Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-02-10
TEACHES COLUM MN,
CLAY WOOD. EDITOR.

FELLOW. TEACHERS ii herewith subioin
for your benefit, few. questions that will be
asked of you when l visit your schools.
They were sent me for my private instyuc.
ton by our most excellent State Superinten-
dent. shall offer but few from pumer-
GUS list, and, in tho order Of their import
ance:
1 Is the teacher familiar with the subject
taught?
Q. Is he interested Ia his work?
8. Are the Rotations properly con-
ducted?;;
4. Is the pupil taught to tell accurately
what he has iearned2
s. Is oral instruction given in physiology,
vocal music, and in morals and manners?
9. Is the ~hols school thoroughly in
. rur,e.I in reading, spelling and writing7
TO the above questions l wish to add som,
notes and comments, and so will take them
MP scriatin,. OF course it is obvious that
affirmative answers are the most salts
factory:
LIST. The FIRST in the list is frst in i'm.
portance, for tha teacher cannot teach sue
cessfully that which he himself does not
clearly understand. Az Prof. Palmer puts
it, "He cannot reason that into the brain Of
another which las not been first reasoned
into his own
%, Unless the teacher manifest an active
interest In his work the pupil becomes list
less, impatient and disorderly. II the teach
er Tolls on bench, or II. lie drawls out his
words, or if e,be tied down to an utter de-
pendence on the text book, he will as GER
tainly fail to elicit the attention and ANNA.
ton of his class, ,as that like effects follow
similar causes. One will not step very
lively to the tune Of Old Hundred.
Sd. We have had occasion to speak Of
tho importance Of methods Of teaching
heretofore. In order to learn new and bet.
ter methods, and also to approximate some-
thing like uniformity in the use Of the same,
a normal institute was held last summer.
But not every teacher III the county was
80 fortunate as 70 avail himself Of the benefit
Of this training school. Many books have
been issued from the press Calculating the
methods Of school management and school
instruction; many journals are cent OUT
monthly on the Same errand, Of which every
teacher should read two or three.
4th. shall be brief in the fourth ques.
ton. To cultivate expression, to teach how
to use Language, lin short to teach English
grammar practically, is one Of the chief
aims Of recitation by teachers who have
aims in their instruction. Spelling books,
dictionaries, grammars, readers, and nearly
every school book Is intended to teach Ian.
guage to our schools. By teaching language
we teach thought % our scholars.
9Th. wish to weigh every word l write
in this paragraph, both because it is impor.
tant In itself and because l tread on contro-
verted ground. virtually admit that we
may not teach scctarianism-that we may
not teach creed. But may not point to
the heavens and tell that they declare the
existence Of God need the devout Catholic
even murmur if I teach his child that can
things whatsoever ye would that men should
do unto you, de ~ even 20 to themI?" II
we teach that, which is held in common by
all Christians, no Christian should object.
And to him that bath said in his heart,
'There is no God" / would say that ours is
. Christian country /; this hs is made to feel
when be is compelled to hold up his handin
our courts Of justice and swear BY being
who according to his crssd exists only in
nonexistence, II may use paradox. II
there is no God to whom we are amenable,
our ERRONEOUS teaching is::of little moment.