News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-18
Educational Meeting.

The educational meeting for La
noble, Franklin and Chittenden coun-
ties, was largely attended at Essex
1 Junction last Saturday. The object
was to discuss district school require
ments and desirable qualifications of
county supervisors. Interesting re-
marks were made by Supt. Palmer,
President Buckham, Judge Powers.
Profs. Campbell and Conant. Judge
Powers said:
He was early interested in this work I;
| taught school when boy and boarded
| around" he thought much of the efficiency
| of our school law was lost when the teacher
| ceased to board around, because during that
regime the teacher, scholars, and parents
| came closer together, where they could study
character, parental government, methods of
| thinking to much better advantage, and he
believed it a practical source of education to
| the teacher OF the merits of the present law
| he said nothing, but assumed it to be a good
one and then pictured an ideal Supervisor to
carry out all the provisions of the law. He
said to the board of education present that
the vote you cast for Supervisor on the first
Tuesday of May will be the most important
vote you ever cast In your hves-so much de-
ponds on whom you elect, He should be a
scholar, and not only scholar himself, but
assn into his teachers, making them feel that
they were engaged in a noble and meritorious
work and that the result of their labors will
tell during all time; and that teachers should
not only teach their pupils to study, but teach
them to love to study. He said this Super
visor should be physically strong, robust, for
the office was no sinecure. He would be called
to all parts of the county on short notices, to
examine into the merits of this or that case.
Some dissentions may arise that he will have
TO- 10 and Sn no m of al ant
resources, able to manage men, one who has
had experiences in life that will enable him to
grapple with any difficulty that may arise.
Principal Campbell said concerning
county supervisors:
1t has been learned by experience that
the supervision of schools by @ superlp-
tendent in each town has been largely failure,
because there can not be found in each town a
person having the peculiar qualifications nee
essary to the teacher of teachers. A new
school law is upon our statute books and the
plan of county supervisors of schools in YER
mont is an experiment, and whether or no it
is to be a success or failure rests with the
county board. The qualifications requisite
for the supervisor may be placed under three
heads: physical, mental and moral, The man |
engaging in this work will find that it requires
a robust body to endure the physical exertion |
attendant upon the duties of the Office. The |
mental qualifications should be considerably |
above the requirements for the highest grade |
of certificate issued by county or State, so |
that the supervisor may well judge the scholar |
ship of his teachers and the correctness Of
their work. The supervisor must be a success
full teacher; one who has thoroughly mastered |
the theory and the art of teaching. He must |
believe that the world moves, and he must |
move with it. He must be a man of tact and |
able to transform an apparent failure into a
real success; a teacher in educational matters
and able to present to his teachers individual
ly and collectively methods of teaching and
fixed principles of government. He must be
able to listen to everyone's advice and then
use his own judgment in action, always quick
in supplying the true to supplant the false.
The one word character covers all the moral
qualifications necessary for the supervisor.
To be able to impress character upon men he
must be able to control his faculties and
feelings and be man of good habits and
pure character, Too long has teaching been
considered but a stepping-stone to something
better, the means to an end, but now at
length it is becoming more of profession,
and this plan of supervision will raise up
4 class of men devotlng themselves entirely
to the educational interests of the State;
5he closer attention and deeper interest will
bring about better schools, hence nobler men
and women. better citizens,