
corning many points which we con-
ceive Of great Importance to the county,
and hence should be found, as we think
in his report. We know that our tax
payers arc raising large amounts Of funds
each year for the education of our chill
dren, and most of them we are happy
to know, pay their proportion freely
! Now, we and they wish to know wheth.
err that money is properly expended OIL
not. Are our children making advances
in learning Do the schools indicate al
Improvement generally" Do the schools
of any one township excel those of any
other township: or, is there any on,
school in any Township which excels al
other schools in its own township, or il
the countyo And so also with til,
teachers; is there any laudablc ambitio,
to excel developed there: Do the,
strive to surpass each other il
their ability to 'impart instruction t,
their scholars? Do they develop an,
more skill in arranging and properl,
classifying their schools now than the,
! did Won 20 aroo 10 fhny ippro,n ,rpo,