Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-08-07

Giles.
Country high schools and assistants
places in city high schools offer good
opportunities for the college graduate
to discover if he has the qualitica-
tions essential to good teacher. OF
these two. the principalship of a small
, country high school is to be preferred.
There the young teacher has to work
out for himself problems that no one
else can solve for him. After year
or two of such service he should seek
a position rs assistant in some larger
school. Such position has many adj
vantages because of contact with older
and more experienced teachers whose
methods can be studied.
School authorities are unwilling to
engage teachers who have had no ex-
perience. Boston examines candidates
for teachers positions each year, but
requires that the candidate shall be .
graduate of some normal school or
shall have taught at least one year. Col
lege graduates have very little real
knowledge of the methods and princi-
plies of teaching. Normal schools give
this knowledge. The ideal training
for teacher would be thorough col
legate education, and then year or
more spent at some good normal
school.
The chances of success in teaching
are fully as good. If not better, than in
other professions. Unfortunately the
ways out of teaching are not so mum.
erous nor so easy as the ways in. The
rewards of this profe sion do not lis in
the abundance of this worlds goods
awarded by public gratitude. The
greatest rewards which ever come to a
teacher are the precious friendships
! formed between teacher and pupil and
between fellow teachers.
Teaching is rapidly growing in inn
pOrtance as profession. This is a
due recognition of the important duties
and responsibilities which devolve
upon teachers. Especially is this re-
sponsibility upon the teachers of the
grammar grades. A small proportion
OF the children ever attend the high
schools. Nowhere is the bright and
scholarly young teacher needed more
than in the grammar grades. Here he
has a good opportunity to inspire the
scholar with an ambition for better
education than most of them would
otherwise receive. But the most i'm
portant thing for the teacher to remem-
Der is the moral influence which he
exerts. Every teacher gives much of
his personal character to those in his
charge. Every teacher should be what
he wishes his pupils to become.
More Light in the SchoOlroons.
George A. Walton, Agent of the
Massachusetts Board of Education
says:
Teacher. do you know the ratio of
light needed for the preservation of the
health and eyesight of your pupils and
YOURSELF The rule to observe is. have
one fifth or one sixth as much window
surface as floor surface, and always
have the light enter the room at the
lett side of the pupils when at their
desks and in position to write. In
notes of schools visited upon the Cape,
l find ProvincetOwn has six school
rooms q by 33 feet, with lighting
surface just ABBOTT one tenths of the
floor surface; Truro has two rooms.
one udNiHS lcutu. tHc OtucT SiA-
teenth as much window as floor sur
face. These are samples of what is
often found in the rural schools. Meas
ure ard see how it is with yours. II
you lind it deficient, stir up the COM
nittee and the parents. Tell them the
extra strain upon the eyes from this
cause overtaxes the nerves and tends
to WEAKNESS languor, and disease.
Get your committee to insert q good
long window over the blackboard. or
wherever it is practicable. First, see
if the fault is not your own; if it is. APP
ply the remedy at once,-this may be
to simply run up the shades and let
the struggling light come in. have
seen school, teacher included, lifted
out of sodden and lethargic gloom in
TO IA holiday glow by the lifting of a
disused curtain or two in school.
room"