Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-12-23
a Visit TO the Lancaster Schools

A former resident of Lancs ster, who is
still deeply interested in the welfare and
progress Of the place, yesterday paid an
informal visit to the public schools, to spy
out, With eyes long familiar with the details
OF such institutions, the excelIencies and de-
fects OF the present administration. He had
made similar examinations at various times
during previous years, and always had left
the building with feeling of disappointment
and regret Some one or more of the rooms
had usually shown itself at first glance par
tial or total failure. He had felt panied a.
heart to see poor, inefficient teacher strug.
Cling in vain to preserve the semblance of
order among rabble of noisy, mischievous
aud mutinous boys aud girls, shouting her
commands tillworn out with the effort; and
when the visitor limited at the misconduct
carried on before her eyes, the teacher in an
excusably bad temper resented the insinua>
ton, and INDUCED 10 pleasant little fiction
that her pupils we're usually very quiet and
obedient, but just now were rather restless.
He had seen Others filling these important
positions, who from extreme youth and in
experience, or from woful lack of energy
and life, were not only failing to earn
their little salary, but wasting precious time
for tie pupils, which more skilled worker
would have filled with valuable results.
But at this visit, nothing Of the kind was
discernible. Not rude, dsorderly, or lazy
feature appeared in the whole system. Every
teacher seemed thoroughly able to control
and skillful to teach; in fact appeared well
fitted to his or her position and master or
mistress Of the situation, The low tones of
quiet commands were obeyed by prompt
movements and rapid mental work Every
moment of the time was usefully emp loyed in
teaching, aud no time needed to be taken in
governing, or in qnelling disorder. Where
every department was about equally CRAFTY.
ing to the critical old teacher who was max
ing the investigation, it would be unfair to
mention any special excelencies of teachers
who were al. strangers to him.
To examine school fairly, one should drop
in at any unexpected hour and see its o,din-
airy style of work. No "schsol exhibition
is worth copper to show how the school i.
conducted. Still there are plenty Of super.
fetal people who will pronounce some shall
low quaek of the schoolroom "a splendid
teacher" merely because there was Dig
exhibition at the close of the term. The
poor quaek knows what will suit his pupils
and patrons; so the latter half of the term
is chiefly given to getting up the exhibition,
consisting of four or five hours OF decama>
tons, burlesques, theatricals. negro shows,
&c. This practice is still in vogue in some
back districts; but whenever the exhibition
fever gets into a school it should be closed.
the same as for general outbreak Of itch or
measles, until the pupils again feel ready to
attend to their studies.
A good public school is always on exhibi-
ton, and if special day of examination is
set apart to show parents what their chill
dren have learned and how they are taught.
SO much the better. 1t is only the better
teachers who hold thorough public examina.
lions; while the pretenders keep mum abou.
the studies, and make great spread with an
exhibition. True, there is such a thing as
liking up sham examination, and drilling
pupils for weeks on great feats of memory.
stutfng their little heads with big words,
impossible problems and stunning mental per,
formances, for examination day. One of
these fraudulent teachers once had quite a
run in this county. He could pack class
for examination to perfection, setting up the
whole programme with a iew to dazzle the
school board and patrons, just as quantity
of rockets, pinwheels and frecrackers are
set up in readiness for the evening crowd
who are celebrating the Fourth Then he
would fire off all that learning at the school
officers and parents with whiz and a bang.
while the pupils thus loaded and fred off
would wink at each other and chuckle in glee
TO see how shrewdly their teacher imposed
on their mothers. And naturally the pupil.
would remember and practice the deceit and
the cheating while they would forget all the
fashy exercises
Nothing of this kind appears in Prof. Reed
or his assistants. Steady, intelligent hon,
est work is being done, and fundamental
principles are beng thoroughly taught and
the visitor would not willingly see any one of
the force supplanted by another. A. W.B.