Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-05-04
Teachers are Kicking!

A year or two since the teachers of |
the state, generally, mutinied against |
Prof. Stryker, member of the state
board, because in preparing queS-
tionS for county examinations he was
not quite as lucid as the average ped |
agogue thought he should be, and
was decidedly inclined to be vague
and indefinite in his interrogatories.
In the language of the diamond, he
was hard Stryker and great was the
rejoicing when he was struck out.
But the Kansas teacher-like the
Kansas republicans kicker and
has but little reverence for official po-
sition. In fact we are almost per-
suaded that the kicking habit--like
the gum chewing habit-has become
chronic with some of our teachers and
they kick for amusement merely.
For instance, we involuntarily lis
tened to very animated discussion
few days since which was partici-
pated in by some of our teachers and,
as usual, they were kicking meta
ment seemed to be that there are
even worse men, employed education
ally, in the state OF Kansas, than
Prof. Stryker, and the name Of Prof.
KlOck, another member of the state
board, was cited as an example and
his questions prepared for teachers
examinations, on the subject of
| Theory and Practice" were pro-
duced in evidence to support their
statements
Now, we don't know Prof. Klock,
and he has not employed us to make
a defense, but we very much dislike
to hear our great men traduced with
out sufficient cause and, therefore,
concluded to investigate a little for
ourselves. Out of list Of ten queS-
tions we selected the first three as an
example and as an average. They
read as follows: ~ "What has the
study of nature to do with the under
standing and appreciation of litera-
ture and art?" ~ "What is the use
of an object in observation? Name
some precautions that should be OBJ
served in developing the perceptive
faculties?" (3 ''How long, approx
mately, can little children sustain
acts of attention? What should limit
the demands for attentions"
We haven't time to analyze each of
the above interrOgatories; but we
only read them over three or four
times until we thought we under
stood their purport; and as to their
practicability, we can hardly conceive
how a teacher can be at all competent
to instruct children and draw the
princely salary of $50 per month who
isn't entirely familiar with the sub
ject matter-aS we think we under
stand it. We haven't space to analyze
them-as we understand them-but
will briefly call your attention to
them for fear you may not exactly
comprehend all the nice points there
in contained.
And first, read them over carefully;
close your eyes and repeat them over.
Ii you do not yet grasp the meaning
in it's entirety, continue to read and
repeat, until you think you do. Per
severance may be necessary, but when
the felicity of expression, the spendid
dictiOn, the clear, concise, lucid and
unambigiOuS central fact dawnS upon
your benighted mind, our word for it
you will be amazed that you had not
appreciated it before and will feel
like kicking yourself because you
could not answer them off hand.
True, the third question is double
header, but the connection is SO
natural, the transition so easy, and
the language so poetical, that we re-
ally believe the third question is the
prettieSt of them all.
Prof. Klock is evidently an uncom-
mon man as is evidenced by his ques-
tiOns. No common man could pro-
pound such uncommon questions, and
the real funny part of it all seems to
consist in the fact that, if not correctly
answered, the board of examiners
would neyOr know the difference.
This is another brilliant idea for
which the professor should have credit
and is directly in the interest of the
prospective teacher. In conclusion,
outside of the patent Office reports,
we don't remember to have ever read
anything more thrilling or more prac-
tical than Prof. Klock's questions on
Theory and Practice"