Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-08-22

of public school houses in Baltimore.
The ventilation Of our building is not
as good, but as to proper lighting Ia
most important feature in a schooD, it
is not surpassed, and it has more good
blackboard surface than any three
schools that l visited. They have, how
ever, many little conveniences which
we have not, such as books of refer.
ence, gazeteers etc. with which for
tunately the late. action of the council
will supply us. oN
They are now getting over the diff
Guilty in Maryland, which we are ex-
penencing the want Of trained teach
ers. Numbers are beng taught how to
teach, and these are yearly added to
the list of teachers. The almost per-
feet system which prevails in the schools
of Baltimore attests the advantage to
be derived from having all the teach
ers so well trained that they know not
only what is to be taught, but also, to
the letter, how much is to be taught
and in what manner it can best be
taught, and how to economic time.
1 hope, at no distant day, to see
schools of this character IN Virginia {;
and my desire is, that ours should be
one among the first.
THE REGULARITY OF ATTENDANCE
of pupils was something that impressed
me as truly wonderful. am really
ashamed to make any comparison in
this respect. I wish that something
could be said to the patrons Of our
school which would impress them with
the great importance of regular atten-
dance. In Baltimore if a pupil Is absent
three days he must render satisfactory
excuse to the stockholders and get their
permission before he can return to the
school; without it, he cannot return.
Some Improvement in our school in
attendance must be made if we wish to
attain satisfactory results in teaching.
When parents feel chagrined at the
backwardness of their children they
should examine into their attendance
and in nine cases out of ten they will
here find the cause. I hare nerer kpotc1
pupil to make any progress echo scos
gerry frequently absent. One day from a
pupils attendance is one link from a
chain; break out several links, and
what is the chain worth? There is no
study in which one days lesson can
be omitted without materially harming
the next days. There is strict Deepen
dence one thing upon another. Omit
the one and little can be learned Of the
other.
On the whole, 1 feel very well salts
fed with the comparison. Considering
our many obstacles and difficulties, our
progress has been as good as could be
expected; for which we should feel Just
pride.
Besides many little things which sug-
gested Improvements in our school, OF
| which it is not worth while for me now
to go into detail, I would state that
| what we most need is:
MORE SYSTEM IN TEACHING, BETTER
QUALIFICATIONS IN TEACHERS, AND
MORE REGULAR ATTENDANCE.
What mean by 'better qualifications
in teachers is, not that they shall be
better acquainted with the branches
taught, for all our best teachers are
especially qualified in this respect, but
that they shall be conyersant with the
science of teaching and with the history
of education from the radical lnnova.
tons of Pestalozzi to the present time
Unframed teachers pursue the methods
the ante-pestalozzian age.
Every facility was offered me by the
courteous stockholders and teachers o.
Baltimore to aequaint myself thorough.
ly with their schools.
1 appreciated this kindness most
gratefully.
Respectfully.
! r D. HATSTIp,