Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-08-13
Resolutions and Reports Adopted by the
Convention of County and City Superin-
tendents.
SCHOOL VISITATION.

Convention of County and City Superin-
tendents.
SCHOOL VISITATION.
Your Committee on ssMethod of
Visiting Schools beg leave to report:
That, whilst we believe it is diff
cult to. recommend any method of
visiting schools in preference to all
others, and that the circumstances of
the case must determine the mode
Of the visit, we would recommend
that in all cases, where it is prictca-
bic, the school board and other pat
rons of the school, should be in at
tendance, and, where the school
board are not in attendance, the
county superintendent should in writ
ing, call their attention to the condi>
ton of the school, and point out i'm
projections in the school house. APP
purtenances, its grounds, and out
houses then classes should be exam
med critically or silently listened to,
as conducted by teachers, as the case
may seem TO demand, and that the
teachers should be informed in writ,
ing or otherwise of any defects in
government, or modes of recitation,
as well as any excellencies discover
ed therein, etc. and that these Wis.,
its should be made as near the begin
ming of the school term, and for as
long time as the number of schools.
under the supervision of each super~
intendent will permit; and that the
results of such visits should be given
in the county newspapers and fur
Their, that new and inexperienced
teachers should be the first to receive
these visits; and that these visits
should usually be made without pre-
vious information being given to the
teachers.
Respectfully submitted,
DGRAY PURMAN.
LORENZO MERRILL,
o. X. SMITH.
PRIMARY SCHOOLS.
Your committee submit, that the
object of sending little children to
school is not that they may not sit OF.
a bench and say the alphabet, two or
four times a day, nor yet that they
may be out way of their mothers at
home
As all future men and women must
pass through childhood, and their
wisdom or folly, strength or weak
ness, happiness or misery, depends
mainly on their treatment during
their stage Of existence, it is of prime
Importance that teachers, and school
officers should direct public opinion
and action SO as to make it safe to
live in an age of schools.
We recommend the adoption of the
following resolutions:
Resolued, That the most comfort
able, most roomy, most airy and best
furnished school rooms and most
healthful circumstances and arrange.
ments, instead of being reserved for
intermediate and high schools, should
be furnished for the primary departs
ments.
ReS0lUed, That children under nine
years Of age will not only make bet
ter proficiency in learning in three
hours school day than in six or sew.
en-, but will stand a chance to acquire
and retain those indispensable bodily
energies which will enable them to
work their way in after life. But
when we shall reach the time that
school houses and grounds shall be
furnished with the conveniences of
comfortable homes, and our teachers
so well acquainted with the laws
which govern the growth, health and
development of the young that they
can blend and diversift the physical
and mental exercises of Vheir pupils,
and arrange INSTRUCTIVE, study, rec>
reation and rest for their several
classes according to the needs of their
nature, we may then safely and prop
erly hold school for primary scholars
seven or ten hours a DAY.
ResolUed, That the small scholars
in all our common schools should
learn to write and count while they
are learning to read, and at the same
time, by means of maps aud oral in
structiOn, attaine a knowledge of
the principal truths of physiology
and the laws of health, as well as of
geography; that all of these scholars
should participate in regular course
of slate exercises, and also be daily
exercised at the black board, and that
the plea of want Of time to attend to
these things on the part of teachers
is simply a confession of ignorance of
the art of teaching.
ReSolved, That a proper number
of the seats aud desks in the country
school houses should be suitably arr
ranged for the use of small children.
and where this has not been done, the
county superintendent should ad
wise and direct re arrangement.
ReS0tUed, That the chairman of this
convention be instructed to memoir
alize The Legislature at its next ses>
sion for the passage of an act re-
quiring that all teachers of primary
schools be examined in physiology
and the laws of health.
D. ". ROsENKRANs,
T. c. POMKR0Y.
Committee
NORMAL SCHOOLS.
That, rs citizens of the state of Wis.
consin, and as school officers under
the provisions Cf it's statntas xya 40