Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-04-02
Communicated
Free Schools, Patrons and Teachers.


session. We do not believe there ia that
interest manifested that should be. While
a large majority of the children between
Z and 81 years have been enrolled in some
schools, vet we find not few schools
whose term average is far below what il
should be. (n few cases less than half.
/ Scholars are kept ont on frivolous excuses.
Small ones Il" have plenty of time to go
anyhow and the weather is too bad.
Large ones know enough, now, to trans
act ell the business they will do and
"they are needed at home" or eduea-
ton il humbug,-the more You educate
the youngsters the more trihing they be-
come This last, however, we have heard
coming only from few old sore-headed
mossback-. whose small brains have never
hecn nnle To understand that man is not
worse than q thief and robber, If he pre-
f-rs teschiug school or clerking in . store
At $50 a month, 10 sprouting poison ivy or
picking stones at SO IN some eases the
blame is all laid at the teachers door. In
one case five children were kept from
school because the teacher did not Whip
enouqh.n while two more were kept out OF
the sane school because he does little
else than beat his scholars" I'm another in
stance, scholars staid at home because
" the teacher played few selections on
the fiddle erry morning to get the scholars
to come early TO school" At other schools,
and one IN particular, where the average
ran quite low, pupils were kept at home
for no earthly reason but that the patrons
did not like the teacher personally. No
objection was offered to his teaching or
his management Of the school, but only
4" / don't like him" In one case, too,
patron stopped sending to- school because
the teacher refused to report to the news
papers n monthly "ROll OF Honor" But
enough of this. Let us now consider the
teacber. We have all sorts and sizes to
consider, from tho seli-important " pro-
fessionals down to the know-ail 9th class
teachers, all struggling to live through the
winter and save enough TO attend a Nor
NAL or make a payment, ont of salary of
$50 (for the last named) to $3.50 TO the
professionally. No wonder If they all LETT
the business. Small encouragement to
stay in it, but if they do so they should,
we think, be as Jealous in their work As
possible as much 30 rs though they re-
o.ived salary Of $50 to s75. Now we do
not wish TO be considered ''pessimist,"
because we chronicle only the faults. We
do 80 only because all may profit another
winter, by a consideration Of the mistakes
Of the last. Some teachers we know took
in exactly Mt Q and dismissed precisely ct
Ann. No matter how interesting or i'm
portant lesson was on hand the school
must be dismissed at four, even IN the
midst Of an explanation Of a difficult
problem or sentence. Others called 10
books as soon az enough scholars had
come 10 form class. aud kept IN until
every lesson had been slowly dragged
through,-the scholars getting homo some
evenings half hour before sunset and
others after dark. Time was not regard
ed at all either morning OF evening. Still
other teachers land believe the greater
number) we're governed somewhat by cir
cnmstances. dismIssing little before time
on bad evenings and later on good ones
though as general thing yon could e1-
psct school to dismiss within few min
utes Of 4 p. m. A few teachers seemed to
care little whether the pupils advanced or
not. Their sole aim and object was to
wear AWAY tho time somehow for four
weeks when Capt. KoontE would send his
compliments. which were highly esteemed
bv every pedagogue Take it all IN all
We do not see but that schools this winter
were equal to or better than those of any
winter heretofore, but great improvements
can still be mado Teachers, as well as
officers, as experimenting every year,
though some Of them have little discretion
in their experiments, for example,
teacher Of the county had his school each
morn;nr TO read several chapters Of the
Bible after which he led them in prayer,
40 far 40 good but the same teacher would
sometimes fall into so ungoyernable
nass,op. that he would become entirely
rnuerved. and at other times would seat
himselfby the stove, or Of the weather
sllowsd1 by the side Of the spring, which
yas close. and read "Black Sam or the
proirie Thunderbolt,n or books OF the
same sort for the amusement Of tho schol-
ars during the noon recess. All TINS -
calculated to fall short Of the intended
mark. Instead of cultivating in the chill
dren love for religious exercises 1t gives
them a very liberal view of a Christians
life.
But in no case, according 70 our notion
have the teachers ,or rather part OF
tbem) acted 80 foolishly as they have in
regard TO the Roll Of Honor. Our "Regu-
Iations" for governing county schools say
Art.l4. 1.-THE name Of pupil specially
distinguished. etc, shall be reported to the
Coupty Superintendent for publication in
the county papers Instead Of "the name
Of pupil" We have noticed the names OF
many puplls One teacher reported from
nj. school 10 names, and, as we are In
formed no had only % pupils enrolled
more than two thirds Of them specially
distinguished
Then, too, if we examine closely, we
find that in majority Of cases (now, mind,
we did not say all) the children OF the
Weather classes (sometimes three or more
from the same family are kept steadily Mt
the head Of the list, month after month,
with poorer one thrown in, down at tho
end, for appearance sake. Why the wealth
Ter should 20 shine we do not know, for
we have always been told that with the
same chances a poor boy would lead a
rich one, in study, nearly every time But
these things must be, at least until we
get democratic Superintendent.
The appointment Of Mr.. Mclnturn was
A surprise to MS We thought Capt. G..
would get it. The Capt. thought So too
A democrat informed us Yesterday that
the reason Capt. was not appointed was
that too many republicans wanted him.
You can whisper thi, to him, word at n
time. Sew saddle be his condition that
he'll wish the rein Of Fifty was over.
Au Reyoir,
Peg LHGGRD Bon.
CALVARY DOTS.
| NJ Tacoh ehockev Onened a summer