The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-12-10
GducafonaI.
For the JeIf-rSOnIau.
LETTERS TO y0JNG TEACHERS.
NUMBER Two.

Ny DEAR FRIENDS Fnny last lette
limited at the proprirty or making your
selves acquainted with your Sshoo
BoIsq, ?lir0ns, ard future pupils, befor,
entering upon tie di-charsa OF your du
ties ~ teacher. In tliis letter | will b,
explicit on points which think will. i
observed, aid you in making your voca
ton agreeable TO you and beneficial &
your patrons and pupils
After you have made your contract.
you should set about making arrange
ments Tor opening your school. In order
To do this with the greatest ease, you
should be in your district n few days
previous to the time OF opening your
school. Then by all means
1. Repair to the district q fer days
before school begins. You will thus be
enabled to see that all necessary arrange
ments mentioned in your contract are
properly attended to and ready for use
on the first 'day-the day so full of i'm
portance. As you are the "new teacher, "
you will attract some attention, and, Of
course, will hear many Things about
school and school teaching. Particular
ly their school will receive attention
from both parents and pupils Pay par
ticular attention to what they say, for
every word is full of meaning. would
not advise you to ''hnnt up" all you can
about the school, but to listen. If you
astempt to hunt up, you will be denomi
mated ''busy body" The Board should
be the ones to resort to, if you wish any
thing that is not given you free
Your predecessor would be good per
SON with whom you might confer
2. Apply 10 your predecessor 0RF get
all the information yoU' can from him
cOncerniIlg tie school He can tell you
what rules he thought were necessary,
what punishments he was obliged to use,
the greatest difficulty he found in man
aging the school, who were disposed to
find fault, who were disposed to violate
the law of right, who the 'hard eases"
are, who the good are, what kind OF
class management he used, etc. In act,
you should get kind of history of the
school. You can, if you will but try.
You are now prepared to mark out Il
course for yourself. Do it with care.
Bear in mind that nine-tenths of the
school difficulties are caused by pupils
adhering TO methods of former teachers,
whether good or bad. Hence, be sure to
inform yourselves in regard to how the
school has been taught.
3. Visit yOur patrons, if possible, be
fore school opens find it in my expe.
rience that a friendly call on the parents
aids much in the management of pupils.
Don't call as lone having authority"
but call in the spirit of the true teacher;
kindly solicit the co operation of your
patrons. Lay before them the general
plan by which you propose to manage
the school.
4. Be careful as TO the first iHlPres-
sion yoU maks. All eyes will be upon
you. The only rules worth observing
are, ''Do right and be natural" CAS-
sume nothing but what you really are"
'Be kind and courteous to all ycU
meet" The teacher is looked on by
some as oeing a menial servant, and so
be respected by respecting yourselves.
Hold up your heads, not haughtily, for
you occupy position in society second
to none.
5. Repair to the school room at GE
early hour on the first morning. 1t is IA
rule among country scholars to get to
the school house early or the first day,
in order to have "fun, and see il there
is anything ''new." When there is moth
ing new to deface, their fun consists in
filling the board with Mast cartoons,
dashing out few panes of glass, tearing
up u few loose seats, and carrying in a
large quantity of mud. You should be
at your post early, in order to fores'all
al such conduct, and to establish der
aud system at every step.
6. Have plan laid for the first day.
This properly comes under the head of
organization, which will be the subject
of my next letter.
BY a "plan, u mean in what order will
you have the classes recite! When will
the recitations take placer How many
classes can have? How will L manage
the recesses2 How will / manage affairs
at noon timel You should have days
labor mapped out, and should follow it as
nearly as possible. Aim to impress upon
the minds of your pupils that you know
low to proceed. The first day isthe all
Important day. Therefore aim to BE-
systematic, and remember that "Well
begun is half done" Thine Truly,
u. V. SwTTZER.