The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1872-12-31
VO NIc NPkIN
Our Schools.

Our schools.
In an article some months since took
occasion to speak of the invf1iciency Of
our common schools ;and indicated some
of the causes Of that inefflsiency, Intend
ing in subsequent article to take up
those causes singly and give them little
airing
| do not know that accomplished any
good as to the schools. or that any one
was benefited by reading whatl wrote.
But :hink there has been more interest
manifested in the select schools Of the
county, during the past summer, by
young teachers, and those expecting to
teach, than for years, or perhaps ever
before; ond a number have gone beyond
the limits of the county, to better qalify
themselves for the important work Of
teaching kaow not what has started
the bali, but am glad that it IS rolling,
and hope that it may continue to roll ,on
and on. till all our schools are supplied
with well qualified, livs teachers
A few years since, while attending an
oral examination, the subject Of the
manner Of teaching came up,and | spoke
Of what had observed of the manner
and result of the teaching in certain
section of the county. "Why," said the
Examiners, ''thoAc teachers must have
been wooden men, for, surely live teachers
would work differently, and accomplish
more"
Since then, I have been looking into
the schools occasionally, and l fin6 the
wooden men are not all dead yet. True,
some OF them are dropping out, but l
am not we'll pleased with all the younger
ones that are taking their places. Why
Because they do not manifest that lively
interest in, adaptation to, and qualifca-
ton for their work. which are essential
to good teaching. But Why are these
not manifested? "Ah! there's the rub. "
1t has been remarked that ferrymen and
toll collectors soon get lazy; (the
amount of their fees you know is the
same, whether they poke along or push
ahead, and it's just possible that teach.
ers may become so too; especially if il
amounts to just the same financially
But laziness never should be tolerated
in the schcd room
Instead of persistently keeping in the
old ruts, the teacher should lead the
school directly up the hill Of science, to
new conquests in the broad fields before
them; and deeper into the mines OF
knowledge,to the rich treasures awaiting
to be secured by earnest lsborers. Nei.
the children, nor their parents seem to
have much idea of the value of these
treasures, and unless the teacher lesds
the way, and urges the school into these
broader 6elds, but little will be accom-.
piished, and the schools will remain in
their present backward condition.
| The teachers nsSst be awakened to a
true sense Of the importance of their po'
sition, and the responsibility which rests
upon them. They must not seek to win
favor, by pursuing a course that viii
please everybody, at the expense of the
best interest of the school; but they
must seek 10 know the right, and "know-
ing dare maintain" and pursue that
course which will work the greatest good
to tho greatest number
TO do this successfully, they nusl
have better qualihcations--noral, intel
lectual and scientific. The moral char.
acter should be above suspicion, that the
name and influence may carry weigh in
the right direction. (Shame on the
morals Of some, who have, as their pa.
pers read, "eiven satisfactory evidence
! of good moral character" The intel.
lectual powers must be better cultivated
aad the scientific a.taiunents much more
varied and thorough; and the hoD as
well as the sohat to teach, must receive
more attention.
If We have been raising the standard
of qualifications, for the last twenty
years, it must 60 higher yet A little
more ''stamina" in the Examiug Board
might not be waste OF capital,
1so many Of our teachers seem to
know not how to teach children to read
or even spell correctly. Too many Of
them merely "keep school" and hear les
sons, and really do but vcry little teach
ing. In too many Of the schools Gram
] mar aud Geography are almost entirely
neglected; aud Composition and De
clanation-where is the school that findl
place for them7 We must have betteI
organization aud classification in tn.
schools; and the teachers must lead off
and to do SO successfully, they mus
have rofS4 aAd Ueight sufficient no
only to Wia, bat to command, confidence
and respects JED.