Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-06-23
L EACHER'S COLUMN,
CLAY WOOD. EDITOR.

Wapclio county furnishes no I'm
stance, so far as know, wherein any
teacher has failed. or has been dis
charged on account OF lack Of schol-
arship, although have given creden-
tiais to a few for whom / had the
strongest misgivings, knowing that
they were capable oftaking charge Of
schools of only the most elementary
character. OF the few instances of
failure, (and these not only of the
young and inexperienced) in ere,y
case the cause has been traceablc to
harsh treatment of the pupils, to dis
order in school, and to maladminis tra-
ton in general. Then as the question
of school government is the " vexed y
question. perhaps there is not much
danger of speaking or writing or
thinking too much about it, During
my incumbency have had more said
to me, by all concerned in school mat.
tiers, on this one theme than on all
others put together. Parents them
selves, whether wisely or not, put
more stress on this matter than on
learning. They emphasize discipline
as not only means to an important
end, but as an end of the gravest mo-
ment.
Let us then inquire for some Of the
general reasons why SO many teachers
fail in the control of their schools.
There are multitudinous particulars or
specifications, but for tho very reason
that there are such numbers, we shall
not attempt to speak of each, but shall
rather generalize them. The first
thing then, that presents itself, is the
teachers
MANNER.
This will be the topic of the present
article. 1t sounds trite to say that, in
order to govern others we must first
govern ourselves. Although it 10 an
old saying, it is nevertheless az true as
If it had just been evolved from the
brain and enunciated for the first time.
No teacher can put programme on
the blackboard until that programme
has been first imprinted on the tablet
of his own intellect. No teacher can
have order in his school until he shall
first have had it in his own mind.
Chaos in the school room means moth
ing moro nor nothing less than chaos
in the mind of him who governs the
school. When neither teacher nor
scholar is Quite sure what comes next,
clash is likely to result when the
teacher designs one thing, and the pu-
pill another, clash is certain. Agsin,
the teachers manner of intercourse
with his pupils is fruitful source OF
trouble. ] have observed that many
teachers assume a lofty supremacy over
them. In tone they are not persua-
sivc, but imperious in imparting in
struction they are not kindly inquis-
tive, but sharply dogmatic; they
choose not to act the part of the sympa-
thizing friend, but that of the cold,
dictator; and had they one hundred
eyes, they would use them all to spy
out the little mischiefs that crowd up.
on each other in the room around
them; and had they. one hundred
tongues, each would be employed in
mentioning and magnifying each sue
ceeding sin. His commands must be
obeycd because he uttered them, and
scholars must mind because they are
scholars. His instructions, emanating
as they do, from an infallible head
must be received, and that without
any why or wherefore. tits the bust
ness OF learners to learn
.Their's not to make reply,
Theirs not TO reason why,
Theirs but to no orr
take the inevitable consequences,
which "aciu make them knov their