The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-09-01

Va ""J lo'Nl VI euuCttlO"' SHO'"' W Up |
posed to them The cause Of education
in this county took fresh impetus and
an upward tendency with our first Insti-
tute. Every succeeding one has been a
means of advancement and we to-day |
have a better corps of teachers than ev-
er before. The Institute oflast year was,
perhaps, the least valuable of any that |
we have had. Why? Because of rainy |
weather, and the absence of Il. Cs. |
dubbed Professors" who he says are
Imported to conduct the "ephemsra," as
he calls them. Meek, indeed, must be
that teacher who cannot make enough
improvement at a good Institute to over
pay his expenses. Can he not gain bet
ter idea about something that will be
useful to him as a teacher; the motions
of the earth, for instance; how the seasons
are produced; difficult points in mathe~
mates, grammar, composition, school
government, or something Of the kind2
Does he know all about all these? If so
it IS to be hoped that his complaint is
only an imaginary expansion of the
head. Is he 80 dull he cannot learn.
Then let him back out from the profess
sion; but let the Institutes go on for those
who can and will be benefited by them.
The value Of them cannot be summed up
like a grocer's bill and expressed in doll
lars and cents; but they are valuable new
ertheless. Neither can the valne of a
good school be SO expressed; vet it is val.
liable
A good plan for a teacher to follow is
to take items from the knowledge and ex-
perence, and, | may add, the folly of his
fellow teachers, adopting what is good
and guarding against the bad. This he
has a chance to do at the Institutes.
One more more word about our Institutes
How would the teachers like to hold the
next one somewhere in the country,
where | believe we would he welcomed
with a cordial extension of free entertain-
ment? / believe that many neIghbor-
hoods would as soon have an Institute as
a Baptist Association, or q Methodist
Quarterly Meeting.
r. c. wants the heads of our school
examiners cut off with something that
will do the work quickly. | suppose a
gmdofinc would answer the purpose. Now
/ want it understood that although no
grandfather of mine-no tailor who holds
a bill against me-is on that board.
think decapi'ation too bloody an affair fer
me. Let us kill them, if at all, when
they claim to be models perfection. The
very idea of abolishing the examining
board, and throwing the whole matter o
determining a teachers qualifications or
the trustees, carries with it an idea o
humbuggery on the part Of ,0ould BE- teach
ers hard enough to guard against will
the safeguards we now have. As tn,
law stands, we, in effect, have few trus
tees The whole matter of choosing q
teacher is thrown on the districts at large
, An election or two must be called, rival
: ry among teachers encouraged-rivalr.
; in regard TO price, not qualifications;
subscription circulated, while some grow
at others FOR not subscribing enough
! Some will not subscribe to or support
, school unless the teacher OF his choice b
selected. Thus the matter stands TIL
: trustee, instead of having power himself
t to choose teacher, is placed under obi
}. cations to try and humor the whims o
4 his district, and he oftener fails than sue
r ceeds. The law most to be desired il
7 one giving the trustee power TO compe
: the district to paw the teacher he think
e best adapted to the school in his district
S ! know that this view is somewhat I'm
C popular, but the people will see it is tn
e best after they wrange over the preseu
. system awhile. As to the board of ex
Y aminers, it seems that every good teach
C er should wish them to increase thei
: strictness, instead of wishing to abolis
: it entirely. G. NJ. Il.