Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1870-06-16
Teachers nrc Not Thorough
Enough.

the schools in enc of the sub districts
in this Crama) county. The day l
was there there were about thirty
scholars present. The teacher is
lady who has had considerable cxpe.
rience. Her reputation IS q teacher
is very good. Her manner Of con-
Quoting a school is, as far as my ex-
pcricncc goes, above the average and
her method OF imparting instruction
will compare favorably with that Of
any teacher in the county. There
was mono of that austerlty of man.
ncr, neither of that severity of looks
that is SO repals,ve especially to
small children. But, notwithstanding
all these good qualities, there was
something about the school that
made me lnwardly exclaim, teachers
are not thorough enough. These may
not be just the words to express my
meaning, but will tell you what
caused the exclamation, then you can
judge for our self and give this ar
ticle any name you may chose. I
noticed that when the children were
reading, some would hold the book
in the right and some in the left hand,
while some would use both hands.
Not one of them held the book in a
proper or even convenient position.
Some of the boys who were not rccit-
ing had both feet on the seat, or on
the seat of the scholar who sat op-
posite him, with their backs against
the wall as If afraid the side of the
building would tail in upon them
were the support removed. There
were as many different positions as
there was boys III school with none
Of them in that position that due
regard for the principles of physiolo-
gy would dictate. / thought of the
effect of this training, or rather, tins
lack of training, on the actions OF
those boys when they would be men
grown. 1t live till they reach the
stature of manhood, and see them at
any public meeting, ! shall expect
to see them sitting on the desks with
their feet on the window sill and
in all manner of awkward and dis
gushing posi;ions-and who will be
to blame? The positions OF the girls
were scarcely better than that OF the
boys, and it will be 4 great wonder
It any one OF them could grow up IN.
to that graceful and healthiul being
her maker designed her to be, crook
ed spines, rounded shoulders and va.
rious other disproportions will be the
rule, and who Is to blame? noticed
also that at low estimate one halt
OF the time OF each scholar was spent
in gazing about the room or out of the
windows, aud, consequently the ch,l.
dren were learning habits of careless
ness and inattcntlon. l do not believe
in. over.crowding i,nmaturcd minds,
but children should have lessons
cnoughto keep them comfortably busy
during school hours. One great cause
Of the frequent failures to have perfect
lessons can be rcmedied by giving
them lessons enough to occupy all
their time. Where it is otherwise
they know they have spare time and
they put off learning their lessons till
the last mnut. and then ,fany unlock.
ed-tor difficulty appears in the lesson
there must be failure.
Children generally have self.respect
enough to attend to their department
if it is presented to them in a suita
bio manner, and il teachers would
give little attention to these mat
ters and see that their pupils are
properly employed they would find
themselves well repaid for what lit.
tie extra trouble it might cost them.
TOLAD.
A "LEADER" GoNE.-The Oxford
Leader has succumbed to inevitable