Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-07-28
The Champion school Teacher.

| county there have been recently some COM
plants about the intfhciency of teacher in
public school named Weaver. and a short
time ago the Board OF Supervisors. having
| collected some facts concerning his method
of instruction, summoned him before them,
and the President examined Weaver in ref
erence to the matter. He said:
Mr. Weaver, the board is not satisfied
entirely with your way of impsrting in
struction to the youthful mind, and We
called you before us to-day to toascertain what
the general drift OF your purpose was on
occasions that have come under our notice,
when YOU have been giving the boys what
you seem to have considered useful informa-
ton upon a variety of topics. For instance,
Mr.. Weaver, in teaching the history class.
we feel compelled to take exception to your
views when you assert that Benjamin
franklin was shot at the battle of Agin-
court, and that Nebuchsdnezzar was King
of Italy, and played the fiddle while Quebec
was burning. You may, possibly, have
later information upon those topics than
has reached the rest of US. but the commu-
nifty is prejudiced against these views, and
they make you unpopular"
Il don't recollect saying that" said
Weaver, d" but just as likely as not may
have said Agincourt instead of Waterloo.
and got Nebnchadnezzar mixed up with
William the CoDqueror. | was sick that
day. and my mind didn't work right. some
how
- And besides. Mr. Weaver, we feel as if
we ought to direct your attention to the
fact that you were wrong when you in
structed the class in grammar that Martin
Van Buren, is an adyerb and that the word
hungry is a personal pronoun. These
m ISL n "
hOgged a scholar because he insisted that
bucolic' was not an an intransitiye prepo-
sltlon and that II did not represent species
OF stOmach-ache, It seems to the board that
you went little too far.
" 1t wasn't for that | whipped him, " said
Mr.. Weaver; " it was because he put pin
in my chair | was only in iun about those
things. | knew well enough Martin Van
Buren, was an adjective"
Well, sir. that may or may not be a
satisfactory explanation. But the board
would be glad TO know your authority for
the statement that GaribaldI was Saracen
who fought against the Crusaders. and that
be received his name from the fact that he
was bald-headed? You see the parents of
the children complain about this kind OF
thing. They don't like it. They says 1t
pOIs, rs the minds of the little cnes, and 1t
makes parents mad"
I'm sorry" replied Weaver. but
hold those views c1nscientlOusly, and I'm
going to stick TO them
" But suen theory Will hardly avail to
explain why you asserted 10 the class in
arithmetic that vulgar fractions were 50
called because only blackguards use them,
AID why you made Mr. Coyle's boy 70 down
10 the tOot for saying that there were only
two halves TO an apple. The community Is
Indignant at these things, sir, and when
they learn that you taught those llt,le lnnO-
cents 10 spell dog, d-a-w-g, | am seriously
afraid that public sentiment will be strong
ly II favor OF having recourse 10 violent
measures. Now you certainly know that
there Is no respectable authority for spelling
the name Of that useful animal d-a-w-g. Ii
Is preposterous. Ii shows want of pro-
per sense Of the fitness Of things. Now,
don't It?'
' Well, may be it docs. But I'll tell you.
Every body spell, dog the other way, d-a-u-g,
and It struck me that it'd be a good idea
Tor ny scholars TO start out on a fresh, OIL
ginal basis, TO get up something Few and
startling and refreshing IN the dog nne, and
50 | threw d-a-w-g cut es kind OF an idea
a mere suggestion, you understand, With
out intending TO insist on 1t. But don't
them the Old way II you insist on 1t.
Very well. But while we are gong
over the matter permit me to urge that You
could have had no respectable authority Tor
telling the school that Omaha Is the capital
OF Mexico. and that the Revolutionary war
began in 1872 and still less Is there any
warrant iOr your assertion 10 the pupils IN
history that the middle name OF General
Washington was McGrath-George Nc
Grath Washington. This sort of education
OF the infant mind attracts attention and
excites remark 1t brings ridicule upon
the saol "a name OF the Father OF his Coun-
try, and leads the children astray respecting
the geographical location of Omaha. II Is
wrong, sir all wrong and theboart can {
put up with II.
Well. the way came to DO that, | sup
pose SAID Weaver. was that | used TO
know man named George Washington
McGrath, and must have confused him
with the other one. And as for Omaha, |
will bet you il l. in Mexico, or Siam, or
Siberia. or some of them places. Now,
isn't it ?'
"The board, Mr.. Weaver. do not think it
worth while to pursue this subject further.
but, while we are here, may as well men
tion that in that poem which you wrote as
an example for the class 10 English cOmpO-
sition, we find rather too much leyity for
such serious matter as the education OF
| children 1t is not solely that you make
Mazeppa' rhyme with pepper, nor that
you cause irolic' to rhyme with collie and
bowels with vowes,' but when you
bring IN helfer' as q rhyme for zephyr
the board feels that you have probably gone
little too far, and that your usefulness as
a guide and instructor of youth is, perhaps,
| ended. We think, Mr.. Weaver. that We had
better ask you to resign. And if you will
permit me, would offer you. in friendly
spirit. the suggestion that if YOU can pro-
cure permanent employment somewhere ina
white-washing establishment or as an ope-
rator upon saw horse perhaps your intel
lectual gifts may find a higher and more
| cordial appreciation"
They are looking for new pedagogue
now, who is sounder on the commonly re-
ceived theories about things.