The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1886-09-10
now M You rs,cH ;


The sall schools are now opening
Would il not be profitable ii every
teacher who is now about to enter upon
his work as teacher 10 go over the
whole subject Of teaching in the most
careful and scrutinizing way and de-
tsrmine definitely and clearly what his
duties as teacher are : We very much
fear that many Of them do not fully
appreciate their many duties, nor the
weighty responsibility that rests upon
them as educators and trainers Of the
youthful mini aud body. How few
teachers make their work as thorough
as il should be. How many young men
and young women in the schools to-day
who have completed their studies in the
text books on grammar, geography, ,his-
tory and arithmetic, and yet have no
real, ,praCtical knowledge of the psiaci.
Piles taught in these books The trou-
bic with nearly all our teachers is that
their work is not practical enough. H.
IL too formal and mechanical. 1t istoo
superficial. The manner aud mode Of
applying the kuowledge obtained in the
school room are almost entirely over
looked and ignored by the teacher, and
herein Is the dangerously faulty place
10 school room work. What ,uow, ,most
Of all is wanted, is thorough work.
Such an inculcation Of the principles Of
the text books into the minds Of the
pupils that they may be able to make
a practical application Of them without
the use Of the book. To secure this
requires constant patient work and re-
work. The teacher must be the judge
as to the course to bs pursued to secure
this greatly desired result. We can
only suggest that he difficulty lies in
the fact, (iu many instances,) that the
teachers knowledge is not practical, but
merely formAl, mechanical, superficial.
Bat the greatest defect Ia the in
strucsion given in our public schools is
the almost universal absence Of any
moral training or instruction. This is
a radical defect, one that strikes at the
very foundation OF all good sociesy and
good government, and whose evil con-
sequences are seen at nearly every turn
in the hoodlum, unmanly conjuct Of
many yoang men who other xiso have
fair regulations. The state organizes
schools TO make cool citizens of the
growing generations. She wants high
order Of citizenship. This can be Sc
cured only by making men and women
wiser and better. Good men,as a rule,
are the outgrowIh of virtuous, well bal
anced children, but as the imagination
of the thoughts Of mans heart is only
evil continually, it once becomes appar-
ent that this heart must be taught and
educated as we'll as the mind. IL is
worse than folly to strengthsa and cul-
tivGts the mentality Of an ovil-disposed
boy without doing aomsthipg to rid him
OF that evil disposition. IL is like fer
tiiizing the soil withous planting the
wheat, thus giving the tares all the ben-
eft Of cultivation and fertilization. But
we are asked what is this moral educa-
tiOn Of which Wa speak. It consists
largely 10 the development and culture
Of q moral instinct that controls and
directs the life of an individual. An
individual, who, from tho days of ia
fancy, has been accustomed to follow bis
convictions Of duty, and to walk In the
path, which, by common consent, is called
the path Of rectitude, will find the habit
Of virtuoas thought and action becom-
ing ingrained in his ch lrActer. Up
rightnSss Of conduct becomes an insep-
arabic quality Of his nature. Thus,th
individual becomes an ornamsnt Of So
cisty, an Invaluable acquisition in the
composition Of aggregate citizenship,
aud blessing to the family relation.