Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-07-31

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perience. Boston examines candidates
for teachers positions each year. but
requires that the candidate shall be a
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-
pies of teaching. Normal schools give
this knowledge. The ideal training
for teacher would be a thorough col
| leg ate education, and then a wear or
more spent at some good normal
school.
| The chances of success in teaching
are fully as good, if not better, than ia
other professions. Unfortunately the
ways out of teaching are not so num-
erous nor so easy as the ways in. The
, rewards OF this profe ssion do not lie 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 d
due recognition of the important duties
and responsibilities which devolve
| upon teachers. Especially is this re-
! sponslbllity 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 good opportunity to inspire the
scholar with an ambition for a better
education than most of them would
otherwise receive. But the most inn
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 Schoolrooms.
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
left side of the pupils when at their
desks and in position to write. In
notes Of schools visited upon the Cape.
| tiud Provincetown has six school
rooms 27 by 80 feet, with lighting
surface just ABBOTT one tenths of the
floor surface; Truro has two rooms,
one having tenth. the other a six
teenth as much window as floor sur
face. These are samples of what is
often found in the rural schools. Meas
ure and see how it is with yours. If
you find it deficient stir up the COM
mittee 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 a 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. I have
seen a school, teacher included, lifted
out of a sodden and lethargic gloom in
to holiday glow by the lifting of a
disused curtain or two in a school
room