Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-08-25
COUNTY svpERINrENDENr.
dc Has ths Opportunity 20 30 Of Great
Value 10 the County schools.

DO Has the Opportunity 20 80 Of Great
Value 20 the County schools.
The County Superintendent has the
opportunity TO be OF great value to the
schools of his county. Whether he Is
or not depends upon himself. He must
put himself In the place of his teachers
and people and lead them on from where
they are now. There are superintend-
ents who have high ideals OF what the
schools should be, but do not know ex-
nctly what the schools are. They build
their plans upon supposed conditions
that have no existence. They therefore
lrritate the people and teachers, and the
people and teachers irritate them. They
wish TO realize results Immediately.
They are willing to labor, but are not
willing TO walt. They change the APP
pearance Of things in the counties very
soon, but this change is not always
growth. They are noble men and
women, devoting themselves to their
teachers and schools, but they make the
mistake that teachers often make with
pupils when they crowd them on through
processes that the pupils do not under
stand, and because the child memories
the pre- cess they think he follows the
reasoning. II the teachers and the
people have low idees of schools, these
are the starting points to begin to ele-
vate them; start from where they are.
There Is another class of superinten-
dents who are always tagging behind.
The teachers OF the county have to pull
them on. The real educational leaders
are the better teachers of the county;
and what educational progress there Is
Is stimulated by them. They are as far
In the rear as the others are In advance.
IL a IL A. a A.
generally hold Office long time. The
people are very much like them-satis-
| fed with the old ways. The most yalu-
able superintendent is he who sees
clearly the next step TO take and then
puts his foot down, firmly but good
turedly, and does not take 1t up until
the time comes for another step forward.
Such a superintendent will also remain
IN office long time.
One OF the lines OF progress which the
County Superintendent is free to follow
9 the Improvement of the institute. He
san have his own way, largely, there.
Where tho funds are abundant three
weeks may be spent in the subjects, and
one week, the last, in an institute, which
all the teachers of the county should
be expected to attend. One or more in
stitute workers, not employed In the
school, might be brought in to help con-
duct the institute. the purpose OF which
should be inspiration and guidance
toward better ideals OF the purpose and
methods Of school teaching. The insti-
tute ought to be a powerful factor In
helping the teachers 10 dcci'ie between
| real, genuine reforms in theory or In
practice, and those alleged reforms that
spring up aid carry the teachers OF
i kAofs h,,k n nrfh
When test comes they fail. 1t Is the
business OF the institute to stimulate
the professional spirit, and set teachers
to studying their work In the wider re-
lations that 1t bears to society. The
institute should add sense Of dignity
and worthiness to teaching which the
petty detail of the school room Is too
apt TO take from it.-G. p. B., in Pub
lie School Journal.