Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-07-26
Our Free Schools.

~ Iit Olthudlus
AS our free schools are now COM
mencing, every teacher should make
an effort to render them successful.
Many teachers who seem to be indus.
triouS while engaged in some manual
labor, appear to lose their energy and
become lazy in the schoolroom. Not
many years ago saw one who was too
lazy to empty his spittoon, and it had
stood in one place so long that the floor
under it was rotten.
Teachers should be industrious. They
should keep the schoolroom tidy.
When am boarding near my school,
| sweep my room and brush the dust
from the furniture, with great care,
every day. If this work is entrusted
to the pupils, whether they are boys
or girls, the work is never well done.
Every industrious teacher can do some.
thing to make the schoolroom pleasant
and attractive. He can keep his house
neat, though it may cost some labor.
In 1876, | visited several schools in
New York and Pennsylvania, and |
found that woman was employed by
the Board of Education to sweep the
room and dust the furniture. When |
was 10 Rochester, called at a public
school building early one morning and
there found woman sweeping and
brushing, and she was as particular to
do her work well as the ladies of Nc.
Minnville would be in preparing the
parlor when they expect a beau from
one of the first families of Virginia.
Teachers should be careful in their
use of language. If they are careless
and use incorrect language, they can
not expect anything better from their
pupils. Many teachers whom l meet
in town on Saturdays and on pubs
lie days, often use such expressions as
the following: 81 seen him this morn>
ing. | knowed that was so. | done
the work for him. He has done gone,
and others equally as ridiculous. Many
superintendent in Ohio and New York
would refuse to give man a certif.
cate if they should hear him use such
language. They would not even spend
time to examine him but would say
that "a man who could not use better
language is unfit to teach" | have
heard some celebrated" teachers pro-
nounce the word sacrifice" as if the last
syllable would rhyme with bliss. He
ought to know that the most famous
Lyric poets make the last syllable Of
sacrifice" rhyme with arise, skies and
eyes.
Our meat peddlers in McMinnville
frequently receive the following an
swer from those who have enjoyed the
advantages of our schools in town
owe doesent want any" In fact,
many young gentlemen and ladies who
have been my pupils frequently com,
nit the errors which | have mentioned,
though am certain that was very
careful to instruct them properly.
On the 18th inst, | visited the Viola
school, and was much pleased with the
school edifce. 1t is a model for beauty
and convenience. The main room is
not so large as some schoolrooms | have
seen, yet it had forty>two double desks
in it, and it will seat eighty>four pupil;
as comfortably as they can sit in chair;
at home, and more comfortably than
they can sit in some homes. The two
wings are admirably arranged, and the
blackboards are splendid, Twenty pu,
pills can work on the boards in the main
building at one time, and person can
scarcely discover that any noise is made
by working, All our teachers, and
all our building committees who have
the management of building school,
houses, will be paid to visit Viola and
examine the admirable arrangements
of the school building.
j. p. CLARK.
McMinnville, July 10, 1884.