The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1872-08-02
trustees, commissioners examiners and
teachers.


sisting Of X. G. McBeath, commissioner,
and j. Smith Frisbie and Marcus l..
Fleming, held session of two days du-
ring last week for the purpose of examin-
ing teachers for the common schools.
Some forty teachers were in attendance,
and formed large and interesting class.
The exercises were entertaining and in
structive. Mr.. McBeath makes a splen-
did commissioner. His heart is thor
oughly alive to the cause Of education,
and to the necessity of making teaching
profession adapted to developing the
finer and nobler feelings Of the human
heart. The following appropriate re-
marks were made by him to the class be-
fore the exercises begun, and which
obtained his permission to have published
in your valuable Journal;
"LADIEs AND GENTLEMEN: You
have assembled for the purpose of under
going an examination the objecto which
is to test your ability to instruct, d;scip-
line and govern a school in accordance
with the requirements of common school
laws of Kentucky. / desire that each
one of you will act with deliberation, and
be entirely selfpossessed, so that your
examination will be fair exhibition Of
YOUR knowledge of the sciences. i assure
you, most positively, that it is not the
intention of this Board to conduct the
examination in such a manner as to en-
barrass or confuse you, but by fair and
proper interrogatories to ascertain your
knowledge of the sciences contained in
the common school course, and your abil-
ity to impart the same to others.
Believing that the only method we
have of ascertaining your knowledge Of
scientific principles is by testing your
ability to clothe the same in words, we
must necessarily ask you great many
questions. These shall not be abstruse
or unnecessarily technical. If, at any
time, a question is propounded, the OBJ
ject OF which you do not understand,
you should not attempt an answer until
it is given in a plain and comprehensive
manner. Every improper answer or
failure to answer will stand against you.
We shall not conine you to any par
ticular text book. Our object is to ex-
anime you with reference to science and
not authors. 1t matters not what auth
or's work you may have studied, nor
with what words you may express your
ideas, so they are clear and well defined.
II you understand the science il Is OF
little consequence who is the author Of
the book from which this knowledge ha:
been derived. That old, absurd and fool
ish notion, once prevalent among teach
ers, that all authors except those who's,
books they had studied we're ignoramuses
is now classed with many other pedanti,
and erroneous opinions once entertained
by our pedagogic brethren. Truth, Sci
ence and Progress are now the only legiti
mate watch-words that will enable us t.
pass the vigilant sentinels Of this scrutin
izing, investigating and progressive age
Onward and upward the car of progres
is rolling with amazing speed, and thos'
who will not mount and take a ride, vii
soon be left farin the rear, and find them
selves beclouded in ignorance and mex
tricably entangled in the may meshes o
old fogyism.
Teaching is now recognized as a pro
fession, and the true teachers worth an,
power are beginning to be felt and real
lied. The time is past when considerat
parents will entrust the training of thei
children to those who are morally an'
socially their interiors. The time wa
when men were employed to "keep school
because they were either too lazy or un
able TO do anything else. Now we mus
have true men andwomen-teachers pro
fessionally-who are industrious, ener
getic and thoroughly alive to the work
who feel and appreciate their noble call
ing, with its many grave and weight.
responsibilities, and who can arouse. sti
up and cause the young mind to develoI
its powers and grapple with the thought
of others, and thus seeking knowledg'
for the pleasures it affords. We mus
have those who will exalt, elevate an,
refine tho impulses and aspirations o
their pupils, causing them to subordinate
their natural propensities to a refnec
taste and high-toned, moral sensibility
harmoniously blending scientific knowl
edge with moral culture, suppressing tn
baser passions and giving tone, life an'
energy to the finer feelings and noble
impulses Of the human heart. We wan
men and women who, in their efforts b
mould human nature into human char
acter, will take the divine code for tbei
guide, making the individual happines
and prosperity of each pupil the main
spring Of all their actions, checking tn
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