Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-04-04
EAueotlO00l.


schools il rapidly approaching The
officers are looking for teachers and
teachers are seeking situations. There
is manifested, already, degree Of en-
thusiasm which aueurs veil for the
cause, and We hope it will not abate
until the work Of teaching is placed in
competent hands. In the prosecution
Of any business, there is danger Of TWO
things First, We are likely to distrust
ourselves. Second, We uniformly defer
TOO mach to the opinions Of others
Complete success is seldom achieved by
uas effort. We try again, but only te
be disappointed. With disappoint-
mens always comes fear. In the state
Of mind thus produced = school officer
is approached BY would-be teacher
lie docs not like he! manner or her
conversation he feels that she is not
in all respects what their district needs,
but, fearful lest they be deprived Of al
school and, thinking that it is impossi-
BILE to find teacher who is really suit
able. and intrenching himself behind
the dogma that "a poor schoo: is better
than none," he accepts che service. Of
the most inefficient Of th: whole army
thu, somehow procure liconse to teach.
Very many Of the rural districts have
never had the advantages Of first class
instruction, and therefore they are full
Of children who have made but little
progress in their studies. When this
in the case, officers are quite likely to
jeol that any person who knows more
than the pupils is a competent teacher
for them, AID, because such can be had
for Inv wages, they are set to work.
What is the result Of this 10 general
practice. Listen !! The condition 0:
such schools Is the same from year to
year. No person Of liberal culture aud
skill in imparting will ever be needed
there, for the pupils will always be but
little advanced in their Studies 1t
seems to u perfectly clear that the
backward school needs the best
teacher. That new methods, new ideas,
and new inspiration aud progress must
come from Ice teacher OF not come
ut all.
If this is true. school officers should
b. careful indeed in making selections.
Not every young man, or young woman,
who holds certificate is qualified to
teach Teaching is now digni6ed us u
profession, aud yet, fully one half OF
those who engage in the work from
year to year, do so without special
preparation, aud without any intention
Of pursuing it as permanent avocation.
II is more remunertivc, and more gen.
teel than kitchen work, aud it leads
more directly out into the broad ave-
nucs Of society and pleasure. Young
men engage in it temporily from no bet
ter motives. They enter the work with
4 N)icawber like feeling. They are
prepared "to wait for something to turn
up." 1t is to this class Of teachers Of
each sex that we would call the atten-
tion of officers.
In preparing your seed grain, you
take great care to eliminate all that is
foul and in pure, and unhealthy. II
once passing through the screen is MOI.
sufficient, you repent the process until
the tarcs are all removed, and then,
fearing that some Of the grains, al
though Of a fair exterior, may be dead
ut the germ, having no life principle in
them, you place the whole in brine,
when the worthless will at once come
to the surface, IN acknowledge.
mcnt Of its own worthlcssncs*, ard an
additional proof that call things are
not what they scc'n."
In running the applicants through
a brief examination it will be impm 81.
he for the Superintendent to detect all
the deficiencies Of character, and mind,
and culture, and motive. Meeting for
the first time aud holding brief iotcr-
view will afford but an Indifferent op-
portunity to measure CHARACTER, which,
utter Ill, is the only foundation Of real
success in teaching. The rcrsons who
will 20 out after the examinations which
sre 80 eoon to take place, carrying each
q certificate Of qualifications, will, after
al, haze in that paper no evidence Of
any fitness for the work in which they
sock to engage except Il at they possess
tie requisite modicun, Of bouk-knowi.