The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1888-01-12
School Work In New oouutie

"a paper read by Mr.. Fred W. Cathro,
supt. Of Schools Tor Bottinssu County, at
the convention Of Superintendents and
Teachers held at Fargo, D. T. Dec. Goth 's7.)
1t Is not to be supposed that I can in.
struct the 'educationalists Of North Dakota,
but I wish simply to present the subject
that has been allotted to me, in such man
ner that 1t may draw forth profitable sug-
gestions from others, and to that end viii
present the needs rather than the work that
has actually been performed.
A person should have particular inter-
est In his own particular work; and though
the work in the new counties may seem to
some Of you almost ipsigni6cant. yet there
are questions iaEolxed in the school work of
the new eouatiss thss ars Of vital importance
to the success Of the educational interests,
when the new counties become old counties.
I think the representatives Of other new
counties will bear me out in claiming a. our
greatest need. . larger force Of qualified
teachers. Our corps Of teachers are not
drawn from tho Normal schools, NOR have
they, generally, any more qualification for
their work than the general knowledge nec-
essary to secure . license to teach. They
have no knowledge Of methods, nor of the
fundamental Laws snd principles on which
correct methods arc based,
The cause Of this stste Of things il not
hard to find. Settlers who have gone to the
frontier, are struggling to make homo amid
all the difficulties Of pioneer life. Their
sons and daughters have not. nor cannot re-
ceive normal training.
Nor can they afford to pay . salary suf-
fciently .arge to induce skilled teachers to
como Amongst them. They recognise the
necessity Of school for their younger chill
dren. but where can they secure . teacher7
False views Of the salus Of an educatory sci
ence, apd personal favoritism now comes to
their aid. and they select young man or
woman from their own neighborhood whose
only preparation is . common or high school
course in the east. The. one selected may
have little or no aptitude to teach or the
means At hand to acquire An ability for the
work. sa
: Our greatest need. then, briefly stated, 10
qualified teachers. II is quite evident We
cannot displace the poor teachers with good
ones, for in the displacement we encounter
the original difficulty. Tho only possible
plan TO improve our teachers for years 70
come. II the plan pursued BY the educational
centres Of our Territory. when thsy oan-
not find pupils 70 enter their collegiate Or
classes, they annex preparatory
department. BY means Of this they prepare
students for their classes. In the same
manner We may take the material at hand,
and mould II into forms suiteble for our
work. The great means at hand, that / per-
csive, are the Teachers Reading Circles
County institutes and Educational Journals.
do not wish % offer any Suggestions on
The manner Of using these instruments, for
II % doing ! would sncroach upon other
papers prepared upon thsss subjects. But,
! expect 70 - amply repaid for tho expense
nsceasarily Incurred II attending this asso-
cistion, IN 10 intrinsic vslue Of suggestions
may carry back . ny sounty,
! IN 2Articalsrly intsrsstsd II ths Rsad-
Inc Circle. Two weeks ago The tsachsss Of
Bottinsaa e.. nst pursuant y ! publishsd
al a e5gsuiss : Tsishsr5 Resdins Circle.
There wars thEAe tsachers ssat. How
svsr, 70 organized, ORDERED 6ur heoks and
lssignsd ) lesson. W hops our sircie ~ill
increase II members, but. y say ~. ~ pos-
'ibls y must 3 sustained. Ws nnst stuAy
hs principles tha4 undsslis ~ III IL teacb-l
ng I psrcsiss a ths Isashsrai RsAdingI
1reis. . important hetor Il RAISING ~