Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-26
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oAhEhSIONN, IA, EeDEuaIy 1O.-1ua'
Village schoolmaster" of whom we used to
read has long since been gathered to his
fathers. Now and then you still see some
age-stained picture of him. Circle it with
the educational framework of 1890, and it
seems unreal, the pedagogue almost n myth.
Hang it up in front of the modern teachers
desk in Pine township school, and il be-
comes mere caricature; for look behind the
desk, and there sits little queen instead of
an ogre.
Old, cross and ugly was that early tutor.
How familiar have ancient magazine prints
made his image to usl The spectacles pushed
back on the bald head; the bandana hand
kerchief hanging out from the pocket Of that
long, greasy-looking coat; switch in one
hand and book in the other; general bear
ing as though he had grown up at the feet of
Gamsliel; the scholars before him, however,
quaking as though they saw only raw head
and bloody bones.
VERY YOUNG TEACHERS.
Fresh and pretty, youthful and gay, gen.
tie but frm-nine words which best describe
large class Of country and village school
teachers in Allegheny county to-day.
there are many school marms in the rural
districts who are widows and maiden
ladies'"
Well, my abbreviated description is not
misft for even some of them. But bY re-
ferring to the last annual report of County
Superintendent Hamilton it will be found
that he granted certificates to III teachers,
most of whom were under 1S years OF age.
heard yesterday of two of them, now teach
ing in a certain township some distance
south of this, who are only little way ad-
vsnced into sweet sixteen. The County Su-
perintendent adds that the female teachers
outnumber the males in Allegheny county
to /, and that many of these are under q
years of age. The fact that the education
of children is intrusted to such great ex-
tent in hiscounty to such young girls is used
by Prof Hamilton as a note of warning.
He blames it on the evil of low salaries,
which was the topic fully discussed in the
first letter Of this series. Her inexperience
be would make barrier to the admlttance
of young girls as teachers, if possible.
HER RUDE QUARTERS.
Be that as it may, watched two or three
young school marms manage as many
schools yesterday in manner that certainly
pronounced them worthy of their hire, and
considerably more than what their hire
amounts to. One OF them taught in Pine
township. The school is one of those typical
little white buildings that you will find so
frequently put down right in the corner of
grove, on a triangular clearing at the side
of one of the roads. If you are not sure
whether it is the county school, look il
several Of the window Panes are broken.
Then il the wooden steps at the door are all
nicked up with initials and names, you may
L. l,1F !
molished coal shed close by is another in
fallible indication.
Inside, the rough desks and benches have
been just as fully memoralized by the jack
knife and youthful tomahawk. Blackboards
do not appear to have afforded room enough
for the soaring genius of Pine township
Gourleys and Morrows, and the once-white
plastered walls are ornamented at almost
measured regularity with sketches resem-
bling late campaign cartoons of Pittsburg's
MayoraIty battle. The innocent arts of
peace, however, are typifed by two long
rows of hats, hoods, cloaks and lunch bas-
kets, while the scratch of pencil on slate, Or
the upsetting of an ink bottle calls you back
to noble educational thoughts.
A GOOD TEACHER.
And the little lady teacher called the
wandering thoughts Of the ink spiller back
to his duties at the same time. When was
able to make the teacher understand that
was not one of the new census supervisors,
she seemed to feel safe-there was no danger |
of her age becoming public property. She is
one of the youngest teachers in the county. |
though. 1t was soon apparent she was a |
born educator, systematic trainer.
81 only have IS pupils here" she ex-
planned. "They come from territory mile |
and half around. have tried to properly |
grade my school for even these %. This 1 /
have done by making four divisions. In |
the A division teach geography, grammar. |
penmanship and physiology. B |
division takes in the simpler forms of ply |
siologY, geography, arithmetic, language,
spelling, reading and writing. In c divi- |
sion still simpler forms of these studies are |
taught d is the primary division"
Here was person teaching pretty nearly /
all that is taught in a large city school, |
where teachers get twice and nearly three |
times as much salary for conducting a class
in merely one set of the studies, while she
must teach all branches.
SMALL PAY FOR HARD WORK.
This young lady receives SS5 per month.
Last wear she paid SIS per month board. and
living more than 20 miles from home laid
out about 81 30 per year for visits home.
She teaches seven months, and then puts in
the other i've months as a student at one of
the State Normal schools, where she has to
pay for tuition q part of her small earnings.
In Pine township there are tour schools. with
rs many teachers. They get S35 per month
each, one of them being a man.
In Richland and West Deer townships 7
made particular inquiry as to the ability of
she very young teachers. got satisfactory
replies in most cases. Some were put down
Is inefficient, "and getting all they were
worth" But the exposure these vounp wo.
men have to put up with, the lonely ioca-
ion of their schools, the kind of material
hey have TO deal with in their pupils. and
he responsibilities they can't help but feel
gheu they find themselves in a disorganized.
inRraded school-all these must appeal for
,etter salaries for even "the very youthful
eacher."
Yet, there are grounds for objections to
he employment of teachers at a too inex-
,erienced age. These objections are we'll
yorded in the report of County Superin-
endents Hamilton, to which we again have
ecourse. he says:
TOO LITTLE EXPERIENCE.
It is significant fact that the demand for
eachers last year Was SO great that to secure
eachers enough to Ill the schools we were
ompelled 70 issue certificates to liz persons
rho were without any experience whatever in
be work Of teaching. In the course of nv
isits most Of the teachers were found to be
arnestly, honestly and faithfully discbarging
heir duties to the best of their abilities. And
Thile many were absolute failures in the school
DOM because their ability was not equal to the |
emands made upon it. yet be it said, 70 the
reoit OF our teachers that but few were found |
no were Willfully neglecting the proper