Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-07-11
THE MAKING OF TEACHERS.

THE MAKING OF TEACHERS
OF what " timber" are teachers made
who are so ignorant of current literature
End the mother tongue as 10 be unable to
define the ordinary words IN use among
people of fair education? There is reprint
ed elsewhere in this number lists which
were "given out" by the SaGfamento
County Board of Examiners recently, to
classes of applicants, to few Of whom
were granted certificates, but no small
number Of the classes have been engaged in
teaching Among those who received
license to teach were men and women who
were unable in thirty minutes Of trial to
define palette, bagatelIe, ostracize, obesity,
meliorate, espionage, amenity, cynoslne,
raphsody, etc. Among the definitions
given by successful applicants on list Of
fifty words were these, which so far cast
the originality of Mother Darlington into
the shade that the memory of that blum
derine venerable myth will suffer sadly by
comparison: Unique-cqual in one, very
quaint; sane-nice, sensible; parasite
situated by the side of; parsimonious-
very grave and sedate; cauterize-to de
ceiyc; empyreal-relating TO an empire;
idyI-that which is worshiped or loved
very dearly; satyr-one who uses {" sa-
trical" expressions emoilient-one who
receives large income chiropodist-one
who believes in short styles facetiouS-
deceitfuI, close sophisticate-to make
like sophistry empiricism-the power Of
an Emperor; eclecticism-the power Of
being elect subtile-meek, lowly; cygnet
a signal or coronet, something worn;
augur-a soothsayer. In another list the
following charming definitions were written
out and submitted; Bagatelle-a musical
instrument ingenuous-to be gifted with; ;
cauterize-the art Of forming; halcyon-a
part of a vessel; chiropodist-one who
carols; satyr-a token of remembrance !;
facetious-not true subtle-tall and grace
ful; vaticination-to do good. This as
pirant for pedagogic honors could not de
fine collision, utopian, idyl, ostracize,
ephemeral, Or emolicnt.
Another list of Twenty-Five words chosen
from daily newspaper was submitted to
one of these classes, with the following re-
suit in one case, very few doing better !;
Deprecate-to do any small act. depreda-
ti0ns; anomalous-the state Of remaining
the same all the time; assimilate-to go
between; reprehensible-that which was
known before; analogous-that which can
be separated; colossu5-the meaning Of it
all intcrstices-where two lines meet =.
exhilarate-to free any one from blame, or
anything; and so on through the list, but
four correct definitions being given, while
Of the meaning Of travesty and adequate
the teacher" had no conception.
1t should BIG understood that some Of
the teachers making such a pitiable show
ing were granted first grade certificates, be-
cause the aggregate of credits was suf-
ficient-that is to say, in mathematics and
other studies their standing was high
enough to give percentage in the aggre-
gate that entitled them to the issuance Of
certificates to teach. This much in justice
to the examiners But what an absurd rule
it is, that licenses those to teach who are
so ignorant of their mother tongue
1t is related as a fact that g friends (:) Of
these applicants have bitterly criticised the
lists Of words for definition as too hard"
and have borne down heavily on the ex-
aminers for adopting such difficult 81 tests.
In another column we print the complete
lists, as also the problems submitted in
other studies to two distinct classes, that
the public may form its own judgment in
the matter As matter of justice to the
public-school system, the tests are not suf-
ficiently severe. Teaching is one of the
slSillful learned professions. Those who
engage in it should be tested as 20 their
capacity by severe and exhaustive meth
ods-at least by trial examples that will
fairly develop their knowledge of funda-
mentals. No matter how quick and cor
rect the teacher may be in mathematical
branches no matter how well posted upon
the theory and practice Of teaching, he or
she should have a correct knowledge of
the words in ordinary and everyday USE
We are quite certain that the conclusion
of Prof. Anderson in his recent essay, pub
lshed in the REcoRD-UNIoS, is correct,
that there is lamentably low plane occu-
pied by very many teachers and in very
many schools in the study and knowledge
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