Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-03-16
Chicago, Ill.
Feb, "a 1877

chicago, III.
Feb. "a 1877
Mr.. Bruce
Dear Sir. | now take
the liberty to inform you, that /
would like the position as teacher in
your school, if so let me know soon,
A. 3.
Forestville, Ia.
Feb "a 1877
Mr. Stratton
am in serch Of 4 position and
hearing that you had not found a
person l determined to apply if you
will accept me for the position please
answer and
Oblige A.C.
Mr.. Tolman,
Inow take the pen in hand, ask
ing favor of you. should like a
position as Xssistent Clerk in your
office
And oblige
| your atfectionatc Friend
O. NJ.
lo.-"If they had arrived last eve
ming they might have went with
you"
ll.-"Lie the book on cthe table"
"You may lay down II sit him
down."
l2.-Every one were dressed alike.
| If / were her, | would know who it
is. Between you and ], i, was he
that did it.
GEOGRAPHY.
NO.
4.-You can find different climates
in the same zone on account of the
gultstream.
5.-"Presiding officer, Henry Clay.
'sthe name of the body, Liberty
hody" "Cnrnwall;S surrendered to
Scott" "To Andrew Jackson.
"Senitor years, Representative 2
years"
Assertion, principle, elements, shoes
what is atfcrme'l, Sentance, paSsave,
heather, principle parts, principle
sentence, jender, detfiui ions, excli'
nation, proper, salery, determens,
passing, Anarctic, temperture, Pasif'
ic.
The above answers are few spec
linens Of the errors made in answer.
ing the several questions. In con
nection with other things, these
plainly show that the persons an.
swering thus are not sufficiently ac.
quainted with these several branches
to explain, expound and teach them
True, the person answering thus
might hold the textbook while the
pupil repeats certain set definitions;
but this alone is no part of teaching
1t is a waste OF time and positive
hlnderance to the pupils mental
growth. Pupils, after having gone
through the common school course
should show ny their methods of rea
soning on subjects with which they
are acquainted, by their manner OF
collecting materials for reasoning
by their use of the English languag.
in its spoken torn, by their ability
to express their thoughts in writing
SO that they may say what they mean
and mean what they say,-that they
have been through the common
school. TO be able to do this, pu
pills should be put under skllltu
teachers from the very first. ANY
defects, errors or omissions in prilna-
ry training are very difficult to rem
eiy in after years. 1t the young pu
pill Is accustomed to hear continually
such expressions as III done," 81
seen," ''John and James goes" Be.
tween you and I,""rhe horses were
drove," "Two times tour is eight.
"rhe boys come to school yister
day." "Mary, set down there" ""John
lie that book on the desk" 81 Civ.
you Il lesson yesterday" ~ on reel
ted your lesson very good" You
drawed that map good" Sc in after
years these will be continually crop
ping ont, technical grammar to the
contrary notwithstanding. Impor
tant as other branches are, yet, to tn,
yoln. person who has gone through
the common school course, it is oi
much greater Importance to be able
to speak and write the language cor
rectly than to be able to demonstrate
the rule for cube root; al acquaint
ance with letter writing aud business
forms is of much more importance
than IN acquaintance with the Bi
nominal Theorcm. The small schoo.,
need teachers who are just rs well
qualified to teach these common
things AS do the larger schools. a
person who knows not enough gram
mar to teach forty pupils knows not
enough to teach five; person who
cannot give the elementary sounds
correctly for eighty pupils should
not be suffered to give them tol
eight; a person who cannot tell the
advanced pupil why &c invert the
div.sor in the division of fractions,
should not be suffered to conduct a
class of four or five beginners
through fractions. Most emphati.
cally our common schools must lay
the educational foundation. The few
who enter our high schools and col
leges build upon this foundation.
Defects in the primary work are sci
dom atoned tor. Proficiency in Al
zebra and Geometry cannot stand
as an equivalent for deficiencies in
Arithmetic. Latin and Greek can
not atone for broken English. The
many go directly no farther than this
common school work but enter almost
Immediately into the actual battles OF
life. Hence, one reason for the eX.
treme care and anxious earnestncss
with which this common school work
should be conducted. Ifany schools
need thoroughly qualified, skilliul
and earnest teachers, they are our
primary, our common district schools.
In the examinations, no puzzles
are given. Nothing but school-room
work is required. Any applicant a,
| ou,, s;,uo ,,,ov ny,n,;nn hiu .,wu n,.