The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-07-08
Good echoola.

10 nave go0d ech0oIe, w must
have good teachers; and TO have good
teachers, we must have schools espe-
-oisaly for-ths. education of teachers.
Avery thorough school teacher in
our county said to mo, : few days
since, Eve haven't moro than one
teacher IA tvehty that sndsfstands
even the frst principles Of teaching"
This is not very hattering, - be
sure, 10 thestsachers Of our county,
yeti fear my friend 10 not far ont Of |
theway. IF this is true, il is impos-
sible TO have good schools. There |
may be fdor schools where there arc
good teachers, but there are no good
schools where there are poor teach
ers. There may be elegant school
houses, Icostly apparatus, and contin-
ssed school; but without good teach
ers there will be failure.
We deserve, good schools, and must
have them. How shall We getthsm'
BY establishing State NormalS Schools
and making it necessary for tho up.
srlicant 70 present diploma, or At
least a recommendation, from the
Faculty.
1t is intended that schools shall
teach science; and how can that be
possible till scientific mon are employ.
ed as teachers?
81 Men seem to suppose that to be
conversant with the matter taught
in our common schools fully fits ono
to teach. But this forms-if such .
thing were possible-the smaller half
OF what is needed to constitute .
good teacher. County Superintend-
ents seem to hold to this false theo-
~. For, whom they have visited :
school; have seen tho teacher deport
himself in school; have been able
unless too obtuse-to fathom tho
teachers adaptedness 10 teach, they
must have him appear before them
and answer a long list Of prepared
questions, If he answers them,
certificate is granted; il not, he il
i2cted. To answer al Of these
4estions secures q " First Grade Cor.
Ticate," showing that one 10 first
class teacher. How little time, BY
this process, it requires to got cor.
tidcate as first-olass teacher; how
much time and labor are required to
make one such! A little common
sense in this matter would have Is
good effect as seasoning in soup.
Some one may say: These arc tho
complainings of some one who has
failed to get . certificate; OF, If no
has one. it is of very poor grade
I have four 6rst-class certificates, vet
am far from being . drst-class teach.
err Think Id DO just ~ good .
teacher if l had mono.
County pupils cannot tell, simply
BY oatechising, whether one il capao-
itated to teach, or not. They must
adopt some other means, or continue
to GID certificates by guess. For ~
it is, maintain, that it is guess
work. Let these desiring to teach
tske instruction from Normal Fac
ulty, and if that Faculty can recon.
mend them we may have some A.
surance Of their ability. Or il the
Sup't. c6uld have class called for
the test on examination day, he
might be able to tell better OF the
qualifications Of the applicants.
We have no State institutions for
the; education ofteachers, and think
one duty Of the press to be, to in
struct our next Assembly to appro-
pirate means for the erection Of at
least one in every two Congressional
districts. We need them. We stand
far behind our sister States in this
matter, and we must advance : Mr..
Editor, won't You start tho ball
rolling in our county2
We can not have systematic
schools, all working together for the
promotion of education, till W have
systematically educated teachers.-
The State must educate these teach
ers, or they will attempt to teach
as they are doing ncw all over tho
country without any education. Will
not orr Convention this summer NOM
'"ate nersons who will agree to urge
tie r}atter of Normal Schools before
ouF ljol,isiature =? The teachers are
unanimous in this matter, and wish
to be educa ed to tcach. Will not the
> State provide for their education,
that we may have model schools all
over our land
Can we hear from others on this
subject? D.
NJ ST,R VEN