The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-10-19

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ture.
1t is 1amentab1e fact that, in most of
the rural schools, there is what is termed
a "fal1 tern," and "spring term" with
a summer vacation of three months, and
a winter suspension of hostilities, so to
speak, of about the same duration. This
makes up the school year. To make
matters worse, one teacher is employed
for the spring term, and another teacher
for the fall term. The first teacher is not
re engaged, because she spanked ''some-
body's darling" or, because all the little
darlings who needed spanking were not
spanked, or for hundred other trivial
reasons that an intelligent school board
would never countenance. A new teach
er is engaged, possibly,sbecause she is a
relative of some member of the school
board, or she has promised not to make
Johnny study mental arithmetic, or that
she will have speaking" every Friday
even ing, so..that some little Sarah Jane
may recite, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little
STAR" or some other foolish promise that
is utterly valueless to the school.
What is the result of such business(?)
methods? People are stunning the dis
trict schools by moving to town to
educate their children in the common
school course. If our higher institutions
of learning permitted it, their prepara.
tory departments would constantly be
filed TO overfowing by students who
have not completed the common schools.
The country schools are losing the conf
dence of patrons every day, and there is
a consequent lack of interest on the part
of teachers and pupils.
What can we do to inspire the conf
dence of patrons and enthuse our teach
ers with interest? Firstly, we can dis
pense with one of the vacations, and
unite both terms in one. In vacation
of from six to twelve weeks duration the
pupil meets with so many circumstances
that are entirely foreign to his school
work, that when the next term of school
begins, it is necessary for him to reveiw
the work that he has completed in the
previous term, thus wasting a goodly
part of his school life that might be i'm
proved in the study of some new subject.
The teacher generally employs the last
few weeks of school in reviews, so that
the time actually spent in the study of
new things is very short indeed. The
school room is distastefu1 to many boys
and girls, because they are, term after
term, kept going over and over the same
ground. Country school life becomes as
monotonous to the average boy, as the
trip to church was to that legendary old
deacon, who, every time he made one
step forward, slipped backward twice the
distance. The school rarely gets into
good working order before teacher and
pupil are reminded that it is time to sign
a truce to advancement, and begin to
garrison and provision and otherwise for
tify the points already gained, against
the common enemy, forgetfulness. By
uniting the two terms it is possible for us
proftab1y to employ much Of the time
now wasted in reviews at the term be-
ginning and the term ending. 1t is pos.
sible for us to interest the pupils and
make their work pleasant as we'll as prof
liable, and it is possible to secure the
confidence and CO operation of parents,
without which any, school is necessarily
a failure. Secondly, we can employ one
teacher for the united terms. We have
said that it is possible to increase the
efficiency of our school by uniting the
fragmentary terms; but this possibility
can never be more than a mere possibility
so long as there is change of teachers
every three months. Every teacher who
enters a new school room must, of neces
sity, waste more or less time in acquaint-
ing herself with her new environment,
and in getting the pupils into the spirit
of her methods, which are almost invari.
ably different from those of the preced-
ing teacher. We occasionally find a
school that is fulfilling its intended mis-
sion. If we search for the important fac
tor in the success of such school, we
shall surely find it in the retention of
teachers so long as the general tone of
the work done is in harmony with the
spirit of advancement. The teacher in
the city schools generally understands
that, so long as legitimate and common
sense methods are employed, she will be
permitted to retain her position. AS
result, she puts herself to the great task
of self improvement She broadens her
view of the text. She studies that she
may employ the rational methods of
teaching and government. She acquires
professional spirit. In short, she be-