Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-12-07

yenlently dispensed with.
WILLIAM LAKE, HENRY NEURRE,
CLAUS 9. Russ, Supervisors Of Clinton
county, Iowa.
Ii it is useless" the remainder of
the proposition is true.
SUPERVISION, school, constitutes one
OF the most essential clements of an eff
fectlve school system Cyclopetlin of
Education.
AS general rule, no extensive work
employing a large number of operatives,
each performing prescribed duties,
which contribute toward the accom-
pllshment of a general result, can be
carried on efficiently without constant
supervision.
Before we can determine whether the
otflce is useless or not, we must deter
mine some of the duties of the County
Superintendent, both moral and legal.
He is morally bound to keep abreast of
the times in school work. He should
know what is going on here and what is
going on there in school matters, and
for this purpose he must take and read
various school journals. And, whether
his work is visible or not, he must con-
stantly labor for the advancement Of
the common schools. Work must be
done that is not laid down in the law.
The actual school will never excel the
ideal. 1t the ideal be low, the money
paid for the actual is money uselessly
expended. In any given district, if you
can get at the ideal school Of majority
OF the patrons, you can very safely and
quickly estimate the actual, unless, per-
chance, some good, active teacher has
stumbled into the school-room. Hence
you often hear certain teachers highly
praised, when you know that these same
teachers have very little education, less
tact and no experience. The difficulty
is, the ideal school of these particular
places is too low. IF the teacher meets
the peculiar fancy of these particular
patrons, he goes gloriously on, while
the pupils time is AN useless" waste
In our system of common schools, actu-
al school work cannot be projected far
beyond the peoples ideal school, School
work, like the peculiar forms and modes
of government and religion, is product
of the enlightenment and intellectual
advancement Of the people Here, then,
is broad field for labor, and if properly
cultivated, will many times repay the
expense of the Office, the Judgment Of
the triumvirate to the contrary, notwith-
standing. At any one time it may be
little that a Superintendent can do in
this direction. But, if he redeem the
time, he has half an hour here, half an
hour there; an hour in one place, an
hour in another; he spends this evening
at one place, tomorrow evening at an
other; he meets an institute this week
and another next. At all these times
and places he can properly and profita-
bly, talk school matters with individuals,
and consult as to ways and means for
the advancement of common school in
terests.
Whenever teacher ceases to study,
or whenever study becomes irksome, he
has lost the power to inspire renthusi
asm for study in his pupils. Hence
forth his scheol-rOom work is tedious
round OF mechanical duties, depressing
to himself and soul killing to the young
life placed nnder his care. IF the teach
er have not an earnest desire for self
improvement; if he do not put forth
persistent efforts for the same, he will
fail to engender love for study in the
mind of his pupils A teacher loving
study and in sympathy with his pupils,
will do many times the effective school
room work than were he in an opposite
state, or merely passive.
sympathy, an instructive feeling of
interest in and affection for others.
which prompts correspondence of en-
Otions of others. Persons in sympathy
readily discern the mental state of an
other, and evince by their actions that
they suffer, mentally, the same distress,
and feel the same joy"
You are not young; no more am /;
go to, then, there's sympathy You are
merry; so am |: ha! ha! then there's
more sympathy. You love sack, and so
do |; you'd you desire better sympa-
thy?"
The teachers, the great majority Of
them, are young and inexperienced. A
great many of them cease to study as
soon as they can pass the examination
and obtain certificate.
Again, to the contrary of the judg-
ment of the Clinton triumvirate, here is
another field for the Superintendent to
cultivate. In various ways he can urge
the teachers to study beyond that which
is Immediately required in the sohool-
room. He can assist them in the pros
ecution of their studies. IF he has
gained the confidence of the teachers
and is in sympathy with, they will not
hesitate to mention the difficulties with
which they meet in teaching; they will
not hesitate to send him questions,
problems, sentences, &c, with which
they have found difficulty in the prose-
eution of their studies, and ask "a writ
ten explanation. This requires consid-
cradle of the Superintendent time,
True, he may do the greater part of this
work nights and Sundays, while the
members of the Clinton tripartite COM
mittee are sleeping. Yet, the work is
necessary, and richly pays the people,
though the work be invisible, and though
the Clinton three ARE satisfied that it
is an useless and unnecessary expense"
Many teachers will succeed admirably
in certain schools, and from peculiari-
ty OF circumstances and surroundings.
totally fail in certain Others. The Su-
perintendent is, or should be, acquainted
with the composition of the schools. and
with the teachers. 1t is his duty. as
far as possible, and without intrusion.
to see that teachers are adapted to the
particular and peculiar schools which
they propose to teach. Directors often
say, Send us a teacher that can do our
work; we want teacher who is pecul-
iarly gifted in certain directions. We
want scholarship, but scholarship mere
ly will not do; he must have this and
that qualification in addition, Send us
one. In this matter the Superintendent
can do work that will prevent many
failures in the school-room, though it is
not claimed that all the selections will
prove a success He must conscien-
tiously do his best and take the conse
quences. This work greatly aids school
officers, and well repays the people by
way Of benefit to the schools. And, in
this very work, he can aid teachers
There are many persons who follow
as q professionalism the
of district schools and desire
the better schools, the longer terms, and
the more permanent situations. If he |
keeps himself informed in regard to
these matters, the Superintendent can
greatly aid teachers in this respect.
Again, he can greatly aid young teach
ers, those who are anxious to teach
their first term, by helping them to suit
able places. If we do not look out care
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