Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-08-01
Edaa0oli0no1.,

devoted myself, almose exclusively, t
tho pork 81 visiting schools. This is
duty incumbent upon the County Super
intendcnt, and, IL conscicntiously per
formed, is one Of the most useful func
ti ], = Il the Office, r, :
Ia this work I have had in view
principally, two things. First, to ascer
! 'aie ftd true measure Of tho qnalifi
cations Of ca:h teacher, and second, b,
kbtief lectures aud vivid character illus
trations, to Impress the minds Of The
pupils with the vast Importance Of y.n
ni"e goodness, and as auxiliary to this
l. have constantly insisted upon, first
absolute obedience At home, and a,
school, .ecom', perfect truthfulne*s, and
third, 4 conscientious abstinence from,
everything impure, either in thought,
speech, or action. have been pro-
foundly impressed 9Th the idea that
Fchunqcter,, moro than any other one
thing,ti. what this nation needs to-day;
|thas ! deeply rooted, wide spreading ill.,
teyri,y1 mus. be made to inhere peru'a
i'entlj in the minds Of our youth, before
v, can J: hops for any; proper develop
ment. That, indeed, to unfold and
train the intellect without securing a
corresponding growth Of the moral quail
titles, ~ hazardous in the extreme, aud
70 be avoided, IS tending only to an in
o:esss Of power without providing any
means for its restraint, or to give it
proper employment. 1have, therefore,
uniformly presented this consideration
to the children and sought to impress
them with its importance!
I am more tban ever before convinced
that the ordinary examination Of teach
ers affords but = very inadequate kno~l-
edge Of their w>rkins ability. Nine.
tenths Of them must be tested in the
CLASSROOM before their value can be
properly estimated.
~ My visits have been a source Of con-
stant, surprise to me. l have found
success in some cases where l least ex-
bected it, and l have Witnessed failure,
where 1 thought failure impossible.
- l have found book. knowledge md
az incorrisibly bad temper, struggling
together aad neutrali.g all progress. l
have seen weakness, amounting: almost
to selt:distrust, aud a strong couscien-
tiousness, laboring under the disadvant-
age which ! want Of liberal culture
always necessitates, working victorious
y achieving great success.
q A degree Of discrimination can be
exercised at the fall examinations which
was utterly impossible in those Of last
spring, and l have taken the ground
that, in no case, will I license anew, any
no matter how splendid his
attainment, whose work in tho school
room has been char c;erized by want
Il, FIRST, eonsoientiousness in bus work );
second, that degree Of mental and ply
eical energy which is recognized as
Of success in any other de-
partment Of business ; and third, that
power ofself- control, which is indispen-
sable to the proper discipline Of any
school. :m: =
Approaching the question Of the
tho work done in the schools, find it
necessary to make division. There
are two principal parts, sndan auxiliary,
which modidss both. In The order Of
the prominence given to each, they are
graded about Is follows, viz: LIST, Read
ing, Arithmetic, Geography; I'd, Dr.
thography,, History Grammar; and Sd,
moral instruction. More time is given
20 resding-and properly too-tllan to
aqp>y . other branch, and; saving a few
prominent exceptions that time has been
.'ePSr.t Hkan lost! So broad statement
n.y need tobe explained, but not modi-
lied: ." rzI'.',,. 81.
Nearly all thst is learned in school