Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-11-17
INDEPENDENCE, IOWA, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER II. 1876

4.-Florida produces oranges and
wheat
G.-By water sinking in the ground and
rising again.
by water springing from the ground,
dryness Of weather, springs which are
heated by the earth's interior.
9.-Trees will draw rain, and in inhabit-
ed places that are not mountainous, tall
buildings, and even the telegraph wires
will draw it,
10.-Winds caused by the revolution of
the earth
SPELLING.
Laddar, nomnative, Pensy ylvania, orrang-
cs, agricultural, until, subtcranian, man.
afactures, sugar-kane, tennessee, aortia,
generally arrangement, Inference, signafies,
qualifying.
AS before stated the errors are noted
that those making them may profit there
by. Compare the above answers with the
text. Even where partially correct, notice
how incomplete the answers are. In what
way is the pupil benefited, if we tell him
noun is in the objective case, unless we
tell him by what that noun is governed?
What advantage is it to the pupil, to tell
him certain word is Uer6, and leave it
at that? Are we teaching pupils to use
their definitions and rules. which they have
labored to commit to memory,-to use
knowledge we merely correct a
sentence, and give no reason for the cor
rection? Can anyone correct a sentence,
unless he can tell in what and why it is
incorrect? Shall we teach pupils to guess,
or shall we teach them to arrive at logical
results in rational way? Shall we teach
pupils to rest satisfied because some book
or somebody ''says it is SO, or not Sc" or
shall we teach them to gain knowledge,
to use it, to weigh evidence and to make
their own deductions? In short, shall pu-
pills be taught to reason? If so, then must
teachers be familiar with definitions, rules,
and principles, and, without textbook
in hand, be able to direct pupils in the use
of these. When all who assume to teach
are prepared for this work, examinations
will cease to be denominated hard. Moth
ing that we fully understand is difficult.
All the matter selected for the eXamina-
ton of applicants, is selected from the COM
mon school textbooks. In every day
school work. questions, problems, and SEN
tences much more difficult will be found
If it is hard work TO get through the ex-
animation, what must teaching these self
same subjects to the young be? There are
many that find no difficulty in the exam
nations, and why?
The man who has been educated for a
farmer, sticks to his farm and makes it a
success; the person educated for the law,
sticks to it, and makes it Il success; the
person educated for physician, sticks to
it, and makes it a success; the person call
ed to be minister, sticks to it, and makes
it a success So with other useful pro-
fessions and callings. Would that it were
so with all teachers. The rule seems to
be, if one has no special call to do given
work; if he have received no special edu
cation and training in any particular di
rection; if he wish to earn little money
that he may begin something else; or, if
he have been unfortunate in any of his
undertakings, then by divine right, pre-
pared or unprepared, his it is to teach
school, The mental development of the
young, the pupils time, their future pros
poets, the taxpayers money, the interests
of the state, are as the dust of the balance
when weighed against this assumed right
To this rule there are many marked ex-
ceptions, may the exceptions become the
rule.
Let us not tcach-unless prepared
''that we may earn money so that we may
go to school, but let us be just to the
young, and go to school that we may
teach. w. E. PARKER,
County Superintendent.