The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1885-02-05
EDUCATIONAL NATTER.


HG NAUUGl SJGuUUI ODbIcfIps
4 few words may summarize the
course OF the careful and conscien-
tious school officer. We must first
suppose the teacher to have been
selected on due inquiry into his at
tafnmcnts, his moral qualities and
his adoption to his business. The
board has bargained to make him
compensation proportionate to the
service and one that is likely to in
duce him to adopt this honorable
and useful business as q profession.
The officer now puts himself in COM
munication with the teacher. is made
acquainted with his plans and regu-
lations, advises any change which
seem to him to be desirable, and
establishes relations OF confidence
such IS would be expected, and in
deed indispensable. as between a
railroad board and their supcrinin-
tendent, or between the the direct
ors Of u bank and their cashier.
When after this the school officer
hears complaint OF the school, he ac-
cepts this as a complaint which
personally concerns himself: inquiries
into it's foundation; IL it seems with
out reason, endeavors to convince
its author Of the fact; IL it seems to
have foundation. consults with the
teacher, that they may correct, il
possible, whatever is amiss, and la
hors to restore the confidence of the
people in the usefulness OF the teach
er il in any degree it appears to
have been impaired. II the teacher
happens to be, rs is sometimes the
case, u shy man, and for that reason
at a disadvantage when unreason-
able complaints are made, the officer
gives him the benefit OF his own
greater worldly experience and prac-
tical knowledge, and may not only
enable him to remove the complaints
bat to Introduce important and popu-
lar change; which the complaints
suggest. Iii these ways the school
officer may justly take pleasure and
pride in magnifying his Office by
il useful.
The useful ends attained by this
course are;
l. Unreasonable complaints which
effect the teachers comfort and i'm
pair his usefulness are removed.
2. The confidence OF the district
in the teachers fidelity to his trust
and intelligent discharge OF it is OBJ
tanned and preserved.
3. The pupils come to understand
that the teucher has the moral sup
port and assistance of officers and
patrons, and this insures thei,. res
pect, and tends to check any dis
position Oh the part Of unruly per-
sons to create disorder or make
trouble.
1. The conditions most favorable
to the usefulness Of the school arc
thus established; reforms, when
practicable, are easily and harmon
iously made; pupils are not invited
to complain by the complaints Of
others, aud parents, if at first they
do not perceive the wisdom Of any
particular course assume that it is
prima facic wise, and if they pro
pose to make any question concern
ing it, make it with the school
board, and consider dispassionately
what may be said in its, favor.
And the school board never forget
that they owe to the teacher the
duty to act as the bond ofsympathy
between him and the people Of the
district. protecting him against
misrepresentation and injustice. and
endeavoring to SO modify any of
his actions or regulations that it
shall not be, and not seem, liable
to just complaint.
A faithful school board, fully
hending the Importance Of their
their duties, discharging them in the
right spirit, will soon have in their
district school which the best
teacher will be proud to teach, and
solicitous to obtain. If now the
district shall duly appreciate good
service in the officers, the board
will be selected from year to year !,
and the board from year to year
will re-cngagc the approved teach
er, if possible.
The foregoing remarks, quoted
from the Wisconsin Journal OF Edu-
cation, are well worthy Of considera-
ton by all our school officers. The
only school in Howard county hav-
ing laid out work is the one in Cres-
co. School boards do not know
what their teachers will do, and
teachers do not know what is re-
quiTed OF them. There is too little
communication between officers and
teachers; neither party making as
full inquiry regarding the work rs
should bc made. know from my
own personal experience IL teacher
that this is true. The only lnstluc-
tions I over had from district
school officer was to keep my pupils
comfortable that they might be