Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-07-11
Teachers for the Public schools.

fore the public, and perhaps no more fitting
time could be found in which t. discuss a
few of the more important interests of the
schools.
School children are much the same in
every place. They come with their unde-
vel0ped natures, their uniformed minds
and their various natural tendencies. They
come with their habits of obedience, of
research, OF honesty, or of Incidence and
perverseness, as the case may be. They
come from homes of refinement and cul-
ture. with ample means and leisure to &C.
;..-c - r'e:,c'* :c', e-....> l,.>,.,-.e
where the few hours required to attend
the daily sessions of the school are scarce
ly spared to them; and from homes where
want prevails, and where unkindness and
injustice have added a burden of pain to
the young pupil in his daily visits to the
school-room. Everywhere it is much the
same.
But whatever may be said of the pupils
it is the teacher that makes the school
what 1t is; all its usefulness is determined
by the character and ability of the teacher.
Education means beside the acquiring
of useful knowledge, the training of the
faculties to do their appropriate work.
To train is quite as important as to teach,
but requires a new ability on the part of
the teacher.
The teachers duty can be no less than to
labor for the highest good of the school;
to impart the most useful instruction pos
sible and practicable for the child to
receive; to train pupils to habits of obser-
walton; OF attention, study and obedience;
as well as to endeavor to train the judg-
love for the beautiful the true and the
good. A teacher who feels that the re-
suits of his work are not satisfactory
should refuse to occupy the position
longer. 1t is better to fill al wly position
creditably than to occupy high position
the duties and requirements of which are
unfamiliar and difficult or impossible to
meet satisfactorily. can owl in an eagles
nest is still an owl" and 1Pigmies though
they be upon the Alps are pigmies still"
What teachers shall we as parents who
have the welfare of our own little ones at
heart desire? What teachers shall we as
citizens of Austin who remember the in
terest of all young children desire?
First, let the teacher possess certain
amount of education. The examinations
are sufficiently comprehensive and the
examining committee faithful, so that a
teachers presence in the school room is a
sufficient guaranty of ability as far as
COuCSSI4Ou ID COuCC1ACu Dub I'LL 4uCOA-
sistency is apparent, in that general les
times upon subjects which were un-
familiar to the teacher IN whose grade
they occurred, so that teachers and pupils
have worked to disadvantage in their en-
deavOrs to comply with the regulations.
1t would seem from the history of the
general lesson that those who originated
the plan of giving such lessons intended
them more as recreation, and to occupy
spare moments at various times, and to
give the young pupil glimpses of what
lay beyond in the fields OF knowledge,
that his interest in his present work might
be increased; and not to force upon the
immature mind Of child an array of diff
ticult scientific names and terms, or q
classification of subjects, an explanation
Of which he is scarcely able to compre-
bend or remember. The intention of the
general lessons in our schools is good,
and doubtless good has been accomplish
ed, but it requires only observation to de-
mOnstrate that teacher must first have
a thorough knowledge of subject before
he can successfully give general lessons
upon that subject. Teachers should not
they feel that they cannot make sue
cess of it, or when they have no desire to
give such lessons, E,
It Is apparent that in some OF the lower
grades there is no time for general lessons.
The pupils need more and thorough drill
in arithmetic, reading, writing and spell
ling. Poor readers are laundering stud
ents in language, geography and all other
branches OF study: Pupils who do not
lay we'll the foundation In arithmetic can
not pursue successfully the study thigh
ermathematics. while writing and spell
ing are alike essential. Before any
daced we e shonid sero3sy 9@au re- w
er more time can be profitably y EMPLOYED
with these essential studies, and whether
the general lessons will be most predtaifle
for the child. ~
Education alone does not fit one for the
work Of teaching. Illustrations are not
wanting to show that many highly
educated persons have failed iignobly as
edss 10 eSPs T l. %R Sy e k eah
may be largely gift with the teacher,
but no one can fail to see that experience
is necessary to train the teachers judg-
ment so that he can act promptly and con-
sistently in all emergencies. and can de-
eide wisely in the many things during
! each day, that are to be decided and
directed by the teacher alone. 1t requires
experience to understand the mental
capacity and advancement of class and
to assign lessons long and difficult enough
to require the right amount of exercise
and exection on the part of the class, and
not to lead them into new difficulties each
day which will finally result in failure.
It requires experience to see the import
ant paints of 2 lesson that have a bearing
on future work, and so TO direct the reel
tations that each days work prepares for
the next. 1t requires experience to see
what digressions, though they may inter
est the pupils, destroy the force of the
lesson; and it requires experience to see
that long lectures which delay the work
of the school, OF publicly administered
chastisements Which, though they may
be deserved on the part Of one or two, are
not conducive to good order and effictual
teacher knows that the school exists for
the benefit of the pupils, and will consider
their wants and reasonable requests; and
Even rude pupils whi7e they may be
justly and effectually punished, will not
be dealt with harshly, and surely delicate
and sensitive ohi!dfea who have erred
will not be frequently rehuked and
publicly disgraced, to go home with tear
full eyes and heavy hearts. 1t requires
experience on the part of the teacher to
lead pupils to unite heartily with him in
all his efforts for the advancement of the
school, and to lead each pupil to work
according to his peculiar gift and capacity
and strength,
Mistakes have occurred in our schools
owing to the inexperience and poor judy
meat of teachers: During the past years
in passing through our schools, from
grade to grade, stranger Of hat ordinary
powers of observation could not fail to
discern which teachers were successful
in their work, and which teachers lacked
| experience and judgment.
The interests Of our schools ore of vital
Importance and should not be trihcd with,
and it is but a small thing to require of
our teachers, before places are assigned
them in our schools, that they ihow by
actual experiment that they do possess,
beside education, ability to teach and to
govern; and that they know from expert.
ence what DIRE the Requirements of a
school, and that they are able to meet
those requirements satisfactorily. No