Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-12-09
Why have we so many Poor Teachers.

We take the following extracts from paper
read before the Maine state Educational A,.o-
eiau9L 4; Augusta by Il. Woodbury. u Fari.!-
layton. l. seems 10 L, that many Of the lug.
g,-,ilon~ ar well worth consideration:
rha, | may speak from the facts in this mat
ter, proposed certain questions which 1 sub
uiitri Ia a body % teacher, who began 10
teach before commencing a course II the Nor
mai school. These teachers represented near
Is every county IN this state, and In nearly all
cases several towns IA each county. TIE result
uoW give Tou.
4" hole number questioned ~.
Question. !. No. who attended any private
school, high school Or academy before com
mcnciug 10 teach. 30.
II. No. who read any work on teaching be-
fore commencing 20 teach. Z.
Ill. No. who took any III. Journal II INT
time. :.
~ No. who had attended an. Teachers
Ir,i. 3.
'. NJ. who commenced when Il years old.
VI. No. who commenced when Il year. old.
VII No. who commenced when 10 year,
Old ~.
VIII. No. who commenced when Il year.
Old. ).
Il appear. 40 per cent Of them had attended
no other school than tie common to9n school
when they went into he same grade OF school
10 teach
~ per cent. had never rad 4uy WORK on the
subject = per cent. had never read any hi.
jour; = Ter cent. had never AiteUdrd any
Inst: y per cent. commenced their lob" /
can't call il work, when IL years old; ~ per
cent. when /, or - per cent. when les Than
l. YEAR Of sge.
DO these answer, give u, any light GA the
sabjecii IL seems 10 me that they DO by indi-
eating; first, that iaTsG pegce Ita.e OF cur
teaching force coInmenced when too Young
secondly, great lack III literary qualifications
especially in the direction Of pedagogical train,
ing.
We talk ofteaching As profession while the
average teacher, life is only year., and a
per cent Of the recruits are less than l. years
old. "a per cent. les, than L., ~ per cent. lcss
than 10. and II yer cent less than II profess
ZION WHOM members are mainly boys and
girls.
1t Is 4 maxim in political economy that Ia the
long run supply and demand are equal. From
the last Report Of the state supi.. we learn
that the average length Of schools in the state
for le1i WAS ~ weeks and - days, the average
%ages OF female teachers per month, Sl6.2D OF
male teachers s36.l1. Now IL cannot be ex-
pecied that young women of character and
ability VIII give their time and strength to
work whirh gives Ihem on the average, less
than $500 a year, The money inducement
onercd !, not cough 10 lead many 10 propose
Tor any better work, or to spend any more
years Of their life in ihl, field OF labor than will
sulhcc ~ bring them ~ something better,
material advance has bsen made IN this direc-
ton. but We are not out Of The woods yet.
The schools should be open from 81 TO 40
weeks each year, and the pay should be such
that those who leach may see before them an
opportunity TO support themselves and Law
by something for rainy day, until this Is
brought about it j. useless 10 expect any per-
manercy among our teachefs beyond the iney-
liable.
In order 10 have better teachers for the
schools o! he Stale two Normal schools have
been established, and there are many advocates
o other schools of the same character from
other part, Of the stsie. Now let Us see what
the state through its ensctments virtually SAYS
10 aspirunts for pedagogical honors. You wish
to leach school do you! well, you wait, II you
are girl, till you are sixteen years old, If n
boy until you are seventeen. then attend one Of
my schools established for The training of teach
ers and take two yesrs' course which have
been carefully prepared for such as you, then
II you can pass the scrutiny Of those whom |
place over these schools A. instructors aud oy-
erseers. among whom will place the Gov,
aud state supt. Of Inst, having this prepare
tory drill, and such maturity as results from il
and the Is or ~ years Of life through which
you have passed, 1 will certify that you have
permission 10 leach in my schools if you can
gain admission thereto. On the other hand, if
you are unwilling to wait and prepare your
self as | have indicated, you may commence at
any age with any qualifications.
Can any thing more fsrccal than this be i'm
agined. On the one hand with no special train
ing commence at IA or younger on the other
hand with two years OF special training Tor the
work wait till you are Is or 10; which Is right
or are both equally well: What shall be done?
!. Keep boys and girls out Of the schools BY
special enactment, by fixing an age below |
which certificate shall not be given, make |
that age IL at the least II may be said that |
this Will rule some good teachers. Without |
doubt II would, but does that condemn such . |
aw! The statute which fixed 81 on the age /
when We legally became men and women,
keeps some from their exercises Of certain priv. |
ileges, who are much better fitted for such an /
exercise than many are who have crossed the /
line legally laid down. Does that hinder the |
law from being in the main just and therefore
correct!
Enact such law and a greet deal of the i'm
would be relegated to its proper place
at once. This law would serve us AN educator
Tor it would indicate that the schools have
to do as formers of character, that
heir work is not wholly in the line of furnish
ng smattering Of knowledge ia Ihe thsee RS.
2. different method Of examinations and
ratification Is imperatively de handed, II our
irst suggestion should crystalline into a Jaw 1t
would remove in part the necessi for any
hsnge here, but only in part, for it is notorious
hat, in a vast majority Of cases the examine
ion of teachers Is a perfect farce. here are
many noble men and women engaged In this
work, but they are hardly more than emo gh
0 keep the mass In respectable order.
II not able to have teachers examined BY ,