Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-04-12

prepare Itself Tor tie criticism 81 preju-
dice. 1t will not stand simply as au
aggregate of independents, root
schools. unlimited number OF good
teachers working Independently will
not make the system Secure Whlleit
true that the school IS 5, hat the teacher
is, it is not true that the school system
is hat the teacher is. The teacher
is the unit OF force, not the school
committee, nor the superintendent.
There IS no power in the world that
can make ii good school without a good
teac er; but hc may work skllfully,
faithfully hcroically, and still Dbc
helpless in unilying The system 4
hard urNiug teacher - no does his
best needs the assistance OF intelligent.
discriminating supervision. The su-
periutendent IS not boss over the
teacher; is not spy upon them: is
not to teach by proxy through them.
He need not be a better teacher, usually
is not as good a one as some Of those
under him. The superintendent oc-
cupies n distinct and important posi-
ton; he is TO unity the work Of all the
teachers; TO help each 10 adjust his
IS ork 10 that of the others. Since there
must he grades it is of prime import
ance that each teacher knows what his
share is TO be, as he cannot know il
without TIE assistance of intelligent
and judicious supervision. If Here
are five primary buildings to feed one
grammar, and five grammar to feed
one high school and each has first
class principal there is the moro need
that some one mind shall advise them
how best To work effectively.
All that the superintendent does IN
the SC DOL is TO be done through the
teacher; hc has nothing to do with the
pupil directly, that is the teachers
work. He has nothing 20 do With the
parents. that is the committees work.
The committee and teachers ought to
have little to do with each other ex-
cept through him. lie must be an
educator in the best sense of the term.
The teacher may be such, but he does
not need to be. Many of the best
teachers have not been philosophers.
Ii the teacher knows methods he
can teach without the fundamental
principles. But the superintendent
cannot do good work without having
a philosophy; he must know all sys-
TENS, and the working of all expert
mcnts. in every city and town of im-
porlancc; he must know how to make
his system success with the teaching
! force MT his command II takes no
skill to make good schools if one can
choose all the teachers and get the
| best in tine state. His method Of deal
! iug With teachers must depend largely
upon tac kind of teachers at his conn
mand He is to concern himself
chiefly with the best methods Of Sc
cmin@ new teachers and Of dealing
with those now i'm service He can
not make good schools if he must
! take such material rs personal inter-
est, political or sectarian prejudice IN
spre the committee to elect. Ii he
must take his material from the train
! inc school, he must have the power to
decide whether the candidates for the
school give reasonable promise OF sue
| cess with training, and that training
must be equal to the emergency. III
he can have the privilege of taking
teachers of successful experience by
seeing them in their schools, there is
| no excuse for his not having the best
work To know how to get the best
teachers; to direct their work to the
best advantage with the least friction;
TO keep them loyal, and not to inter
fere with their individuality is to make
a success of tue school work of city or
town.