Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-08-30
CURRENT AFFAIRS.
TEACHERS EXAMINATIONS.
A Cri,iei.m of some of the Question,

\ Criticism of some of the Questions.
Supervisor G. F. Hall has recently pub
lished interesting and important facts in
regard to the teachers examinations held
in July at Bratteboro and Townshend
What he has noticed in these examinations
about the average per cent made in the
branches taught in the common schools has
been a matter Of consideration among the
town superintendents at their annual meet
ings for several years past. For the last
three or four years teachers have improved
much in their knowledge Of history, civil
government and physiology. Much infor-
nation in regard 10 a teachers scholarship
may be gained in the written examination
but an oral examination, provided the ex
aminer is skilful in asking questions, will
determine far better a teachers or a schol-
ar's knowledge ON any subject than can be
ascertained by the written examination
We recall several instances in our expert
ence with examinations whore we had
doubts about the teachers qualification in
regard to scholarship, but those doubts
were removed after brief oral examina
ton 1t requires good Judgment in the
preparation of questions for examinations,
and it is easy to ask questions that good
scholars cannot comprehend or answer
readily. Take. for instance, the following
question copied from text book on civil
government "Recite the 10Th paragraph
of the L. S constitution" Teachers who
have good knowledge Of the constitution
will fail To do what is required, but put the
question in another form and then note the
result Give some explanation Of the writ
of hdJcdS cOiJuS.n The question is now in
the right form to determine whether a
teacher knows anything about the nforma
tion sought The first form will do for a
textbook question when n lesson is recited
Immediately after it has been learned, but
for an examination question it is faulty.
Try the following question in history
Name five remote causes Of the civil war.
1t is not easy 10 give five different causes
as required Even the state superintend
cnt might find it necessary to stop and
think awhile before attempting an answer.
Here is "A question in geography taken from
IA list prepared for adoption by the town
superintendent at one of their annual
meetings at Newfane con what river and
on which bank of it is the city Of Dublin
located - When read by the chairman Of
the committee on geography, some one oh
jected to it, and, after the objection was
considered 10y the meeting, the question
was voted out of the list and a new one
substituted. Many of the superintendents
could not answer it without looking it up,
aud not one teacher in fifty would be able
10 answer it correctly The chairman. who
was a man of liberal education, explained
that John Randolph, in one of his speeches
in Congress, called attention TO the location
Of the city Of Dublin, saying that he had
examined thirty different maps and not
one Of them had it located correctly. 1t
occurred to the chairman that it would be
IA good question for examination, but other
superintendents thought differently
On one occasion the following funny
question was prepared for the examination
papers 'On what river is Montpelier 10
Gated aud into what does it empty = The
superintendent who wrote it said he did
not see any thing funny about it. Never
theless, it was funny, and Secretary French,
Of the board Of education. said that he
should answer it thus Montpelier empties
itself once a year into the state" As the
legislature now meets only once in two
years, the emptyiug process is not 50 FIRE
queut
The question, Name eight persons who
took part in framing the constitution, is not
n good one for an examination paper. The
constitution ol tnt l nltti states Is Olten
printed in the school books without the
names Of the delegates who signed it. II
is not essential that teacher should re
member those names in order TO teach well
civil government.
Much depends on whether lists Of ques-
tions are prepared with or without the aid
of text books in regard 10 the average per
cent that may be answered correctly in an
examination. When a teacher answers all
average of 100 per cent, either the ques
tions are all quite easy or the teacher may
have obtained some information concern
ing them before examination. We recall
an instance where a teacher presented Il
certificate 10 town superintendent with
the general average marked 100 per cent
and asked that new one be granted on
the strength Of that as "A recommendation
Of scholarship 1t was not thought best to
do So and new trial was made. The
general average on the new trial fell be
low 20. Mr. Hall is right in urging that
teachers obtain better knowledge Of his
tory and civil government D. L. NJ.