Nebraska advertiser., 1869-08-05

amongst those OF the OlSIrlCJ VINO TAX
most interest in the school, (thougl
there are exceptions to this rule;) AM
they frequently take some pains Z
prOcufe suitable teachers, and to keel
the school house in such order tina
: the teachers and pupils can enjoy {
reasonable degree Of comfort, ant
having done this, they feel that the.
have accomplished all that is required
of them, and no doubt congratulate
themselves on the efficient manner il
which they have filled the Office. Blu
this is q mistake. The man wis
holds the position of q school distric
officer, and from one years end TO an
other never condescends to show hi
face iH the school room, while th'
school is in session, fails utterly ant
entirely to fulfill the requirements o
his Office.
j Now, how many district officers ar
there in Nemaha county who Yisi
their schools and know how they arr
conducted? I viii venture to say
that,not one fourth Of them, and ifths
cue ion was asked, "hOw many. O
4 Them do their duty in the premises,
i l might safely say not one tenth o.
them.
They do not mean to slight the
teacher, but they are willing that he
shall have it all his own way, and il
rumOr says he kept good school they
are satisfied to take rumOr's word fol
it; if the contrary, they regard it as 8
matter over which they had nc
control.
Now, there may be teachers to whom
this is agreeable, but /, for one, would
rather have my employers call on me
occasionally, even though it was to
disapprOve. Then there would be a
chance to vindicate my position, or if
my course was an improper one, and
they convinced me of it, / could pur-
sue some other, and they could per-
haps point out the proper one.
Under the circumstances the only
wonder is that the common schools
are as efficient as they are.
Lastly, the grave subject of the du-
ties of parents in regard to the district
schools shall engage my attention for
short time, and so far from being
able to speak of this fully in this ar
ticle, fear I shall not. be able to no.
tice but a few of the many errors
which parents commit.
First Of all, the parent who designs
placing his children under the care of
teacher, ought to strive to become
acquainted with the teacher, and to be
ready to encourage him at all times,
and to advise when necessary and
most of all, to impress his children
with the idea that the teacher is their
friend, and will do all in his power to
elevate and enOble them, and that
their success dependsvery much on
the attention which they pay to his
teaching.
But instead of this, some, even good
citizens, never, become acquainted
with the teacher personally, or if they
do, never offer a word of sympathy or
encouragement, and if he is villifled
by the petty minded, is ready to
shrink from him, and treat hina as q
condemned criminal, with nObetter evil
denee than the neighbOrhoOd gossip.
Then there are those who are too Of
fleioas, OfIerIng advice where it is not
needed, and prescribing to the teacher
the course he must take, with $50 and
SOS" children, and gravely giving a
history of $50 and So" all with a de-
sign of working out some selfish mo-
tive, but with no good intentions to-
ward the teacher.
Then the credulOus class, who
eagerly drink in every word their
children say about the school and
teacher, and become convinced that
the school is a nuisance, and instead
of inquiring into the truth of "YOung
Americas" statement, forthwith set
about circulating reports about the
school and teacher, with such addi-
tions as they think will make the
matter look more plausible, until they
work themselves up to the point that
they really believe their own stories,
and full of wrathful indignation pro-
claim the teacher knaye, etc.
1 know 1 ought to stop here, but
few more remarks are essential to
make me understood.
/ do not mean this is general, by
any means, but fear it is the rule,
and the opposite the exception in the
whole Northwest:
Parents are evidently carless about
sending to school, negligent about
preparing their children to attend,
and too much inclined TO listen to the
idle reports of petty minded men and
women, instead of cultivating the
acquaintance of the teacher and help
ing him in his vocation.
Too many expect the teacher to
perform possibilities, and because
he fails they are ready to cry out,
''knaver or impOsters.
One more class I want to mention.
which I would not notice if they
were not so numerous. / mean those,
who for every offence, supposed or
real, take their children out of the
school, and thus encourage them to |
persist in misconduct at school, and
finally bring them up blOckheads or
knaves, and then cry out against the |
schools to which they refused to send. |
How often I have observed that a |
parent was ready to take offense ut the |
teacher for the very thing they ought |
to thank him for, and to declare that |
if their children must be insulted |
they would keep them at home, and |
the boy, proud Of having created q |
between bis parents and |
teacher, becomes from that time a /
lOafer.
One more item had nearly forgot
ten, namely, textbooks. The teacher,
IL he knows his business, will never
advise q change in textbooks, unless
the change is demanded, and then if |
the parents refuse 20 make such
change, he ought to refuse to hear
their children's lessons.
OF all the detriments to the success
Of teachers in the west, / consider va
riety of books the greatest, and in this
the Superintendent ought TO interfere,
for parents will not act on the sugges-
gestiOn of teachers.
More anon.
OCCASIONAL
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