The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1872-01-30
FAILURES IN SCHOOL ROOMS.
Read at the Forest County Teachers
Institute. Wednesday Eve. Jan. Gath,
1874.
BY MISS MARY M'cURDY.

Teaching is subject on which much
has been said, and much remains yet to
be said. The more we delvc into mi
mute researches, the more we find there
is to be learned and the common
school teacher Of the present period
can find no excuse for failures in the
school room. We are aware that some
teachers do fail to do much good in
the school that is entrusted to their
care; but il we trace the failures back
we will find, in nine cases out Of ten,
this teacher is teaching, or merely put.
ting in his time as an Introductory to
some better position. With male
teachers this is an lnvariable rule and
female teachers are too often guilty of
the same conduct. Idly waiting for
som, thing better to turn up, and to get
the responsibility of school shifted off
their shoulders, they sail into matri
mony, only to double their response
bility.
But there is another class Of persons,
who find they must do something to
support themselves; they look around
to find some easy position, which will
enable them to slide through the world
without much exertion, and they final
ly conclude that aching is about rs
easy work as presents itself, and if they
find it harder than they anticipated,
they are sure to make it easy, aud the
only thing that reminds them that
they are teaching, is visit to the
treasury occasionally.
But teachers who do their duty as
they understand it, and are not con.
tented with mediocrity, but still, "aim
higher" step by step, until they have
reached that position as to have few if
any superiors. Let us, us teachers of
this Institute, resolve to do our whole
duty, closing our doors against failure.
Parents have a great deal to do with
the failures ia the school room. Take
school where the parents take no
interest (save to send the younger
children, from five down out of the
road, where they expect the teacher
to govern all the families of the dis.
trict in peace and harmony, not daring
to use the rod. You are given to un-
derstand that their children have never
been conquered at home, end you have
no right to try to conquer them at
school. This class of parents frequent
ly entertain their children with glowing
accounts Of their own school-day
pranks and tricks Ca sure way to en-.
courage their children to violate and
diso6ey the laws Of the school room).
These parents never neglect their
stores, shops or farms, or any home
concerns 10 visit their school, but have
their children tell all about it in their
own style, and are always sure to be
pleased with sh,ewd and witty nara.
tions of cunning tricks at the teachers
expense. The interior arrangement of
the school room does not concern
them; it is not their house, and their
children are only there part Of the
] time. Who, ask you, is the cause Of
failure in this school?
Another of the failures in the school
room is caused by the itinerant system
of boarding around" Heretofore,
and even now, except ira very small
proportion of cases, the teacher has
been, not exactly houseless, but a
homeless wanderer, a hanger-loOse on
the outskirts of society. 1t is the nat
ural desire of every heart to have some
spot that We can call home. Yet to
teachers who "bnard around" this
great blessing is denied ahd We might
say. With Cowper, "oh, FOR a lodge in
sors vast vildersessi" or with sur